Beat a Falcon NW Tiki: SFF build

Ryan Klug

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Jul 6, 2013
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PS4/XBox One Whatever!

I admire the Falcon Northwest Tiki but don't want to pay $3000+ for a great performing SFF computer. Can you guys help me out with a small but powerful PC that will look great sitting next to my HDTV for gaming?

Here's a case I found that supports micro-ATX and dual graphics cards up to 10.5".

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=235&area=en

One drawback is that front USB ports are 2.0.

I would like to include a GTX 780 or dual GTX 760's. I already have a 256 GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD, but would like to include a 2 TB drive and a Blu-Ray writer.

Thanks!
 
Solution
You didn't give your budget, but here is a great build.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1q7W8
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1q7W8/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1q7W8/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M OC Formula Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.86 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card ($499.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Silverstone SG10B MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($115.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1123.80
(Prices...

vertexx

Honorable
Apr 2, 2013
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You didn't give your budget, but here is a great build.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1q7W8
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1q7W8/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1q7W8/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M OC Formula Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.86 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card ($499.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Silverstone SG10B MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($115.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1123.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-09 15:43 EDT-0400)

That doesn't include the Blu-Ray. You need a slot load blu-ray - only a couple of those:
http://www.digistor.com/Internal-Drives/Blu-ray-Drives/Panasonic-Slim-Blu-ray-Burner-Slimline-SATA-Slot-Load_UJ-265
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-12-7mm-Interface-Blu-Ray-SOB02/dp/B00BY3LCLI

Also, the PC Partpicker for some reason lists incompatibility with the Case and PSU, which is not correct. They are compatible - you can check out the specs.
 
Solution

vertexx

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Apr 2, 2013
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Not sure why the break-out above is showing the CPU from Microcenter. Newegg has a combo deal on this CPU with the listed motherboard. I had that selected (assuming you're not near a Microcenter), but the cut/paste function shows the Microcenter option instead. Check out the combo deal on Newegg.

Also a great deal on that Seasonic PSU right now.
 

Marcopolo123

Honorable
What about the corsair 350d/w window
Its matx...


Maximus+ platinum for full aesthethics


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VI GENE Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($157.11 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($165.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80 PLUS Platinum Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Xspc raystorm 750 rs240 ($145.00)
Total: $2149.02
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-09 16:03 EDT-0400)
 

vertexx

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Apr 2, 2013
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I like the SG09/SG10 next to an HDTV - SG10 looks amazing - has great reviews too.

If you would want to go smaller, the Silverstone SG08 makes for an awesome power-house mini-ITX build. It comes with a high quality 650W PSU. I have the SG08 as a gaming HTPC in my media center, and its about as small footprint as you'll get for a high power build. But that's a completely different form factor.

IMO, for uATX, the SS SG09/10 can't be beat for a living room gaming PC.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Nope, they're proprietary and Falcon Northwest won't sell them to the general public, despite their overall awesomeness. The closest thing you could buy - the Silverstone SG series is a good suggestion, the BitFenix Prodigy is too.

I would do this if I were building:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M Extreme4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($130.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.10 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($673.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1666.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-09 17:25 EDT-0400)
 

Ryan Klug

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Jul 6, 2013
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I like the Silverstone SG10 case, and will splurge on the i7 4770K because I do some video encoding.

None of these mobos have built-in WiFi? I was looking for the new AC wireless standard. Otherwise, the $131 ASRock Z87M Extreme4 looks like a great deal on a good chipset. I will do some overclocking... but not extreme(?)

HDMI 2.0 should be just around the corner. Maybe I'll use my current GTX 670 until NVidia's Maxwell comes out with a combo of cards that can do 4k gaming, like next spring. That will save a bunch of money right now.

8 GB RAM is plenty for now, with the potential to go to 16 GB (or more) later.

Is water cooling a bad idea for mATX? No one has recommended it. I thought it would be a good idea for an HTPC / gaming build.

How about a remote control, wireless game controllers? It would be cool to use an Android app from my phone too.

Thanks for the great input!
 

Daniel Sassone

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Jul 23, 2013
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Sorry I love the mini ITX and micro ATX architectures, so I couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X40 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($82.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87M OC Formula Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($177.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($157.11 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card ($449.99 @ Amazon)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-AC66 802.11b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($93.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1546.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-09 19:12 EDT-0400)
 

vertexx

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Apr 2, 2013
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Most of these boards won't do wifi, but you can get a wifi pcie card for cheap.

Water cooling would be really tough, if not impossible, with the SG10. In general for HTPC use, Air cooling is probably as effective as and quieter than the closed loop water-coolers, unless you're doing major overclocking. There are quite a few reviews on Tom's and Anandtech that compare the Air and Water coolers. Here is a pretty big roundup:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6916/cooler-master-seidon-240m-and-12-more-coolers-the-retest-and-megaroundup

For my HTPC, we use a number of devices - in order of frequency of use:
1. Wireless keyboard/mouse combo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126264) - for everyday surfing, HTPC use, and light gaming (the kids use it for all their gaming).
2. A windows media center USB RF remote, for navigating Plex.

3. Xbox style game controllers (I don't have the brand handy, but perhaps someone else can recommend one) for heavier gaming.

4. For remote device controlling, we use the Plex add-in for media center navigation and control, and I'll use this program quite frequently: www.spashtop.com
 

Ryan Klug

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Jul 6, 2013
109
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This is what I'm going with, special thanks to Vertexx for his recommendations.

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1qOHs) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1qOHs/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1qOHs/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74770k) | $279.99 @ Microcenter
**CPU Cooler** | [Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-cpu-cooler-nhu12s) | $69.98 @ Outlet PC
**Motherboard** | [ASRock Z87M OC Formula Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z87mocformula) | $177.86 @ Newegg
**Memory** | [Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmd16gx3m2a1600c9) | $157.11 @ TigerDirect
**Storage** | [Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st4000dm000) | $162.99 @ NCIX US
**Case** | [Silverstone SG10B MicroATX Mini Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-case-sg10b) | $115.99 @ Amazon
**Power Supply** | [Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-power-supply-sstst75fgevolution) | $125.98 @ Newegg
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $1089.90
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-11 16:16 EDT-0400 |

Plus the EVGA GTX 670 2.0 GB FTW and Samsung 840 PRO 256 GB SSD I already have, and an Intel wireless mini PCIe 7260-AC plus Bluetooth for $35.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


I honestly don't know how many times I must point this out - but never ever ever ever pay the 4X premium for Dominator Platinum. It's overpriced and overrated, and doesn't do anything that standard RAM does. Put that money into your graphics card, don't buy ridiculously overpriced RAM.
 

vertexx

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Apr 2, 2013
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Awesome - glad to help. Agree with above on not overpaying on RAM though. Enjoy the build!
 

Ryan Klug

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Jul 6, 2013
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OK, I get your point on the RAM that fancy heat spreaders are a waste of money. But what's the difference between 1600 MHz and 2400 MHz memory? (Besides about $40). I plan to overclock on air to 4.4 - 4.6 GHz. Will memory speed be important?
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


There really isn't. Only in very rare circumstances - like you're setting up a RAM disk or you're using an AMD APU with intent to overclock the onboard GPU - do you really need RAM that fast. On modern Intel rigs the memory controller is on the CPU die itself where before it was on the motherboard's north bridge, which is why overclocking your RAM can lead to system instabilities.