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First SFF build -- opinions please!

D

disc13

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 26, 2001
Messages
484
Hi, just another "please check my components before I buy!" thread.

This will be used mainly for office work, web browsing, and 3D modeling/animation (hobbyist, not professionally). I will not be gaming heavier than Yahoo! Pool. I have a tower right now and it's pretty huge, so I'm thinking of opening up some space by getting a slim PC.

Thanks in advance for any input!

APEX DM-387 Black Steel MicroATX Slim Case Computer Case 275W Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-73PVM-S2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 7100
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750
SAMSUNG HD250HJ 250GB SATA Hard Drive
3GB of G.SKILL DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (one 2 gig, one 1 gig)
DVD drive

total: $468 + shipping

My main concern is the power supply -- I haven't read any negative reviews about it, but I've been taught to not trust power supplies that come with cases. That being said, I've read that PS that come with slim line cases are sometimes oddly shaped and could be hard to find one that fits. Any thoughts on this?

Video will be done by the onboard GeForce 7100 (it's not a powerhouse, but better than the 6800GT i have now.)

Does anyone know if I can dual monitor with DVI & HDMI outputs? Or would I have to go DVI & VGA? Worse case scenario, I can pick up the XFX PVT86SWML4 GeForce 8400GS that has dual DVI connectors (which seems to be the only low profile pci-express card with 2 DVIs), and get a better video card out of it.

Clearly I want a small efficient system that doesn't cost a lot. I just wanted to make sure everything was good, as this is my first SFF and I researched for two days about size and component limitations of building one. Again, thanks in advance!
 
I would avoid a case that I couldn't replace the PSU in - otherwise when the PSU bombs you either have to replace the whole case or mod the case to fit a replacement - which depends on how much room you have!

I would go for a mini tower case that takes ATX PSU's - this opens up your choices no end and would ease your problems regarding low profile expansion cards too. 275W may sound okay but you're not sure what your final power needs will be if you are adding expansion cards -I know some modern graphics cards eat power - not to mention the need for special power connectors too!
You seemed to have decided upon MATX board, Intel CPU, and onboard graphics. The case is whats going to cause you problems - and I know PSU are can be trouble - believe me!!!

Get a case that allows you greater choice - even if you have to buy a case with a PSU, you can always chuck it and put in a unit of your choice if need be.
But carry on doing research on each item, just incase you find other options.
BTW that motherboard you want, download its manual and have a good read before buying - I so hate surprises of the problem kind you know.
 
thanks for the reply, twilight. I have found out that the power supply on this case is in fact replaceable, so I should be good to go. According to an online power supply calculator, the maximum power my components would draw at 100% cpu utilization (including a GeForce 8400GS) would be 203 watts, so I think the PS should be ample. I won't be upping any components unless I get a new case I guess, but I don't plan to so I'm ok.
 
Glad to help, post another message when you have it assembled, but it should be okay from the sound of it. :)
 
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