Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Got a shopping cart of parts that you want opinions on? Get advice from members on your planned or existing system (or upgrade).

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
jozi
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:42 pm

Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by jozi » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:35 am

I just moved into a tiny room where space is at a premium and I dont have the space for me current machine which is below. I've been toying with the idea of building something small like a matx or micro atx machine. My current rig doesn't always cut it either for lightroom which I would use frequently, I think it's just a lack of ram though. Current rig spec:

Antec Solo
Crucial HX 520 Modular psu
AMD Athlon II X3 440
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 (H.D.T.) 120mm P
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3, AM3, ATX
8GB G.Skill DDR3 PC3-10666 1333MHz Ripjaw Series CL9 (9-9-9-24) Dual Channel kit
GeForse 8800gts
64GB Crucial RealSSD C300
Samsung EcoGreen F4 2000GB
Sony AD-7260S-0B 24
Akasa card reader
xfi elite pro
Asus wifi card

It's about 4yrs old and could do with an upgrade I think.

I'll probably keep the SSD and use it as a temp drive for photo's, the 2tb will also be kept. Would be nice to keep the card reader but I don't see many/any cases with space for one. Would also like to keep the sound card as I use it with my receiver

Main use will be for lightroom and photoshop and revit from time to time. Theres a chance ill try my hand on video editing as well as using it for music and watching movies (htpc even) and some streaming to my chrome cast.

So a quick spec list

HV20T446DE Intel Core i5-4460 Tray 152,28 €
HV1140MZDE MSI H97I AC, Sockel 1150, ITX 99,74 €
HV30NO59DE NOCTUA NH-L9i 39,57 €
HV203V14DE Silverstone SST-SG06B-Lite Sugo USB 3.0 - schwarz, benötigt SFX-Netzteil 47,01 € [Have used this case before on a friends build and like the size of it]
HVR302BSDE be quiet! SFX POWER 2 300W 47,73 €
HV12SEV1DE Samsung SSD 840 EVO Basic 120GB SATA 6Gb/s 64,99

Total value: 451,32 €

I've not added RAM, I think I am right in saying I can use my current 8gb? 16gb dual channel seems to be around 140euro for 1600 or 1333 low voltage

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by quest_for_silence » Thu Aug 07, 2014 1:51 pm

jozi wrote:HV1140MZDE MSI H97I AC, Sockel 1150, ITX

ASUS and ASRock offer much better socket placement, useful whether you will add a discrete graphics.

jozi wrote:HV30NO59DE NOCTUA NH-L9i

Overpriced and underperforming with reference to something like a Scythe Big Shuriken 2

jozi wrote:HVR302BSDE be quiet! SFX POWER 2 300W

I would avoid it: a Silverstone would be a better bet

jozi wrote:HV12SEV1DE Samsung SSD 840 EVO Basic 120GB SATA 6Gb/s

120Gb is a performance-crippled size: if you can afford, go for a 256Gb Crucial MX100

jozi wrote:I think I am right in saying I can use my current 8gb?
Yes, but check heatspreaders clearance: by the way, with Lightroom memory always comes in handy, so, if you can resell your sticks, 16Gb would be useful.

xan_user
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 2269
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 9:09 am
Location: Northern California.

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by xan_user » Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:12 pm

agreed. spend the extra $40 and get the 250gb evo.

CA_Steve
Moderator
Posts: 7650
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:36 am
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by CA_Steve » Thu Aug 07, 2014 4:41 pm

+1 on the above.

The downside to mITX is the single PCIe slot. You may want to add a video card sometime for gpgpu acceleration of Photoshop and video editing beyond what you get from the Haswell iGP. You won't need the audio card if you can ship digital audio to your receiver via HDMI or optical link (either directly or via your TV).

jozi
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:42 pm

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by jozi » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:28 pm

Ok so ill get the same case but with the silverstone psu and also the scyth cooler, I think i also used it on a friends build.

I only realised my sound card will be no good as its pci and not many boards come with pci slots any more.

Ill have a look at asus, my preference tbh, and asrock but i didnt think either of them did a board with wifi on board. I would prefer onboard wifi so i can keep the pcie slot free.

Ill prob stock with the 120ssd, ive never had a problem with the 60gig i have now and thats with my main programs installed and some free space left over. Ill see can i stretch the budget a little, although ram might make up the extra here.

Pappnaas
Posts: 726
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Germany

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by Pappnaas » Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:34 pm

jozi wrote: I would prefer onboard wifi so i can keep the pcie slot free.
Then use an USB wifi stick.
jozi wrote:I only realised my sound card will be no good as its pci and not many boards come with pci slots any more.
ASRock Z97M Pro4
ASRock H97M Pro4

ASUS H97M-Plus
ASUS Z97M-Plus

Those should have a PCI slot. And if you would like to get a new soundcard, take a look at Asus Xonar line, they are said to have higher musical quality than your old XFI.

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:16 am

jozi wrote:Ok so ill get the same case but with the silverstone psu and also the scyth cooler, I think i also used it on a friends build.

Be sure to pick the semi-fanless 300W Bronze PSU.

jozi wrote:I only realised my sound card will be no good as its pci and not many boards come with pci slots any more.

An option might be to use USB/FW for either audio interfaces or DACs.

jozi wrote:Ill have a look at asus, my preference tbh, and asrock but i didnt think either of them did a board with wifi on board. I would prefer onboard wifi so i can keep the pcie slot free.

How about the ASRock H97M-ITX/ac ?

Anyway, as already said, an USB adapter would work flawlessly: I would also suggest to think to power-line adapters, alternatively, IME it's a bit more reliable/performing option than Wi-Fi, on average.

Pappnaas wrote:ASRock Z97M Pro4
ASRock H97M Pro4

ASUS H97M-Plus
ASUS Z97M-Plus

I think they're not mITX, aren't they?

Pappnaas
Posts: 726
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Germany

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by Pappnaas » Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:24 am

quest_for_silence wrote:I think they're not mITX, aren't they?
You are 100% right, was somehow thinking mAtx... sry.

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri Aug 08, 2014 12:56 am

Pappnaas wrote:
quest_for_silence wrote:I think they're not mITX, aren't they?
You are 100% right, was somehow thinking mAtx... sry.
You're welcome: on the other hand I don't think there are mITX boards with PCI slots.

Pappnaas
Posts: 726
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 11:23 am
Location: Germany

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by Pappnaas » Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:47 am

After a quick search i found one with S1150:

Gigabyte GA-H81N-D2H

But i wouldn't recommend buying it.

jozi
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:42 pm

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by jozi » Fri Aug 08, 2014 11:22 am

Its a bit on the expensive side but i found this mobo has wif iASRock Z97E-ITX/AC, Sockel 1150, ITX also is this the semi fanless psu mentioned above? http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/SFX/16 ... 2V.article

300watt is more than enough to power the above and leave room for a future gfx upgrade?

Does anyone know if the case can somehow house 2x ssd deives as well as a normal deive and the slimline dvd? And does it come with case fans?

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:33 pm

jozi wrote:Its a bit on the expensive side but i found this mobo has wif iASRock Z97E-ITX/AC, Sockel 1150, ITX

Why didn't you simply pick what I've already pointed you out? http://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/Off ... srock.html

jozi wrote: also is this the semi fanless psu mentioned above? http://www.hardwareversand.de/en/SFX/16 ... 2V.article

It looks like so.

jozi wrote:300watt is more than enough to power the above and leave room for a future gfx upgrade?

It depends of the discrete graphics power draw.

jozi wrote:Does anyone know if the case can somehow house 2x ssd deives as well as a normal deive and the slimline dvd? And does it come with case fans?

Check Silverstone website and SPCR review.

jozi
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:42 pm

Re: Mitx build for photography, video and music on a budget

Post by jozi » Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:07 pm

I couldn't find it on my site but the product code looked similar!

Post Reply