New SFF build for mid-range gaming

[Anthony Filmer]

I'm looking for any thoughts and feedback on this spec before I go ahead with it, ideally later today - any input is appreciated.

I mostly play games that aren't demanding on graphics cards, like Football Manager and EUIV, so processor, RAM and hard drives are my main performance requirements, but even then it doesn't really have to be anything too crazy. It's alreayd going to be a big upgrade on my current build. Really with those aspects and the graphics card I'm thinking as much about future-proofing as anything else; my budget is quite loose and I'd use it for some AAA games now (on 1080p, for now) but I'd also like it to be capable - if not cutting-edge - going forward. Hence the 2060 Super. I don't know if that's a great choice re: noise and heat though.

My main area of indecision at the moment is with regards to the hard drives: I'm pretty much committed to the m.2 SSD for my main drive (assuming that the 970 Evo Pro can run optimally as the main drive on the Gigabyte 450), but I'm unsure about the Baraccuda as my main, big storage drive. Can anyone comment on whether it, being an SMR drive, is still suitable for gaming? And if it's decent/reliable in general? Another other option might be to go for an Ironwolf Pro instead, though I've read that these are more for NAS setups or something - I don't really understand that to be honest. I don't mind paying a bit more for reliability (and I'm less concerned about outright performance). Another option would be the m.2 for Windows and main games and applications, an SSD for other games, and then another HDD for films/music/photos. But I don't know to what extent space would be at a premium in such a build, and two bigger hard drives would therefore be overkill?

I'd also like it to be as cool and quiet as is reasonable, though I get that it being a SFF for gaming means that I have to compromise on that somewhat.

Oh and I don't know if the PSU is overkill, too. I'm tempted coz I've read it's quiet (as well as a bit better than the mid-tier one), but I'm aware it might be over the top..


Case
THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO Wi-Fi AC (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 SUPER - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
6TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 5400RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN PORT + Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi excluded on H310I-PLUS)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,295.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[Scott]

I wouldn't recommend a SFF build for gaming to be honest. If you are REALLY stuck on it then I'm happy to have a look over but it's definitely not going to be silent. They are always compromised and I'm never a fan of them. That being said, there is nothing wrong with the hardware or anything like that, it's just not ideal.

If you have a look at the standard builds and check out the dimensions of the Meshify C case, that would give an indication of just how little difference there actually is between these builds.

 

[Anthony Filmer]

To be honest, I do really like the idea of it being very small, and I like that Thermaltake case too. Also, though I like the look of the Meshify it's still a 40 litre capacity object, compared to the Thermaltake being 23. When you say compromised, do you mean mainly with regards to the sound? And heat, too, I assume?

I was thinking that the components I've chosen shouldn't really run too hot, so maybe I can get away with it? I'm willing to compromise a certain amount of heat/sound/performance/component choice for it being small. Do you have any suggestions for the spec in that context?

 

[Scott]

It's not so much volume, it's footprint. There isn't a lot in it tbh. The volume illustrates the amount of breathing room the components will have.

You are overshooting the GPU, the 1660 Super is more than enough for 1080p (even high end and considering the future). Better to save the money and upgrade the GPU a year or 2 down the line to get the best value for money.

I would definitely go for the silver warranty with such a build though, maybe even up it higher as I would be worried about baking expensive bits.

 

[Anthony Filmer]

OK, so if over-heating is a concern, then as welel as the silver warranty would it be worth putting a noctua fan in there, too - or is the main concern going to be graphics card?

Also, with regards to the GPU - if I was going to soon be upgrading to a 1440p faster refresh rate monitor would that change your advice, or is it still the case that if I dropped down from ultra settings or something I'd be about to run games smoothly for years to come?

Also, is the power supply overkill, or is it worth investing in the best I can get given the SFF?

 

[Scott]

OK, so if over-heating is a concern, then as welel as the silver warranty would it be worth putting a noctua fan in there, too - or is the main concern going to be graphics card?

Also, with regards to the GPU - if I was going to soon be upgrading to a 1440p faster refresh rate monitor would that change your advice, or is it still the case that if I dropped down from ultra settings or something I'd be about to run games smoothly for years to come?

Also, is the power supply overkill, or is it worth investing in the best I can get given the SFF?

The standard cooler is excellent, and very quiet. I would actually drop the acrtic paste as the standard cooling solution is ideal and pre-applied (no overpasting to worry about). It is going to heatsoak though, no matter what you do.... so boost clocks will always be affected during extended use.

With the GPU, you purchase the GPU to match the monitor.... rather than purchasing the GPU to match the potential monitor that you might buy. When it comes time to getting the monitor, there will be new GPUs out that will make anything you buy, at any budget right now, look silly. The sensible thing to do is either do it all at once now..... or do it all at once later. Anything in between is just wasting money or not getting the best components you can. GPU and monitor always go hand in hand at the time they are required, rather than planning them at stepped intervals. I would either hold off the purchase altogether, purchase a new monitor and a new system at the same time, or purchase the system as outlined above.... then in 6 months or so, get yourself a new monitor paired with the latest matched GPU and sell on the 1660.

For the PSU, it's huge overkill but the RMx PSUs are worth it IMO. The features they offer are fantastic and you cannot go wrong by overshooting the power.

 

[Anthony Filmer]

OK great - I'll drop the arctic paste and go with the 1660 super as well. That makes sense.

Or I might even get a new monitor now and the 2060 super. Would that be well suited to a 1440p 144hz monitor? What you say about doing it all at once now is probably the best idea.

Do you have a personal opinion on those baraccuda drives re: reliability and noise? Would it not make sense to get Ironwold Pros instead, say?

 

[Scott]

1440p 144hz is 2070 Super territory unfortunately. The 2060 is just getting you in the door of 1440p, more aimed at 60-100hz. A good 1440p monitor is going to be ITRO £350.

Barracuda drives are great IMO, well known for their quality. I wouldn't be so worried about noise off of the HDD to be honest.

 

[Anthony Filmer]

I think I'm going to do what you said about getting the 1660 super then selling it on when I upgrade the monitor. Where's a good place to do that - ebay or something?

 

[Anthony Filmer]

And if I did want to buy a new GPU - even in a few years - is this motherboard likely to be up to the task. I know it's pretty much the hardest thing to replace in a system so is that something worth improving upon now?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Scott]

Very limited with motherboard selection in the SFF systems but the Aorus B450 is a good board, it'll take any card that fits currently