It's the mitx case. I'm pretty sure I can convince him to get a different monitor but he's pretty set on that case. What if he goes with an i3 and bumps up his gpu to something like a gtx 960? Would something like this be possible?
Well, getting an mITX motherboard to match the mITX version of the Prodigy case will cost more money,
as mITX motherboards cost quite a bit more. The mATX motherboards I recommended were only around $65, but those mITX motherboards are expensive and reviews for the three cheapest models are only so-so, averaging 3/5 stars.
Did he already buy the mITX version or can you get him to order the mATX version of the Bitfenix Prodigy instead?
I don't think it's possible to fit the GTX 960 into the budget if mITX is required. That example build I gave you with the i3 and a GTX 750 Ti already assumed he could use a cheaper mATX motherboard. Going with an mITX size motherboard will cost more and leave even less money for the processor and graphics card.
Edit: If he hasn't bought the case yet, I think I can make it work. Memory Express is selling the black version of the mATX Prodigy M for $70, which is a decent price considering the Prodigy normally goes for around $100.
I'm working on a parts list and I'll post it in a few minutes. Here's the parts list, hopefully it works for you and him.
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($144.74 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($53.75 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Team Elite Plus 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Toshiba Product Series
T01ACA 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($229.99 @ Memory Express)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy M Midnight MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.98 @ NCIX)
Monitor: LG 22M45D 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($128.88 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $787.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-25 21:41 EDT-0400
It's heavy on mail in rebates, but that's just how it is. No way around that and still fit into the budget in the end.
Ok, my quest for an Mini-ITX mobo is over. Looking for the smallest micro-atx case with enough space for a regular sized video card (max 11 inch) and (optionally, not a dealbreaker) can fit a regular PSU.
For the next few months Ill be carrying this PC on a bus ride, motorcycle ride, boondocks realness weekly, so footprint and bulkiness should be minimal. Im looking at define mini but it seems like it's larger than most micro atx cases based on specs. Enlighten me GAF.
Do you have a budget in mind? There aren't many cases with carrying handles.. if you want something compact.. there's Silverstone's
SG09 and
SG10 (same interior, different frontal design). They're mATX tower types, but they have a squat cube-like shape because they mount the power supply in the front instead of above or below the motherboard in a typical tower case.
They retail for about $90~110 according to PCPartPicker.
