E-MINI i5/i7 mini PSU+brick - will it handle my system?

[Johnny5k]

Here's the system I'm planning/building (just started ordering parts):

Case: Realan E-W80
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-H97N-WIFI
CPU: Core i5-4690T (45W TDP)
RAM: Crucial 16GB Kit Ballistix Tactical Low Profile (1.35v)
CPU Cooler: ID-Cooling IS-25i
SSD: Crucial 256GB M4-CT256M4SSD2
HD: Western Digital Green 6TB
CaseFan (if needed): Top Motor DF126010BL 60x60x10

The case comes from the same company that makes the E-MINI i5/i7, and comes with the same 120W PSU and 5A (60W) power brick.
http://www.minicase.net/product_E-W80.html

I may underclock/undervolt the CPU a bit to get the TDP down to 35W, but the "T" CPU's are already clocked pretty low, so Idk if I'll be able to.

Do you think the 120W+5A power supply / brick will be enough? I'm mostly concerned about the brick, as the 120W PSU should be plenty.

Does anyone have experience with a E-MINI i5 or i7? I’d love to know the quality, and how well they perform under high load. Thanks!

Should I just get a Kill-a-watt and measure the draw once it's put together, see if it’s close to 60W, and go from there?

Any help would be much appreciated!

[quest_for_silence]

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-H97N-WIFI
CPU: Core i5-4690T (45W TDP)

A Skylake would look like a bit more rational choice, efficiency & heat wise.

CPU Cooler: ID-Cooling IS-25i

A not replaceable ball bearing fan wouldn't seem a smart move.

CaseFan (if needed): Top Motor DF126010BL 60x60x10

Idk.

Do you think the 120W+5A power supply / brick will be enough? I'm mostly concerned about the brick

My 25W laptop has a 19V/4A brick... IMO no, providing it's not underrated, you shouldn't run a brick close to its rated max.

Should I just get a Kill-a-watt and measure the draw once it's put together, see if it’s close to 60W, and go from there?

Average draw from Devil's Canyon is usually closer to 40W than to 60W, but as said above I don' recommend an hot running brick.

[Johnny5k]

CPU: Core i5-4690T (45W TDP)

A Skylake would look like a bit more rational choice, efficiency & heat wise.

I compared all the Skylake and Haswell options, looking for the best sub-65W processor (Ideally, 45W or less).
For Haswell, the i5-4690T (45W, PassMark score: 6700) can be found for $180.
For Skylake, the i5-6600T (35W, PassMark score: 6920) can be found for around $250.
All the other sub-65W Skylake CPUs are either slower or much more expensive, so I think this Haswell was a better choice. I know PassMark isn't a be-all end-all test, but for relative performance it gives a good, well, benchmark to go on.
Here's the spreadsheet I made to compare all the available options:
https://goo.gl/LKckKP

CPU Cooler: ID-Cooling IS-25i

A not replaceable ball bearing fan wouldn't seem a smart move.

True, but for the little height I have to work with, not many coolers come with a replaceable fan. If nothing else, I can replace the entire cooler every few years. They're cheap (around $20).

Do you think the 120W+5A power supply / brick will be enough? I'm mostly concerned about the brick

My 25W laptop has a 19V/4A brick... IMO no, providing it's not underrated, you shouldn't run a brick close to its rated max.

Turns out the case came with a higher-amp brick than listed – at 10A/120W, so I should be good.

Thanks for your input!

[quest_for_silence]

Here's the spreadsheet I made to compare all the available options:
https://goo.gl/LKckKP

My humble opinion is that you cannot simplify: first of all there's no need for a sub-65w cpu, then PassMark cannot be a guess estimate of processing power/productivity. The real strength of your proposed setup is the really low price you found for that CPU.

I stand by my point: Skylake is a significative leap over Haswell, efficiency-wise, PassMark doesn't account for that. Moreover mobos are (usually) more advanced, the IGP is way better and TIM has been improved (less hot CPU): all in all I consider something like a Core i5 6500 a better option (an example about its frugality).

If nothing else, I can replace the entire cooler every few years. They're cheap (around $20).

Nonetheless ball bearing fans are noticeable.

Thanks for your input!

You're welcome, and enjoy your upcoming build, whichever parts you're going to buy.

[Behemot]

Umm, what? I've checked only a few benchmarks but the step from previous generation was pretty minor. As could be expected, actually. Haven't seen any "significative leap" in there.

[quest_for_silence]

Umm, what? I've checked only a few benchmarks

There's about nothing around, Pavel, you can just guess or measure by yourself. Some shots from Anandtech:

Devil's Canyon:



Skylake:



A not uneducated guess about the 65W Core i5 should be Haswell slightly >74W delta peak, Skylake slightly <63W delta peak, all things about equal (though Haswell is an 88W TDP SKU, to be honest).

That's somewhat similar to some SPCR findings about the 4C/8T Core i7.

Haven't seen any "significative leap" in there.

Averagely 15-20% less power consumption for 10-15% more speed: around 1/4 to 1/3 more power efficiency, so performance-per-watt is an actual strenghth of HD 530 equipped Skylakes (with other IGP or discrete graphics YMMV), and so helps to stay within the proposed power envelope. Worth to mention that the proposed 4690T is a crippled CPU.

To bring my own experience: average power with a 4590 is around 45-50 at the wall (idle/office/browsing/streaming), first observations with a 6500 is about 35-40W at the wall (unfortunately I've not that 6500 right here, so I cannot support better than bringing memories).

[Behemot]

Not sure about those low-end chips, and frankly, I do not really care. Been checking comparison of relevant ones, that's mostly 4790 vs. 6700 and 4690 vs. 6600, where is close to no difference.




There may be more significant difference among the lower chips, but for the mainstream to high-end, it is so small there is definitelly no reason to upgrade, and if buying a new one, at the moment much wider offer of motherboards and stuff for 1150 clearly wins the day.

Most ppl buy dedicated graphics for anything reasonable so why the integrated may be better, it is and will never be enough. Unlike some of the highest AMD Fusion models which may be of some use, esp. for multimedia machine with some mild gaming. Pity they have lower CPU performance in every case.

Anyway, this "new socket every 2 years (or so)" is not just making me laugh, it's already getting pretty damn annoying. They have so many sockets in last few years I am already loosing it. Even AMD was not so crazy with AM+ and FM+ as they are mostly somewhat backward compatible. Now with AM4 we will hopefully get one universal which will survive for many years.

[quest_for_silence]

Been checking comparison of relevant ones, that's mostly 4790 vs. 6700 and 4690 vs. 6600, where is close to no difference.

Just a note on Anandtech: they said

...To put an angle on this, the 110W we see on the i7-6700K was in one motherboard, but in another we have seen 76W as well as 84W. Without having access to the BIOS DVFS tables for each processor, it is difficult to tell when we have mismatched data such as this...

Nonetheless they apparently insist to represent just those 110W figure, I don't understand that well why.

Anyway, this "new socket every 2 years (or so)" is not just making me laugh, it's already getting pretty damn annoying. They have so many sockets in last few years I am already loosing it.

I suppose it's a direct result of AMD irrelevance (and Intel monopoly).