SPCR

Building myself a new PC. At first for working from home (programming, various experiments involving VMs and such), but leaving open the option to add a powerful GPU in the future if a game catches my fancy.

Case: NSK-3480 Micro ATX
- going for most compact here, I am tired of lugging 30-pound behemoths up the stairs.
PSU: Cooler Master V450S (or Seasonic G-360)
- need something less than 150mm deep, I am not going to drill the case
CPU: i5-4690
- no overclocking going on here
Coooler: ???
- any suggestions?
MoBo: Asus H97M-PLUS
- the only thing it lacks is a decent 2650x1600@60GHz output
RAM: 2x8GB DDR3
- leaving two slots open to jump to 32GB in the future
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 500GB
- the NAS will serve file media
GPU: cheapest fanless dual-link DVI video card for my U3014 Dell
- wanted to use the on-board GPU initially. Sadly crappy Asus only outputs 2650x1600@60GHz over HDMI which crappy Dell does not accept accept as input on the U3014...

Opinions?
Thanks!

catalinr wrote:PSU: Cooler Master V450S (or Seasonic G-360)

If you mind, the original Antec unit is a bit far from being quiet, but swapping the fan with a quiet one (usually I use Noctua R8) is an excellent and cost effective mod. The fan should be drived externally using a suitable tool (AI Suite, SpeedFan).

catalinr wrote:Coooler: ???
- any suggestions?

As you choose the V450S I think you are in Europe: the most cost effective option is more probably that not the Scythe Kotetsu (but there are many options there). Give a look to latest SPCR articles.

catalinr wrote:SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 500GB

Good choice, the Crucial MX100 should cost a tad less, if you mind.

catalinr wrote:GPU: cheapest fanless dual-link DVI video card for my U3014 Dell
- wanted to use the on-board GPU initially. Sadly crappy Asus only outputs 2650x1600@60GHz over HDMI which crappy Dell does not accept accept as input on the U3014...

IMO/IME a fanless GPU inside a 3480 is not the best option (restricted inlet, exhaust a bit far).
As you aim to play something, I would rather a dual fanned Radeon like either R265 or R270 (probably from XFX or ASUS) using SpeedFan or Afterburner to cook a custom fan curve. Alternatively you can mount a passive AC Accelero S1 Plus cooler on the cheaper GTX-750/750Ti you'll able to find.

catalinr wrote:Opinions?

You need a fan case, the Antec one is terrible.

catalinr wrote:Thanks!

You're welcome!

The Antec NSK-3480 has a single 120mm exhaust fan plus provision for two 92mm inlet fans. The Asus H97M-Plus board will do automatic fan tuning in the BIOS with either 3 pin or PWM fans. So potentially you could keep the existing 3 pin exhaust fan, but it is probably more sensible to replace it and add two inlet fans as well. Selecting PWM fans that can drop down to the 300 to 400 rpm range will give the quietest idle speeds. For the exhaust fan you could consider the Noctua Redux NF-S12B PWM which has a nominal 400 to 1200 rpm range, and for the two 92mm inlets the Noctua Redux NF-B9 PWM which has a 300 to 1600rpm range. With your choice of motherboard it would just be a case of fitting the fans, plugging them into the motherboard and selecting fan auto tuning in the BIOS to get the quietest setup.

Of course, I forgot about case fan(s). Definitely need changing, thanks for suggestions. Can add the inlets if temps are not OK, too...

Europe indeed.

The initial fanless GPU is for office-type work only. I will definitely swap it for a more powerful, actively cooled one, if and only if I will want to play in the future...

Edit: Crucial MX100 sounds pretty good too! Cheaper and MLC NAND? What's not to like?!

Thank you!

Case: NSK-3480 Micro ATX
- going for most compact here, I am tired of lugging 30-pound behemoths up the stairs.

Have you considered other options?
- Fractal Design Node 304
- NCase M1 v2
- Fenix Prodigy (top handle could help making movement more comfortable)
- Silverstone PS07

Well, the 3480 has the smallest volume from the table of recommended (micro)ATX towers (the form factor i prefer) on this site. Also, Antec is easily available around here.

catalinr wrote: MoBo: Asus H97M-PLUS
- the only thing it lacks is a decent 2650x1600@60GHz output

GPU: cheapest fanless dual-link DVI video card for my U3014 Dell
- wanted to use the on-board GPU initially. Sadly crappy Asus only outputs 2650x1600@60GHz over HDMI which crappy Dell does not accept accept as input on the U3014...

Opinions?

Have you considered getting a motherboard that has displayport? That way you can drive your monitor at its native resolution using the on-board GPU.

Yes, but i could not find any Asus (manufacturer I prefer) H97/Z97 micro ATX mobos with DP.

There is the GRYPHON Z97, but it's expensive. Might be worth it to save the cost of a GPU.

For less money there are B85 and Q87 based boards with displayport: B85M-E/CSM & Q87M-E/CSM

The gryphon is more expensive and hard to find around here. For 35€ I can get a passive Radeon with 1gb ram able to drive two >1080p monitors.