Advice PSU and Case for new editing rig

[Jack Harry]

Hey guys,

 

My new video editing rig will consist of:

 

4790K Most probably clocked at 1.3-1.4v

Maximus VII Hero

32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum 2133Mhz 1.5V

GPU undecided between R9 290 or GTX 770

CPU Cooling undecided between H100i or Noctua DH-15

 

Questions:

 

1- I need a minimum of 590W based on the calculator. From the brief search around I'm seeing the Corsair RM1000 and EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2 the most appealing. Corsair offers 5yrs warranty where EVGA offers 10yrs which is why I'm leaning toward EVGA.

I believe I should be buying 1000w 80+ gold PSU for my setup as the difference in price of electricity between gold and basic is around $30-$35/year is worth the investment (it will only take 4-5 yrs to pay the $130 difference) That's a short time in a PSU's life.

Thoughts?

 

2- Tower I'm seriously considering on the budget and good reviews is NZXT Phantom 240 does this case have reasonable enough ventilation?

 

 

Thanks guys

[Clyne]

Dude, why do you need 1000w psu?

750W is fine, 850W if your doing crossfire or sli in the future. 

A EVGA G2 750W psu or 850W psu is enough.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380 9.8 score

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377 9.9 score

[Syraz]

Dude, why do you need 1000w psu?

750W is fine, 850W if your doing crossfire or sli in the future. 

A EVGA G2 750W psu or 850W psu is enough.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380 9.8 score

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377 9.9 score

 

This ^^

[WoodenMarker]

The system would quite easily run off of a decent 600w psu. Not sure where you're getting 1000w from.. 

It would help to link us to where you're shopping to give appropriate psu recommendations. Are you planning to sli/cf?

 

The Phantom 240 has pretty good airflow and should be ample for most systems provided you add a nice fan or two. 

If you're on a tight budget, you should stay far, far away from needlessly expensive motherboards like the Hero and ram like Dominator Platinums. Especially when it comes to the ram--ram is ram. Other kits with the same specs will perform identically at much lower prices. 

[Jack Harry]

Dude, why do you need 1000w psu?

750W is fine, 850W if your doing crossfire or sli in the future. 

A EVGA G2 750W psu or 850W psu is enough.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380 9.8 score

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=377 9.9 score

 

It does sound really silly I know. A couple of reviews said that a 1000W PSU running on a 500W system is more efficient than a 600W PSU.

Now after all this feedback I feel really stupid. It's decided! Will get a 750W like originally thought I would need.

 

 

The system would quite easily run off of a decent 600w psu. Not sure where you're getting 1000w from.. 

It would help to link us to where you're shopping to give appropriate psu recommendations. Are you planning to sli/cf?

 

The Phantom 240 has pretty good airflow and should be ample for most systems provided you add a nice fan or two. 

If you're on a tight budget, you should stay far, far away from needlessly expensive motherboards like the Hero and ram like Dominator Platinums. Especially when it comes to the ram--ram is ram. Other kits with the same specs will perform identically at much lower prices. 

 

I'm not planning on any sli/cf. This rig will mainly be for editing.

I'm in Australia and the source I use to price shop is http://www.staticice.com.au bear in mind the first couple of results aren't the most reliable sources, look for U-Mart to get an idea

 

It's great to hear you confirm my decision on the 240 so that's settled. Any good value/budget fans you'd recommend?

 

The reason I'm seriously considering the ROG motherboards $260AUD is because I've been told on many forums that they have very good VRM's to push 4790k to higher stable clocks. Others like Asus Z97-A or cheaper wouldn't be as good. Please advise what you guys think?

 

The reason I went for the 32gb Dominator ram is because I got a ridiculously good deal on them ($325AUD) where the the brand new is $600AUD. G.skill Ares and ripjaws are $410 

I definitely agree with you that ram is ram but these are just so sexy!

 

Thank you

[WoodenMarker]

It does sound really silly I know. A couple of reviews said that a 1000W PSU running on a 500W system is more efficient than a 600W PSU.

Now after all this feedback I feel really stupid. It's decided! Will get a 750W like originally thought I would need.

I'm not planning on any sli/cf. This rig will mainly be for editing.

I'm in Australia and the source I use to price shop is http://www.staticice.com.au bear in mind the first couple of results aren't the most reliable sources, look for U-Mart to get an idea

 

It's great to hear you confirm my decision on the 240 so that's settled. Any good value/budget fans you'd recommend?

The reason I'm seriously considering the ROG motherboards $260AUD is because I've been told on many forums that they have very good VRM's to push 4790k to higher stable clocks. Others like Asus Z97-A or cheaper wouldn't be as good. Please advise what you guys think?

 

The reason I went for the 32gb Dominator ram is because I got a ridiculously good deal on them ($325AUD) where the the brand new is $600AUD. G.skill Ares and ripjaws are $410 

I definitely agree with you that ram is ram but these are just so sexy!

The reviews are wrong. Most of the time, the system will be idling and not be under much load. 590w is quite the overestimate even for peak load. Under more realistic circumstances, it's closer to 350-400w for your system's average load. Depending on how your system is used, the sweet spot for wattage will vary--but 750w is definitely not it. I'd suggest getting a 550-650w psu depending on whether you go with a 770 or 290 which would give plenty of headroom even for some beefy overclocking. 

Staticice doesn't look too friendly in terms of how it's organized. Are you open to shopping in any Aus shop in general or are there select ones you're planning to buy from?

I'd be sure to give some recommendations if you tell us where you're shopping^ --It's a bit of a waste of time suggesting fans when I'm not sure whether it's a good value or even available from where you're shopping.  

 

If you're squeezing for as high of an oc as you can, the Hero isn't a bad choice but it is still quite costly and the money could go to an earlier upgrade in the future. If not, there are plenty of other cheaper motherboards like the z97-A that would quite easily allow for 4.6ghz+ depending on your chip and provide most of the performance for much less.

 

Nice going on the deal.  B)

[Jack Harry]

Nice going on the deal.  B)

 

Thanks mate, really glad you're here giving your valuable advice.

 

I have 4x2tb HDD and 1x120gb ssd/ although that's only like 30W max in total

 

Sorry I probably misunderstood what you were asking for before, staticice to compare prices. To browse products avaiable and selling in Australia I would say pccasegear.com

Prices are pretty close to the cheapest of sellers

[WoodenMarker]

Thanks mate, really glad you're here giving your valuable advice.

I have 4x2tb HDD and 1x120gb ssd/ although that's only like 30W max in total

Sorry I probably misunderstood what you were asking for before, staticice to compare prices. To browse products avaiable and selling in Australia I would say pccasegear.com

Prices are pretty close to the cheapest of sellers

To help clarify things: I'm asking for which shops you're shopping from. This is so I can see the pricing and availability of items so I can make a proper recommendation. Are you open to shopping from Australian etailers in general or is there a certain shop you're going to?

[Jack Harry]

Nah, I'm open to shopping from any etailer in general. 

Actually, umart is around the corner and it's generally at good prices

http://www.umart.com.au/umart1/pro/index.phtml?bid=9

Alternatively you can still use http://au.pcpartpicker.com/ because it has australian etailers but it doesn't have some newer products 

 

@WoodenMarker

I'm also very confused about which CPU cooler I should be getting, should I get an AIO like the h100i and Kraken X60, or would an air cooler like DH-15 do? (which is pretty ugly)

 

Thanks

[WoodenMarker]

Nah, I'm open to shopping from any etailer in general. 

Actually, umart is around the corner and it's generally at good prices

http://www.umart.com.au/umart1/pro/index.phtml?bid=9

Alternatively you can still use http://au.pcpartpicker.com/ because it has australian etailers but it doesn't have some newer products 

 

@WoodenMarker

I'm also very confused about which CPU cooler I should be getting, should I get an AIO like the h100i and Kraken 60x, or air like DH-15?

A Raider S 550 should be plenty: http://www.umart.com.au/umart1/pro/Products-details.phtml?id=10&id2=140&bid=9&sid=130218

If you want a modular psu and are willing to shop elsewhere, the HCG -M are also nice options: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-hcg620m  http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-hcg520m

 

If you wanted the best performance, the kraken 60x would be the best option. I'd suggest going with the bit worse performing D15 for the lower noise, cost, and less points of failure though. 

[Jack Harry]

A Raider S 550 should be plenty: http://www.umart.com.au/umart1/pro/Products-details.phtml?id=10&id2=140&bid=9&sid=130218

If you want a modular psu and are willing to shop elsewhere, the HCG -M are also nice options: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-hcg620m  http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-hcg520m

 

If you wanted the best performance, the kraken 60x would be the best option. I'd suggest going with the bit worse performing D15 for the lower noise, cost, and less points of failure though. 

 

 

Yes a modular is definitely preferable. According to this http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm the 290's require 1-8pin and 1-6 pin connectors. I can't really understand the specs of a PSU, does it have the requirements?

 

Yeah I'm definitely leaning towards the D15 because of the same points you mentioned, it's just so damn bulky! 

I would have to remove dominator's heatsinks if I use the D15 wouldn't I?

 

Do you think the X60 can be mounted to the front of the phantom 240? Maybe in case of a break point it wouldn't actually break anything?

 

Any recommendations on a cheaper capable mobo?

[WoodenMarker]

Yes a modular is definitely preferable. According to this http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm the 290's require 1-8pin and 1-6 pin connectors. I can't really understand the specs of a PSU, does it have the requirements?

Yeah I'm definitely leaning towards the D15 because of the same points you mentioned, it's just so damn bulky! 

I would have to remove dominator's heatsinks if I use the D15 wouldn't I?

Do you think the X60 can be mounted to the front of the phantom 240? Maybe in case of a break point it wouldn't actually break anything?

Any recommendations on a cheaper capable mobo?

Yes, it does. http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=19763

 

No need to remove the heatsinks.

The x60 wouldn't fit in the front. The 'less points of failure' thing wasn't so much a danger to your other components when it comes to aio's but just a reliability thing. 

The z97-K would be fine: http://www.umart.com.au/umart1/pro/Products-details.phtml?id=10&id2=376&bid=9&sid=192482

Pretty much any zX7 motherboard is fine if you're not doing any extreme oc'ing. 

[Jack Harry]

Yes, it does. http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=19763

 

No need to remove the heatsinks.

The x60 wouldn't fit in the front. The 'less points of failure' thing wasn't so much a danger to your other components when it comes to aio's but just a reliability thing. 

The z97-K would be fine: http://www.umart.com.au/umart1/pro/Products-details.phtml?id=10&id2=376&bid=9&sid=192482

Pretty much any zX7 motherboard is fine if you're not doing any extreme oc'ing. 

 

So I'm assuming the "2 PCI-E" connectors are the 8 pin?

Would you prefer the z97-k over Z97M-PLUS? Is 4.8ghz considered extreme OC'ing? Because I will try my luck in running 4.8 24/7.

Do you think this motherboard has adaptive voltage mode?

[WoodenMarker]

So I'm assuming the "2 PCI-E" connectors are the 8 pin?

Would you prefer the z97-k over Z97M-PLUS? Is 4.8ghz considered extreme OC'ing? Because I will try my luck in running 4.8 24/7.

Do you think this motherboard has adaptive voltage mode?

Yes. They are 2x 6+2 pins. 

Either motherboard is fine as long as it has the features you're looking for. I was just sticking to atx since that was the size of the Hero. 4.8ghz is quite a high oc since the average 4790k on hwbot hits 4.6ghz. http://hwbot.org/hardware/processor/core_i7_4790k/

4.8ghz is still doable but might be easier on a higher end board. It's up to you if you want to spend more for a gamble since oc'ing will primarily depend on the silicon lottery. 

I'm not sure if the motherboard has adaptive voltage mode. You might want to contact Asus about that. 

[Jack Harry]

Yeah I got a good batch which "should have similar results to 4.7-4.8. So I'll be testing it on a friend's sabertooth and 60i when it arrives to see if it's capable.

Is this PSU the best you recommend? Go ahead?

[quan289]

Have a look at the Super Flower Golden Green 600w: http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=super+flower+golden+green&spos=3

[Jack Harry]

Have a look at the Super Flower Golden Green 600w: http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=super+flower+golden+green&spos=3

 

Thanks quan, It looks good, don't know about the blue LED though.

 

@WoodenMarker

Any suggestions on fans for the 240?

Also looking at the Z97-K specs it says 2 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (2 x 4 -pin). Does that mean I can't connect more than 2 fans? Surely not

[WoodenMarker]

Thanks quan, It looks good, don't know about the blue LED though.

@WoodenMarker

Any suggestions on fans for the 240?

Also looking at the Z97-K specs it says 2 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (2 x 4 -pin). Does that mean I can't connect more than 2 fans? Surely not

The Golden Green is nice but I'm similarly not sure about the blue LED look.

 

FN-PX12's are relatively cheap and decent fans: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/gelid-solutions-case-fan-fnpx1215

There's one 4pin for the cpu fan and 2x 4pins for 2 system fans. They are interchangeable and you can use fan splitters if you wish to connect more fans to the motherboard. Fans can also be directly powered from the psu at fulled speed which isn't recommended due to noise or to an aftermarket fan controller.

 

Is this PSU the best you recommend? Go ahead?

The HCG-620M is a solid psu to go with if you're planning to go with the 290. The 520w would be plenty if you decide to go with the 770. Although not the very best psu available, I don't think it's at all necessary to spend more if if the budget is an issue.

[Jack Harry]

 

There's one 4pin for the cpu fan and 2x 4pins for 2 system fans. They are interchangeable and you can use fan splitters if you wish to connect more fans to the motherboard. Fans can also be directly powered from the psu at fulled speed which isn't recommended due to noise or to an aftermarket fan controller.

 

 

Is this the correct splitter?

 

I actually bought a GTX Titan purchased in february 2013, it still has 18 months warranty for $540AUD 

I got it because it was a really cheap buy and thought of selling it. Now I do have a couple of serious offers at $650AUD.

 

I can also buy an R9 290 today for $300AUD 

So I'm confused, should I keep the titan or is it an overkill for what I do and should get the 290?

[WoodenMarker]

Is this the correct splitter?

 

I actually bought a GTX Titan purchased in february 2013, it still has 18 months warranty for $540AUD 

I got it because it was a really cheap buy and thought of selling it. Now I do have a couple of serious offers at $650AUD.

I can also buy an R9 290 today for $300AUD 

So I'm confused, should I keep the titan or is it an overkill for what I do and should get the 290?

No. That splitter would allow you to connect fans to the psu, running them at full speed.  You should be looking at pwm to pwm  or pwm to 3pin splitters depending on what kind of fans you're using. 

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=17923&cPath=1344

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=28288&cPath=1344

 

Whether or not you should sell the card depends on what the system is being used for: programs being used, content being worked on, etc. 

[Jack Harry]

Whether or not you should sell the card depends on what the system is being used for: programs being used, content being worked on, etc. 

 

 

 

Damn I thought I mentioned that here, sorry

 

At the moment the only thing I'm using is Premiere pro CC 14. I do a lot of multicam (2-3 cameras) and very simple color correction.

The most important thing for me is playback because I only edit the projects and send them back to the studio where someone else encodes and authors the blurays, that's for now anyway. Perhaps I will take on that hassle sometime in the future.

 

The work is of RAW DSLR footage mainly. 1080p25 or 50fps and also Sony NX5 which is AVC around 24Mbps at 1080p25.

 

But I could possibly be taking on the burden of encoding and authoring the blurays soon.

[WoodenMarker]

At the moment the only thing I'm using is Premiere pro CC 14. I do a lot of multicam (2-3 cameras) and very simple color correction.

The most important thing for me is playback because I only edit the projects and send them back to the studio where someone else encodes and authors the blurays, that's for now anyway. Perhaps I will take on that hassle sometime in the future.

 

The work is of RAW DSLR footage mainly. 1080p25 or 50fps and also Sony NX5 which is AVC around 24Mbps at 1080p25.

 

But I could possibly be taking on the burden of encoding and authoring the blurays soon.

As long as you aren't using any Nvidia-specific features, selling the Titan for a 290 could be a good idea. 

[Jack Harry]

Nvida specific feature? The only thing I can think about is premiere using GPU acceleration (CUDA) but now it supports 290 as well, so they're on par in that regard. 

I'm not aware of any other features

 

Yeah I think even if I decide to pick up gaming with demanding games, this rig with 290 should handle everything on max right?

[quan289]

Thanks quan, It looks good, don't know about the blue LED though.

 

Yeah, the SF GG 600w is an excellent PSU. If you are able to get pass the blue LED (it shouldn't be bothersome if you got a bottom mounted case and had the fan intake face down), I highly recommend it over all the units mentioned thus far.

 

Or the Seasonic G 550w: http://www.digitalstar.com.au/seasonic-g-series-80plus-gold-550w-atx-power-supply-psu.html

[Jack Harry]

@WoodenMarker

 

I would like to know what you think of this one It seems to be very popular and backed by 7 yr warranty. Also it's gold rated.

 

OR this one but it's ony 3 yrs and silver rate. However it's 600W

 

Question is, is it enough for a 290 OV and CPU oc?

 

Thanks