Hi everyone,
This will be my first Build Log ever so lets hope it turns out half decent.
Intro:
I’ve be very much intrigued by the announcements of the Alienware Alpha and the ASUS ROG GR8. However after doing research on them one thing popped up that made me cry.
The sad sad graphics cards they use. Don’t get me wrong we should all be happy they are trying to make the humble PC a Console replacement, but they only slightly improve on graphics with the Alienware Alpha listing “GTX Graphics” or better known as GTX 860M and the ASUS ROG GR8 having a GTX750Ti.
My goal with this build is to enable 4K gaming with decent fps in a case that is under 3 Liters in volume.
I also want it to be quiet during anything besides gaming and be silent enough during gaming itself
I've already done a decent amount of work and layed out everything in CAD so it is guaranteed the case is under 3 Liters in volume.
Some of the key specs that the system will have:
CPU: Up to a Intel Core i7-4790
I have no need for a K version as I won’t and can’t overclock, not sure if I’ll go with the 4790 but I will make sure it can support it.
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX970
The meat of the system, this will allow for 4K and truly surpass the console peasants.
It will be a reference PCB with single Slot IO, so I have access to 1x Dual-Link DVI, 1x HDMI Mini 2.0, 3x Mini DisplayPort 1.2
RAM: Up to 16GB DDR3L SODIMM
The motherboard can take up to 2 sticks of SODIMM memory so that should allow up to 16GB of RAM
Right now I have 1 stick of 4GB.
Storage: mSATA drive
Currently I’m using a Plextor PX-128M5M 128GB.
Motherboard: ASUS Q87T
This motherboard fits all my needs in terms of size and features. I can place an mSATA drive have an Wi-Fi module in there and it’s Tiny, because of the Thin M-ITX standard I don’t have to route any cables except for the fans, pumps and GPU 6-Pins. The EUFI works nicely to set up a nice fan curve, so no extra fan software needs to run in the OS itself
Cooling:
In terms of cooling it will be as custom as it gets. How custom? Well the only thing not custom are the fans I’m using.
It will have a watercooled CPU and GPU which both will have custom blocks. The GPU will have a full coverblock because air ventilation inside the case is 0. The rest will be revealed later in the build process.
Firstly this is a Custom build that is for personal use, after I’ve finished my own build I will be looking into doing a small production run depending on interest and pricing. So please let me know any ideas you have and if you might be interested.