PC Build Thread

[Crash]

This seems to be a recurring topic, so let's have one place to talk about your prospective builds!

 

[Crash]

So this is kind of what I'm looking at at the moment, but I need to cut on costs a bit if anyone has any suggestions. I already have two monitors, a 128Gb SSD, a 3TB HDD for the build, as well as keyboard/ mouse, although I'll be needing a new mouse here soon as well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.99 @ NZXT)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($348.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($348.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: be quiet! Power Zone 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($126.66 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse ($92.50 @ Amazon)
Total: $1737.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 14:28 EST-0500

Up for suggestions on any of this. I'm going for a quiet build if possible, and I want to expand to a third monitor eventually so more than 2 video outputs are necessary.

This build needs to be pretty hefty as I do a lot of video editing, SFM rendering, map compiling with this.

 

[puxorb]

Here are some links to the most recent builds in case anyone wants something to refer back to:

Harribo's PC Build

Puxorb's PC Build

Sevin's PC Build




Good luck Crash, and hopefully this will be helpful for anyone's PC build in the future.

 

[DonutVikingChap]

So this is kind of what I'm looking at at the moment, but I need to cut on costs a bit if anyone has any suggestions. I already have two monitors, a 128Gb SSD, a 3TB HDD for the build, as well as keyboard/ mouse, although I'll be needing a new mouse here soon as well.

Partpicker link

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($119.99 @ NZXT)
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Plus ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($348.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($348.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NZXT)
Power Supply: be quiet! Power Zone 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($126.66 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Rosewill Hyperborea 57.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse Wired Laser Mouse ($92.50 @ Amazon)
Total: $1737.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 14:28 EST-0500

Up for suggestions on any of this. I'm going for a quiet build if possible, and I want to expand to a third monitor eventually so more than 2 video outputs are necessary.

This build needs to be pretty hefty as I do a lot of video editing, SFM rendering, map compiling with this.

Whoa, this build is crazy powerful! Damn I'll be jelly when you have it

Anyway, I'd love to hear your reasoning behind all these parts and their power. Based on the current list and how you said you want to use it, here is an updated list I made for you with some recommendations in my usual fashion:

(Yellow: Changed, Green: Unchanged)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.98 @ NCIX US) (This is a great CPU and will be awesome for the things you're using it for.)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg) (If you want silence, an air cooler like this one is probably what you're looking for. This Noctua cooler has great reviews and performs really well, even compared to water coolers, and it's less expensive. But if you don't like the way it looks, you can absolutely go for water.)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($136.98 @ OutletPC) (This is usually the go-to motherboard when people talk Z97, and is a solid choice.)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg) (Good RAM, might want to double check the timings though.)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card ($564.99 @ NCIX US) (I changed the two 970s to a single 980 since I'm not sure whether you need that much performance or not. If you really need that much power, go ahead, but getting a single 980 means less noise, less power draw, better frame timings, less driver issues and less money. Also, there are far fewer reports of coil whine from the 980 than the 970, so you're far less likely to have that misfortune. Also, choosing a fitting power supply was much easier for me with a single card since I know the G2 750W is great.)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ NZXT) (Great case)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($59.99 @ Best Buy) (This mouse is has a way better sensor than the other one. I would not get a laser mouse in this day and age since they almost always have inherent acceleration issues.)
Other: EVGA Supernova G2 750W 80 PLUS Gold Modular Power Supply ($94.99) (This power supply has some really great reviews and is very solid.)
Total: $1466.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 17:37 EST-0500

Good luck!

 

[Freyja]

For the record, 750W is absolutelky plenty for 2 970's because of their crazy low power consumption, and their performance is insane for the same price of a single 980. I would recommend it over a sinlge 980 regardless of the other drawbacks, unless you really want to play games that don't support two cards. Even then, a sinlge 970 is really good.

As for me, I'm tossing up between these two builds:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($425.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($159.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-PRO(Wi-Fi ac) ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($266.00 @ IJK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($200.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($145.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($519.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($519.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.50 @ Centre Com)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($145.00 @ Centre Com)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: LG 34UM95 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($0.00)
Total: $2650.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-28 11:13 EST+1100

And

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K 3.3GHz 6-Core Processor ($488.00 @ CPL Online)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($159.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($345.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($319.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($145.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($519.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($519.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($148.50 @ Centre Com)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($145.00 @ Centre Com)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: LG 34UM95 60Hz 34.0" Monitor ($0.00)
Total: $2911.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-28 11:14 EST+1100


The second one costs $300 more but is simply a swap out for the new x99 chipset and the 6 cores that come with it. I certainly would be nice and help rendering/compiling a lot but I'm not sure if it's worth the $300 extra. Wanted to know what you guys (Probably donut) think.

 

[seth]

I've done some more fiddling with my build (here). I've spoken to a few people and they seem to think my iMac is worth $1,500+ since I have the 1TB fusion drive (adaptive SSD+HDD), 16gb of ram, and a 3.1ghz core i7. With that in mind, I'm expanding my build slightly but still trying to shy away from that $1,500 mark.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.98 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($140.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($123.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($178.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.75 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Thermaltake POSEIDON Z Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.98 @ Directron)
Mouse: Mionix AVIOR 7000 Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1298.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-27 20:04 EST-0500

I feel like I'm really starting to think about this too much...

EDIT: switched out the i5 for an i7 since I realized it's only like $70 more for a good one.

 

[Fruity Snacks]

I have a question for the computer builders.

I really like my Hexcore processor right now (Phenom II X6). It's been FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTASTIC. I'm able to compile things in Source, Radiant and Unreal REALLY quickly. I would like to upgrade soon, and would like to increase my processing power again. I like my hexcore because I can compile 2 things at once if I thread them to 3 cores each... And I can compile and still use my computer normally if I'm just doing 1 compile.

What type of Mobo/CPU should I be looking at to maintain this level of power and enjoyness?

 

[Sheltr]

Manoman's Computer

 

[DonutVikingChap]

I have a question for the computer builders.

I really like my Hexcore processor right now (Phenom II X6). It's been FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANTASTIC. I'm able to compile things in Source, Radiant and Unreal REALLY quickly. I would like to upgrade soon, and would like to increase my processing power again. I like my hexcore because I can compile 2 things at once if I thread them to 3 cores each... And I can compile and still use my computer normally if I'm just doing 1 compile.

What type of Mobo/CPU should I be looking at to maintain this level of power and enjoyness?

Frankly, any new i5 or i7

 

[DonutVikingChap]

For the record, 750W is absolutelky plenty for 2 970's because of their crazy low power consumption, and their performance is insane for the same price of a single 980. I would recommend it over a sinlge 980 regardless of the other drawbacks, unless you really want to play games that don't support two cards. Even then, a sinlge 970 is really good.

As for me, I'm tossing up between these two builds:

<snip>

And

<snip>

The second one costs $300 more but is simply a swap out for the new x99 chipset and the 6 cores that come with it. I certainly would be nice and help rendering/compiling a lot but I'm not sure if it's worth the $300 extra. Wanted to know what you guys (Probably donut) think.

I'd say the first one, since X99 and DDR4 is still so new and unnecessarily expensive. DDR4 is for tomorrow, not for today, so you're better off spending way less now and having almost as high performance than you'd be buying an X99 computer now only to see it drop to half the price in a year. (Nobody knows for sure how the prices will change, but I think everyone does know for certain that they will.)

X99 is really only released now because intel knows that there are some crazy enthusiasts out there who will just jump straight onto whatever new crazy-expensive platform they release just to have the best of the best.

And if you do lean towards the first one, you might perhaps want some faster RAM. Here's an example: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-ble2kit8g3d1869de1tx0

Other than that, awesome!

 

[DonutVikingChap]

I've done some more fiddling with my build (here). I've spoken to a few people and they seem to think my iMac is worth $1,500+ since I have the 1TB fusion drive (adaptive SSD+HDD), 16gb of ram, and a 3.1ghz core i7. With that in mind, I'm expanding my build slightly but still trying to shy away from that $1,500 mark.

<snip>

I feel like I'm really starting to think about this too much...

EDIT: switched out the i5 for an i7 since I realized it's only like $70 more for a good one.

Allright, I'll see what I can do.

(Yellow: Changed, Green: Unchanged)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.88 @ OutletPC) (Great CPU)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.75 @ OutletPC) (This will do for some modest overclocking of the i7)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($145.98 @ Newegg) (See: Crash's build)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($129.99 @ Newegg) This RAM is faster and cheaper on Newegg than the previous kit)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($123.98 @ OutletPC) (Great SSD)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC) (Good hard drive, if 1TB is enough for you)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($192.98 @ Newegg) (Good graphics card, might still want to upgrade to a 970 if you want to pay the premium)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US) (Great silent case)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($76.66 @ Newegg) (See: Crash's build)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.75 @ OutletPC) (It's an optical drive I guess)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Thermaltake POSEIDON Z Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.98 @ Directron) (Keyboards are mostly subjective, but I think I'd rather go for a more expensive Corsair or Razer keyboard)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse ($59.99 @ Best Buy) (Way better sensor than the other one)
Total: $1385.76
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-28 05:44 EST-0500

Hope this helps

 

[DonutVikingChap]

Manoman's Computer

Are you looking for feedback on this, and if so what are you going to use it for?

(Or is it the PC you already have now, because otherwise why are there two tiny hard drives?)

I don't know how to interpret this

 

[Freyja]

I'd say the first one, since X99 and DDR4 is still so new and unnecessarily expensive. DDR4 is for tomorrow, not for today, so you're better off spending way less now and having almost as high performance than you'd be buying an X99 computer now only to see it drop to half the price in a year. (Nobody knows for sure how the prices will change, but I think everyone does know for certain that they will.)

X99 is really only released now because intel knows that there are some crazy enthusiasts out there who will just jump straight onto whatever new crazy-expensive platform they release just to have the best of the best.

And if you do lean towards the first one, you might perhaps want some faster RAM. Here's an example: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-ble2kit8g3d1869de1tx0

Other than that, awesome!

That's fair. It IS only $300 though and the 6 cores will probably speed up compilations and rendering, but I'm not sure if by $300 worth. But I suspect I will end up going without it, it'll still have great staying power for a few years.

As for the ram, I remember hearing something about Crucial being a bad choice in Australia for warranty reasons and price differences so I stayed away from them originally, but I shall look into it more.

 

[DonutVikingChap]

That's fair. It IS only $300 though and the 6 cores will probably speed up compilations and rendering, but I'm not sure if by $300 worth. But I suspect I will end up going without it, it'll still have great staying power for a few years.

As for the ram, I remember hearing something about Crucial being a bad choice in Australia for warranty reasons and price differences so I stayed away from them originally, but I shall look into it more.

Oh, okay. I'm not very familiar with how well the different companies handle warranties in Australia. That could be important.

Anyway, it was just an example

 

[seth]

OK, I posted over at tomshardware and got some helpful suggestions, most importantly being that I should switch to a Xeon processor, allowing me to free up some money by cutting the CPU cooler (no overclocking on the Xeon) and by the way of a cheaper, H97 microATX motherboard. I also found a cheaper SSD so I can finally add a Gigabyte GTX 970.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($242.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($83.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.85 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card ($329.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.75 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Thermaltake POSEIDON Z Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.98 @ Directron)
Mouse: SteelSeries Rival Wired Optical Mouse ($44.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1302.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-28 13:18 EST-0500

New thoughts? Are there big performance differences between the i5/7 and the Xeon? You can't overclock with the Xeon, but it's able to hyperthread. I'm not sure if hyperthreading or overclocking would be more useful to me though. I could get an i5 and an upgraded Z97 motherboard for around the same price as this Xeon build, or I could just go all-out if I get top dollar for the iMac and go for an i7, but I just don't know.

EDIT: realized my power supply is not sufficient, added a SeaSonic.

 

[DonutVikingChap]

OK, I posted over at tomshardware and got some helpful suggestions, most importantly being that I should switch to a Xeon processor, allowing me to free up some money in the way of a cheaper, H97 microATX motherboard. I also found a cheaper SSD so I can finally add a Gigabyte GTX 970.



New thoughts? Are there big performance differences between the i5/7 and the Xeon? You can't overclock with the Xeon, but it's able to hyperthread. I'm not sure if hyperthreading or overclocking would be more useful to me though. I could get an i5 and an upgraded Z97 motherboard for around the same price as this Xeon build, or I could just go all-out if I get top dollar for the iMac and go for an i7, but I just don't know.

Core i7s also have hyperthreading. It's basically an Intel thing that means there are 4 virtual threads on top of the 4 physical cores. Xeons are just mostly made for servers, and not for desktop PCs. This is how intel's naming convention works in terms of cores (though not for mobile CPUs, those are a bit weird):

Pentium:
2 Cores (2 threads total)

Core i3:
2 Cores + 2 w/ Hyperthreading (4 threads total)

Core i5:
4 Cores (4 threads total)

Core i7:
4 Cores + 4 w/ Hyperthreading (8 threads total)

Core i7 Extreme Edition:
4 Cores + 4 w/ Hyperthreading (8 threads total)
OR
6 Cores + 6 w/ Hyperthreading (12 threads total)
OR
8 Cores + 8 w/ Hyperthreading (16 threads total)

Xeon:
Too many different models

If you want to get the cheaper, non-overclockable H97 platform, you might as well get a non-K Core i7. But it's kind of hard to justify buying a non-K i7 considering how much value you lose by not being able to overclock. (An i5 is pretty ok, though.)
Also, H97 only supports up to 1600MHz RAM.

Then there's that SSD. I guess it's a bit cheaper than the 840 EVO, but it's not as fast. You'll have to decide whether it's worth it or not.

SeaSonic makes some great power supplies (they are in fact the OEM for a lot of other manufacturers' popular models), but I'm not sure if that model is the best one for your build since it's only 80+ Bronze. If I were you, I'd get an EVGA Supernova G2 750W or some other nice Fractal/Corsair/SeaSonic PSU with 80+ Gold. But it's not 100% necessary. I'd also probably also get the new Define R5 rather than the R4, but they're not that different so I guess it doesn't matter if you want to save money.

 

[Micnax]

I'm looking at replacing my toaster sometime soon since it's a pre-built from 5-ish years ago. I don't play many games (and when I do it's TF2 and some others like Just Cause 2) and it's main use will be minor video editing and 3D rendering. It has to be real quiet too, like, as quiet as I can get it for a budget of £550 (or very close to it, said build below is only £20 more because I added a CPU cooler).

I've taken suggestions from friends and a number of boards so I'd like to share it with you guys for any improvements too:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£130.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 113.8 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler (£29.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85N Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£63.45 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston Fury White Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£54.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.17 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card (£106.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case (£64.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: be quiet! 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£31.64 @ Aria PC)
Total: £571.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-28 22:15 GMT+0000

 

[Sheltr]

Are you looking for feedback on this, and if so what are you going to use it for?

(Or is it the PC you already have now, because otherwise why are there two tiny hard drives?)

I don't know how to interpret this

This is the build have now haha, and yes I know I have two hard drives that are small. but simply haven't had the need for a bigger one. well thats not true both of my hard drives are in the red zone. but I have a third I can plug in if i need to.

 

[DonutVikingChap]

I'm looking at replacing my toaster sometime soon since it's a pre-built from 5-ish years ago. I don't play many games (and when I do it's TF2 and some others like Just Cause 2) and it's main use will be minor video editing and 3D rendering. It has to be real quiet too, like, as quiet as I can get it for a budget of £550 (or very close to it, said build below is only £20 more because I added a CPU cooler).

I've taken suggestions from friends and a number of boards so I'd like to share it with you guys for any improvements too:

<snip>

Ah, interesting build. It's already a pretty good balance, but I think some improvements could be made.

I made two different lists since I wasn't sure if you definitely want a small mITX case or not. If you can settle for a normal-sized mATX case, you could get a much quieter build for the same price, and it would also be easier to work in.

(Yellow: Changed, Green: Unchanged)

mITX:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£130.94 @ Aria PC) (This is a good CPU for minor video editing and 3D rendering, like you said. It's not amazing like an i7, but it will do the job just fine)
CPU Cooler: Intel Stock Cooler (£0 @ Included with CPU) (You don't really need an after-market cooler if you're not going to overclock, and the stock intel cooler is only slightly louder than most after-market coolers)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Amazon UK) (You may have to do a BIOS update for compatibility with this CPU if you don't get an H97 or Z97 motherboard, and it's just generally better to have the newer platform. This motherboard also has built-in Wi-Fi, which might come in handy if you bring your computer to a LAN party or something)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£58.69 @ Ebuyer) (H97 only supports up to 1600MHz, and this is a very popular kit)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.17 @ Amazon UK) (This SSD suits your budget pretty well, although I personally prefer Samsung's 840 EVO series)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC) (Hard to go wrong with a Seagate or WD hard drive)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card (£106.99 @ Amazon UK) (Since you apparently don't play a lot of demanding games, this graphics card will do just fine. It should be pretty quiet with the ASUS cooler too)
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 (White) Mini ITX Tower Case (£56.00 @ Amazon UK) (This case is a lot smaller and a bit less expensive than the BitFenix Prodigy. It's a very well reviewed case and it can hold practically the same amount of hardware as the Prodigy while being a lot smaller. The only big downsides in my mind are that it's a bit tricky to build in if you don't do it in the correct order, and that it doesn't have the Prodigy's convenient carrying handles. I picked the white version because it was the cheapest at Amazon UK for some reason, but there's a black version too)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£37.99 @ Amazon UK) (300W would be enough to run this system, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. It would also mean that you could barely do any upgrades, so I picked this 500W from Corsair instead)
Total: £556.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-29 14:24 GMT+0000

mATX:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£130.94 @ Aria PC) (See above)
CPU Cooler: Intel Stock Cooler (£0 @ Included with CPU) (See above)
Motherboard: Asus H97M-E Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£65.00 @ Amazon UK) (ASUS makes some very high-quality motherboards, and they have the best BIOS interface and utilities in my opinion)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£58.69 @ Ebuyer) (See above)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£52.17 @ Amazon UK) (See above)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC) (See above)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card (£106.99 @ Amazon UK) (See above)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case (£56.98 @ Amazon UK) (I've used this case for 2 different computers that I have built, and I can definitely recommend it. It's optimized for silence and it does a very good job of it while still having high airflow and great mounting options, just like its bigger brother, the Define R4)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£37.99 @ Amazon UK) (See above)
Total: £544.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-12-29 14:47 GMT+0000

I personally recommend the mATX build, unless you either:
1. Bring your computer with you a lot to LAN parties and stuff,
2. Really want the built-in Wi-Fi on that motherboard, or
3. Don't have a lot of space for your PC.

Anyway, feel free to ask any questions regarding the parts i picked and good luck

 

[Micnax]

Ah, interesting build. It's already a pretty good balance, but I think some improvements could be made.

I made two different lists since I wasn't sure if you definitely want a small mITX case or not. If you can settle for a normal-sized mATX case, you could get a much quieter build for the same price, and it would also be easier to work in.

I personally recommend the mATX build, unless you either:
1. Bring your computer with you a lot to LAN parties and stuff,
2. Really want the built-in Wi-Fi on that motherboard, or
3. Don't have a lot of space for your PC.

Anyway, feel free to ask any questions regarding the parts i picked and good luck

I decided to go with the mITX build and combined some of your recommendations with my original plan, upgrading the motherboard (bonus WiFi is good), PSU (more wattage for future upgrades) and removing the CPU cooler (save some more cash).

I wanted to stick with the mITX size since I wanted something small and easy to move if needed, and it'd look better on my desk. I looked at the case you recommended and was quite tempted by it, though it has airflow issues and a glossy front (not really my style) compared to the BitFenix Prodigy.

Thanks for your suggestions, all the parts are ordered now