My Plan so Far... *Help*

[mrlutz]

Hi Everybody,

 

I know a bit about computers and hardware (I have worked on computers and Upgraded as needed); but I have never built one from scratch and after searching online (videos and forums) I have choosen some parts to build my computer.

 

Some information of what I need this for:

- I do some gaming but the biggest thing for me is I will be running my buisness from it (AutoCAD 3D and Civil 3D) generally I have lots of programs open at a time. (At this very moment while I write this I have 2 AutoCAD windows, Microsoft Excel, PDF Viewer, Skype, 2 Windows Explorers, and some webpages)

-Also I need this to be somewhat portable; so I am able to go over to a friends with it and take it on the road when I need to, which is why I want to work with the sugo sg09 case (unless you have any better suggestions).

 

So down to what my build consists of:

 

Case - Silverstone SG09 mATX SFF Case

 

Motherboard - ASUS Maximus VI Gene mATX LGA1150 Z87

 

Processor - Intel Core i7 4770K Unlocked Quad Core 3.5GHZ

 

CPU Heatsink - Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H80I CPU Cooler System (I've never really dealt with big heatsinks before?)

 

PSU - Silverstone Strider 850 Plus 850W Modular Power Supply

 

PSU Cables - Silverstone PP05 Short Cable Set (was recommended for small cases to manage cables better)

 

Video Card - Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 OC 1000MHZ 3.0GB 5.5GHZ GDDR5 (eventually I would like to put a second one in)

 

Memory - Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1866 240PIN C9 DIMM 1.5V Dual Channel Memory Kit (eventually upgrade to 32gb)

 

SSD - Samsung 840 Evo Series MZ-7TE250BW 250GB (for installing my main programs on)

 

Hardrive - Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 (for main storage)

 

At this moment the Price sits at $1,759.85

 

I really appreciate any recommendations or advice you can give me, I want this to be a great computer so if you have any recommendations of better components, or things that might save me money is great.

 

Thanks!

Edited September 17, 2013 by mrlutz

[CoolBeans]

Get cheaper RAM and a 840EVO so you can get a 770/680 

[Wauthar]

With that setup, you really, really don't need a PSU that big. I think a 600-650W will do perfectly fine.

 

EDIT: If you want to SLI that card, you might be better off with a bigger PSU, but the 1000W is still overkill.

[Youbetternot]

Get a 7970 instead

[MetalLobster]

1000W PSU? Do you want to 3-way SLI in the future? 

 

750W should do, since you mentioned you wanted to add a second 670 in the future. 

[whatthe_fuzz]

BIG key fact that everyone is missing, that heatsink.

If you want portability get an AIO. When transporting your computer with a heatsink that heavy there is a chance of ripping it off your motherboard.

Get a nice 120mm AIO or if possible, a 240mm

Oh BTW,

Look at the mATX Bitfenix Prodigy

[WoodenMarker]

I would suggest a case with a handle. 

If you don't mind paying more for an excellent case: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-case-sg04bfh

[mrlutz]

A Lot of mention to the power supply, any recommendations on a specific one I should get (it needs to stay under 160mm long to fit in the case and meet the needs of two cards in sli for my future proofing)

 

 

Get cheaper RAM and a 840EVO so you can get a 770/680 

 

Is there any type of ram you would recommend?

the 840EVO seems to have similiar specs and be cheaper, thanks!

 

 

Get a 7970 instead

 

why the 7970? I've typically worked with Nvidia in the past but I would consider Radeon if they are better?

 

 

BIG key fact that everyone is missing, that heatsink.

If you want portability get an AIO. When transporting your computer with a heatsink that heavy there is a chance of ripping it off your motherboard.

Get a nice 120mm AIO or if possible, a 240mm

Oh BTW,

Look at the mATX Bitfenix Prodigy

 

I was hoping someone would talk about the heatsink; I really have never dealt with anything like this one.

 

I've never dealt with AIO before (it is an All-In-One liquid cooling solution right?) I've always been terrified of water cooling mainly because of maintenence and worrying about it breaking and getting on the board. If I was to go with an AIO which one would you suggest?

 

I have looked at the Bitfenix Prodigy but it is quite a bit bigger? I was hoping for something small that I could put in a bag (sugo makes a bag for them) and carry around with a portable monitor?

 

While on the thought of portable monitors, any thoughts on the Asus MB168 coming out? I would put it in my bag with the computer

[Youbetternot]

A Lot of mention to the power supply, any recommendations on a specific one I should get (it needs to stay under 160mm long to fit in the case and meet the needs of two cards in sli for my future proofing)

 

 

 

Is there any type of ram you would recommend?

the 840EVO seems to have similiar specs and be cheaper, thanks!

 

 

 

why the 7970? I've typically worked with Nvidia in the past but I would consider Radeon if they are better?

 

 

 

I was hoping someone would talk about the heatsink; I really have never dealt with anything like this one.

 

I've never dealt with AIO before (it is an All-In-One liquid cooling solution right?) I've always been terrified of water cooling mainly because of maintenence and worrying about it breaking and getting on the board. If I was to go with an AIO which one would you suggest?

 

I have looked at the Bitfenix Prodigy but it is quite a bit bigger? I was hoping for something small that I could put in a bag (sugo makes a bag for them) and carry around with a portable monitor?

 

While on the thought of portable monitors, any thoughts on the Asus MB168 coming out? I would put it in my bag with the computer

Right now cheap and good performance cards are at AMD a 7970 is like a 770, but someone lower

[whatthe_fuzz]

Snip

Look at the H80i. Im not sure if it fits. AIO's (you're right, all-in-ones ) are easy and effective. They dont need maintenence for the most part, however the reason I suggested the Prodigy was because of the handles allowing easy carry PLUS it allows to step up in a larger AIO like the H100i or an H220 (if you can ) I dont know about space in the sugo.

Hope this helps you but I suggest dont put a heatsink on there for safety reasons

[CoolBeans]

A Lot of mention to the power supply, any recommendations on a specific one I should get (it needs to stay under 160mm long to fit in the case and meet the needs of two cards in sli for my future proofing)

 

 

 

Is there any type of ram you would recommend?

the 840EVO seems to have similiar specs and be cheaper, thanks!

 

 

 

why the 7970? I've typically worked with Nvidia in the past but I would consider Radeon if they are better?

 

 

 

I was hoping someone would talk about the heatsink; I really have never dealt with anything like this one.

 

I've never dealt with AIO before (it is an All-In-One liquid cooling solution right?) I've always been terrified of water cooling mainly because of maintenence and worrying about it breaking and getting on the board. If I was to go with an AIO which one would you suggest?

 

I have looked at the Bitfenix Prodigy but it is quite a bit bigger? I was hoping for something small that I could put in a bag (sugo makes a bag for them) and carry around with a portable monitor?

 

While on the thought of portable monitors, any thoughts on the Asus MB168 coming out? I would put it in my bag with the computer

GSkill, Corsair, Kingston but you should spend more than 140$ on 16GB of RAM

[Guest]

What OS? Because if you're gonna be upgrading to 32GB of RAM you can't use win 7 home premium.

[WoodenMarker]

A Lot of mention to the power supply, any recommendations on a specific one I should get (it needs to stay under 160mm long to fit in the case and meet the needs of two cards in sli for my future proofing)

 

Is there any type of ram you would recommend?

the 840EVO seems to have similiar specs and be cheaper, thanks!

 

why the 7970? I've typically worked with Nvidia in the past but I would consider Radeon if they are better?

 

I was hoping someone would talk about the heatsink; I really have never dealt with anything like this one.

I've never dealt with AIO before (it is an All-In-One liquid cooling solution right?) I've always been terrified of water cooling mainly because of maintenence and worrying about it breaking and getting on the board. If I was to go with an AIO which one would you suggest?

 

I have looked at the Bitfenix Prodigy but it is quite a bit bigger? I was hoping for something small that I could put in a bag (sugo makes a bag for them) and carry around with a portable monitor?

 

While on the thought of portable monitors, any thoughts on the Asus MB168 coming out? I would put it in my bag with the computer

If you just want to sli 760's, a decent 650w is plenty.

 

Any CL9 1600 ram is good.

 

The 7970 and 770 are pretty much neck to neck with the 7970 being significantly cheaper and having more vram.

 

A smaller heatsink would help for portability and compatibility.

An AIO has no real maintenance. I wouldn't normally suggest one because it introduces more things that can fail like the pump and such unless it looked better with one.

 

You're not going to be able to sli if you go itx.

 

I don't care for portable displays and I would recommend just getting a laptop if you really needed portability. 

[tk421]

A Lot of mention to the power supply, any recommendations on a specific one I should get (it needs to stay under 160mm long to fit in the case and meet the needs of two cards in sli for my future proofing)

 

 

 

Is there any type of ram you would recommend?

the 840EVO seems to have similiar specs and be cheaper, thanks!

 

 

 

why the 7970? I've typically worked with Nvidia in the past but I would consider Radeon if they are better?

 

 

 

I was hoping someone would talk about the heatsink; I really have never dealt with anything like this one.

 

I've never dealt with AIO before (it is an All-In-One liquid cooling solution right?) I've always been terrified of water cooling mainly because of maintenence and worrying about it breaking and getting on the board. If I was to go with an AIO which one would you suggest?

 

I have looked at the Bitfenix Prodigy but it is quite a bit bigger? I was hoping for something small that I could put in a bag (sugo makes a bag for them) and carry around with a portable monitor?

 

While on the thought of portable monitors, any thoughts on the Asus MB168 coming out? I would put it in my bag with the computer

 

As far as the power supply goes, the XFX 650W Pro is pretty affordable and is only 650mm long.

 

If you go with an AIO, the H80i is great since it has such a thick rad.

 

The Prodigy is easily portable but yes it's quite large.

 

They are probably recommending the 7970 since it has been going on pretty awesome sales at the moment.

 

Lastly, keep in mind that there is no such thing as future proofing.  You can try to minimize how much you will pay in the future but even a case, which is the most "futureproof" part of a system isn't really future proof.

[mrlutz]

Look at the H80i. Im not sure if it fits. AIO's (you're right, all-in-ones ) are easy and effective. They dont need maintenence for the most part, however the reason I suggested the Prodigy was because of the handles allowing easy carry PLUS it allows to step up in a larger AIO like the H100i or an H220 (if you can ) I dont know about space in the sugo.

Hope this helps you but I suggest dont put a heatsink on there for safety reasons

 

Thanks I appreciate the insight, I wasn't even thinking about the stress on the board! Have you ever heard of the SilverStone Tundra TD03 ... according to their website it works on the sugo. I looked into the h80i and it looks like it will fit but will cover up on of the pci-e ports in the process unfortunatly

 

 

What OS? Because if you're gonna be upgrading to 32GB of RAM you can't use win 7 home premium.

 

I didn't realize home premium had a limit on it... thank for making me aware; I will be looking at professional I think.

 

 

snip

 

Laptops unfortunatly are very expensive to get the good ones; and never seem to have the same capabilities of computers... I have one now but it is to slow for what I want.

[whatthe_fuzz]

Thanks I appreciate the insight, I wasn't even thinking about the stress on the board! Have you ever heard of the SilverStone Tundra TD03 ... according to their website it works on the sugo. I looked into the h80i and it looks like it will fit but will cover up on of the pci-e ports in the process unfortunatly

 

 

i personally havent heard anything about it and i personally wouldnt want to be a guinea pig deciding if its worth $100

 

i would grab an H80i and fit it on the top of the case and stick a 120mm in the back as intake. this would cool the GPU. the top fan mount is for 180mm but you should be able to fit a 120mm with some "ghetto rigging". it wont look bad but it will definitely be practical. 

[mrlutz]

i personally havent heard anything about it and i personally wouldnt want to be a guinea pig deciding if its worth $100

 

i would grab an H80i and fit it on the top of the case and stick a 120mm in the back as intake. this would cool the GPU. the top fan mount is for 180mm but you should be able to fit a 120mm with some "ghetto rigging". it wont look bad but it will definitely be practical. 

 

Your Probably right, for now I will go with the H80i and hope I can make it work like you say... and worse comes to worse I am not putting in the second graphics card right now anyways.

 

 

 

I updated my Build list, so if anyone has any futher input as far as what I might change or add let me know!

 

Thanks to everyone!

[WoodenMarker]

Your Probably right, for now I will go with the H80i and hope I can make it work like you say... and worse comes to worse I am not putting in the second graphics card right now anyways.

 

I updated my Build list, so if anyone has any futher input as far as what I might change or add let me know!

Why such expensive parts?

I'd also get a 7970 other than the Gigabyte--it may or may not be voltage locked depending on what you end up with.

[mrlutz]

Why such expensive parts?

I'd also get a 7970 other than the Gigabyte--it may or may not be voltage locked depending on what you end up with.

Do you have any cheaper parts to recommend? I am all for doing it cheaper... but at the same time I don't want to sacrifice quality or performance to much.

Do you have a brand of 7970 that is better?

[WoodenMarker]

Do you have any cheaper parts to recommend? I am all for doing it cheaper... but at the same time I don't want to sacrifice quality or performance to much.

Do you have a brand of 7970 that is better?

You're using Canadian dollars right?

[mrlutz]

Yes I am (I'm in Vancover, BC) , right now I am pricing everything through ncix.ca

[WoodenMarker]

Yes I am (I'm in Vancover, BC) , right now I am pricing everything through ncix.ca

Here's what I was thinking: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1EGFU

Replace H100i's fans with the Sickleflows and replace the case fans as well. 2 in front and 1 in back.

[mrlutz]

Here's what I was thinking: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1EGFU

Replace H100i's fans with the Sickleflows and replace the case fans as well. 2 in front and 1 in back.

Looks like a really cool build... but the case is quite a bit bigger then the sg09 I am looking at (hard to find a dufflebag to carry the 350D) I might use some of the cheaper parts that you mention though in my build (hardrive, and memory) and I'll use the asus video card like you mention. I appreciate the help WoodenMarker

[WoodenMarker]

Looks like a really cool build... but the case is quite a bit bigger then the sg09 I am looking at (hard to find a dufflebag to carry the 350D) I might use some of the cheaper parts that you mention though in my build (hardrive, and memory) and I'll use the asus video card like you mention. I appreciate the help WoodenMarker

I was thinking the 350D was only 2" longer but 2" thinner as well and it would work out but if you say it's too big, how's this look? http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1EQv4

Replace the Phanteks and case stock fan with the sickleflows. Replace the 180mm in the case with the 140mm Hyperborea. They have similar CFM but the 140mm should have more static pressure for a cramped case and be more quiet as well--up to you if you like the quiet.

The reason for not going H80i is that it would get in the way of potential second gpu

[Kiwiandapple]

@mrlutz

 

I was thinking the 350D was only 2" longer but 2" thinner as well and it would work out but if you say it's too big, how's this look? http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/1EQv4

Replace the Phanteks and case stock fan with the sickleflows. Replace the 180mm in the case with the 140mm Hyperborea. They have similar CFM but the 140mm should have more static pressure for a cramped case and be more quiet as well--up to you if you like the quiet.

The reason for not going H80i is that it would get in the way of potential second gpu

-img-

 

I could really only suggest to get a bigger HDD, you have the budget for it and 2 or even 3 TB drives aren't that expensive anymore. 
I do not know how big those files are from AutoCad 3D and Civil 3D. If not big, sure 1 TB is fine. but the extra price you pay for 1 TB 'more' is pretty good. 

Seagate 2 TB

Seagate 3 TB

 

I do not know Antec and have no idea how well build those PSU are, but I trust WoodenMarker that he suggest it for a reason. Whatever you do, get at least a Semi-Modulair one, this helps immensly in a small case.