Mini ITX Workstation

I'm looking to build a mITX workstation for around $600. I wanted to go the AMD route since this is an economical build, but my hopes were quickly dashed after realizing that there are no AM3+ mITX mobos. I would like some input on what Intel CPU/motherboard/GPU combos would work well with my budget. I'm also open to AMD APU solutions.

I would mainly be using this rig for development and 3D modeling with Inventor, 3dsMax and Cinema 4d. It doesn't need to be a rendering monster,  I can do that on my main rig at home. I want something portable I can bring to my local makerspace on weekends and get some real work done. Damn workstation laptops are out of my reach.

do you use anything that benefits from GPU accelleration?

if not or it can be by intergrated intel then take a look at this

Fixed the case, PSU fits

Silverstone mITX cases can only fit SFX power supplies.

Thanks for responding! I just realized that I didn't really follow the rules for a build post. This gives me a great starting point to compare other products. The 3D modeling software that I use benefits greatly from GPU acceleration.

Lets say that I already have a PSU and case, does that change part selection? Is it possible to do a discrete CPU and GPU to benefit performance in my price range? I really want to make sure it's snappy. I also have the option of purchasing a GPU later, as I have an older one I could use temporarily.

Is there any reason to choose the Intel over an AMD? I read a few comparison summaries between the Intel i5 4690K and AMD A10-7850K. The Intel came out slightly ahead or even.

Edit: After doing some research, I feel that the suggestion of using an i5 4690K is an excellent idea. I'm even tempted to move up to an i7 to get HT, but we'll see what deals I can find. I've only built with AMD before, so playing with an Intel should be fun. I will probably go that route, adding a GPU at a later date. Any advice if I were to go with an i7?

Here's a quick build I put together. I already have the cooler and a PSU, so I might be able to put that into and i7. I would also prefer an SSD since I'll be transporting the rig frequently. Then I'll be adding a GPU at a later date, I just need a small desktop ASAP.

I can't wait until cyber monday!

If you go the i5 route that will essentially be a quarter of your budget blown, half if you go i7, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just keep it in mind. I would recommend you go with a H81 based mitx motherboard  seeing it will more then likely have everything you need and then some (and they are dirt cheap).

 8Gb of ram is a must, and if you play your cards right you could use something like a GTX 750 graphics card which would probably do you for a while until you can get into something bigger.

 

I wanted to put something together on pcpartpicker for you first, but then I figured that I couldn't get it done for 600$ if the headline of your build is really "workstation". At least not with intel.

Numbers aside, if you want to go with Intel, do let them talk you into a 4690K. Two resons:

  First, since it's a workstation you probably don't want to overclock anyways because you are aming for rock-solid stability AND performance. So no need for the open multiplier that comes with the "K"

 Second, just 10$ more will get you a XEON 1231 v3, which features hyperthreading. It gives you 4Cores/8Threads compared to 4C/4T with the i5. It'll give you much better performanceand will work on every 1150 mobo.

Overall, I think in the 600$ range going with AMD APUs might be a better choice.

I recently did this sub-600€ Mini-ITX build for somebody who wanted a cheap secondary computer for his homeoffice:

Storage

2 x Seagate Desktop Hybrid SSHD 1TB, SATA 6Gb/s (ST1000DX001)

CPU:
1 x AMD A10-7850K Black Edition, 4x 3.70GHz, boxed (AD785KXBJABOX)

RAM:
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan Series rot DIMM Kit 16GB, DDR3-2133, CL11-11-11-31 (TLD316G2133HC11ADC01)

Mainboard:
1 x MSI A88XM-E35 (7721-001R)

CPU-Cooler:
1 x Raijintek Zelos (0R100003)

Case:
1 x Cooltek U3 silver (JB U3 S)

PSU:
1 x Cooler Master G450M  450W ATX 2.31 (RS-450-AMAA-B1)

 

for 600... you'll be stretching... let me see what can be done...

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J2RpVn

something like this?

The extra few GHz you get from spending $50 more on an i5 won't help that much... and the GPU won't accelerate Inventor, but it'll make rotating parts much more easy to stomach... you definitely want Intel for this build btw... the 280 WILL accelerate 3DSMax renders... it won't be a monster but it'll do the job... I can't recommend a H81 board, but B85 isn't that bad...the SSD will make it snappy...

this is assuming you had an ITX PSU that could handle it and a case, of course...

Thank you so much for introducing Xeons into the discussion. The only exposure I've had to Xeons is there 8+ core chips and I assumed all Xeons were extremely expensive. Going with a Xeon and a cheaper mobo will save some money on this build that I can put into an SSD. I'll do another build list and add to the discussion later.

In the mITX format, I starting to think that Intel is the only way to go for now.

So here is a build that is representative of what I will probably buy. I might go with a cheaper motherboard, but the built in wifi and USB 3 is convenient. Then I'll buy the best graphics card I can find with th leftover budget. I'm going to wait until black friday weekend, so I'm pretty sure I can stay under $700 and get a nice, compact mITX system. Portability is extremely important with this build.

Thanks everyone for helping me out!

Will you be ok with only 128Gb of storage?

As for graphics, you might want to look for a AMD FirePro W4100. Good entry-level card for professionals.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QzVqwP

Unfortunately the card is not listed on pcpartpicker

fuck I keep forgetting that!

Truthfully I'm not really sure what I'll need for storage. I'll solve that as I work. I've been working with Inventor for a few years and I have good experience with using consumer level graphics cards.