$700-$800 SFF build help - shuttle or silverstone?

[angelman]

I have always built my own shuttle machines and been very happy with them. Maybe not the cheapest or best performance but very easy to build and I know it will all just work. No need to worry about cooling, PSU, motherboard etc.
Sadly my last Shuttle died (well it could just be the HD but this gives me an excuse to upgrade).

I have already specced a shuttle system and one using a silverstone case and an ASROCK motherboard. I am also looking at the lenovo H520s, alienware x51and gateway SX2870
8GB RAM
2TB HDD
i5/i7 or maybe trinity A10

With that in mind:

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Overclocking, Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc. (If you have multiple things you want to do with the system, make sure you rank them from most important to least important).
Web browsing/hulu/netflix, Photoshop, some home video editing, I can dream that I will have time to play games one day..

2. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
$700-$800.

3. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
Near Frys, Bestbuy et al

4. What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Motherboard, case, CPU, Fan, PSU, Memory, DVD

5. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. For reused parts, list brands, model #s, and, if applicable, firmware revisions.
May reuse my PNY 8800 graphics card (it fit in my old shuttle case) - depending on if it's better than whatever come on die

6. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature? Make sure you indicate *required* vs. *wanted* for each feature you list.
HDMI, USB3,

7. What resolution output do you need? 1080p, 720p, DVD quality, etc for HTPC or list Vertical/horizontal resolution for non-HTPC SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
1920x1200 and 1080p

8. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc.
around 12"x8"x7" smaller the better

9. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?
No modifications to the case

10. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
Quieter the better

11. How mobile does this system need to be? Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?
Sometimes move the PC around to another room, no carrying handle needed though

12. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards
I have the 32bit Windows7 Upgrade license so probably not. Could wait until windows8 comes out which maybe cheaper

13. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
ASAP

 

[SithSolo1]

Which Shuttle and Silverstone models did you look at? Which Asrock motherboard? Do you want to overclock the CPU?

Rough estimate DIY budget(all price pulled from Newegg.com, may different elsewhere):

Take $100 off the top for Windows so you have a range of $600-700
Silverstone's SG05(smallest), SG07, and SG08 all fit the bill for size and will run $130-200 for the case/psu combo
I assume your Asrock motherboard is around $100
Ram will be around $40-45 for 8GB
Internal Slim DVD-Burners run $20-30 and may need a special cable. An external USB DVD burner will run you $30-40 but I feel its the better option.

So worst case scenario $600-200(sg08)-100(mobo)-45(ram)-40(dvd) leaves you with $215 for CPU, HDD, and anything else you want.

Best case scenario $700-130(sg05)-100(mobo)-40(ram)-30(dvd) leaves you $400 for CPU, HDD, and anything else you want.

 

[rhansen5_99]

I really like the idea of the socket 2011 Shuttle sx79r5: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101128
$479
$189-229 If you live near a Microcenter you can grab the i7 3820, depending on the deal
$40 Windows 8 upgrades (announced upgrade price)

Pros for this bad boy... when prices come down you can go 6 or 8 core (look at xeons)
This has a m-pcie sata for OS partition and low profile
$170 256gb mpcie ssd

You have 4 dimm slots (8gbX4)= 32 gb Ram (I know way OverKill) (There have been 16gb kits for $60)
You have 2 3.5 bays if you need storage
5 1/4 Bay for bluray burner.


Just my 2c but way future proof

 

[Zap]

Here's my take.

Silverstone SG06 case, because it is quieter than the SG05 (at the cost of a bit of airflow) and looks nicer in an HTPC space. Make sure you get the latest version with USB 3.0 front ports. Amazon is cheaper than Newegg, but I think out of stock right now. It comes in 300W and 450W versions. Just get the 300W version since there is even enough power for midrange graphics cards (GTX 660, Radeon 7770).
Intel Core i5-3XXX CPU (don't bother with the low wattage versions)
ASRock H77M-ITX motherboard
4GB RAM (you have 32-bit Windows so 8GB does nothing but cost extra)
slim optical drive + adapter
3TB HDD (doesn't seem to cost much more than 2TB)
120/128GB SSD for Windows + applications?

From Newegg, should run just around $700, and will be capable of handling a mid-range graphics card in the future (any that needs only one PCIe power plug). The motherboard should have the video outputs you need, with the DVI for your 1920x1200 and the HDMI for your 1920x1020. Enable a silent fan profile in BIOS and the stock CPU cooler will be quite quiet unless the system is under sustained high load. If the H77M-ITX board is anything like the Z77M-ITX board, you can even undervolt the case fan by hooking it up to the secondary fan header on the motherboard.