New gaming/music creation Haswell system advice

[iowastate89]

Hello,

I am building a new system this summer with Haswell chips coming out; I'm around 4 years out of date on the latest tech.. My uses are primarily for music making (Sonar/Ableton) and gaming; every once in a while I'll be doing some family video/photo editing but it's not a primary function. I won't be overclocking or anything, and I'd like to have a relatively powerful system that runs cool/silently as possible (like all of us, right?)

Anyways, I have been running with a P180 case that I was happy with, but the new cases out there seem to have evolved. Budget is not unlimited, but I can stretch a bit for the solid components. I already have my graphics card with an MSI Twin Frozr 680gtx, so that part is done.

Otherwise looking for hints for a case with these:
Core i7 4770T (still researching here)
Heatsink (still researching, might go NoFan if it's possible)
Gigabyte mobo? (have gone giga/asus in past, looking for performance but running cool)
Nexus PSU (I have had the RX-8500 with pretty good results)
MSI GTX-680 (already bought)
Samsung SSD boot drive (already bought)
Western Digital black series drives (already bought)


Anyways, I am considering a Silverstone ft02, and Antec 280 or 183 performance, or possibly Corsair (I don't know much about them but they seem to be mentioned favorably) or a Nanoxia Deep Silence 1.

Any suggestions welcome, I love this stage of building a new system

[CA_Steve]

It's 2 months before Haswell arrives and 4-5 months before I'd recommend a Haswell build.

That said, T rated CPUs are a waste of space. It just means Intel has downclocked and undervolted the CPU to meet the lower TDP. T and non-T parts will all use the same idle power and similar power at light loading. At heavy loading, you've throttled yourself with the lower speed part. Just say no.

So, is this a VST type setup or will there also be live mics?

CPU cooler: lots of new stuff coming out over the next few months. In general, why bother with a fanless cooler when you've got a GTX 680?

Case: The FT02 is a solid case. However, with the rotated mobo, you have to be careful with mobo. gfx card, and cooler selection. Otherwise, heatpipe orientation might screw your cooling performance. See the Silverstone FAQ on the FT02 product page. The P183 V3 is nice. If you want to see what can be done, take a look at the Puget Sound Serenity Pro review. The Fractal R4 is also popular as is the Corsair 550D.

PSU: Your stressed load power with an 84W Haswell is in the neighborhood of 330W, gaming load of ~275W. You could go with a fanless platinum rated PSU like the Seasonic 460W or 520W.

[iowastate89]

Cool, makes sense; I haven't considered the reduction in power but that would be a good option.

Yep, going mainly with VSTs and only a single/dual mic at most via dedicated hardware streamed over USB or firewire, so hopefully not too much load for those situations.

Thanks, this is a good helpful jumping off spot (I feel like I have to re-educate myself on all this every 3-4 years, ha)

[CA_Steve]

Will the live mic be in the same vicinity as this PC or in a different room? Because if it's going to be in the same room, then the bar gets set higher for what's quiet enough (I'm looking at you, GTX 680).

If this is for work, then definately wait 2-3months after release. Too many potential bugs can crop up that you don't want to deal with....like Sandy Bridge's infamous PCIe to PCI bridge controller that made all PCI add-in cards have crappy latency for many many months. There are always early adopters for this stuff. Let the guys over at Gearslutz forums be the guinea pigs.

[Pappnaas]

There are always early adopters for this stuff. Let the guys over at Gearslutz forums be the guinea pigs

Anyone remembering Rev. B chipsets? SATA-Bug?

Or even more way back.... Pentium-Steppings, USB2-NEC-Intel-Copy-Bug and so on..

[kuzzia]

As CA_Steve says you should also consider the Fractal Design Define R4 and the Corsair 550d. And I also agree with CA_Steve with regards to the 4770-t. It's practically an artificial limitation of a CPU.

In general, ASUS has better fan controlling than Gigabyte.

There are a lot of choices when it comes to heatsinks. Look at heatsinks from Scythe, Thermalright, Prolimatech, Noctua and Cooler Master. But remember, the Haswell CPU will most likely have a TDP at around 50-60 W so you don't need a giantic cooler to cool the CPU quietly. A Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO + good aftermarket PWM fan (e.g. Scythe Slipstream 120 mm PWM) is usually a good choice for a budget minded consumer. And this combo will definitely have enough performance to cool that CPU very quietly.

[CA_Steve]

In general, ASUS has better fan controlling than Gigabyte.

Maybe Gigabyte will step up - we won't know until Computex/first week of June.

Also, quad core Haswell's are 84W TDP. We don't know yet if Intel has moved back to solder and away from the crappy TIM used in Ivy Bridge. I'm guessing the die will be larger than IVB, which will help with heat transfer. That said, yeah the 212EVO is a cheap way to get the job done. I like the Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120m, too. But, the OP might need a bit more if it's a live mic environment. <shrugs> Impossible to nail down b4 we see reviews.