Small Form Factor Workstation Build

[Naty722]

Hi guys!

 

My first post! I've been following Linus Tech Tips for awhile, and have been going all over the internet for advice but haven't found anything super helpful so I thought I'd just add a post and see if I can get any tips!

 

1. Budget & Location

I'm in the US and I'm looking at the lower $2000 range since I already have my graphics card (see below). I don't want to spend an insane amount of money, but I'm willing to negotiate to the upper $2000 range if I'm convinced it's worth it. Also of note, I'm not sure of when I'll actually do this build so let me know if it's worth waiting for a new product/price drop since I'm not in a huge hurry.

 

2. Aim

This is all about video editing. Premiere Pro, lots of After Effects, Audition, etc. and I would like to do some light 3D with 3DS Max and Maya (including RayFire). No gaming, just video editing and all that comes with it. Of note, this isn't just light, YouTube editing. I'm going to be doing heavy graphics in After Effects, lots of particles, 3D comps, perhaps some ray-traced 3D. But nothing like professional 4k stuff (at least in the near future). It'll all be 1080p pretty much. 3D modeling less so, but part of the reason I don't do it so much is that it does take so long to render so as that improves, I may use it more.

 

3. Monitors

Two monitors for now. One is 1080p, the other 1440p. Might upgrade in the future, but I don't think that's an issue.

 

4. Peripherals

Got my peripherals already. Though I might need an external optical drive as I doubt I'll have room for one in my build so tips on that would be nice.

 

5. Why are you building?

Mostly because I might use my current build still for other things, but also since my current build is in no shape to be upgraded gracefully to what I need now. I've got a gaming focused build that I'm trying to edit on and my 2500k's lack of hyper-threading is killing me. I want to go to mATX since I'm carrying my machine around a lot and so I'm pretty much left to starting from scratch and I figure if I'm going to invest a lot, I might as well make it good from the beginning.

 

So here is what I have so far:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2WWuj

 

CPU: Core i7-4930k 

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12s (already have)

Motherboard: Asus Rampage IV Gene

RAM: Patriot Viper 3 32 GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-2133

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 500GB SSD

                WD Caviar Green 1.5TB 7200RPM (x2) ???

Video Card: EVGA GTX 780 (reference, already have)

Case: BitFenix Prodigy M Midnight

PSU: Corsair RM 750W

OS: I have both Windows 7 and Windows 8 so tips on which would be better are appreciated.

 

So I really wanted 6C/12T for my processor just knowing how much I work in After Effects with large particle systems and such so I went for the 4930k so this forced me into the Rampage IV Gene as the only LGA 2011 mATX motherboard out there. I know you have to do a BIOS flash for Ivy-Bridge-E but it seems simple enough.

 

I went with 2133 RAM since Linus did mention in his workstation build that bandwidth is important in video editing, but if you guys think it's not worth it let me know. I'm fine with any RAM (I don't need Dominator Platinums) so advice on that would be nice. I just went with the cheapest I found.

 

Storage was a little tough for me. I actually won't need all that much space as I'll be working either over a local network or off an external drive a lot, so I went with a quiet, energy efficient option for my scratch disk and cache drives. Those were the only WD Greens I could find that were at 7200 RPM. Let me know if I'm crazy and should just go for Blacks or something. Also, if you know if best configurations for video editing regarding RAID and such, let me know. Just consider I'm going mATX so not the most space.

 

Now the case has been the hardest choice for me. I really like the size of the Prodigy M and the handles are great considering my frequent transportation. However, I have read plenty of mixed opinions regarding the layout. The Phenom M also looks good, and Linus did that most recent build guide with it, but I'd rather have the slightly smaller size and handles. If you guys know any other good mATX cases let me know.

 

Power supply should be plenty right? I do like having lots of extra head room but I don't see any need to go up to 850. What about 80+ Platinum?

 

And again, I have both Windows 7 and 8 and would appreciate advice regarding which one to use. I strongly prefer Windows 7, but I do know about the advantages of Windows 8 when it comes to speed and some nice new features. If it's been working out well for you , I wouldn't mind installing that (Windows 8.1 is a free update right? Like a service pack?)

 

So there you have it. Again, any thoughts and tips would be appreciated, including if I should just forget LGA 2011 or mATX. Or heck, would Xeon be worth it at this point? Cost looks to be at a little under $2000 since I already have the graphics card, so I wouldn't mind getting another SSD or something if it's worth it. Also, there's no point in getting a Quadro/FirePro right? They're just for the validation and 10bit output? My 780 is being used by Adobe for whatever it can be? I'm considering getting one in the future, but it just doesn't seem worth it if I just need performance, not validation or 10bit color.

 

Thanks for the help!!

 

[dizmo]

Looks pretty decent.

I might look into Barracuda drives, they're usually faster for the same price. Or WD Reds, possibly Black's. Are you going to RAID them? (just seeing you have 2).

I don't think a Xeon would make sense at this price point. To get an equivalent Xeon is pretty expensive. If it were i5 vs Xeon, it'd be more comparable.

Power supply is plenty.

GTX is a great choice as well.

 

@WoodenMarker is a wealth of knowledge for such things.

 

It's usually best to wait until you're actually going to do a build than to plan out ahead.

Honestly, you can be waiting forever if you're going to wait for something better. There's always something better in the works. If your 2500k is killing you now, upgrade now.

[WoodenMarker]

If you're unsure when you're going to build, 'd suggest planning later. ~2-3 days at most before you buy. Parts and prices change frequently so any parts list you come up with now will likely be obsolete by the time you're ready to buy.

[Naty722]

Thanks for the responses.

 

I suppose the only thing I was really waiting for was time and money. Not for any better components or anything. I'm busy with my job and other things, and I certainly have the money but would rather have some more under the belt. I suppose I'll put this on hold for a bit. Of course, advice on whether my general line of thinking is right would be appreciated, whether I get this tomorrow or in a month