My new mini-itx build

Hey guys. I'm just excited about my new build and wanted to share the specs with you guys. If you'd like, let me know what you think of the components. I was after a mac-mini like computer that wasn't as pricey, and had better hardware.





CPU:
i3-2100T


MOBO:
ASUS P8H61-I


HDD:
WD 500gb 2.5" 7,200rpm


MEMORY:
G.Skill Eco 2x2gb cas7 1.35v


CASE:
Habey Mini-ITX Aluminum Case



Also purchased a little 5010 5cm fan to move a few cfm for ventilation.

Will put ubuntu 11.04 on it alongside win7, and osx86 if there are no major difficulties with the mobo.

My last build (this computer I'm using now) two months ago, I put in a solid state drive.
Love it. I hope to never buy a spinning mechanical disk of rust ever again.
So, I just offer the idea as a suggestion to you as well. Quieter, quicker, less heat.

Edit - more pricey though, and less storage space. Actually to be honest, C drive is the SSD, but I have the old fashioned type as extra storage in there as well.

reply to post by alfa1


I was considering a SSD, but they are too expensive for a main disk. I decided to opt out of the SSD for the time being, but the case has mounting options for two 2.5" drives, so I plan on eventually getting a 128gb SSD and using that as the system drive, which would put the 500gb as storage. I will make that jump once the price comes down a tad more. I paid $75 for the 500gb spinner, and don't want to pay much more for the SSD when I purchase it. Maybe just a few more months wait.

Another thing I noticed was the high incidence of low ratings on various SSD's. I think the tech is still relatively new, and perhaps waiting another year or so would be ideal so that it matures. It would really suck to spend a ton of $$$ on an SSD, only to have it fail a few weeks after the warranty went out. I purchased this particular drive because there were only a few negative reviews, and too many excellent ratings.

Build went smoothly. There was no clearance between the hsf, and the 2.5" hdd, but it's okay. Just means I couldn't have got away with a regular sandy bridge. It idles in the 40's, and at load lm-sensors is showing about 57c after several minutes of mprime stress testing.

It looks slick and the only complaint is the 5cm fan is audible, but not too loud. Don't think I could really fit another 2.5" drive for the SSD, but also don't think it's necessary. This is more than enough for my needs. I honestly don't think the drive is any slower than my 3.5" 500gb drive in another setup.