System Builder Marathon, Q2 2013: $1300 Enthusiast PC

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Test System And Benchmarks

Test System And Benchmarks

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Q2 2013 $1300 Enthusiast Mini-ITX PC Test Settings
Row 0 - Cell 0 Default Configuration Overclocked
Motherboard MSI Z77IA-E53, LGA 1155, Intel Z77 Express Unchanged
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K: 3.4 GHz Base Clock Rate, 3.8 GHz Turbo Boost, 6 MB Shared L3 Cache 4.30 GHz @ 1.3 V
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8 GB (2 x 4 GB), DDR3-1866, CAS 11-11-11-28-1T 1866 MT/s 8-9-9-24-2T @ 1.5 V
Graphics Sparkle GeForce GTX 680 2 GB 256-bit GDDR5 1006/1059 MHz Base/GPU Boost, GDDR5-6008 1100/1153 MHz Base/GPU Boost, GDDR5-6408
System Drive Adata XPG SX900 ASX900S3-64GM-C 2.5" 64 GB SSD Unchanged
Storage Drive Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX 1 TB, 7200 RPM, 64 MB Cache, SATA 6Gb/s Unchanged
Optical Lite-On iHAS124-04: DVD Burner Unchanged
Case Lian Li PC-Q08B Black Aluminum Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case Unchanged
Power Corsair CX750M 750 W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Bronze Modular PSU Unchanged
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Q1 2013 $800 Enthusiast PC Test Settings
Row 0 - Cell 0 Default Configuration Overclocked
Motherboard ASRock Z77 Pro3: LGA 1155, Intel Z77 Express Unchanged
Processor Intel Core i5-3570K: 3.4 GHz Base Clock Rate, 3.8 GHz Turbo Boost, 6 MB Shared L3 Cache 4.4 GHz @ +0.085 V
Memory Crucial Ballistix Tactical BLE2KIT4GD31608DE1TX0: DDR3-1333 CL 8-8-8-24 1T at 1.5 V XMP Profile: DDR3-1600, 8-8-8-24-2T
Graphics PowerColor PCS+ Myst Edition AX7870 2GBD5-2DHPPV3E : 2 GB GDDR5 @ 6,000 MT/s, GPU @ 975 MHz (Boost) GDDR5 @ 6300 MT/s, GPU @ 1,150 MHz (Boost), Power @ 120%
Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002, 500 GB, 7,200 RPM, 16 MB Cache, SATA 6Gb/s Unchanged
Optical Samsung SH-224BB: DVD Burner Unchanged
Case Xigmatek Asgard II B/B Unchanged
Power Antec Neo Eco 520C: 520 W, ATX12V v2.3, 80 PLUS-Certified Unchanged

And here are the benchmark details:

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Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
Battlefield 3 Version 1.0.0.0, DirectX 11, 90-sec. Fraps "Going Hunting" Test Set 1: Medium Quality Preset, No AA, 4X AF, SSAO Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset,  4X MSAA, 16X AF, HBAO
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Version 1.6.89.06, Version 1.5.26.05 (June), 25-Sec. Fraps Test Set 1: High Preset, No AA, 8x AF, FXAA Enabled Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, 8x AA, 16x AF, FXAA Enabled
Far Cry 3 Version 1.04, 50-sec, Fraps "Ananaki Village"Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA, Standard Alpha, SSAO Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset,  4X MSAA, Enhanced Alpha, HDAO
F1 2012 Version 1.2, Direct X 11, Built-in Benchmark Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality, 8x MSAA
Audio/Video Encoding
HandBrake CLI Version: 0.98, Video: Video from Canon EOS 7D (1920x1080, 25 frames) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds, Audio: PCM-S16, 48,000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile)
iTunes Version 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format
Lame MP3 Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s)
TotalCode Studio 2.5 Version: 2.5.0.10677, MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio:MPEG2 (44.1 kHz, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s) Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
ABBYY FineReader Version 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Version 13 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080
7-Zip Version 9.28, LZMA2, Syntax "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012
WinRAR Version 4.2, RAR, Syntax "winrar a -r -m3" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012
WinZip Version 17.0 Pro, Best Method, ZIPX Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMark 11 Version: 1.0.1, Entry, Performance, Extreme Suite
PCMark 7 Version: 1.0.4, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks
SiSoftware Sandra 2013 Version: 2012 SP5c-1872, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark
Don Woligroski
Contributor

Don Woligroski was a former senior hardware editor for Tom's Hardware. He has covered a wide range of PC hardware topics, including CPUs, GPUs, system building, and emerging technologies.

91 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Madn3ss795
    I'm against using Corsair CX PSU in a mid-end build. You also admitted that 750w is overkill. 90$ can get you a SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze with much better components.

    Additionally, Samsung 840 120gb only costs 20$ more than the Adata XPG SX900 64.
    Reply
  • itzsnypah
    Anymore these days all SBM gives me is a good laugh. Maybe it's because I've gone more elitist as my component knowledge increases or mabye that SBM builders don't have free reign on what brands they can buy.

    Did you know that a 250gb Samsung 840 has been holding at ~$180 for months and that a 750w PSU in a mITX system makes you look unintelligent? Or that 2133 ram costs the same as 1866?

    I think it's time you guys start building machines you would actually own and not ones that tops the charts but are horridly flawed.
    Reply
  • tomate2
    its nice to see Toms trying something new like a mini itx build on the system builder marathon
    Reply
  • Someone Somewhere
    So, ways I think this is dumb:
    ■DDR3-1866. Save $20 and get -1600.
    ■WD Black as a storage drive. I'd consider it overpriced as a boot drive. Save $35.
    ■Geven the 770 and 680 are basically the same card (in fact the 770 may be slightly better), save $30 and get the 770.
    ■More than $1 per GB on an SSD. For $10 more you can get a 120GB 840.
    ■750W PSU. You're trolling me. That could run two of them.
    And yeah, title on page 3 refers to a non-existent Sapphire 680.
    Reply
  • vmem
    Awesome idea picking the mini ITX theme btw, we're long overdue for one :)

    just a thought, while we're on themes, maybe a pure number cruncher/work-horse for the next SBM? could be fun for the "all work and no play" folks out there :P
    Reply
  • agnickolov
    Personally I'd save money on the HDD with a cheaper 1TB for $60 and use the money for a larger 128GB SSD. Considering you can get one for as low as $90-$100, that would even balance the budget...
    Reply
  • cangelini
    10997565 said:
    So, ways I think this is dumb:
    * DDR3-1866. Save $20 and get -1600.
    * WD Black as a storage drive. I'd consider it overpriced as a boot drive. Save $35.
    * Geven the 770 and 680 are basically the same card (in fact the 770 may be slightly better), save $30 and get the 770.
    * More than $1 per GB on an SSD. For $10 more you can get a 120GB 840.
    * 750W PSU. You're trolling me. That could run two of them.

    And yeah, title on page 3 refers to a non-existent Sapphire 680.

    GTX 770 wasn't an option when Don placed his order--says so right on the same page three where you found the Sapphire typo ;-)

    Don will have to defend his other component choices (against you guys *and* Paul/Thomas).
    Reply
  • agnickolov
    A question on the Visual Studio benchmark - is it run from the SSD for this build? That would explain the significant performance delta at stock clocks...
    Reply
  • CaptainTom
    This build is a total joke. So much could be done better. A 680 really? That card has been a joke since the 670 and 7970 GHz, but now the 770 has made it completely irrelevant...
    Reply
  • Crashman
    10997500 said:
    Did you know that a 250gb Samsung 840 has been holding at ~$180 for months and that a 750w PSU in a mITX system makes you look unintelligent? Or that 2133 ram costs the same as 1866?
    Did you know that the $180 SSD would have blown his system even farther out of budget, that readers have spoken out against both DDR3-1866 AND DDR3-2133 as unimportant to real-world performance, or that power supply size is dictated by components and not case size? What were you saying about intelligence?
    10997861 said:
    This build is a total joke. So much could be done better. A 680 really? That card has been a joke since the 670 and 7970 GHz, but now the 770 has made it completely irrelevant...
    While I probably would have gone with a 7970 or 670 to save money, the 680 isn't really that bad by comparison. And the 770? I'm surprised you didn't read any of the previous comments. These systems were ordered in April. As an experienced commenter you knew these articles take weeks to prepare, but you opened up about parts that weren't available weeks ago anyway? For shame Captain, I expected so much more from you...

    To the both of you: I'm a little rough on Don for not pushing his RAM even though it doesn't make much performance difference, but only because he's a competitor. And his power supply might be over-rated, but he's probably just trying to dodge the complaints of other readers who demand excessive capacity. All in all he's only wasted what, 10% of his budget? I'm sure most of you would find some other way to waste 10% of your budgets.

    BTW, if you hate his power supply for being ridiculously over-capacity and somewhat middle-quality, you're going to have a love/hate relationship with mine :)
    Reply