After my last build with the Corsair Obsidian 550D, I still had some parts left over. Specifically, I still had a really awesome Sandy Bridge i7-2600 CPU, 8GB of DDR 3 1333MHz RAM, a graphics card and some hard disks lying around, so I decided to use these parts to create a Micro-ATX system.
All I needed to buy was three items –
Fractal Design Arc Mini R2
Seasonic M12II-650 80+ Bronze Modular Power Supply Unit
Asus MAXIMUS V GENE Motherboard
MyNextCom quoted me about $530 for these parts, but eventually I got it for $490 from TradePac. I previously got my parts from MyNextCom, but I must say that their poor communication and higher prices drove me away. The WhatsApp messages I sent to them did not receive any response.
I can appreciate the challenges of running a ‘one-man show’, but when you offer a lower quality of service for a higher price, it’s hard to do business with you. Honestly, I probably would have paid the $40 premium if they could have provided the promised free delivery and hassle-free shopping experience I expect from an e-commerce website that offers WhatsApp support.
I should mention that my WhatsApp questions were incredibly easy to answer. I asked ridiculously benign questions like, “Do you have this item in stock?” and “When is the earliest you can deliver?”
Very hard to answer meh?
When it’s faster and more convenient for me to take leave, and travel all the way down to Sim Lim Square and carry 13kg worth of components back home compared to getting free delivery from your online store, something has gone horribly wrong.
Now that MyNextCom has opened me to TradePac, it’s very hard for me to go back to them. This experience underscores the importance of communicating with your customers, managing their expectations and fulfilling the level of service you set for yourself as a business owner.
But I digress.
I had lots of fun assembling this system from scratch. I wanted to celebrated my 30th birthday by gaining a new skill, so assembling this system would teach me something new while putting my excess parts to good use. Prior to assembling this system, I boned up by watching several assembly videos on Youtube. The extensive research I did on the parts was also a big help.
Mini-ITX vs Micro-ATX
Choosing the parts for the build was really tricky. I did a lot of research before deciding on these components. For the longest time, I was leaning very heavily towards building a mini-ITX build with a Corsair 250D and Gigabyte motherboard, but eventually I was very easily swayed by the exceptional expandability of the micro-ATX form factor.
Having twice the ram slots, double the PCIE slots and more rear outputs made the micro-ATX motherboard a no-brainer compared to the mini-ITX. The only concern was the cost – the Asus Maximus Gene V was about $120 more than the Gigabyte mini-ITX board I was considering, but after my disappointing experience with Dell’s proprietary motherboard, and my exceptional experience with the Asus Maximus VI Formula, I thought the Gene would be a better long-term investment. Asus has earned my loyalty.
PC Assembly – Like Playing with Legos?
I spent a lot of time mulling over what case to buy. Originally, I wanted to buy a Fractal Design Define Mini, but TradePac did not have that in stock, so I went with the Fractal Design Arc Mini R2, which according to Hardware Canuks, is no. 2 in their list of top 5 cases in 2013.
[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/i32ISjsxpKc?t=6m18s”]
The Arc Mini R2 places a priority on airflow while the Define Mini places a greater priority on silence.
The actual assembly took about 4 hours. Initially I was slightly concerned with working with Arc Mini R2 because I did not see any build guides for this case on Youtube beforehand, but I was quickly put at ease once I started work. My eventual experience with the Arc Mini R2 was relatively hassle-free for an inexperienced builder like myself. Ironically, even though I have assembled and disassembled the Dell XPS 8300 several times, it was more difficult to work with than either my Obsidian 550D or Arc Mini R2. Propriety cases begone!
Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 Review- A Good Balance Between Quietness and Cooling
When I booted up the system, I was pleasantly surprised that it was a lot quieter than what I expected. It wasn’t as quiet as my Corsair 550D, but it was definitely something I could live with.
A Canon MF4580DW, Xbox 360, chalk board, water jug and Angry Bird soft toy have been thrown in for reference.
The airflow from the stock fans also seems pretty good. I did not take any temperatures, but it passed my unscientific ‘put your hand over the fans to see how much air is being moved’ test. I was impressed that the stock case fans are able to move a respectable amount of air while staying silent.
Unfortunately, working with the Arc Mini R2 means dealing with a considerable amount of screws. Tool-less assembly would have been nice, and even though the once-off hassle of screwing everything into place isn’t a big deal, it could prove to be troublesome if you are constantly changing/installing components.When it comes to looks, I found Arc Mini R2 to be downright generic, but its understated, utilitarian charm has grown on me. Another criticism I have about its aesthetics is the tinted window. Even though it was lauded by some reviewers, I do not like it. It reduces the visibility of your components, which defeats the purpose of having a side window.
That being said, I was won over by the Arc Mini R2’s total package. Fractal Design has struck an impressive balance between cooling, silence, size, pricing and usability. Even though I consider myself a ‘Corsair Guy’, if I ever had to buy another case, I’d give Fractal Design another look.
The Real Birthday Gift to Myself
Now I have two, totally awesome systems at home. And while those are nice presents to give myself on my 30th birthday, the real gift is learning how to build a PC. It’s something I’ve wanted to learn for the longest time so that I can avoid buying desktop computers from ‘big box brands’ like Dell, HP and even Asus. This skill will also allow me to build a no-compromises system that is completely tailored to my needs and expectations. Over the long run, it will also allow me to save money by upgrading only the components that need to be changed, as opposed to changing an entire system because of one part.
Perhaps it says something about me, but to me, the gift of knowledge and experience is more valuable than the possessions it may yield.
