Build help for DAW/Video Editing

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longbowman

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Apr 8, 2015
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Hi folks,

Am currently building a budget rig for audio/minor video production. Starting from scratch (and do have friends that build PCs for a living).

Questions for you:
1. I'm considering a custom build for roughly $1300, or a Dell XPS for about ~$100-150 less. Just want to make sure the custom build is worth it in terms of longevity, upgradability, etc. Money saved is money spent on studio monitors, etc, so it's all very relevant, but I'm currently leaning toward the custom. If I go custom, I'm looking for quiet parts and probably just a mild overclock (i.e. 4.4-4.5Ghz).
Benefit is that the Dell comes with a GTX 745 which I'll use for mild gaming, but it's not the main consideration for this build.

2. Can you do me a favour and let me know how these parts check out?
CPU: 4790k
Mobo: MSI PC Mate/ASRock Pro4 ATX/similar (?)
Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu
Thermal Compound: Arctic Cooling MX-2 4g Thermal Paste
Memory: Kingston HyperX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
Storage: Sandisk Ultra II 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Titanium) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

Couple of thoughts:
-Couldn't find many differences between the R5 and R4 - worth the extra ~$20 for the R5? Will the Kotetsu and the like fit both?

-Is the XFX PSU as quiet as the Corsair RM or similar? Good choice for a quiet build or no? Again looking for bang-for-buck while being relatively silent.

-Also, 550W is probably enough for minor OC with no SLI GPU work or anything, but is it enough for HD video editing work (1080p), or if adding a GPU like a 960?



Please let me know if anything seems too low-budget or questionable in terms of brand, etc. (or incompatible, obviously), or if there's anywhere obvious I can save cash. I'm in Canada, and the reason I'm considering this build is due to microcenter deals. Thanks so much!
 
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TofuLion

TofuLion

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Oct 10, 2014
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the define r5 has a few features that are only really relevant to custom water cooling. the r4 will probably suite you just as well, but it might be worth the extra $20 for future upgrades.

in any case, even with a more power hungry gpu, the xfx 550 will serve you well, if not overkill. i'd keep it just so when you do get a gpu you aren't limited at all.

drop the thermal paste, the cooler should include some of their own. and on that note, the coolermaster 212 evo will work just as well for a low overclock, but definitely don't stick with the stock cooler since it can't even handle that cpu at stock settings.



 
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longbowman

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Apr 8, 2015
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Thanks for the reply. Good to know - likely won't need the water-cooling route, but I'll see how much cheaper the R4 is and possibly save money. The R4 is the correct size for all the listed components?

Thanks re: the PSU. Any comments on whether or not it's considered quiet?

I'll skip the paste, thanks. I've heard plenty of good about the Kotetsu and particularly how silent it is - would you consider it worth it for an extra $10?

Lastly, any comments on the best cheap Z97 mobo suitable for a mild overclock?
 
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TofuLion

TofuLion

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Oct 10, 2014
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the r4 will support coolers up to 165mm i believe. even the taller high performance air coolers will fit just fine.

not sure on the noise output for psu's, it never was a concern for me. my build is listed in my specs, and i've never experienced any noise from the psu whatsoever. furthermore, 550 is far more than you actually need, so i can't see it actually working to its full potential and therefore not use the fan enough to make noise.

the noise of the cooler is more determined by the fans it uses, and their speed. the 4790K has a turbo of 4.4 GHz anyway, so your overclock is going to be very mild, and thus produce less heat. your cooler shouldn't make much noise, and if it does, you can adjust the speed in BIOS so that it doesn't.

asrock makes some very nice lower budget motherboards. they are notorious for adding features that other boards of the same price range don't have, yet tend to be more physically flimsy. the ASRock Z97 PRO4 would probably work well enough for what you need, and fit your price range well.
 
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longbowman

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Apr 8, 2015
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Ok great, thanks.

The reason it needs to be a quiet build is for recording reasons with a mic, i.e. avoiding hissing. If the GPU fan isn't running and the CPU isn't running high, it shouldn't be a problem, but it's an important consideration in a studio setting. Good to know about 550W.

Thanks, good to know about the ASRock as well. Cheaper mobo's aren't more susceptible to heat damage or anything are they?

And regarding the rest of the system, does it look like it checks out?
 
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