New Mini-Tower Build

[Oldgeek]

I found this forum in a Google search because of a build I am considering. I have always wanted an ATX mini-tower super computer for the kind of semi-portable setup that is a little more serious than you would use a laptop for. I want to use the Coolermaster Elite 343 (USB 3.0), with the best Asus mobo and i7. I haven't built a machine for 5 or 6 years (no $), but it's always an itch.

My two previous builds were 939s. Both Coolermaster and Asus. My own personal build was an A8N-SLI 32 Deluxe, with an Opteron 165, and the other was an A8N-E with a 3200 (now the family computer).

So for the mini-tower, I was thinking of the Asus Sabertooth Z87 with an i7 quad and 32gb of Corsair RAM, but I kept looking around and saw the 2011 socket, and found the X79, so my choices became more complicated.

I'm not a gamer or an OCer, but I do enjoy video editing. Overkill gives me a sense of security in just knowing that I won't have to upgrade when something new comes around that I would like to do with my rig. Room to grow is always nice. I like the idea of having 32gigs of RAM knowing that I'm only using 8, or 16.

The 3200 I am using to type this has only 1GB of RAM (we all hate it). Another 3 are on their way from Hong Kong (I will buy a 4400 later). I don't want to have to do this again with the build I am considering. We only have to do these things when we cheap out on a build.

Having said all that, I know very little about 1150 or 2011, or the i7 procs for either. What I want is a blazing fast, jaw-dropping monster rig in a little box that nobody will notice is in the room unless I point it out to them. Kind of an unassuming Veyron, if you know what I mean.

I would like to spend up to $2,500 for this rig.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

$2.5k and you are not a gamer or overclocker, serious overkill. you can probs build one for your needs for $800

 

[Oldgeek]

I know, Tigger. You're right. I'm just trying to put a high ceiling on it. I doubt I would go that high.

The case is $50, the Z87 is $250 or less, the i7 is $330, the RAM is $350... and that's about half done. $800 would not build a rig as I described above.

I'm considering any of these.

 

[Arjai]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233306

2133, with CAS 9?

This is the stuff!!!

 

[Oldgeek]

That looks like a great set, Arjai. I'm really out of the loop now. It's been so long since I've built. My Opteron rig has a pair of 1gb OCZ Platinums with a latency of 2-3-2-5. The set retailed for around $260. This is from 2006, but were probably released a couple of years previous. I'll have to read up on RAM again. The numbers used today are Greek to me. Now it looks like the higher the number, the higher the quality.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

That looks like a great set, Arjai. I'm really out of the loop now. It's been so long since I've built. My Opteron rig has a pair of 1gb OCZ Platinums with a latency of 2-3-2-5. The set retailed for around $260. This is from 2006, but were probably released a couple of years previous. I'll have to read up on RAM again. The numbers used today are Greek to me. Now it looks like the higher the numer, the higher the quality.

The higher the number, the higher the speed they will run at, DDR3 run at higher latency than DDR2 or 1. The speed they run at does not really denote quality, that's down to how good the brand is I guess.

 

[Oldgeek]

When RAM was rated like my OCZ (2-3-2-5) the lower the number, the higher the quality. Am I right? So they changed how RAM is rated. I have to read about the basics of RAM again. Would you recommend AnandTech?

 

[Deleted member 24505]

When RAM was rated like my OCZ (2-3-2-5) the lower the number, the higher the quality. Am I right? So they changed how RAM is rated. I have to read about the basics of RAM again. Would you recommend AnandTech?

AnandTech is ok.

DDR3 does not seem to run at the tight latency settings like it did with DDR1/2 so i don't think them numbers matter so much, personally i don't really think the speed does either ie 2133/1333 etc.

My 2500k is oc'd to 4.6 with my ram stock at 1333, and i don't see any downside myself. Sometimes i think people only buy the uber 2133 etc ram for epeen, but each to their wallet i guess.

 

[Arjai]

AnandTech is ok.

DDR3 does not seem to run at the tight latency settings like it did with DDR1/2 so i don't think them numbers matter so much, personally i don't really think the speed does either ie 2133/1333 etc.

My 2500k is oc'd to 4.6 with my ram stock at 1333, and i don't see any downside myself. Sometimes i think people only buy the uber 2133 etc ram for epeen, but each to their wallet i guess.

He said he does some video stuff, I am of the belief that 1600 is as fast as any normal human would need, however, I understand that video rendering works well with faster RAM and, he mentioned being a bit, "Future Proof".

When DDR4 finally hits, that 2133, stock, will still be very competitive. I believe.
I also believe there are a bunch of epeen-ers out there benchmarking for the sake of it. I O/Ced my Socket A for the FUN of it going faster, crunching better, etc.

Blah, Blah, anyways, @Oldgeek , a few links to read up!

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviewdb/Memory/DDR3/

http://archive.benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=174&itemid=1 This is a good one

http://reviews.cnet.com/ram-memory/?filter=500056_13056236_

 

[Oldgeek]

Thank you for the references. I have a lot to learn - again. Things have changed. Here is the RAM in my Opteron rig. I only post this to show that this is what I know, and that it is far different from current systems.

I swear, I will never, ever, ever build a rig that is 'good enough for what I need.' That is nothing but a 6 foot ceiling for a guy who is 5' 10". You may as well not build. Just go buy a laptop. 'Good enough for what you need' guarantees that videos will be slide shows, programs will freeze, and in the not-too-distant-future you can click on a link and then go make coffee and toast, and when you come back, the link MIGHT have finished loading. I have lived with that far too much. A quality product must be overbuilt to perform sufficiently. That means 8gb of RAM when you need 4. 'Good enough for what you need' is only good enough for today. I build for tomorrow.

 

[Hood]

When RAM was rated like my OCZ (2-3-2-5) the lower the number, the higher the quality. Am I right? So they changed how RAM is rated. I have to read about the basics of RAM again. Would you recommend AnandTech?

Is that supposed to be a joke? What's wrong with TPU that that you'd descend to the likes of Anand Shimpi's vanity review site? If we can't answer it, it shouldn't be asked! FYI - DDR3 ranges from speeds of 1066 MHz to 3200 at the extreme end. CAS latencies can be as low as 7 and as high as 12. The sweet spot now is 2133 or 2400, prices are similar to 1600 sticks. From 2600 on up the price is very steep for very little gain, reliability and system stability suffers, and motherboard compatibility issues abound. I'm running 2400 RAM on my Ivy Bridge system and my Haswell rig with great success, for about $8.50/GB However, running high densities (such as 32 GB or 64 GB) it's even more sensitive to stability issues at higher frequencies, plus you may have to RMA a motherboard or two before you get one that will run all 4 or 8 slots at once at full density. On top Haswell CPUs you'd be okay with 2133 sticks at whatever latency you can afford, but with X79 you're safer at 1600 at those densities, but remember it's quad channel (with 4 or 8 sticks) so your throughput is theoretically doubled. Once you decide on your platform, the total amount of RAM, and the frequency desired, you can compare prices or reviews about the low latency and low voltage stuff. At high densities you should always consult your motherboard's latest memory QVL for kit model #s that have passed testing on that board, or ask for specific info from other users on this site.

 

[Arjai]

Thank you for the references. I have a lot to learn - again. Things have changed. Here is the RAM in my Opteron rig. I only post this to show that this is what I know, and that it is far different from current systems.

That RAM was the shizzle, back in the day!

 

[Oldgeek]

That RAM was the shizzle, back in the day!

...and I was quite proud of it, when I built it! 2gb was impressive - in 2006. I always figured I'd buy another pair, but I never did. Remember Corsair had a set with LED lights on them? They were expensive. My OCZ was overkill for my use. I'm sad to see them go. Some horrible business decisions there.

 

[Oldgeek]

It looks like I mismatched a board and case. The TUF Sabertooth is a full ATX. The microATX would be the Maximus VI. The Gryphon is a minimalist board. I'm sure it's a great board, but it's hard for me to warm up to anything minimalist.

 

[BiggieShady]

It looks like I mismatched a board and case. The TUF Sabertooth is a full ATX. The microATX would be the Maximus VI. The Gryphon is a minimalist board. I'm sure it's a great board, but it's hard for me to warm up to anything minimalist.

Asus ROG Maximus VI Gene or Asus Gryphon ... if you plan to overclock or use onboard audio, go with Gene

 

[Devon68]

Maybe something like this but it isn't cheap.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Q5iz

 

[BiggieShady]

Maybe something like this but it isn't cheap.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Q5iz

Caviar Blue instead of green and smaller case because that is the requirement from OP. Like Bitfenix Prodigy M:

 

[Devon68]

Caviar Blue instead of green and smaller case because that is the requirement from OP. Like Bitfenix Prodigy M:

Is there a WD blue 2TB drive?Well maybe a seagate then. I used the NZXT because he sad:

The case is $50, the Z87 is $250 or less, the i7 is $330, the RAM is $350... and that's about half done. $800 would not build a rig as I described above.

I have to agree this Bitfenix case would look a lot better than the NZXT.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

I swear, I will never, ever, ever build a rig that is 'good enough for what I need.' That is nothing but a 6 foot ceiling for a guy who is 5' 10". You may as well not build. Just go buy a laptop. 'Good enough for what you need' guarantees that videos will be slide shows, programs will freeze, and in the not-too-distant-future you can click on a link and then go make coffee and toast, and when you come back, the link MIGHT have finished loading. I have lived with that far too much. A quality product must be overbuilt to perform sufficiently. That means 8gb of RAM when you need 4. 'Good enough for what you need' is only good enough for today. I build for tomorrow.

You don't have to convince us that buying just good enough for what you need is the wrong answer, but buying a computer on specs alone, and buying simply based on those without understanding what they mean is a quick way to get separated from a lot of money for no real benefit. IMHO, the 2011 systems are for a very few people and overkill for the rest of us. Also, that X79 chipset is ancient in today's world. Here are a few thoughts:
-Unless you've gotten to use an up to date system, you have no idea how fast they are, coming from what you have. Check my specs, I'm still using my X2 4400+.
-I suggest building a 7/8 scale system. Building a bleeding edge system wastes money, even in the long run.
-Have you thought about building a quiet system? It's relatively easy today.

If you want me to make specific suggestions, let me know. I'm off to take pictures of the snow before it disappears.

 

[BiggieShady]

Is there a WD blue 2TB drive?

Oddly enough there's not, you are right ... in that case WD Black would be my choice.

I have to agree this Bitfenix case would look a lot better than the NZXT.

Yeah, too bad the only m-ATX case from NZXT is ugly-ish

 

[Oldgeek]

Thank you for all the suggestions. It is very helpful. The more research I do, the more the price becomes reasonable. As I said, I have no interest in OC or gaming, so I'm considering the H87M-Pro. It has no OC ability, but a lot of connectivity, which is highly important, and why I have little interest in the Gryphon. The H87M-Pro has features the Z87M-PLUS, and lacks some that the Z87M has, but the Z87M is equipped for OC and gaming. It is just not as equipped as the Maximus VI.

I considered AMD, but the Asus boards lack USB 3.0 support, compared to 1150 boards. I am surprised at the low price of the H87M. Case/board/proc comes to $500. This could be $1000 build.

This leads me to think that some RAM sets could easily be beyond the capability of this build. I'm still leaning toward 32gb, the max for the H87M.

 

[thebluebumblebee]

You will also want to get a SSD. I'd recommend a 240 GB (256GB "class) and the Crucial M500 is selling for $130 now. I like the 2TB Seagate HDD as a storage drive.

If you really want the box that no one sees: http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1262

 

[Norton]

If you want to do video editing, contact this guy about his server (nearly everything is there... including a nice case for under 1/3 of your budget)

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/t...ram-seasonic-psu-fractal-r3-case-more.197258/

This will give you a couple of generations of upgrades w/o having to replace the board and up to 16 cores to work with.

 

[Oldgeek]

You will also want to get a SSD. I'd recommend a 240 GB (256GB "class) and the Crucial M500 is selling for $130 now. I like the 2TB Seagate HDD as a storage drive.

If you really want the box that no one sees: http://www.gigabyte.com/press-center/news-page.aspx?nid=1262

Thanks for the tip. I really like that case. That could be a secondary PC with a designated purpose. I still want a DVD or BluRay drive.

The SSD is one of the last things on the list. I had already settled on a Seagate hybrid.

 

[Arjai]

If I read you correctly, this is what I think you might like, and a little of what I like.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2QcwK

The SSD's set up in raid, HDD for big stuffs.
The case is a personal choice, as most cases should be, but you might also like it, it's ok, I won't mind.
Here's a link, for a good look at it: http://www.aerocool.us/ds/ds_black.html
I added the wireless adapter because, well, it's a good one and you never know. Maybe you want to bring it somewhere, or move to another room, without dragging a cord along.

The CPU cooler, it's a Zalman, so it is good looking and functional. It also is not an EVO, in case you are sick of them, I'm not but, I have seen enough of them around, this one is not like that.

The R9 290x...It's spendy but, even the Green Team is wondering if this might be something they want. Mantle...anyone?

WIN 8 because it isn't 8.1, but is a very nice streamlined OS. 8.1 is something to get to once you've toyed with 8. I think that will be the only way to appreciate 8.1 and 8.1 is still having a few driver stuffs. By the time you are ready for it, should be fixed.

OK, there it is. Love it or Hate it. I would build this if I could, and it would be cool, you all know it!