Alienware X51 or Shuttle SZ77R5

LTScunner

LTScunner

LTScunner

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20 Jun 2012
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12
Hi,

Sorry for the face : palm / head : wall post, but I need some advice.

I'm looking into getting a SFF gaming rig and have an EVGA GTX670 waiting for a home - I want to be able to easily move it from my desk to the lounge (there's a 52" TV just yearning to be used).

I saw some reviews on You Tube saying that the X51 can take the GTX670 and had decided that I was going to get that; then I saw that the SZ77R5 had been released.

Never had anything from either company, but I have had a laptop from Dell and can't say I'm over-awed by their commitment to supporting products (i.e. no new drivers from Vista to W7).

In terms of gaming, I like things like BF3; SWTOR and plan to play Planetside 2 when it comes out.

Just looking for some pros and cons about the two systems.
I'm looking to use the following components:
i5 3570K
8GB/16GB DDR3
1 x 1TB HDD

I've an external DVD player that I can use if required

I'm not looking to overclock anything, but might like to be able to upgrade the CPU / GPU at some point.

The X51 seems the best from a portable/play it in the lounge point if view; but is really restricted for possible upgrades and PSU ability. The SZ77R5 seems the best for long term expansion; but, to me, looks more ungainly than the X51


After getting the system, I don't plan to upgrade anything for the next couple of years.

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks
 
The Shuttle seems a better choice. The Shuttle system will have more expansion capabilities,better cooling and will be better for overclocking too. Also,you can get dedicated bags for the Shuttle PCs. I suspect the Shuttle PF60 should be fine as I have used a Shuttle SD37P2 in mine:

http://us.shuttle.com/barebone/Models/Accessory/PF60.html

The Shuttle P2 and R5 are a similar szie AFAIK.
 
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Thanks very much for your two penneth - really appreciate you taking the time. It definitely seems the best bet for future expansion.

I've never gone down the SFF route; what are the noise levels like - quiet enough to sit under the TV?
 
T345 said:
Coulden't you build a SFF in a Bitfenix prodigy?
Click to expand...

I honestly have no idea.

I'm new to the whole SFF arena. It was really the X51 that piqued my interest. I then came across the SZ77R5.

I'm happy to consider all options. The thing I liked with the SZ77R5 was the mb, psu & cooling all come fitted - just plug in your other components and off you go.

Interesting thought with your suggestion though, although I've no clue about what other components to get, especially regarding CPU cooling. Any recommendations?
 
LTScunner said:
I honestly have no idea.

I'm new to the whole SFF arena. It was really the X51 that piqued my interest. I then came across the SZ77R5.

I'm happy to consider all options. The thing I liked with the SZ77R5 was the mb, psu & cooling all come fitted - just plug in your other components and off you go.

Interesting thought with your suggestion though, although I've no clue about what other components to get, especially regarding CPU cooling. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

What is your budget??

TBH,it is best the question is asked here,as many of us are SFF PC fans and should be able to give you appropriate advice.

What you have chosen in the OP looks fine TBH,although the IB Core i5 CPUs do run hot when you push the overclock.

I would say with a mild overclock you will be fine - if you can find a Core i5 2500K much cheaper that would also be fine.

Also,do you intend to overclock the CPU?? If not get just getting a normal Core i5.

A GTX670 should be fine too,although I would go for a reference design with a blower cooler,as temperatures should be lower. Also,I would not go for the uber overclocked models too,in a SFF case,because the core boost might not engage to as high a percentage as it is temperature dependent.

Another alternative would be a cheaper HD7870 2GB as these are now starting to hit £230 to £240. The HD7850 2GB would be also worth considering if you intend to overclock the graphics card too.

The Bitfenix Prodigy is a nice case but is rather large for a mini-ITX one and you can get small mATX cases from Silverstone which will be a tad larger. The Shuttle will have a much smaller volume.
 
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Hi CAT-THE-FIFTH,

If possible, I'd like to keep the cost to under £500, although I'd like not to have to spend anything else on it for at least a couple of years.

I've no plans to OC either the CPU or GPU - I know what a wimp :) .

The GTX670 is, I believe, a reference design (I already have this and would like it to be my biggest single purchase).

I've seen that the ivy bridge processors run hotter than sandy bridge, but felt that it might extend the time period before I have to upgrade and there's no price advantage going with SB over IB.

I would the case to as compact as possible, but not to the extent where I can't upgrade the CPU/GPU in future due to space/cooling retrsictions.

Any other suggestions about cases, mb and coolers would be greatly appreciated

Thanks for replying.
 
Is that the total budget including the Shuttle system or is £500 for the GPU and CPU only??

With regards to compact SFF cases I would consider the following:
1.)Shuttle R5
2.)Silverstone SG07 and SG08
3.)Silverstone SG05 and SG06
4.)Silverstone FT03 Mini

I prefer the Shuttle as it uses a custom SFF 500W PSU which does not take up too much volume,and unlike mini-ITX systems you get 4 RAM slots and a custom cooler.

There are larger mini-ITX cases too:
1.)Lian Li Q08 and Q18
2.)Bitfenix Prodigy
3.)Lian Li Q25

However,for slightly more volume you can small mATX cases which take full length cards:
1.)Silverstone TJ08e
2.)Silverstone SG09

With regards to coolers,the Lian Li Q08,Q18 and Q25 and the Silverstone SG07 and SG08 need low profile horizontal coolers. However,as you are not overclocking,the stock cooler should do the job,as will any reasonable low profile cooler.
 
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At the moment, chances are EVERYBODY and ANYBODY on this forum knows more about this area than I do. So I suspect no matter where I post - I'll learn something :)

With regards to my budget, the £500 would be for the whole system (excluding the GPU, HDD and 8GB DDR3 RAM which I already have).

I would prefer, if possible, to replace the RAM & HDD with new, as I'm not totally convinced that they are both 100% fault free.

I also like the idea of being able to bring it into the living room and hooking it up to the TV, so smaller is better, but then again so is quieter. :?
 
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TBH,the CPU and GPU you want are fine and what most people here would suggest anyway. However,with an SFF case you at times need to be a tad more careful with component selection,which if you are used to building full sized rigs might not be so obvious.

With the cases -you will need to look at the dimensions of them to see which is the maximum you can go with. You really need to get the tape measure out and see what dimensions you are happy with - the case choice is ultimately a personal one.

It also determines what parts you can get too - so get that ruler out and see which case is best for you!!

I have made suggestions of all the easily available cases you can get - there are some others such as the Lan Gear Da Box 100 which need to be imported. Some of them also have limits on the graphics card length and number of drives you can use.

If you want an easy to build system,a Shuttle can be set up in mere minutes. If you want flexibility with component selection,then get a mini-ITX or mATX system.

What is your total budget for the whole base system including Windows and I assume the maximum resolution display you are using is 1920X1080??
 
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Budget is topped out at £500

I had thought that having already bought the GPU, I'd be able to build my own SFF and save some money over the X51. However, I then saw the price of the SZ77R5 and thought I'd better some ideas from those in the know -which is why I'm here.

In many ways, the Shuttle is an ideal choice: it comes more or less complete and I have most of the components required to get it working (as listed previously).
(If using existing HDD, then OS comes already installed)

I do however, suffer from a knowledge, that as soon as I buy something like the Shuttle, I'll come across the perfect system for less money and which is "better" in some way.

As you can tell, I'm very much undecided about what I really want/need. Maybe I'll have a moment of clarity after a good night's sleep.

Thanks for your help.
PS
You're on-the-nose about the resolution.
 
After a refreshing night's sleep and a not so refreshing day's work, I've decided to go for the Shuttle.

Overall, I think it's the best option to give me a smallish gaming PC, that's within my capabilities to build and which should keep me going for the next few years.

SimonMaltby - What's the sound like from the on-board setup? I've had a bad experience with HDD noise coming through on my old mb through the built-in sound system.

Thanks very much

I'll just have to continue to live with the knowledge that I will narrowly miss out on the next best thing in SFF rigs.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
 
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