SG05 Build

Pinkribbonscars · 3 May 2014 at 18:04

Hi all,

So it looks like my old Q6600/Asus P5NE-Sli build has finally completely crapped out so I'm looking to build out a mostly completely new SFF rig. The only thing I'll keep is my Samsung 840 256GB SSD, 1TB drive and, at least at first, a Radeon HD-5850 until I get around to upgrading that too. (If it doesn't fit/doesn't work for some other reason I'll probably just use the onboard graphics in the short term).

This is roughly what I'm thinking so far (I'm in Canada so not ordering from OCUK)...

ASUS Z87I-DELUXE LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX
$204.99

Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54670K
$259.99

SilverStone Sugo Series SG05BB-450-USB3.0 ALL Black Plastic / SECC Mini-ITX Desktop Computer Case with SFX 450W 80+ Bronze Certified / Single +12V rail Power Supply with 2 x USB3.0 ports (Black)
$161.99

CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model CMV16GX3M2A1600C11
$149.99

I really just want a solid, future proof (as far possible as that is...) unit that will keep me going for a few years, with the potential for the occasional game.

I'm pretty much settled on the SG05 - it includes a power supply which I think is going to be my best option and is the 'nicest' looking case I can find which is my biggest priority, but if anyone could suggest any classy, well built alternatives I'm open to suggestions.

The thing I'm completely clueless on is RAM - I'd like to do some mild overclocking but I'm not going to push it too far so I just want the best bang for buck. I might drop down to 2x4GB as it all is annoyingly pricy, but I really don't know anything about speeds.

Lastly, I'm aware the new x97 boards are coming out soon so I'll probably wait if they aren't delayed too much, but I'll be getting something roughly inline with that Asus board.

Does this all sound sensible? Thanks!

Pinkribbonscars · 3 May 2014 at 21:26

Hmm that sucks about the noise - my old system was pretty quiet but I'm using a rMBP hooked up to my monitor now and it's fantastic having a silent system. Does it only spin up when under load or all the time, his temps seem pretty good?

I'm not too worried about the graphics card fitting, it looks shorter than the one your brother used. To be honest I prefer the look of the Silverstones over the Coolermaster cases.

Bane · 4 May 2014 at 11:55

Is Z97 and refresh of Haswell chips due very soon? Seen mention 11th May, but not really searched for dates.

That's if you can make do with something until that time, such as mobile phone or cheap tablet for browsing.
Edit: Seen you have a Mac Book Pro so you're sorted, if new Intel hardware release date is true.

Ryan-3 · 4 May 2014 at 13:48

I'm sure Z97 is very soon, so you'd be better off waiting if you can.

What you have specced would be a good set up, but i'd be tempted to go with the CM Elite 130 like Kieran has posted above.

Pinkribbonscars · 4 May 2014 at 22:24

Cool, thanks for the input. Any thoughts on what memory to get? I really have no clue about speeds necessary for a potential moderate overclock, the sticks in my OP were selected fairly randomly.

LePhuronn · 5 May 2014 at 12:00

I have a Titan and i5 2500 in my SG05 and it's whisper quiet with no crazy heat build, so I'm not sure what other people are doing if they say it's "cramped" and "hot" - the GPU draws its fresh air directly out the side of the perforated case.

But everybody's mileage may vary, especially if your GPU doesn't have a blower-type cooler.

But yes, the SG05 is internally 9 3/4 inches long so it's tricky getting graphics cars to fit. I ended up cutting a hole next to the fan to let the graphics card through, and it gives a good 3/4 inch more space (plastic facia covers the hole so you'd never know).

My Titan fits perfectly. Plus I'm using 2 2.5" drives so dumped the entire HDD and optical drive tray to fit a Corsair H60 into the case.

With a little planning, you can cram a lot into these cases and cool it perfectly.

LePhuronn · 5 May 2014 at 12:33

The only thing I will say is I'm using the 450W Gold Modular PSU from Silverstone which is known to have a slightly noiser fan than the bronze. Because the SG05 is so small, and I've flipped the PSU so the fan is at the top, there is no real noise dampening so the PSU can be noticable when the Titan starts to pull some juice, and when everything is quiet I can hear my mechanical HDD chirp under heavy loads too.

But, if you're prepared to work with it and plan ahead the SG05 can't be beat, and I'd choose it every time for a good-specced SFF rig (Prodigy, CM 130, anything by Lian Li can go swing

)

Although I'm tempted to rebuild into an Inwin 901 lol