Upgrading to SFF

[Gurok]

Hello,

Brand new forum member here. I want to upgrade my current PC. I've had it for a fair while now. It's still working and does everything I need it to, but I want something smaller, snappier and quieter. I'm going for a small form factor build with off-the-shelf parts.

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc.

This is for software development (primarily). I work in Visual Studio 2008/2013 and occasionally Android Studio. I'll also be using it for surfing the web, watching movies and TV shows, light image editing (Paint Shop Pro), playing games and doing some occasional H.264 encoding.

Ranked:
1. Software development
2. Web browsing
3. Video playback
4. Image editing
5. Gaming
6. Video encoding

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

Noooooo. I'm doing a build with thermals in mind. I work in an environment with warm summers (Australia) and I want my various components to last. I strongly believe heat is the enemy and I'm willing to go with components that offer less performance in exchange for a longer lifespan. I'm not looking to water cool.

3. What's your budget?

This build isn't budget constrained, but I like to get reasonable value for money. A maximum of $5,000 AUD? I am not trying to build it under this budget. I don't want to min/max performance and have the total come out to $4,997.90, for instance. It's more about the quality of parts than a specific dollar amount.

4. Where do you live?

Melbourne, Australia. I plan to order parts online and have them delivered. We have the excellent staticICE for parts shopping.

5. What exact parts do you need for that budget?

PC:
- Case
- Motherboard
- Processor
- Processor cooler
- Memory
- Solid state drive
- Operating system
- Video card
- Power supply
- Case fan (possibly)
- PCIe extension (possibly)

Accessories:
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- Headphones
- External optical drive

6. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?

I'm going to be keeping my old monitor (NEC PA241W), microphone (Zoom H1), tablet (Wacom Bamboo Pad) and webcam (Logitech C920 HD Pro).

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.

I would like a USB 3.1 controller and a PCIe 3 4x capable M.2 slot. An Intel ethernet controller is also desirable, but not essential.

8. What resolution output do you need?

I use 1920x1200 for everything right now. I am purchasing this new system with an eye to run VR (Oculus), however.

9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space and do you need an optical drive?

It doesn't need to fit into any particular space. I am planning to get an external optical drive, so yes, I do think I'll need one.

10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring?

Not comfortable. I'd really prefer to pick up something suitable off the shelf.

11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem?

It's a consideration, but I'm expecting that fans will be included. This isn't an HTPC.

12. How mobile does this system need to be?

Not very, but I am actively trying to reduce the amount and size of clutter in my life. It'll be nice having something smaller to pack next time I move, but that's about it.

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

I am going to be purchasing a new copy of Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) for this build, but I do already have Windows 10. The copy I have was a $10 upgrade from Windows 7->Windows 8 and then a free upgrade from Windows 8.1->Windows 10. For simplicity's sake, I'd like to get a new licence.

14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

November, 2016.



I'd like to go through a bunch of parts I'm considering, and my rationale for doing so. Feel free to tear this apart. This is mostly based on experience and word of mouth about parts.

Case

My first choice would be a Dan A4 SFX. If this isn't available by November, I'll be using a Silverstone SG13B-Q. Considerable reduction in build quality, but it seems like the only real off-the-shelf substitute.

Motherboard

I've currently penciled in the Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming-5. I have a Gigabyte motherboard at the moment and I have always believed them to be durable (and my experiences matches that belief). It's also USB 3.1 capable with an Intel USB 3.1 controller, which is important (I think).

There are a few things that bother me about it though. Firstly, it has an Atheros ethernet controller (Killer). I don't think it's going to matter much, but it still bothers me that I'll have to sidestep all of the Killer claptrap. Secondly, its M.2 slot is on the bottom of the board, but that seems to be common among mini-ITX boards. Finally, it's a little bit troubling to read about throttling happening on the H170 and lesser Z170 board from Gigabyte. I don't know if Gigabyte have dropped the ball recently, but apparently there's insufficient cooling around the power regulation for those boards.

Processor

Newer is better! I actually, really don't know, but when it comes to motherboards and processors, I've kind of preselected Intel, Skylake and specifically, the Intel i7-6700K. Open to alternatives though.

Processor cooler

I watch a lot of Linus Tech Tips and Linus is a big shill for Noctua. I actually tried them out in my current PC and have found them to be both durable and extremely quiet. I'm leaning towards an NH-L9i.

Memory

I strongly believe that RAM clock speeds haven't been important for a while. I would tentatively be going for a Corsair 32GB 2133MHz DDR4 kit. Corsair, simply because other brands I've tried (like OCZ or cheaper ones like Kingmax) are the source of random blue screens more often than any other component in computers I've built. With the OCZ stuff, it should be noted that the sticks seemed to degrade over the course of about a month.

Solid state drive

I am torn here. It's between the Samsung 950 Pro and the Intel 750 series. I do believe M.2 is the future and U.2 is Intel being curmudgeonly. However, as far as heat dissipation is concerned, I think Intel's U.2 drives beat Samsung's offerings. They also have better random 4K reads, which in my opinion, has always been the true performance test for a drive.

At the moment, I'm considering this: M.2 slot on the bottom of the board, PCIe 3 4x cable (do these exist?), U.2 adapter, 400GB Intel 750 SSD plugged into the adapter. That would give me PCI express speeds, M.2 future-proofing and avoid certain heat death from a Samsung part. I mean, I like the snugness of an M.2 solution and I think they'll be great in the future when Samsung can get the temps under control, but have you seen the stress test videos that Puget Systems published? Wow.

Operating system

Windows 10 Pro (64-bit). No justification other than the fact that I'm using it now.

Video card

The plan is to wait and see what Pascal brings. My preference is for something that runs COOL and not the absolute best performing solution. For the meantime, I've got a Gigabyte GTX 960 listed. No reason for Gigabyte other than the motherboard reliability, and I have an Asus card right now that's terrible (artefacts on power mode switching).

Power supply

I thought the only choice for the Dan A4 SFX was the Silverstone 600W SFX power supply. I read about the Corsair SF600 recently, and I honestly don't know which is better. The only bad thing I'd heard about the SIlverstone 600Ws is that they can supposedly make a whining sound.

Case fan

This will only really apply if I go with a larger case than the Dan A4 SFX (e.g. the Silverstone SG13B-Q). I'm pretty much a Noctua convert, so it will probably be a NF-A14-PWM.

Mouse

I have a Corsair M95 at home. It's a solidly constructed, but I don't use all of the buttons and I'd prefer a simpler design. I'm considering the Steel Series Rival 300. No clear preference though.

Keyboard

I currently have a Unicomp Classic 101-key and I'll be looking to get another for this build. There's nothing wrong with my current keyboard, but I'd like to have a spare and I'd like to get something with a USB interface, rather than a PS/2.

Headphones

I need help here. I had some BeyerDynamic DT 880s, which for about $400 were great sounding until the cable broke. Any suggestions appreciated.

External optical drive

I'm currently considering an Archgon Slim USB3 Blu Ray Reader & DVDRW. I think the cheapest solution might do. I don't see myself burning large numbers of Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs in the future.


So, a quick summary of my tentative list:

PC:
- Case: Dan A4 SFX or Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q or ???
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming-5 or ???
- Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K or ???
- Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i or ???
- Memory: Corsair Vengeance Red 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-2133 or ???
- Solid state drive: Intel 750 400GB or Samsung 950 Pro 512GB or ???
- Operating System: Windows 10 Professional (64-bit)
- Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB or ???
- Power Supply: Silverstone 600W SFX or Corsair SF600 or ???
- Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14-PWM (if needed) or ???

Accessories:
- Mouse: Steel Series Rival 300 or ???
- Keyboard: Unicomp Classic 101 (USB)
- Headphones: ???
- External optical drive: ???



Last but not least, this will be a replacement for my current Core 2 Duo E6600 (Conroe) build. I've got 9 years out of it (including the Gigabyte motherboard). Hoping this will be a worthwhile upgrade .

All suggestions are welcome. Scrap all of my suggestions if you think they're rubbish and just tell me what you think.

 

[Aircoookie]

The parts you chose really make sense, good job I'd only change two things. A GTX960/Pascal card with equivalent performance is a bit on the low side for VR or any GPU intensive rendering card. I'd wait for pascal and take the 980/980Ti sucessor. About m.2., m.2. to u.2. adapters exist, but you cannot fit those behind the motherboard in the A4-SFX (best case choice IMO, I'll be getting it too ) You could consider the Asus Maximus Impact board. It doesn't have m.2. but it has an u.2. port on it directly for the Intel 750 and an ethernet controller by Intel. Asus is also a really reliable brand. I've not heard of a single board made by them that failed. Other than that, really wise part decision (don't know about peripherals too much, although i see you choose a Unicomp keyboard which is nice)

 

[knupauger]

- Case: Dan A4 SFX or Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q or ???

Since the Dan A4 is up there (good choice), what about the Ncase M1? The Dan A4 is a fine case, but it is designed to be the smallest gaming enclosure you can buy. The M1 gives you more options in all regards (cooling, drive configuration, integrated opticle drive).
Other cases that are probably worth a look:

- Silverstone Raven RVZ02 and Silverstone Milo ML08. Very interesting space-efficent constructions. No native support for 3.5''-drives though (unless you opt for an ITX-GPU).
- Lian Li PC-Q33 or the upcoming Lian Li PC-Q34 (a refined and more 'edgy' version of the PC-Q33) if you would rather have an ATX-PSU and a larger tower cooler for better cooling and quieter operation. Larger than the other cases, but still a small footprint. Can't host most high-end GPUs, but there are options in that range nonetheless, and there is a hope that with the Polaris (AMD) and Pascal (Nvidia) architectures and HBM Vrams graphics cards will become smaller.

- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming-5 or ???

The ASUS Z170I Pro-Gaming would be the logic alternative. Only big new feature it lacks is USB Type-C (which is quite useless at the backpanel anyway) and the Alpine Ridge USB controller. Other than that it has everything (inclusing Intel-LAN and eight Type-A USB-ports) for a very fair price.

- Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K or ???

Logic choice for a workstation PC. Since you don't plan to overclock (not adviced in an SFF environment with small top-blow coolers anyway) the non-K variant would be enough.

- Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i or ???

Not sure if a Noctua NH-L9i is enough for a Core i7 7600(K) in an SFF-environment, but in general the Noctua coolers are excellent. Just pick the right cooler (size) for the job.

- Memory: Corsair Vengeance Red 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-2133 or ???

I've heard that DDR4-2400 RAM is more future proof since future platforms and standards might ignore DDR4-2133 RAM. Not sure if that is true, consult an expert for that question. If so obviously pick DDR4-2400 RAM instead for a very small premium. Other than that you can't do much wrong with the RAM these days. Since OC is not a thing for you, the cheapest RAM you can get from a renowned manufacturer (like Corsair) will do fine. Speed difference plays no role in everyday use.

- Solid state drive: Intel 750 400GB or Samsung 950 Pro 512GB or ???

I wouldn't go for a PCIe-SSD unless you have use case for it. Looking at your profile I'd say that you won't gain much from the additional performance. I'd go for a SATA-SSD like the Samsung 850 Evo and rather invest into more SSD storage rather than the fastest SSD standard. But if you insist on getting a PCIe-SSD and/or you have use case for it that I don't see, I would go for the Samsung 950 Pro (because you have the port, so use it).

- Operating System: Windows 10 Professional (64-bit)

Yepp!

- Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB or ???

The GTX960 doesn't have enough power for VR unless you play rather simple games. Since the big breakthrough of VR might not happen before 2017 or 2018 though, a small GPU like the GTX960 would be good choice not spend too much money upfront and wait how the market develops over the next two years. The Sapphire R9 380X Nitro offers more performance for your money though, especially in upcoming DirectX12 games.

- Power Supply: Silverstone 600W SFX or Corsair SF600 or ???

The Corsair SF600 looks like the better choice at the moment. A bit more space efficient and according to first reviews overall quieter operation with less side noises from the fan or the coils. For an ATX-PSU I can recommend the Corsair RM550x from their new RMx series.

By the way, 450 watts would actually be more than enough to run your system.

- Case Fan: Noctua NF-A14-PWM (if needed) or ???

Again can't do anything wrong with Noctua. Make sure that you get static pressure fan(s) for your cooler and airflow fans for your case (static pressure fans have less and larger blades than airflow fans). The Noctua Redux series would be a cheaper alternative (older Noctua fans, no 120mm static pressure model though). Another 'bang for your buck' alternative: Fractal Design Venturi series.

By the way, I'm still running on an old Core 2 Duo E8400 myself. My current plan is either a water-cooled Core i7 7600K in an Ncase M1, or the same CPU with a big tower cooler in a Lian Li PC-Q34. Finally decision depends on the size of the next-gen graphics cards.