Custom Portable Gaming PC - Need Advice!

[moheli]

Since the release of the new Pascal GPUs, I have been on the prowl for a new gaming setup that would also be practical for portability. Then came MSI's new line of laptops, along with a few other manufacturers' as well. Also, I really dislike Windows 10 but I was prepared to make that sacrifice if a laptop was good enough. But they were all either unable to meet my conditions or too expensive.

A few weeks ago, I discovered the Fractal Node 202 which I thought was great at first but quickly realised that it would have cooling problems, you can check the thread on that here. Then I found the Corsair Graphite 380T! Unfortunately, this case is not supplied by PCS so I'll have to buy it myself and ship it to them. Now I don't know much about the limitations of this case but below is what I've configured. I should add that I already have necessary peripherals for a desktop.

AeroCool DS Cube Black Edition Window Mini-ITX <<--- More on this below.
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-6600 (3.3GHz) 6MB Cache
ASUS® Maximus VII Impact: Mini-ITX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
8GB HyperX Fury 2133MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 4GB) RAM config.
Nvidia® GeForce® GTX 1060 GPU - 6.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM, DirectX® 12.1, G-SYNC
1TB Samsung 850 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 540MB/R, 520MB/W)

Corsair H60 Hydro Cooler /w PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans ↹ Corsair H100i Hydro Cooler /w PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
^^ More on this below. ^^

Arctic MX-4 Extreme Thermal (Paste) Conductivity Compound
2x 120mm Apache Black Quiet Fan

Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit /w SP1 – inc. DVD & License
3 Year Silver Warranty
£1,400​

Right, now here is where things get a little tricky. There is no "send in your own case" option available in the mini PC configurator but the service is available. The AreCool DS is the cheapest case that I can configure with the additional Apache fans. My thinking is to have £34 of the price of this case cover the price difference between the Corsair H60 available in the configurator and the more expensive Corsair H100i that I want, the rest to be refunded. I'll make this request over the phone when I make the purchase.

The most expensive CPU cooler that the mini PC configurator offers is the Corsair H60 but, according to this, the Corsair 380T case can handle radiators up to 240mm which is why I chose the H100i V2 even though it was not available in the configurator. But I know that PCS offers this CPU cooler for other desktop configurators.

Last time I ordered additional fans for a mini case, I was told there was no room for them. And even without them, I was still unable to control the RPM speeds of one of my fans because it was using a different connector or something. But, as I understand, the stock fan that comes supplied at the front of the Corsair 380T can be replaced with two smaller fans. I'm planning to have that done with the Apache fans if, as is likely, there's not enough room inside. And if I have to sacrifice control over a fan or two, it'd be the Apache fans. Seems silly to otherwise sacrifice control over heat exhaust to control intake.

Anyway, this is pretty much the bottleneck of my budget. I'd like to know your opinions on this, any feedback or criticism? Any experience you guys may have had with this case? Any other problems I may encounter with this configuration? I'm hoping to place this order within the next few weeks barring unforeseen circumstances. Thank you.

 

[Frank100]

Hi,

I've not personally used the 380T but I know someone who has one and they are very happy with it. I'm not in a position to comment on specifics like fan size mounting points though. I have used a lot of Corsair cases over the years for high end computers doing a lot of work, pretty much 24/7 CPU and GPU utilisation at 100%. From my experience of Corsair cases the fans are decent but not amazing but the cases seem to be sturdy, well designed and temperatures haven't been a problem even where they are packed full with graphics cards running flat out as co-processing units.

In terms of your build I would suggest more RAM than the 4GB selected. I didn't know if that was an error but for most games 8GB would be fine but 16GB isn't particularly expensive at the moment.

I'm not a huge fan of water cooling personally. All of my computers in the office doing this very intensive work are using good aftermarket air coolers. The H100 adds a fair bit to the cost and I'd like to suggest that spending the money elsewhere might benefit you more. As long as you don't use the standard Intel one but I think you already know not to do that.

The Apache fans are good but space might dictate the effectiveness of them. If you go with the water cooler then the radiator is going to occupy the area where extra fans might go. PCS do allow you to open up the side and add things without it voiding the warranty so you could add extra fans later on.

Some games will benefit from hyper-threading and I would imagine more games will in the future. There's an argument to be made for getting the i7 instead, although at about £100 more the actual benefit will be game dependent and perhaps quite limited.

I think contacting PCS is the best option and I would think they can accommodate your requests.

My two pence worth.

Frank100

 

[moheli]

I didn't know if that was an error but for most games 8GB would be fine but 16GB isn't particularly expensive at the moment.

That was indeed an error, thank you for pointing it out. It's actually supposed to be two 4GB RAM modules for a total of 8GB.

I'm not a huge fan of water cooling personally.

To be honest, the idea of having water running through my PC scares me a little. Any spillage could completely ruin everything so I'll likely apply for PCS insurance cover too. But air coolers attract dust particles so the more fans I have, the more maintenance I'll have to do on the PC to keep it nice and clean.

The Apache fans are good but space might dictate the effectiveness of them.

By my logic, it then seems counter-intuitive to install additional fans but I've taken a closer look at the case. As you've said, the radiator occupies where two additional fans would go. So I guess I have to give up on the Apache fans, right? Nope, I'm getting three instead of two now!

Hear me out on this. The case comes with two stock fans; a large one at the front and another on its rear. Furthermore, the GPU already has its own two fans and the CPU is water cooled. I don't think additional fans are necessary. But I would like to replace the stock ones with more premium fans, that's what the Apache fans will be for – two for the large one at the front. What do you think?

Some games will benefit from hyper-threading and I would imagine more games will in the future.

As much as I'd love to get an i7 CPU, I don't think it's worth the price and I've already exceeded my budget a little with this configuration. To be honest though, I don't really need it anyway. I'm either playing games on medium-high graphics locked at 60fps, using Microsoft Office for school work or indulged in media consumption.

I think contacting PCS is the best option and I would think they can accommodate your requests.

Oh that I will definitely do, especially given my specific requests. For example, I'm hoping to get the MSI version of the GTX1060 to compliment the red LED lights that come with that case.

My two pence worth.

Thanks Frank. I apppreciate your time.

 

[Frank100]

Hi,

It might be interesting to hear from people who do use water cooling in relation to dust build up. There are still some fans but these are part of the radiator. Wherever there is electricity there will be dust. Lower power usage will mean less dust and a tidier environment makes a huge difference. My computers vary in dust build up based on where they're located.

If you are on a tight budget then try to stick to that. I'm a great believer in 'live within your means and the future will always be brighter than today'. With computers there are some 'no brainers', where a tiny bit more money will make a big difference to performance. In such cases there are usually ways to make savings somewhere else, sell something you no longer need, or earn a little extra money somehow.

With that in mind I would suggest trying the case with the stock fans rather than replace them, or ask PCS to do it. As I said originally I don't think you're going to have heat issues. The GTX1080s I have perform nearly twice as much processing work as the older 980tis and produce less heat. You're looking at a 1060 and I think heat will be fine.

Another two pence worth.

Frank100

 

[moheli]

I am tight on budget but the price of a H100i V2 and additional Apache fans are already covered by what I'm paying for the case selected in the configurator so I might as well. Of course I will not try to replace anything myself, I don't feel comfortable opening a case nor do I trust myself to get it right. I will make all of my requests known to PCS before I place the order and discuss with them what they can and cannot do for me.

Apart from that, feel free to add anything else. I'm always happy to see contribution, especially since a lot of money is riding on getting this purchase right. Thank you.