microATX i7 build

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vertigomhs

[H]ard|Gawd
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Aug 1, 2008
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so i decided to finally jump on the i7 bandwagon and these are the parts im considering, give me your opinions and recommend me some stuff if needed.

i plan on overclocking with this build, hopefully 3.8-4.0? :eek:

Parts:

Case: Antec mini p180 (matx, although big, its cheap and its a somewhat quiet case, will fill with noctuas)

CPU: i7 920

GPU: most likely 4850/70 (not sure yet)

MOBO: DFI X58-T3H6

RAM: G.Skill 3x2gb (6gb) DDR3/1600 kit (voltages seem low)

HSF: Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 (not sure if it clears NB heatsink on dfi, also not sure if i should get another cooler around the same price)

HDD: WD6401AALS (Caviar black 640gb, already have...)

PSU: Corsair TX-650? (not sure if its overkill, i can get the HX-520 around the same price for the modular cables)

thats about it...

EDIT: added questions...

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- web surfing, video transcoding, dvd ripping, adobe cs4, some gaming, hackintosh

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- somewhat flexiible... ~350-375 , tax and shipping included.

3) Where do you live?
- los angeles, ca

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
- already have cpu,mobo, hdd, so i need case, memory, hsf, and psu.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- n/a

6) Will you be overclocking?
- yes!

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
- hope to get 23-24 inch, 1080p or 1920x1200.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- within two weeks, no hurry though.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
- n/a, already bought mobo

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
- windows 7 rc for now, ill get final later.
 
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looks like a pretty solid build. i would get the hx520w, as quality is a little better than the other corsair lines. also, GPU you picked does not draw much power so a you'll get a best PSU efficiency at around 50% load. 520w is a good wattage with still some headroom. and have you considered the new MSI mATX? it OC's around the same as the DFI and asus mATX at a lower price
 
WhiteFireDragon said:
looks like a pretty solid build. i would get the hx520w, as quality is a little better than the other corsair lines. also, GPU you picked does not draw much power so a you'll get a best PSU efficiency at around 50% load. 520w is a good wattage with still some headroom. and have you considered the new MSI mATX? it OC's around the same as the DFI and asus mATX at a lower price
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well im getting the dfi for the same price as the msi, seems like dfi is more reputable than msi.
 
Considering your choice of case, stick with the TX650 as there is plenty of room IIRC for non-modular PSUs in the P180 mini.

Oh and please answer the questions in sticky titled "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST" so that we can help you better.
 
MSI is a top tier company, and DFI caters more towards the enthusiast crowd. Either board should work fine. Read Danny's post, btw. :p
 
He got sick of all the same questions over and over and over and over... :p
 
alright i added the questionnaire to my op.

having second thoughts on the 4850, new gen cards are coming out soon so maybe i can get a cheapie card for now.

also any suggestions on a hsf?
 
Does that $350-$375 budget excludes the parts that you've already picked out? Assuming that we have different recommendations for you, what's the most that you're willing to spend on the entire system (including taxes and shipping charges)?

Which monitor are you considering, and when do you plan on getting it? I'd recommend a holdover card, but I need some more details to work with.

I'm using the Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283V with my own mATX Core i7 setup. Other good choices are the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme 1366RT, the Noctua NH-U12P SE1366, and the Cooler Master V8.

Speaking of which, I've picked up the MSI X58M based on the positive reviews from sites like AnandTech as well as those who've used it here. (I'm sure that I'll personally have more to say about this board by this time next week.) DFI has more features that are "designed" (for lack of a better term) for overclockers, but the MSI board is as good as the others. The only true problem that it has is the hot northbridge chipset.
 
tiraides said:
Does that $350-$375 budget excludes the parts that you've already picked out? Assuming that we have different recommendations for you, what's the most that you're willing to spend on the entire system (including taxes and shipping charges)?

Which monitor are you considering, and when do you plan on getting it? I'd recommend a holdover card, but I need some more details to work with.

I'm using the Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283V with my own mATX Core i7 setup. Other good choices are the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme 1366RT, the Noctua NH-U12P SE1366, and the Cooler Master V8.

Speaking of which, I've picked up the MSI X58M based on the positive reviews from sites like AnandTech as well as those who've used it here. (I'm sure that I'll personally have more to say about this board by this time next week.) DFI has more features that are "designed" (for lack of a better term) for overclockers, but the MSI board is as good as the others. The only true problem that it has is the hot northbridge chipset.
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yes the budget excludes the parts i already have.

willing to spend around $375 for the hsf, ram, case, and psu including taxes and shipping.

i found that amazon can spare me of taxes and sometimes shipping, for example the tx650 is $89-20mir right now and thats without taxes and free shipping, so ill probably be getting that.

also, the mini p180 is $79+tax with FS at newegg right now so ill most likely pick that up.

the monitor ill be buying will be either a 22" or 24", itll be a 16:10 res if it matters.

forgot to mention im not really a pc gamer as i have an xbox 360 and do most if not all of my gaming on there, but i do play some source games every now and then, and id like to get into some more modern games. also reason im considering the 4850 is for the hackintosh support; mac has 4850 drivers already.

as for the hsf, i was considering the u12p or the true, but more over to the u12p because of the two noctua fans that come with it.

i was considering the msi board, but i found a good deal here on [H] for the dfi board, which came out cheaper than the msi so that was an easy choice, but yea, the msi was able to take a 920 to 4.6 in anand's review, pretty nice.
 
The resolution of the monitor that you're considering matters. For example, the HD4850 would play most games fine (with medium- or high-level visual settings) at a 1680x1050 resolution but it may struggle with some of the newer FPS games at a 1920x1200 resolution (with even medium-level visual settings).

s for the CPU cooler, more fans don't necessarily mean better performance. The Xigmatek S1283V may not be as good as the TRUE or the NH-U12P, but it's not really that bad. Its comparatively lower price may also soften the blow of having to pay CA state taxes on it.

If you're fine with the Corsair TX650, see if you can find the Antec EA650 for a bit less. I know that it's on sale (IIRC) at ZipZoomFly, but I believe that ZZF also charges tax.
 
tiraides said:
The resolution of the monitor that you're considering matters. For example, the HD4850 would play most games fine (with medium- or high-level visual settings) at a 1680x1050 resolution but it may struggle with some of the newer FPS games at a 1920x1200 resolution (with even medium-level visual settings).

s for the CPU cooler, more fans don't necessarily mean better performance. The Xigmatek S1283V may not be as good as the TRUE or the NH-U12P, but it's not really that bad. Its comparatively lower price may also soften the blow of having to pay CA state taxes on it.

If you're fine with the Corsair TX650, see if you can find the Antec EA650 for a bit less. I know that it's on sale (IIRC) at ZipZoomFly, but I believe that ZZF also charges tax.
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well my budget went up a bit as i found $80 laying around lol...

i was considering getting a dell 2209wa with a 1680x1050 res but supposedly its EOL'd, and i cant find it at a good price so ill probably just get a 24 TN, most likely 1080p or 1920x1200. so considering i have a little more money ill look for some good 4870 deals.

but as i said in the other post, im thinking about just buying a cheapie card for now and waiting for the new gen cards to come by.

well i was considering the ea650, but i found out that the cables werent sleeved, this was a deal breaker for me (EA380 wasnt sleeved either and it was a pita, as well as ugly), so i decided on the corsair.
 
Got a bnib tx650 for $80 shipped so that's now out of the budget.

Now need case, memory, hsf, and video for around ~380-400 shipped with taxes.

I'm pretty much set on the case and ram, which are 198 shipped, so the rest is for a graphics card and hsf.
 
The CPU cooler is simple: the Xigmatek S1283V. The video card is a bit more complicated.

If you're pursuing a 22 inch monitor, many of which use a 1680x1050, go ahead and get the HD4850. If you're considering a 24 inch montor, which is often found at a 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution, I suggest that you get a used 1GB HD4870.

If you were more of a gamer, I'd normally recommend the HD4890, but that alone would eat up most of your remaining budget.
 
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tiraides said:
The CPU cooler is simple: the Xigmatek S1283V. The video card is a bit more complicated.

If you're pursuing a 22 inch monitor, many of which use a 1680x1050, go ahead and get the HD4850. If you're considering a 24 inch montor, which is often found at a 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution, I suggest that you get a used 1GB HD4870.

If you were more of a gamer, I'd normally recommend the HD4890, but that alone would eat up most of your remaining budget.
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i dont know about the xiggy, seems like the base would make it a pita to spread the paste around, and the fan seems like it would be a little loud, silence is a plus, but the price isnt to bad.

as for my future monitor, its most likely going to be a 24, as i cant find any good deals on the dell 2209wa.

i was looking around for 4870s and i found a 512mb version for $124 or $114 after rebates, seemed like a good deal, but as you said 1gb would probably be better.
 
vertigomhs said:
i dont know about the xiggy, seems like the base would make it a pita to spread the paste around, and the fan seems like it would be a little loud, silence is a plus, but the price isnt to bad.

as for my future monitor, its most likely going to be a 24, as i cant find any good deals on the dell 2209wa.

i was looking around for 4870s and i found a 512mb version for $124 or $114 after rebates, seemed like a good deal, but as you said 1gb would probably be better.
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There's nothing PITA about the S1283, unless you're a _______. There are even "guides" out there for the uninitiated. Nothing complicated about it.

And unless you're one of those "OMG, MUST NEED EVERYTHING MAX" person (which you're not, since your budget for the gpu isn't exactly a priority), there's nothing remotely wrong with a 512mb 4870 which you can dump in a few months time for a DX11 card.
 
lowteckh said:
There's nothing PITA about the S1283, unless you're a _______. There are even "guides" out there for the uninitiated. Nothing complicated about it.

And unless you're one of those "OMG, MUST NEED EVERYTHING MAX" person (which you're not, since your budget for the gpu isn't exactly a priority), there's nothing remotely wrong with a 512mb 4870 which you can dump in a few months time for a DX11 card.
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well at least this xiggy comes with a backplate, guess ill consider it, was looking at the u12p but $70 is a lot.

the reason i wanted 1gb on the card is for the higher res, wouldnt it be better? and i probably wont dump the 4870 for a while, im the type of person who doesnt really upgrade individual parts much.
 
The extra VRAM will only help you turn up the detail more.

No need to "spread" the TIM manually... hasn't been a need for quite some time now. Read the guides when installing it. It performs almost as good as the Noctua/TRUE, but costs about half the price. Though, personally, I really like the Noctua (but I still use the Xigmatek, lol).
 
vertigomhs said:
the reason i wanted 1gb on the card is for the higher res, wouldnt it be better? and i probably wont dump the 4870 for a while, im the type of person who doesnt really upgrade individual parts much.
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If opening up case, swapping out cards = too much work then.. :rolleyes: DX10 cards won't be able to do DX11, so....

Spending like $40 more on a CPU cooler just cuz you have precognitions of it being too dumbfounding to install doesn't really make sense when you'll be stuck with a lesser video card. Meh, your choice.
 
lowteckh said:
If opening up case, swapping out cards = too much work then.. :rolleyes: DX10 cards won't be able to do DX11, so....

Spending like $40 more on a CPU cooler just cuz you have precognitions of it being too dumbfounding to install doesn't really make sense when you'll be stuck with a lesser video card. Meh, your choice.
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thats not the only reason i dont want the xiggy, seems like itll be loud with the included fan (guess i can replace), isnt it plated in nickel? doesnt that reduce some performance?

as for the gpu, i was thinking of just saving some money for now and buying a dx11 card later with the accumulated money, a 3450 can hold me by:D
 
vertigomhs said:
thats not the only reason i dont want the xiggy, seems like itll be loud with the included fan (guess i can replace), isnt it plated in nickel? doesnt that reduce some performance?

as for the gpu, i was thinking of just saving some money for now and buying a dx11 card later with the accumulated money, a 3450 can hold me by:D
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A 3450 on a X58? Ok.. like getting a Bugatti Veyron but not having gas for it (luls!). If you don't have any games or finished them all then I suppose why the hell not. But if you're already willing to wait it out for DX11 cards, why not do the same for i5?

The performance and reviews of the S1283 says enough. Read some up since you keep doubting it. The fan isn't jet loud but it isn't silent.

But if you're still stuck on the X58 craze, consider opting for a cheaper (but not lesser) board like the MSI X58M for $170. Or if you want looks go for the EVGA X58 mATX, both cheaper than the DFI.
 
lowteckh said:
A 3450 on a X58? Ok.. like getting a Bugatti Veyron but not having gas for it (luls!). If you don't have any games or finished them all then I suppose why the hell not. But if you're already willing to wait it out for DX11 cards, why not do the same for i5?

The performance and reviews of the S1283 says enough. Read some up since you keep doubting it. The fan isn't jet loud but it isn't silent.

But if you're still stuck on the X58 craze, consider opting for a cheaper (but not lesser) board like the MSI X58M for $170. Or if you want looks go for the EVGA X58 mATX, both cheaper than the DFI.
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well i have a 360 so i can play games on that for now, yea i know x58 + a 3450 is pretty lame but dx11 cards are right around the corner. dont want to wait for i5 as i can afford i7 now.

I did read some reviews on the S1283, but most are for the regular version, not the dark knight, guess the difference shouldn't be to big right? either way, ill buy it, the price is just to good compared to the other hsf's.

I am stuck on the x58 craze:D, i already bought the DFI, BNIB for $165, came out to be cheaper than the msi.
 
Yes, the nickel plating affects performance slightly, but not really. If you don't like the nickel plating, get the HDT-S1283 and pickup the ACK-I7361 separately.
 
i ended up getting a gtx260 (got a good price), and it works for hackintosh as well.

just need the memory and hsf and im set to build, but newegg decided to raise all ddr3 prices all of the sudden, so im just going to wait a little.

as for the hsf im still undecided, i was gonna get the xiggy, but having a little more room in the budget i might just get a megahalems, since it does well with little airflow.
 
I just built a mATX i7 OC'ed to 3.8 and its pretty quiet and relatively cool (idles at 40c) as you can see in my sig below. I decided to go with the Corsair H50 because in the SG03 I only have 82mm clearance between the cpu and the psu. Surprisingly the H50 cools just as well as any air cooler and is way easier to install...just thought I'd put in my 0.02 cents.

Got my idea from Toms: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/micro-atx-sff,2311.html
 
miguelito said:
I just built a mATX i7 OC'ed to 3.8 and its pretty quiet and relatively cool (idles at 40c) as you can see in my sig below. I decided to go with the Corsair H50 because in the SG03 I only have 82mm clearance between the cpu and the psu. Surprisingly the H50 cools just as well as any air cooler and is way easier to install...just thought I'd put in my 0.02 cents.

Got my idea from Toms: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/micro-atx-sff,2311.html
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i was considering the h50 before it came out, but i didnt like the way the fan had to be configured (fan on the outside), were you able to switch that around or are the two pipes in the way?

the h50 is ideal for a real sff case, but my mini p180 is far from sff.:p

oh, and as it turns out my budget got a little bigger today again, so now im open to all hsf's and memory, think im going to get a megahalems :)
 
Here is how mine is configured:

Picture1.jpg


Installation is easy as pie
 
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Is that a pci exhaust at the top there? If so which one is it and how did you install it up there? Thanks.
 
I did have an Antec Cyclone as in the picture. On the case there is a random rear slot at the top.

I went ahead and made a 92mm blowhole on the top near the rear of the case and removed the Antec cyclone. This is way more effective and quieter, though it requires novice level modding of the case.
 
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