Steam Box Build

H

Heyday

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
218
It is about time I build myself a new PC, and I have decided to try my hand at a SFF build since I would like to use it with my TV as a Steam Box.

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc. (If you have multiple things you want to do with the system, make sure you rank them from most important to least important).

Gaming, HTPC, Photo editing

2. Will you be overclocking? (If so, are you looking to watercool?)

I don't need to overclock, but I don't mind having the option open.

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?

I will say $1500, but this is flexible. I am just looking for the best bang for my buck.

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 am about a 1hr drive from a Microcenter (Overland Park, KS)

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).

CPU, MB, RAM, GPU, Case, PSU, Storage, OS

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.

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 do not see myself using more than 4 SATA 6 or 4 USB 3.0 slots. I would like this system to be quiet, low energy usage, and compact.

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?

1080p

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.

I have no need for an optical drive. I would like it to be small, but I don't have a specific size limitation..

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...)?

I am willing to mod the case if needed, or even just for fun. I have a dremel, drills, and solderning Iron, but no CNC/welding/plasma cutter or 3d printer, yet.

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

I would like this to be as quiet as I can get it.

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?

It won't likely move any farther than between rooms in my house.

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 have Win7, but I would like to get Win8 to try on this build.

14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?

I am in no hurry, but the next couple of months would be nice.

All Parts are now purchased as listed:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $201.99)
CPU Cooler: Silverstone NT06-E CPU Cooler (Purchased For $58.00)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87E-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $164.99)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $97.99)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (Purchased For $195.00)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $265.91)
Case: Silverstone SG05BB-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case (Purchased For $39.99)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified SFX12V Power Supply (Purchased For $93.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1117.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-14 17:35 EDT-0400)
 
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First of all, congratulations!! :D <-(for what you may ask? for the sg05 of course :p)
Now let's get down to business, do you really need to overclock?
Because if you do then be prepared to throw away the ODD cage to put a 120mm AIO in there, and also spend more cash on the motherboard because I don't think the Gigabyte one is up to the task (serious overclocking).
Oh and IIRC both the blower style and ACX 760s from EVGA should fit in the SG05, altho it would be a bit tight.
Good luck :)
 
Heyday said:
Here is what I have come up with so far:
Intel Core i5-4670K (Maybe I can get by with the low power version)
Gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI Mini ITX (I just picked this out of the few mITX currently availiable)
Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (I just picked this for the low profile)
Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB (Seems like a popular choice for SSD)
EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB (I am not sure which cards fit in this case, but the 760 seems like the best value at the moment.)
Silverstone SG05
Silverstone 450w Gold PSU
Click to expand...

CPU is fine. Absolutely no need for low power version.

RAM is way overkill for gaming. 8GB is fine. Heck, for Steam games you are probably fine with 4GB.

Not a huge noticeable difference in SSD performance or longevity among the top drives available, so may as well get what is cheap (among the "good" SSDs). The 840 Pro is on the expensive side. For gaming you are mostly doing reads, so you don't need the higher write endurance.

No need to get the Gold PSU. Extra efficiency would take a decade to pay for itself, and you will end up using ALL the modular cables so zero benefit there. Get the SG05-LITE case and the ST45SF PSU separately from Amazon. Ends up cheaper than the case with the PSU included, plus you get 3 year warranty on the PSU instead of 1 year.
 
Black5Lion said:
First of all, congratulations!! :D <-(for what you may ask? for the sg05 of course :p)
Now let's get down to business, do you really need to overclock?
Because if you do then be prepared to throw away the ODD cage to put a 120mm AIO in there, and also spend more cash on the motherboard because I don't think the Gigabyte one is up to the task (serious overclocking).
Oh and IIRC both the blower style and ACX 760s from EVGA should fit in the SG05, altho it would be a bit tight.
Good luck :)
Click to expand...

I don't NEED to overclock, it is just nice to know I can squeeze a little more performance out of it. Is there a MB that you would recommend? I guess I would be looking at the Asus MB-Z87IDEX or the ASRock Z87E-ITX. I would be willing to forgo the overclocking to keep the system more silent and more efficient.

Which style of 760 cooler would work better in the sg05?

Any suggestions for a cpu cooler that would be quiet and efficient?
 
Zap said:
CPU is fine. Absolutely no need for low power version.

RAM is way overkill for gaming. 8GB is fine. Heck, for Steam games you are probably fine with 4GB.

Not a huge noticeable difference in SSD performance or longevity among the top drives available, so may as well get what is cheap (among the "good" SSDs). The 840 Pro is on the expensive side. For gaming you are mostly doing reads, so you don't need the higher write endurance.

No need to get the Gold PSU. Extra efficiency would take a decade to pay for itself, and you will end up using ALL the modular cables so zero benefit there. Get the SG05-LITE case and the ST45SF PSU separately from Amazon. Ends up cheaper than the case with the PSU included, plus you get 3 year warranty on the PSU instead of 1 year.
Click to expand...

I am aware that 16GB is overkill for steam games. Most pay just fine on the system in my sig. The most graphic intensive game I will be playing in the near future will likely be Battlefield 4. I should mention that I do some ram intensive processing for my work with heavy water modeling and GIS processing.

Is there a SSD that you would recommend? If it is only saving me a few bucks, I would rather spend the money to get better and more reliable hardware.

Is the bronze psu any louder than the gold psu, and does it create more heat? I would thing that better efficiency would mean that less energy is lost as heat. This is another case where I am willing to spend a bit more money for better hardware, but if there isn't much difference, then I might as well get the cheaper option.
 
It looks like the Thermalright AXP-100 may be the best cooler I can get to fit into this build. Anyone have any better suggestions?
 
Heyday said:
Is there a SSD that you would recommend? If it is only saving me a few bucks, I would rather spend the money to get better and more reliable hardware.
Click to expand...

I think reliability will be the same for "normal" desktop uses. It will either keep working for years, or it will mysteriously die. I don't think you can avoid that even by going with an 840 Pro. The days of super unreliable SSDs are past (I hope). All the current decent controllers seem to have reasonably mature firmware these days. Which exact one to buy will depend on what is on sale where and at the time you buy, as pricing can be volatile.

Here are some (but not necessarily all) decent ones to look at. IMO price trumps performance, but at same price then look at performance.
Crucial M500
Seagate 600
any Plextor (various Marvell)
Samsung 840/840 Pro/840 Evo (I think replaces normal 840, but may not be available yet)
Samsung 830 (if you can find one cheap and in-stock as they are discontinued)
Sandisk Extreme/Extreme II (SF2281)
Intel 330/335/510/520/530 (uses various SF2281 or Marvell, pricing and performance varies but "quality/reliability" should be there)
Corsair Neutron/Neutron GTX (LAMP)
Sandisk Ultra Plus (but do NOT get a Sandisk that doesn't have "Extreme" or "Ultra Plus" in the name)
Crucial M4 (old standby, but eclipsed in performance)
anything not already listed using Sandforce SF2281 controller (older controller but still got some life)
anything not already listed using LAMP controller

Heyday said:
Is the bronze psu any louder than the gold psu, and does it create more heat? I would thing that better efficiency would mean that less energy is lost as heat. This is another case where I am willing to spend a bit more money for better hardware, but if there isn't much difference, then I might as well get the cheaper option.
Click to expand...

Noise is probably around the same, though some people have complained about the noise profile of both units. It would create a touch more heat, but it exhausts straight out the back so the heat does not get dumped into the case. You are looking at probably only a few watts difference. This thread talks about it a lot.
 
Here is my latest version of the build via PCPartsPicker. I have ordered the Case, PSU, RAM, and GPU. I changed the motherboard to the MSI. I like this board, but it is not available at Microcenter at this time. I will go to Microcenter in two weeks. I will see what is available at that time. I am not sure which motherboards will fit my selected cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Silverstone NT06-E CPU Cooler ($58.00)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87E-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $97.99)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (Purchased For $195.00)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $265.91)
Case: Silverstone SG05BB-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case (Purchased For $39.99)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified SFX12V Power Supply (Purchased For $93.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1080.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-14 10:23 EDT-0400)
 
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Heyday said:
Here is my latest version of the build via PCPartsPicker. I have ordered the Case, PSU, RAM, and GPU. I changed the motherboard to the MSI. I like this board, but it is not available at Microcenter at this time. I will go to Microcenter in two weeks. I will see what is available at that time. I am not sure which motherboards will fit my selected cooler.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Silverstone NT06-E CPU Cooler ($58.00)
Motherboard: MSI Z87I Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $97.99)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (Purchased For $195.00)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (Purchased For $265.91)
Case: Silverstone SG05BB-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case (Purchased For $39.99)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified SFX12V Power Supply (Purchased For $93.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($69.99)
Total: $1160.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-13 14:15 EDT-0400)
Click to expand...

Where do you see Windows 8 Professional for $69.99? I see $129.99
 
Tankerton said:
Where do you see Windows 8 Professional for $69.99? I see $129.99
Click to expand...

Student discount. I was actually able to get a free copy through the DreamSpark program, so that saved me $70 on this build. There are some perks to going back to school.
 
The system is now up and running. It is louder than I would like. I think most of the noise is coming from the CPU cooler fan that came with the Silverstone NT06-Pro. Any suggestions for a quieter fan to replace the Silverstone fan?
 
I set the fan to go to 50% at idle, and, while much more quiet, it is still louder than the GPU and PSU.
 
Here is how it looks, for now. I may still swap out the fans to decrease noise.

20130821-DSC_0728.jpg


20130821-DSC_0729.jpg


photos


20130821-DSC_0732.jpg
 
i hate to be a thread necromancer, but may i ask, how are your CPU and GPU temps? is air cooling enough for this setup?
 
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