Need advice to reduce cost for Sentry mini-ITX build

[pwheden]

Hi,

I've recently got a hold of one of the Sentry mini-ITX cases, which I think are absolutely gorgeous!

With my somewhat limited knowledge of computer parts, I read the requirements for the Sentry along with a few guides and put together a build. I feel however I could reduce the cost, but I am unsure where to make savings and where the selected part is a minimum to be able to have it as a gaming computer. My requirements are not to be able to play ultra-HD on the latest games, but to be able to have a long-lasting gaming computer capable of most new games with moderate performance.

I would be deeply grateful if anyone could give me concrete advice on the build, where I could shave off and what you would then recommend: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6dpzKB

Best regards,
William

 

[jmarin]

You may be able to shave a few bucks by going with lower clocked RAM. You'd be able to save a couple/few hundred going from the GTX 1070 to the 1060 3GB edition, which would be enough to play games at 1080p. And if you got the SF450 instead of the SF600, you could save about $20, but the SF450 seems to be out of stock most places. Could also cut your motherboard cost nearly in half by going with an H370 or B360 board.

 

[Kwirek]

Adding to the above regarding motherboards, as far as I know it's been quite thoroughly proven that a more expensive board doesn't give you a performance bump (unless in edge-cases when overclocking). What you need to look at is your need of features. Amount and type of USB-ports, Wifi/bluetooth (if you intend to use them), etc. I see that you're getting a M2 drive so the correct m2 slot is obviously needed. Quite a few people like RGB functions to light up their case, so that is something to look into if you are among them.

Do you need the terabyte+ of storage? You might, but if you're like me it might just end up filled with a lot of tat I don't actually need to store. A larger single SSD might give you an overall better user experience, even though it is a bit smaller (say 500GB).
Do you need the speed of an m2 NVME SSD? I use them since they take no space and it is fun to have new stuff, but I can't say they have improved my daily life apart from that over a decent standard SSD and they come at a premium.
The two "Do you" above won't shave many dollars of the price I'm sure, but it is an alternative worth considering.

The Intel processor comes with a cooler, would the separate one be enough of a lift from stock to justify the extra price? I've not checked the results from this case, and I won't deny that a lot of coolers are nicer and quieter than the stock one - but it is also a 65W non-overclock chip which reduces the possible heat output. I assume someone else with more experience will weigh in on that one...

 

[tinyitx]

Good advices above.
-going from Z370 down to either H370 or B360 chipset based motherboard
-going down from SF600 to SF450
-using the stock Intel HSF

I note that you have picked MSI 1070 Gaming X but it is listed at Sentry's webpage that it is not compatible.
Go down to the FAQ and click into the GPU spreadsheet to check compatibility.

http://zaber.com.pl/sentry/

This time is really not an optimal time to buy a GPU as the prices are still elevated due to mining. Prices are coming down but are still relatively high, IMHO. New generation is rumored to come out in Q3 this year. So, if you are not in a hurry, might be you can use your current old card to hold off these few months and see what happens after summer. This wait could save you $$$ as it seems you are eager to trim down the budget as much as possible.

 

[BrotherStein]

Don't buy any current gen video cards. I picked up a 970 mini for about $200 and it's a little beast. I would suggest waiting for next gen or look to pick up a 970 or 980 (not sure what the prices are like for a used 980).

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

Z chipset is useless if you do not get a K CPU or do not plan to overclock your CPU. You can save quite a bit there, as suggested.

I second the bigger SSD (500GB) and no HDD if you do not store that much data (depends on your habits). It would also help with noise (vibrations), heat and cables.

Also, i5-8400 memory controller is made for DDR4-2666, you can save a little there too (no need for 3000MHz modules).

 

[pwheden]

Thanks a lot for all the good advice! I have now placed an order, and took into account most of your suggestions, with the exception of the motherboard which was unfortunately out of stock (and I was too impatient to wait haha!)

 

[Solo]

Good on you for choosing the Sentry. It is the best.

 

[Windfall]

Redid the list with some of their suggestions.....
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rsdXyX

 

[tinyitx]

Redid the list with some of their suggestions.....
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rsdXyX

Suggest to use Samsung 970 EVO instead of 960. For 500GB, it sells at US$200, $10 cheaper than the 960.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BN4NJ2J/?tag=theminutiae-20

Also, I would not recommend using H310 based motherboard as this chipset's future is not good. Better stick with either H370 or B360. If Z370 is still preferred, choose Asrock/MSI/Gigabyte over Asus to avoid the usually higher price of Asus.
https://www.techpowerup.com/244021/...y-discontinues-production-of-its-h310-chipset

 

[Windfall]

Suggest to use Samsung 970 EVO instead of 960. For 500GB, it sells at US$200, $10 cheaper than the 960.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BN4NJ2J/?tag=theminutiae-20

Also, I would not recommend using H310 based motherboard as this chipset's future is not good. Better stick with either H370 or B360. If Z370 is still preferred, choose Asrock/MSI/Gigabyte over Asus to avoid the usually higher price of Asus.
https://www.techpowerup.com/244021/...y-discontinues-production-of-its-h310-chipset

I stand corrected.

 

[loader963]

1- Don’t pay 80+ for an oem win10 license! Buy the $100 full edition or else get a $25 key off of reddit.

2- dropping down to a 1060 would be a big savings. Especially with the inflated prices as well as a strong chance of new hardware dropping in a few months.

 

[Solo]

I buy my keys on eBay for $6.00. Wtf are you smoking boy.

 

[Windfall]

I'll just leave this here:
https://www.scdkey.com/microsoft-windows-10-pro-oem-cd-key-global_1227-20.html

Science Studio did a Video on it. It's Legitimate.