SPCR

Hi,

I’m looking to get some advice on the following build please.

- This is what I’ll be using it for:
Not too bothered about over clocking or gaming - will be mainly used as home pc, office, video streaming and a bit of Photoshop.

- Here’s the rough build:
a Intel Core I5 3570K
Asus P8Z77-M (or pro?)
Fractal Design Define Mini
Samsung 120GB 840 Series
580GB WD Caviar Green
Be quiet! BN198 Straight Power E9 CM 480W Modular
HR-02 Macho Rev.A
Memory?
Gpu?

Hoping to go as quiet as possible! None of the components have been purchased yet, so open to suggestions/alternatives.

- Other things to consider:
I currently have a six year old Seasonic 600W S12 (SS-600HT) power supply which could maybe be re-used?
Also, will have a usb hard drive, wireless adapter and a usb card reader attached.

Thanks

If you do not plan to overclock then maybe go for the standard 3570. The 3570k is unlocked, hence more targetted at those who want to overclock.

If you can re-use the old PSU, and it's quiet enough, why not use it?

RAM: Does Photoshop require fast RAM? Otherwise, just choose the cheapest RAM from a reputable company.

Only consider the Pro-version of the motherboard if you need the additional features. If the "Pro" has FanXpert 2 then it would make a lot of sense going for that one.

Western Digital also has the Red series now. The warranty period is a little longer and it's as quiet as the Green version according to the most recent SPCR review.

You could easily drop to the i5-3470. The only app that can make high use of the CPU is Photoshop. The rest will barely make use of 2 cores. If you just dabble in Photoshop, then stick with the iGP. If it was part of a workflow, then I'd suggest bumping up to a discrete GPU to make better use of the Mercury Engine in Photoshop...or at least keep the i5-3570K for the HD4000.

The rest of the components look fine. Take a look at Samsung's RAM.

Cooler: The Macho is a nice cooler...might be a tight fit in the Mini case (cooler is 162mm high, case specs at 160mm). Perhaps the True Spirit 120M is a better choice.

Thanks for all your feedback. I’ve had a look at the Samsung memory and been busy reading the WD green/red reviews as well as looking through a lot of older threads.

Would like a modular/hybrid psu for a tidier build, but I think you're right to recommend I re-use my Seasonic S12 600W power supply for now.

I think I will stick with the i5-3570K for the HD4000 and see how I get on. Then maybe add a discrete gpu (maybe 650/660 Ti) in the future.

CA_Steve - thanks for the heads up on the size of the Macho cooler. In my six year old Core 2 build I have a Thermalright Ultra-120 (160.5mm) with a Noctua NF S-12 fan – might try and re-use the cooler with a Skythe Slipstream 120 PWH fan. From googling a few other threads, I’m also considering the Skythe Mugen 3 and the Noctua NH-U12P, as well as the true Spirit 120mm.

If you're not gaming, why the GPU? The HD2500/4000 is more than enough for what you listed. Some parts of Photoshop, I believe, will use GPU acceleration, but is it really worth hundreds of dollars to speed up a few filters if you aren't a professional photographer working on hundreds of photos at a time? The Ivy Bridge graphics can accelerate that a bit, and it's fast on its own for the parts that aren't accelerated.

If you do go with a GPU, drop the K CPU. It lacks some of the server-oriented instruction sets that the normal IVB CPUs have, and if you aren't overclocking, all it brings to the table is a better integrated GPU, which you wouldn't use.

For RAM, get a name-brand 2x8gb 1.5v with no (or low) heatspreaders. Mushkin, Crucial, G.Skill - whatever. 9-9-9-24 timings.

Scrooge - my previous builds have all been based around mid-range gaming machines, although I don’t have the time for gaming at the moment, but it would be good to have the flexibility to add a dedicated mid-range GPU should my circumstances change in the future. Really appreciated your informative comments on my CPU and RAM choices. I had actually ordered 4x4GB of Crucial (Ballistix Sport) memory yesterday, but phoned up to change this to 2x8GB this morning. Interestingly the 1.5V normal height RAM was the same price as the 1.35V low profile heat spreader, so I chose the latter.

Ordered most of my parts yesterday – decided on the Asus P8Z77-M Pro as I liked the look of some of the additional features/connectivity and it seems to be well liked by other SPCR members on here. Also went for the 3570k with the True Spirit 120M cooler. I would have had to buy a new mounting kit for my existing cooler anyway and it seemed like a better fit for the Fractal Design Mini. I’m planning to re-using my existing Seasonic S12 600w; Pioneer DVD drive and 4x Noctua NF S-12 fans from my six year old Core 2 build. Then look at replacing the fans with PWM alternatives.

Looking forward to putting it all together next week

Enjoy your build