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Hey guys, I've been lurking around these forums for a bit and am looking to build a decent SFF system now that I am settling down with a new job!
1. What will you be doing with this PC? (In order of priority)
- Adobe Lightroom 6 (want to like to take advantage of the new feature that can use GPU to speed up processing)
- Starcraft 2 and some other non-intensive games (playing on low settings is fine for me)
- Lesson planning (word, PPT, excel, web browsing)
- Movies on a 1080p monitor
2. Will you be overclocking? (If so, are you looking to watercool?)
- No. Unless the price difference for gaining the ability to overclock easily is not that much (<$100)
3. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
- Cost is definitely a driving factor in component selection. I would like to spend ~$600, $700 tops. This does not include monitor, mouse, keyboard (already have those).
4. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
- I live in China now but will be moving to North Carolina soon. I do not know what is available where I am moving and I am not considering buying anything in China.
5. 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 (especially if you will need 3.5" hard drives or expansion cards as these may restrict case options).
- Case
- Motherboard
- PSU
- GPU
- Heatsink
- Processor
- Hard drive (SSD)
- Fans
- Memory
6. 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.
- Not reusing anything.
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Thunderbolt? Crossfire or SLI support? How many USB 3.0 and 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.
- I would like the motherboard to be somewhat future proof if possible
- I only plan on ever having 1 graphics card
- I only plan on having 2 hard drives (1 SSD and 1 HDD)
- RAID, Thunderbolt, Crossfire, SLI don't matter to me
8. What resolution output do you need? 4k playback, 1080p playback, etc for HTPC or give a vertical/horizontal resolution for gaming SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
- 1080 is fine, don't plan on really needing 4k ever.
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space and do you need an optical drive? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc. Many modern SFF cases have either removed the optical drive or have been constructed so that removing the ODD increases the configuration possibilities immensely.
- The smaller the better, since I would like to to be pretty portable (able to take on an airplane as carry on).
10. 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...)?
- Not very comfortable at all. Would like to avoid if possible.
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
- Performance > noise for the most part
12. 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?
- The smaller the better, since I would like to to be pretty portable (able to take on an airplane as carry on). Don't need handles though.
13. 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 do. Windows 8.1 64 bit.
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
~ 1 month from now.
I am having quite a hard time deciding on parts, despite reading a ton of reviews and threads here...it's quite overwhelming and I'm always afraid that there will be space/heating/compatibility issues...Still I think I've decided on these two parts:
- Samsung SSD 850 EVO
- GeForce GTX 960
Everything else is up in the air. For a case I was looking at:
- Siverstone Sugo SG13
- Siverstone Sugo SG05
- EVGA Hadron Air
I cannot for the life of me figure out how to judge motherboards. Will I need fancy heatsinks and fans for such a mid-range system? And then the last step would be to choose a suitable PSU based on everything else right?
Immediate question:
1. I see microcenter has the i5-4590 for $160 and the i5-4690K for $200. Any suggestions on which one would be better for me? Should I bite now or do you think prices will drop more with the upcoming Skylake release?
Thank you all for your help! I'm looking forward to learning more about building systems and to actually doing it myself soon!
1. What will you be doing with this PC? (In order of priority)
- Adobe Lightroom 6 (want to like to take advantage of the new feature that can use GPU to speed up processing)
- Starcraft 2 and some other non-intensive games (playing on low settings is fine for me)
- Lesson planning (word, PPT, excel, web browsing)
- Movies on a 1080p monitor
2. Will you be overclocking? (If so, are you looking to watercool?)
- No. Unless the price difference for gaining the ability to overclock easily is not that much (<$100)
3. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
- Cost is definitely a driving factor in component selection. I would like to spend ~$600, $700 tops. This does not include monitor, mouse, keyboard (already have those).
4. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
- I live in China now but will be moving to North Carolina soon. I do not know what is available where I am moving and I am not considering buying anything in China.
5. 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 (especially if you will need 3.5" hard drives or expansion cards as these may restrict case options).
- Case
- Motherboard
- PSU
- GPU
- Heatsink
- Processor
- Hard drive (SSD)
- Fans
- Memory
6. 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.
- Not reusing anything.
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Thunderbolt? Crossfire or SLI support? How many USB 3.0 and 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.
- I would like the motherboard to be somewhat future proof if possible
- I only plan on ever having 1 graphics card
- I only plan on having 2 hard drives (1 SSD and 1 HDD)
- RAID, Thunderbolt, Crossfire, SLI don't matter to me
8. What resolution output do you need? 4k playback, 1080p playback, etc for HTPC or give a vertical/horizontal resolution for gaming SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
- 1080 is fine, don't plan on really needing 4k ever.
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space and do you need an optical drive? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc. Many modern SFF cases have either removed the optical drive or have been constructed so that removing the ODD increases the configuration possibilities immensely.
- The smaller the better, since I would like to to be pretty portable (able to take on an airplane as carry on).
10. 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...)?
- Not very comfortable at all. Would like to avoid if possible.
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
- Performance > noise for the most part
12. 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?
- The smaller the better, since I would like to to be pretty portable (able to take on an airplane as carry on). Don't need handles though.
13. 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 do. Windows 8.1 64 bit.
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
~ 1 month from now.
I am having quite a hard time deciding on parts, despite reading a ton of reviews and threads here...it's quite overwhelming and I'm always afraid that there will be space/heating/compatibility issues...Still I think I've decided on these two parts:
- Samsung SSD 850 EVO
- GeForce GTX 960
Everything else is up in the air. For a case I was looking at:
- Siverstone Sugo SG13
- Siverstone Sugo SG05
- EVGA Hadron Air
I cannot for the life of me figure out how to judge motherboards. Will I need fancy heatsinks and fans for such a mid-range system? And then the last step would be to choose a suitable PSU based on everything else right?
Immediate question:
1. I see microcenter has the i5-4590 for $160 and the i5-4690K for $200. Any suggestions on which one would be better for me? Should I bite now or do you think prices will drop more with the upcoming Skylake release?
Thank you all for your help! I'm looking forward to learning more about building systems and to actually doing it myself soon!
