\Project\ Mini Surround Fury - New SFF Build!

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UrbanSmooth

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 23, 2011
Messages
202
What's up!

First post here at [H]. I have been browsing this forum for years, finally decided to join up when I saw how well-developed the SFF section here is. I answered the questions, so, feel free to post input, thanks:

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Surround/Eyefinity Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Overclocking, Web browsing.

2. What's your budget? Unlimited, yet within reason.

3. Where do you live? Madison, WI, however, I will be doing online shopping for this build.

4. What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, GPU(s), SLI/CXF-friendly/ready PSU, Optical Drive, Headphones-friendly Sound Card, Intel NIC, case. Water

cooling: CPU water block, GPU(s) water block(s), Pump(s) w/ pump top(s), Reservoir(s), Tubing, Fittings, Quick Disconnects. Bling: UV Lighting (led strips, or...) Color

scheme/theme: Orange, Black, and White (or best recommendations if color scheme/theme not met)

5. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? None.

6. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? SLI/CXF x16 or x8 capable.

7. What resolution output do you need? Triple monitor support for up to 5760 x 1200 resolution.

8. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? Smallest case possible to fit all items comfortably, yet SFF-ly, will most likely be on a desk next to the monitors.

9. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? Comfortable enough; will Dremel, drill, and solder.

10. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? As silent as possible, but, won't give up considerable performance for less noise.

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?

Mobile enough to pack up in as small amount of space as possible for vacations, business trips, and LAN parties. I don't mind handles.

12. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Yes, W7 64 Home Premium.

13. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? As soon as all of the parts are available and decided upon.
 
Looks like this is going to be a killer build!

Initial impressions/questions:
-definitely µATX (mITX can handle 5760x1200, mine does civ 5 just fine, but looks like you want a bit more)
-do you consider yourself an audiophile? there are several onboard 7.1 sound chips which can meet the requirements of most folks, but if you need ridiculous clarity (i.e. you've got a headphone amp and a set of sennheiser hd600's) then you'll want standalone sound (which will likely prevent CF/SLI)
-what kind of HDD strategy are you looking at? I'd definitely suggest an SSD for a system of this caliber, but do you need a media drive / bulk drive as well?

Have you seen the [H] 6990 / gtx 590 reviews? are these eyefinity gaming capabilities good enough or do you want higher specs/etc?
 
Machupo said:
Looks like this is going to be a killer build!

Initial impressions/questions:
-definitely µATX (mITX can handle 5760x1200, mine does civ 5 just fine, but looks like you want a bit more)
-do you consider yourself an audiophile? there are several onboard 7.1 sound chips which can meet the requirements of most folks, but if you need ridiculous clarity (i.e. you've got a headphone amp and a set of sennheiser hd600's) then you'll want standalone sound (which will likely prevent CF/SLI)
-what kind of HDD strategy are you looking at? I'd definitely suggest an SSD for a system of this caliber, but do you need a media drive / bulk drive as well?

Have you seen the [H] 6990 / gtx 590 reviews? are these eyefinity gaming capabilities good enough or do you want higher specs/etc?
Click to expand...


Hi! Thank you for your response.

I am not an audiophile, however, I do currently own an HT|Omega Claro Halo sound card along with Sennheiser HD555 headphones in my main huge (Mountain Mods Ascension case) gaming rig. So, anything up to par with that would be nice, however, if I have to sacrifice video performance, it's not a must.

SSD, of course. Smaller foot print, better performance, this choice is obvious, friends. Optical drive required for Windows and game installs.

I would be going 590/6990 if I settled on an mTX mobo, however, if we're going mATX, it'll be SLI/CXF, which gives better performance than their one card brethren.
 
mITX is going to be tough in terms of cases... don't know of too many places a 6990 can fit (and a 590 is a comparative waste <-- pure sabergen bait :D) -- I really think you're going to need a dual card or SLI/CF if you want to play decent framerates & eye candy at 5760x1200
 
UrbanSmooth said:
Hi! Thank you for your response.

I am not an audiophile, however, I do currently own an HT|Omega Claro Halo sound card along with Sennheiser HD555 headphones in my main huge (Mountain Mods Ascension case) gaming rig. So, anything up to par with that would be nice, however, if I have to sacrifice video performance, it's not a must.

SSD, of course. Smaller foot print, better performance, this choice is obvious, friends. Optical drive required for Windows and game installs.

I would be going 590/6990 if I settled on an mTX mobo, however, if we're going mATX, it'll be SLI/CXF, which gives better performance than their one card brethren.
Click to expand...
Go mATX with SLI/CF you'll get better performance and cooling.
For a mATX case it's hard to beat the small footprint of the Silverstone FT03 provided you can accept how tall it is.
In spite of its odd design it has a lot of advantages worth checking out.

Motherboard: ASUS P8P67-M PRO
CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K
 
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if they were ever in stock, I'd say Lan-Gear DaBox Blackheart w/ window... but you'd probably be better off waiting for peace in the middle east

ok, I take back what I said earlier -- looks like an SG07 will fit a radeon 6990. Next issue for the mITX half of design for you is overclocking -- only unlocked mITX board around (as of yet) was the P55-T36 which has it's own issues (and is getting very long in the tooth) -- Z68 chipset board are on their way, but not here yet -- that will be the real killer board for this form factor.
 
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It's an odd case, but I'd look at CoolerMaster's elite 360. It's actually an ATX case, but the overall volume of the case is small (23.4 L), and manages to be 15% smaller than the TJ08 (28 L and uATX). It's too small to fit the 6990 or 590, which may be a deal breaker, but it's worth thinking if you want to go to that extreme.

One important thing to consider is that there are 10x as many p67 ATX motherboards on Newegg (34) as uATX motherboards (3).
 
Ok,

Here's my first draft rec (to get the discussion started again and get this thread back on the front page):

Motherboard + RAM Combo: ASUS P8P67-M PRO + GSkill 4x4GB 1600mhz DDR3 $320
CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K $315
PSU: Silverstone Strider Gold 1000W Modular PSU $230 with short cable set PP05 $25
Vid: 2x MSI Reference Radeon 6950 2GB $275 - $25 MIR = $250, x2 = $500
SSD: Crucial C300 2x128GB in RAID 0 2x $200 = $400. If you need more HDD space, go with a 3TB external on USB 3.0 (so you don't clutter your case and mess up airflow)
Case: I'm still leaning towards trawling the FS/FT forums or ebay for a Langear DaBox :)

Someone else is going to have to chime in w/ the WC gear as I'm way out of date on my knowledge! :D


Edit One: Replace the 256GB SSD w/ 2x 128GB SSDs in RAID 0 -- much faster performance and save another $85
 
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Excellent suggestions, thank you very much, Machupo! The PSU + short cable set = WOW! 1000W in a microATX case is 100% absolutely phenomenal!

I think I just might, I think I just may,
Do 2GB 6950s in Crossfire, 3-way!

:D
 
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