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MicroATX with maybe dual OS?

Zedrian
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Hello! I am new on LinusTechTips and I am hoping to join a good community that can share some helpful insights.

 

I haven't built a PC in over 15 years, and I was travelling a lot so I used a laptop (Macbook Pro) more than anything else. Now that I am settling down with my family, I am craving to build a good quality Workstation and occasional gaming PC.

 

Budget: More or Less $2000-2500

 

Main usage:

On a daily basis I use a Macbook Pro for work, which include running Office Suite, coding web apps, maintaining web servers and quite a bit of Photoshop and Illustrator. I want to transfer some or all of these tasks to a desktop for more comfort while working at home, and when my wife allows it, sneak and play some AAA games for 2-3 hours. 

 

Choice in OS:

This is where it is tricky for me. I have always loved OSX for my daily computer usage (photo editing and especially coding), and I prefer to run code on a UNIX base OS than Windows. I found Windows tedious for running languages such as Ruby, maintaining databases, and I am more comfortable with Terminal than Window's shell. I have experienced some issues with some of the Microsoft softwares on Mac (such as their CRM...), so I had bootcamp on my macbook pro and it works fine that way, but its a bit of a hassle to jump from one to the other. 

So for my new PC I will first install Windows 10 to enjoy better compatibility with all the Microsoft softwares we use for work, and benefit from playing some games. 

I was thinking I could replicate on the new PC something similar to Bootcamp with a second SSD drive with either Linux or OSX (if at all possible, but I read that over time it can run issues with driver compatibility) in the event I need to work for a couple of hours on a UNIX system for coding. 

OR invest in a second monitor and have my macbook pro connected to it, but switching mouses and keyboards is also a hassle ;). 

 

What are your thoughts on this? 

 

The build I am thinking:

Probably a pretty standard build, nothing out of the ordinary, though you may have some better suggestions! :). Prices are for new components, I could probably find cheaper at resellers or (slightly) used.

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($216.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

I was initially thinking of using an i7 and thought it would be more useful for graphic design work (photoshop and Illustrator) with hyper-threading. But $120-150 difference is a bit steep, so I am still considering. I do some graphic design and photo editing but not extensively, so I am not sure if Hyper-threading is entirely necessary. I do run quite a bit of tasks behind when I run a web server, running code in the background, and doing other stuff on Excel, Word, Photoshop at the same time. What do you think?

 

I was also considering a Skylake processors, mostly for investing in the future with the compatibility with USB 3.1 Type C. If I go with Skylake, the costs of Memory and Motherboard will also increase. 

 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($104.99 @ B&H) 
I will Overclock the CPU for the fun of it, but probably not by much. Seems like Overclocking modern CPUs doesn't change much. I could go with a Heatsink and Fan like the Be Quiet, Noctua or Cooler Master (cheaper and they look nice), but takes a lot of space in the box and may get a bit too close to the RAM sticks. 
 
 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
I wasn't sure which motherboard to go with. This one had good reviews on newegg and pcpartpicker. I appears to be built with quality components and has onboard sound. Only 4 PCIE slots, so I can either do a SLI/CF bridge between cars, or 1 Graphics card and a sound cart + network card (optic fibre modem and router are not in the same room unfortunately). Up to 32Gb DDR3 Ram, but I will be using probably 8GB. It also has 1 M.2, which I don't know how to use yet. And plenty of USB 3.0 and 2.0.
 
I could go for more (useful for photoshop) or with a higher clock, but I don't really see how I would need it. In your opinion, should I go 2x4gb or 1x8gb? I could go for other brands, but I don't really care as long as it works.
 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($169.89 @ OutletPC) 

I can fit 2 SSD in there, mostly for running the OS, and coding files. Read & Write speeds on many code files is pretty important in my opinion. 

For Media storage 2TB HDD is good enough, I am however worried about the sound it makes, and how long it will last. HDD have a tendency to break quickly and you need many of them for backups. The other concern is the HDD cage is not in an ideal location in the Corsair Air 240. I could place the HDD under the graphics card, but it clutters the machine a bit. Alternatively I could go with External Hard Drives 

 
Mostly for my hours of fun on the machine ^^. Since this is a new build, and I don't have other cards, might as well invest in the best I can afford. When it starts getting old, I can buy a second one for SLI goodness. For Photoshop, I don't think this card affects much...
 
Case: Corsair Air 240 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($77.99 @ Micro Center) 
Between administrative paperwork, work paperwork and mommy and baby stuff, I don't have much space at home. So I want to go with a Micro ATX. I love the Corsair Air 240 case because I could have it sit on my desktop next to my screens and still have some work space for the macbook pro and paperwork. I also like the Corsair Air 240 because it looks fairly easy for someone who hasn't built a custom computer for many years. The window is a plus to see my achievement  :)
 

On PCPartPicker, it says my max wattage is about 471W, so with a 750W PSU I have some room. I considered a 650W, but if I decide to upgrade with second GTX980ti, then the wattage may go up to 680W. Build quality looks good with sleeved cables and fully modular. If its energy efficient, great, but the electricity bills will still go up with this machine (by a bit)

 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($89.88 @ OutletPC) 
 
Noctua fans seem great, but I hate the colors. Corsair Fans look good. I think 2 fan on the top (liquid Cooling radiator) and the back (if it fits) for Outake, and 2 fans on the front for Intake. Until I get the case, its hard to figure out the fans placement. 
 
Already purchased monitor that is usually connected to my laptop at home. I could invest with the remaining budget in a second monitor 1440p to go with the Geforce  :)
 
Keyboard: Logitech G710 Plus Wired Gaming Keyboard  (Purchased For $129.00) 
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  (Purchased For $79.00) 
 
Total: $1968.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-28 05:11 EDT-0400

 

Extra Parts:

- I might need additional Dust Filter or grills if I can find

- Sleeved cables. Its an investment that will make the machine cleaner and nicer in my opnion $80

 

So what do you think? Thanks!

 

Zed

Edited by Zedrian
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CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($369.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($104.99 @ B&H) 

Motherboard: ASRock X99M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($175.99 @ SuperBiiz) 


Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($169.89 @ OutletPC) 


Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB FTW ACX 2.0+ Video Card  ($669.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case  ($84.99 @ Amazon) 


Total: $1838.81

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-28 04:37 EDT-0400

I cant find the air 240

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CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor  ($369.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i GTX 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($104.99 @ B&H) 
Motherboard: ASRock X99M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($175.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($169.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB FTW ACX 2.0+ Video Card  ($669.99 @ NCIX US) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M ATX Mid Tower Case  ($84.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1838.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-28 04:37 EDT-0400
I cant find the air 240

 

 

Thanks for the ideas, 

 

You can find the Air 240 on PcPartPicker here https://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-cc9011070ww

 

Also your suggestion of the CPU would increase the costs by $170. Could you please explain your suggestions?

 

Thanks!

Zed

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Hello! I am new on LinusTechTips and I am hoping to join a good community that can share some helpful insights.

Well you could go with something like this instead, although the 5820k in X99 is also a solid option, but has no iGPU for a GPU passthrough set up

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZdKKjX

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZdKKjX/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($325.89 @ OutletPC)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($28.99 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: Asus H170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($103.75 @ OutletPC)

Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($88.99 @ Adorama)

Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.65 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB SOC Video Card  ($318.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Case: Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Rosewill HIVE 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1023.23

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-28 05:05 EDT-0400

And then pick up a solid display with it, 40" 4k, this one has the option to run 120Hz@1080p and has free-sync, so maybe up your GPU to a Fury if there's room in the budget, there's also another korean 4k display with an all metal frame and 100mm VESA mount

And you can also just do a GPU passthrough to a virtual box to run games from inside a linux OS onto a windows 10 VM

I edit my posts a lot, Twitter is @LordStreetguru just don't ask PC questions there mostly...
 

Spoiler

 

What is your budget/country for your new PC?

 

what monitor resolution/refresh rate?

 

What games or other software do you need to run?

 

 

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Thanks for the ideas, 

 

You can find the Air 240 on PcPartPicker here https://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-cc9011070ww

 

Also your suggestion of the CPU would increase the costs by $170. Could you please explain your suggestions?

 

Thanks!

Zed

His thought process was probably more cores for rendering out images and such as well as hyperthreading, tbh at the moment the 5820k is Intel's Golden chip, Price to performance ratios at an all time high considering it's lowered price and 6700k is soo expensive... Honestly in my opinion OP just go with your original specs but switch the i5 to a Xeon 1231v3 (it's basically a 4790 without an iGPU for the price of an i5) and grab a 2x8 16GB kit of ram, call it a day, 

5820k4Ghz/16GB(4x4)DDR4/MSI X99 SLI+/Corsair H105/R9 Fury X/Corsair RM1000i/128GB SM951/512GB 850Evo/1+2TB Seagate Barracudas

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Well you could go with something like this instead, although the 5820k in X99 is also a solid option, but has no iGPU for a GPU passthrough set up

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZdKKjX

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ZdKKjX/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($325.89 @ OutletPC)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($28.99 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: Asus H170M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($103.75 @ OutletPC)

Memory: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($88.99 @ Adorama)

Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($46.65 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 390 8GB SOC Video Card  ($318.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Case: Deepcool TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.98 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Rosewill HIVE 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1023.23

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-28 05:05 EDT-0400

And then pick up a solid display with it, 40" 4k, this one has the option to run 120Hz@1080p and has free-sync, so maybe up your GPU to a Fury if there's room in the budget, there's also another korean 4k display with an all metal frame and 100mm VESA mount

And you can also just do a GPU passthrough to a virtual box to run games from inside a linux OS onto a windows 10 VM

Thank you StreetGuru for your reply. Very helpful videos, especially about the idea of a VM with hardware passthrough. Something to consider, and does that mean I should get a processor with iGPU? I don't really have a preference for the 3 OS (Linux, OSX and Windows), and I think all three of them have their pros and cons. I hate how they try to bind us to a single OS. 

 

I think 40" Display would be way too big for my eyes, but with $300 budget for a monitor I could surely find a nice 23-27" monitor to add on top my existing 23" monitor.

 

From your build, the Hitachi hard drive looks nice! I read quickly some reviews, and its enterprise grade component may mean more durability. So I will change that on my build. 

 

His thought process was probably more cores for rendering out images and such as well as hyperthreading, tbh at the moment the 5820k is Intel's Golden chip, Price to performance ratios at an all time high considering it's lowered price and 6700k is soo expensive... Honestly in my opinion OP just go with your original specs but switch the i5 to a Xeon 1231v3 (it's basically a 4790 without an iGPU for the price of an i5) and grab a 2x8 16GB kit of ram, call it a day, 

 

Thank you GloriousPain. Very informative! I didn't know anything about the 5820k. The Xeon 1231 v3 looks awesome at a great price. I am going to go ahead and look at benchmarks. Thanks!

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Thank you StreetGuru for your reply. Very helpful videos, especially about the idea of a VM with hardware passthrough. Something to consider, and does that mean I should get a

I think everything on skylake has an iGPU, you'd only have to worry about getting a cheap secondary GPU if you went X99.

Otherwise then ya, any old 1440p korean display should be good to go, or this, which is 4k 27" with free-sync, and it's IPS

https://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-monitor-27mu67

I edit my posts a lot, Twitter is @LordStreetguru just don't ask PC questions there mostly...
 

Spoiler

 

What is your budget/country for your new PC?

 

what monitor resolution/refresh rate?

 

What games or other software do you need to run?

 

 

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Thank you GloriousPain. Very informative! I didn't know anything about the 5820k. The Xeon 1231 v3 looks awesome at a great price. I am going to go ahead and look at benchmarks. Thanks!

Yeah you're welcome, if doing alot of CPU tasks and you are willing to OC 5820k is quite possibly the best bang for the buck chip at the moment, and Xeon 1231v3 is also highly bang for the buck but not OC able

5820k4Ghz/16GB(4x4)DDR4/MSI X99 SLI+/Corsair H105/R9 Fury X/Corsair RM1000i/128GB SM951/512GB 850Evo/1+2TB Seagate Barracudas

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