Mini ITX Build!

[goinundercover]

Here's a little build log for those that like to read this stuff. I apologize for the crappy photos, as they were taken with my iPod touch. This'll be my gaming rig for the years to come, but I still might upgrade the stuff, like the GPU and CPU Cooler and maybe add an SSD.

Specs:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz
MOBO: MSI Z77IA-E53 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
HDD: Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB
PSU: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-550-PCAR-E3
RAM: Kingston HyperX Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
GPU: EVGA GTS 250 1GB
CASE: Fractal Design Node 304 FD-CA-NODE-304-BL Black

Two big boxes came in the mail today


Unboxed:


Unboxed Again!:


Intel Box, in case you wonder about the batch number and such.:


Here's the motherboard. Nice and blue. Except for that stupid usb 2 header.


Installing the i5 into the motherboard. Easy. Only slots in one way.


Fully installed CPU:


Pretty Kingston HyperX Black RAM!


Ram installed. The MSI board is weird, having only one side with a latch.


Here's how far we are now :3


Popped on the stock Intel CPU Cooler.


Time to prep up the Node 304:


Panels off:


HDD Bays out:


I almost forgot the stupid Mobo I/O Shield.


Put in the standoffs and screwed in the mobo. The I/O shield pressed really hard against the I/O on the mobo. I had to bend some of the spring things and push the mobo in. I couldnt put the mobo in without taking off the rear case fan. Super tight area.


Mounted the full size ATX psu. Easy.


Here's a crappy image. GTS 250 slotted in and mounted.


Mounted the HDD. I'm not too sure how tight to tighten these things, so I just went a little bit tighter than the "beginning of the rubber", if you know what I mean.


Connected the fans to the included fan controller.


Pretty much it. Wired it up all nice and tidy. I have an OCD for wiring lol. Took me almost 2.5 hours for wiring.


I did run into another hiccup. The poor machine wouldn't POST, and I ended up testing the ram sticks. I switched them and then the computer worked

With that out of the way, here are the rest of the pics while I set up Win7:








Anyway, quite happy with this build. A GPU upgrade and I'll be set for awhile . Now I can play TF2 again with decent framerates.

[GROF.Thewalkingdead]

Welll played :D

[Breezier]

Schweet. 10/10 Looks very nice.

[soulharvester]

Great job, good log.

Considering how tight everything is in there, you did a pretty good job on getting that wiring cleaned up.

(That CPU fan just barely fits between that GPU and RAM, jesus.)

[IAmJim]

at first i thought the case was a mini fridge

[goinundercover]

Unfortunately, I didn't do enough research about the PSU. The series PSU I purchased has a high failure rate and I am going to return and replace it with another psu :/.

[Phantom]

Well there's no point in that if it hasn't failed yet.

[Dick_McSlick]

Unfortunately, I didn't do enough research about the PSU. The series PSU I purchased has a high failure rate and I am going to return and replace it with another psu :/.

What are you replacing it with?

[Dick_McSlick]

Well there's no point in that if it hasn't failed yet.

He just doesn't want it to fail in the future, better to be precautionary and just get a new one with not as a high fail rate.

[Phantom]

or you can just not be a pussy and live on the edge with a failing PSU and hope its the underdog of shitty psus and it rises up and raises your computer to greatness YOU JUST GOTTA BELEIVE #TYBG