Monster HTPC - Yay or nay?

Hey guys

So I have been gaming on a laptop for about 2-3 years now (the one in my sig) and using crappy android boxes as media players on my UHD Samsung TV.

I have stumbled by chance on an article on HTPC's last night and have come to the conclusion that this very well might be what I've been looking for: getting rid of junk media players and getting myself a good gaming rig that I'll actually be able to enjoy straight on my TV.

Here's a build I came up with on PcPartPicker:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Yb69f7

Even though I am not getting any compatibility issues, is this realistic? My main concern of course is cooling. I live in Dubai, UAE and even though my flat is pretty much air conditioned 24/7 I have always taken great care with my laptop when it comes to cooling (repasting, cooling pad etc...) so this is one area where I don't want to compromise.

The Silverstone ML08 case shows great passive cooling potential as per many reviews I've read but is it enough for the CPU and GPU I've selected: 6700K with Noctua L9i and 980Ti Matrix... I really really want to invest in the best GPU possible and the Matrix seems to be the one. It shows up to 10fps more than regular 980Ti's.... But I am worried both about the size (even though people who own the Silverstone case mentioned it can fit dual slot GPU's) and cooling. But the matrix specifically addresses this I believe and has some of the best stock cooling right?

I really hope I can get some good advice here on whether this build is realistic. It seems future proof to me (the motherboard also has thunderbolt 3 which could be useful in the future) and should be able to handle whatever I throw at it.

Thanks!

 

Wow, going 980 Ti. Nice case too, great that it accommodates a full size GPU. I have an older case and had to go with a half height card which limited me to 750 Ti. Anyhow, other than fan noise, it should be a nice setup. Good luck with the build, looking forward to seeing your build (hopefully you'll share some images)! Good to go with that Silverstone 600W PSU too, I hear it comes with flat cables which helps in that tight case.

 

Well after careful consideration I have decided to postpone my purchase. I had every single part figured out, ready to pull the trigger and then I had a doubt...

See, in the end of the day, I bought my AW to game. I am buying this HTPC to upgrade. Sure, the build I prepared is a heck of an upgrade, BUT, Pascal will be announced next April. And who knows, the first GPUs might be released late Spring/Early Summer...
And if I want to be honest, my AW will more than be enough till then.

Plus, I will be buying a PS4 in April, once Uncharted 4 is released. This has been carefully planned for years. Did the same with my PS3 and Uncharted 2.
Even though the time I have to game is extremely limited now, it's still one of my favorite hobbies and I can't seem to stick to a single platform. I have owned both MS and Sony's consoles every single generation.

Oh well, I was very excited to finally get the chance to build a desktop PC again (last one I did was when I still was in university, back in 2003...) but I doubt I'll regret waiting for Pascal...

 

Pascal is no guarantee. It may be April, but may be late 2016 the way things are going. But I understand your dilemma.

 

Although once I find my HTPC with 750 Ti lacking for what I use it for, I'll definitely be looking at that Silverstone case.