Help With a Build

[PP Mguire]

How portable? I carry my midtower to LANs all the time and it's pretty much the same height as the 200r. The 200r is really light so you should have no issues.

On parts, don't go with user reviews, go with reputable site reviews.

I agree with all aforementioned recommendations. For a cheap air cooler you can use the Cooler Master 212 EVO.

 

[battleof3]

Okay, mid would be fine. [One of] my final concerns would be the brands. I'm generally not one to go for brand names, I just look at what has the most positive reviews. Should I worry more about the retail brand? Also, why the GTX over r9? I'm still super vexed on this, as there are three AAAs that I really want that are available via AMD's offer. What is the benefit of the 970?

 

[PP Mguire]

The 970 is much faster than a 280x, consumes less power by far, and runs cooler. You also get a free Ubisoft game with it. Since I wouldn't pay them a dime anyways. I'd get Farcry 4 with it.

Brands aren't that big of a deal. You'll get the same experience from each. The big deal is customer service and RMA times. eVGA has the best customer service in the market.

 

[battleof3]

Okay, looks like 970 then. What would be the best case for portability? You mentioned the 200r, so what else is there? I'm not too concerned about weight, just bulk. I don't have much room to put this in either house (my parents are divorced, which is why I want this at least manageable), so what would be my best bet for space and adequate airflow?

 

[PP Mguire]

You could always try going with the NZXT Source 210 instead or the Bitfenix Prodigy or whatever. Any smaller and you'll need mITX.

 

[battleof3]

That begs another question. Could an mITX house my specs?

 

[PP Mguire]

Yes, but the board will cost you more.

 

[battleof3]

What are your thoughts on this board? ASRock H81M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (H81M-ITX) - PCPartPicker

 

[PP Mguire]

Never seen that board. It'll do the job. Just be careful because the newer '90' chips like the 4690 might not have initial support and will need a bios flash to make it work.

 

[battleof3]

If that's necessary, I'd need help come the time of crossing that bridge. One last thing before I post an adjusted link. Would a 600W PSU be applicable?