Here is my 3rd mini itx pc specially built for gaming
this is my 3rd mini itx build for gaming. took me a long time to assemble everything.
components: i5 8600k, asrock z370 itx, crucial ballistix elite 16gb, zotac 1060, corsair sf 450, coolermaster elite 130, arctic cooling freezer 120, samsung 960 evo 500gb, wd gold 10tb, audioengine D1 DAC, sennheiser hd650
here are some tips for new itx builders.
- you will need to put a serious effort on hardware selection as compatibility issue will raise if not careful earlier. in my case my AIO cooler is not compatible vertically.
- dont go for the smallest cases or aesthetic cases, buy practical cases with better air cooling as you will need air for cooling.
- SFF PSU is a life saver. less cable clutter than atx PSUs.
- go for AIO for cooling solution as most mini itx cases have air cooler compatibility issues. but for AIO coolers look for coolers with shorter tube. long tubes will make cable management more difficult.
- short gpus are not good for long time gaming.
- dont buy fancy rams with peculiar heatsinks, it will raise compatibility issue.
- dont buy motherboards which have fan headers or 4/8 pin eps power connectors placed in odd places.
- old usb 3.0 internal header is a nightmare for cable management
- buy case fans with long 3 pin/pwm cable as you will need to route it through different holes
- try to make assembly as perfect as possible at the 1st time. cause in case if you make a mistake, you will have to go through disassembling most of the hardware.