SFF build help

[Jokenno14]

Hello all,

I am looking to change my ATX system to a small form factor system and I need a bit of help.

What I have already:
CPU: E8600 3.33ghz - stock fan
RAM: 2x2GB Corsair 800mhz DDR2
GFX: 2GB Sapphire 4870x2
HDD: WD 1tb
PSU: Corsair 620w

What I need:
CASE: Because of the 4870x2 my choice of case is limited but I have fallen in love with the SG02-F:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=SG02-F&area=usa

Q1) Will all my stuff fit in fine? I know the GFX will fit but what about the PSU?

MOBO: After hours of googleing I cannot find the one I am after...what i need is:
-A mATX that will fit into the SG02-F
-Fit my 4870x2 in the case with no issues
-I’m happy with my 4870x2 so I don’t need crossfire or anything
-At most I would be putting in one extra device such as a tuner card or a wireless card so only one slot needed.
-This is a gaming machine so i don’t want something cheap and nasty
-I don’t overclock so the mobo has to be more quality vs overclocking ability. (Has to run well @ stock)
-Because of the 4870x2 I don’t need integrated gfx of any kind if possible.
-At most I would put another 4gb in it so MAX 4 ram slots is needed.

CPU Heat Sink + Gel
-My CPU is on my ATX board so I will need to apply more gel correct? If so do you have to buy any special type? Could you link me up?
-The stock heat sink is pretty big so I would assume I need a new one? Can you recommend one? sound is not that much of a issue but efficiency will be as the case is small and the 4870x2 gives off a lot of heat.


My budget for the mobo is no more then $300 AUD but i rather it be around $150-$200 AUD.

The store that I generally go to is www.cpl.net.au or www.MSY.com.au so if you could find the products you suggest there that would be great.

Thanks alot for you time.

 

[jamesman32]

Try the DFI LanParty JR P45-T2RS. It's a great M-ATX board, has crossfire if you ever want it, 4 RAM slots, support for Intel duals and quads, OC's nicely, and is a sold board overall. I had one for a while. You can get them for about $140 USD, so I think that's within your budget. As for thermal grease, I recommend IC Diamond. It is not conductive like Arctic Silver, and it has no burn-in time, so it works as soon as you apply it, and without being conductive, it wont be harmful if you accidentally spill it on something

Cheers

 

[roaf85]

Get the DFI Lanparty board.

Regarding your thermal paste question. All thermal paste does is fill in the gaps between the processor and the heatsink. For example there are little areas/grooves/etc that are on the surface of the heatsink and the processor's heat spreader. These are invisible to the naked eye.

All the thermal paste does is fill in these gaps. The problem is that when you apply thermal paste and put on your heat sink the two create a bond. When you remove the heatsink it is impossible tor reinstall that heatsink in the exact same way it was before.

Thus the best practice is to clean and reapply the thermal paste. You will not need a new heatsink unless your current one does not fit in the case, you want something with lower noise, or if you want to overclock to holy heights.

 

[NichoTL]

I think the key is that he doesn't intend to OC. Which means that:
1. he doesn't need to change the cooler.
2. More motherboards should fit the bill. Unfortunately we are a bit in a sort of 'in-between' period with 775 mobos. The P5E-VM HDMI is no longer sold (if you can find one, that'd be my recommendation). The P5Q-EM (its replacement) isn't that great with OC but that's not a problem for you. You just have to make sure that the early problems with graphics cards have been dealt with. There is the DFI P45, but it's not a brand as easy to find as Asus or Gigabyte, plus feature-wise it's not great. Maybe the upcoming EG45M-UD2H from Gigabyte (being released about now) might be the one for you, but it's hard to say. Plus you might have to wait.

 

[digitalxdna]

+1 on p5e-vm hdmi.

 

[Jokenno14]

First off thank you for your reply's.

Get the DFI Lanparty board.

Regarding your thermal paste question. All thermal paste does is fill in the gaps between the processor and the heatsink. For example there are little areas/grooves/etc that are on the surface of the heatsink and the processor's heat spreader. These are invisible to the naked eye.

All the thermal paste does is fill in these gaps. The problem is that when you apply thermal paste and put on your heat sink the two create a bond. When you remove the heatsink it is impossible tor reinstall that heatsink in the exact same way it was before.

Thus the best practice is to clean and reapply the thermal paste. You will not need a new heatsink unless your current one does not fit in the case, you want something with lower noise, or if you want to overclock to holy heights.

Hmmm the LAN boy seems to be not what I want. I wont be OC at all and I wont be putting in another card for crossfire (My plan is to use this computer until i7 CPU's and mobos are then norm and are cheap and when 4870x2 crossfire are the standards which I assume will be a long time away.

My only upgrade need would be 4 slots of ram to put in 2 more 2x2gb.

And thank you for the info about the heatsink it is exactly what I thought.

I think the key is that he doesn't intend to OC. Which means that:
1. he doesn't need to change the cooler.
2. More motherboards should fit the bill. Unfortunately we are a bit in a sort of 'in-between' period with 775 mobos. The P5E-VM HDMI is no longer sold (if you can find one, that'd be my recommendation). The P5Q-EM (its replacement) isn't that great with OC but that's not a problem for you. You just have to make sure that the early problems with graphics cards have been dealt with. There is the DFI P45, but it's not a brand as easy to find as Asus or Gigabyte, plus feature-wise it's not great. Maybe the upcoming EG45M-UD2H from Gigabyte (being released about now) might be the one for you, but it's hard to say. Plus you might have to wait.

+1 on p5e-vm hdmi.

EDIT: Stupid me! my store does sell the P5Q-EM which does look exactly what I need. I will google some reviews but is there any problems with the mobo?


Thanks again for your time