Help me tweak media encoding system build $1700

[malinois1]

Hi folks,

I am thinking about building a new system very soon. I have built 3 previous systems before the last being a K-8sli quad core system. My current system is a Dell XPS 435 MT which has an Intel x-58 motherboard, I-7 920 Processor and 12G of Ram in triple channel, GTS240 video card, 2 620G HDD in Raid 0, 1 blueray burner, 1 dvd burner, Dell 2408 WFP Monitor 1920X 1200 Resolution. Only the Monitor and possibly the Graphics card may go to new build. The only reason I didn't build instead of the Dell is due to the Corporation I work for HAD an 18 month intrest free loan which made thing so easy.

I mostly use the rig for video transcoding. I use ********* DVD ripper to remove encryption from owned dvds and transcode iso file to HD mp4. I then can stream mp4 files via nero media home 4 to my blueray player via a wired lan connection. Aimersort does use all 8 cores and also will utilize gpu encoding. I also so some gaming though mostly in winter when not much yard work going on and only play Counter Strike Source so don't need much of a video card for that.

I am hoping to gain some performance moving up to IVY and would be happy with 20% or so. Transcoding a DVD takes about an hour or so. Here are my Priorities!
1) Silent as possible
2) Stability
3)Performance
4)Black parts mostly with maybe some gold parts.
5)Price I'd like to save some if performance is still there. I can go $200 more than stated if I have too.
6) I am Not a brand fan boy performance is king of course if price is similar.
7)Mostly stock speeds for 24X7 usage, though I may OC everynow and again to play and bench drag.
8) 1920 X 1200 Resolution.

OK Here is where I am at currently about $1750


Corsair 550 D & Corsair AX750 Gold Power Supply combo $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.913333

Asus Sabertooth Z77 & Crucial M4 256G combo $460
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.921087

CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) PC1600 $98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233143

ASUS ENGTX560 TI DCII TOP/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121425

HGST Deskstar 7K3000 2TB HDD $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145473

LITE-ON Blu-ray Burner with Blu Ray 3D Feature $79
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106369


Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992

i7-3770K $350
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501

Total $1777

I would possibly consider the Antec 280 if yall sway me performance and quietness or to close and is cheaper But would kill one combo deal. Also I know I could get a smaller PSU. Keep in mind though has to be modular and also consider the noise factor. I am pretty open on motherboards as long as it has enough sata 6G ports prefferably intel and would prefer black but not a deal breaker either. Ram as long as it is compatible and cheaper I have used up to 7 G so far and would hate to go down from 12 but I may be able to be convinced. But I like future proffing...old rigs go to the wifey. HDDS would 2-1tb id raid zero be better? or not worth the $$$ for performance? SSD I am vary open but would like to stay in the 256G range. Video card? Do I really need that much card for the game I play? Will it help with encoding maybe? Last but not least CPU? Do I really Need the K version since I probably wont OC much and dont really need to?

Sorry for being so long winded! LOL I look forward to hearing the responces!

 

[mostly4real]

I Don't think much of that bundle option for motherboard/SDD
20$ isn't much to worry about
Don't get me wrong, I am currently shopping around for a system of my own, and that SSD is a part of it, unless new ones drop rapidly.
But despite the Sabertooth's cool(ing) design and the solid black color...

I much rather the ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE, or it's little brother, V PRO.
Being Wi-Fi and all the other special Features on these boards should make this pc the center of my world!
I am just hoping I can convince my MicroCenter to bundle the deluxe with the 3770k.

 

[malinois1]

I Don't think much of that bundle option for motherboard/SDD
20$ isn't much to worry about
Don't get me wrong, I am currently shopping around for a system of my own, and that SSD is a part of it, unless new ones drop rapidly.
But despite the Sabertooth's cool(ing) design and the solid black color...

I much rather the ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE, or it's little brother, V PRO.
Being Wi-Fi and all the other special Features on these boards should make this pc the center of my world!
I am just hoping I can convince my MicroCenter to bundle the deluxe with the 3770k.

Thanks for the reply. I definately don't need wireless since is like 3 ft from a router and my house is fully wired and wired speeds are much faster. The deluxe is more expensive and doesn't have any extra features I need. the V-pro is a few dolars cheaper and is close in specs. I could maybe be convince to go that way.

 

[malinois1]

Forgot to put CPU cooler in main post. Suggestions for good air cooling and quiet as priority? Also I have Klipsh 2.1 speakers alreadt so don't need speakers.

 

[malinois1]

Some editing from original.

This combo instead for mobo and ssd combo

Intel BOXDZ77BH55K LGA 1155 Intel Z77 $359
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.921099

This for Blueray instead
LG Black 12X BD-R $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136241

Change video to this since trancode software has acceleration for cuda cores?
EVGA 012-P3-1571-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130613

CPU since not ocing anyway.
Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge $320

Total $1728 so saved about $50 and money better spent were it counts maybe? Any suggestions for a quite CPU cooler?

 

[malinois1]

OK this is the cpu cooler I choose?

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo

ANyone see any potential probs with the build would like to pull the trigger by Monday!

 

[lehtv]

That mobo+SSD combo looks good to me. But if you're going to buy both an aftermarket cooler and a Z77 board, don't shoot yourself in the foot and say you're not going to overclock anyway. Buy a 2600K, overclock it to 4.5Ghz (it is not difficult) and it will outperform the i7-3770 by 20% while costing $20 less.

Hyper 212 Evo is only marginally better than the original Hyper 212+ which can be had for $15 less after rebate. If you want to pay more, I'd suggest Zalman CNPS10x Performa or Scythe Mugen 3.

If you're still set on not overclocking, buy a H77 board and an SSD separately.

I'm not really sure if the GTX 570 is worth it... Someone else will comment on that . But if it is, buy an MSI Twin Frozr II or a Gigabyte Windforce, the fans on these things are superior and will keep much quieter than EVGA

 

[mfenn]

That mobo+SSD combo looks good to me. But if you're going to buy both an aftermarket cooler and a Z77 board, don't shoot yourself in the foot and say you're not going to overclock anyway. Buy a 2600K, overclock it to 4.5Ghz (it is not difficult) and it will outperform the i7-3770 by 20% while costing $20 less.

Hyper 212 Evo is only marginally better than the original Hyper 212+ which can be had for $15 less after rebate. If you want to pay more, I'd suggest Zalman CNPS10x Performa or Scythe Mugen 3.

If you're still set on not overclocking, buy a H77 board and an SSD separately.

I agree with this.

I'm not really sure if the GTX 570 is worth it... Someone else will comment on that . But if it is, buy an MSI Twin Frozr II or a Gigabyte Windforce, the fans on these things are superior and will keep much quieter than EVGA

It really depends on what all functions the encoder offloads and which it keeps on the CPU. If most of the processing is kept on the CPU, then a really fast GPU won't give you much benefit because it will usually just be waiting for the CPU. In the absence of data, I'd recommend sticking with a GTX 560 Ti.

OP, two other points that bear mentioning are:
- RAM: The tall heatspreaders on the Vengeance will probably interfere with your cooler. Get rid of that headache and save some money by buying two of these Patriot kits instead.
- PSU: The AX is incredibly expensive, not to mention way overkill for this machine. A Silencer MK III 500W is plenty of power and a lot easier on the wallet.

 

[malinois1]

That mobo+SSD combo looks good to me. But if you're going to buy both an aftermarket cooler and a Z77 board, don't shoot yourself in the foot and say you're not going to overclock anyway. Buy a 2600K, overclock it to 4.5Ghz (it is not difficult) and it will outperform the i7-3770 by 20% while costing $20 less.

Hyper 212 Evo is only marginally better than the original Hyper 212+ which can be had for $15 less after rebate. If you want to pay more, I'd suggest Zalman CNPS10x Performa or Scythe Mugen 3.

If you're still set on not overclocking, buy a H77 board and an SSD separately.

I'm not really sure if the GTX 570 is worth it... Someone else will comment on that . But if it is, buy an MSI Twin Frozr II or a Gigabyte Windforce, the fans on these things are superior and will keep much quieter than EVGA

OK I started buying some of the system due to dang bank card limits and here is where I started. I changed my sytem limit to $2000 Since a) I want to stay with the 2770K and b) I was looking at mobo review and new egg and post on these forums and decided it to be a safer bet to stay with the asus sabertooth mobo. I am kind of scared of compatibilty issues on this new chipset. OK here is what I have ordered so far! Also I decided to go with moderate overclock's as I don't want to increase voltage so I can keep things quiet!

1 x Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K

1 x CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX750 (CMPSU-750AX) 750W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

1 x Corsair Obsidian Series 550D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Total $646.77 shipped

I think the case choice and PSU are good choices. I know I am paying a premium for the PSU but I really want to stay quiet and running it at lower load should help keep the fans running at lower speeds. Plus with the combo purchase it just didn't make sense to get the AX650 at the same price. So these are done deals now.

Now lets address the heatsink and fan issue. Since I am tring to stay quiet or quiet as possible with a decent thermal performance which would you say is the quietest of all the choices you listed?

Thanks for the recommendations on the GPUS! So getting a card with multiple fans will be quieter eh? Just keep the fan speed controlled at lower speeds I am guessing?

 

[malinois1]

It really depends on what all functions the encoder offloads and which it keeps on the CPU. If most of the processing is kept on the CPU, then a really fast GPU won't give you much benefit because it will usually just be waiting for the CPU. In the absence of data, I'd recommend sticking with a GTX 560 Ti.

OP, two other points that bear mentioning are:
- RAM: The tall heatspreaders on the Vengeance will probably interfere with your cooler. Get rid of that headache and save some money by buying two of these Patriot kits instead.
- PSU: The AX is incredibly expensive, not to mention way overkill for this machine. A Silencer MK III 500W is plenty of power and a lot easier on the wallet.

Thanks for the GPU recommendation! Looks like a nice card but it is sold out at the moment. Maybe it will be in stock when I am ready and in reality that is the last piece I need for the build.:thumbsup:

Ram: I have looked at some forum post and they say that the ram does not interfere just have to put ram in firsh and would have to take heatsing off to remove the closest ram from slot. Those patriot sticks you suggest ...the newegg reviews are just horrible plus it is not on the QVL list for my mobo? Are you sure they would work in this combination? The savings are pretty slim too.

Yes I know the AX is expensive but it is purchased already.

 

[lehtv]

Corsair AX750 will run in passive mode i.e. completely silent up to ~300-400W load. It's a great PSU if you're building a silent system, but for this particular system, it's ridiculously overkill. Fortunately, it's not that much more expensive than lower wattage silent PSUs like Seasonic X-460.

So are you going to OC or not? In either case, you really don't need a Sabertooth mobo. A mobo less than half the cost will do the job

Mugen 3 is the quietest of the heatsinks I listed, but it still makes some noise at load. If you want a cooler that is as quiet at load as on idle, replace the fan with this.

...the newegg reviews are just horrible plus it is not on the QVL list for my mobo?

It doesn't really matter if it's not on your mobo's compatibility list. In principle, all DDR3 that fit the specs of the mobo are compatible. The manufacturer doesn't test for all possible modules on the market.

While there are no reviews for this yet, check it out: ADATA 2x8GB 1600MHz $96 after promo.

Thanks for the recommendations on the GPUS! So getting a card with multiple fans will be quieter eh? Just keep the fan speed controlled at lower speeds I am guessing?

You can use MSI afterburner to create a custom fan profile. The standard fan profile is usually pretty aggressive which results in relatively low load temperature. This means you can manually lower the fan speeds at the cost of temperature, and the margin for doing this is much bigger with a dual fan card.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the GPU recommendation! Looks like a nice card but it is sold out at the moment. Maybe it will be in stock when I am ready and in reality that is the last piece I need for the build.:thumbsup:

Any GTX 560 Ti would be fine, I just linked the one that happened to be the cheapest at the time.

Ram: I have looked at some forum post and they say that the ram does not interfere just have to put ram in firsh and would have to take heatsing off to remove the closest ram from slot.

That is absolutely 100% incorrect. I personally have Ripjaws RAM (somewhat shorter than Vengeance) and a Mugen 3. The Ripjaws interferes enough such that the fan has to be slightly offset from the HSF, reducing cooling efficiency. The taller Vengeance would be even worse.

Those patriot sticks you suggest ...the newegg reviews are just horrible plus it is not on the QVL list for my mobo? Are you sure they would work in this combination? The savings are pretty slim too.

They will work fine. I'm not sure what's so "horrible" about the Newegg reviews. You can't really take DOA posts into account because Newegg reviewers are (a) idiots who couldn't make perfectly functioning parts work properly and (b) not a representative sampling of the buyers.

Yes I know the AX is expensive but it is purchased already.

I would honestly cancel/return it. It is a huge waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere.

 

[malinois1]

Parts should start coming in today and all will be here by tomorrow! Thanks for the help guys! I will let yall know how it goes and give my thoughts on this vs my old system.

 

[mfenn]

Cool, glad to help! Take some pics if you can.

 

[malinois1]

Cool, glad to help! Take some pics if you can.

I sure will. I have everything together right now with the exception of the Ram, PSU, CPU, Cooler. I should have pics by tomorrow evening and hopefull should be able to post from the new computer. Will probably start a new thread here for a build thread.

 

[malinois1]

Cool, glad to help! Take some pics if you can.

Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 550D
PSU: CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX750
Mobo: ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
Ram: 2 x Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz
VGA: ASUS ENGTX560Ti448DC2/2DIS/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 448 Cores (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5
SSD: Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC
HDD: 2 x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: LG Black 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback & M-DISC Support SATA WH12LS39 LightScribe Support
CPU Heat Sink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

 

[malinois1]

 

[malinois1]

Build went fairly well and uneventful with the exceptioin of the HDD's

1 of the HDD started clicking and went bad as soon as I formatted in disk management via windows.

The second one started giving smart errors 2 day later? Already sent the first out for RMA. Hopefully the second will last until I get first back. I have already transferred 600 gb of stuff to it. Luckily it is still on my other system so if something hapens no biggie just have to transfer over the network again.

 

[lehtv]

Build looks fantastic. I like the way Sabertooth and the sleeved cables blend into the background

Sad about the HDD's :<. The second drive that's giving errors, try it in one of the SATA 3gb/s ports, see if that helps?

 

[mfenn]

Yep, this is why I don't go for expensive HDDs. All drives pretty much have the same failure probability when they're new. Chances are, if it lasts 6 months, it will last 6 years.

Anyway, OP the only problem that I see with the build is that the HSF isn't nearly big enough. :awe:

 

[malinois1]

Build looks fantastic. I like the way Sabertooth and the sleeved cables blend into the background

Sad about the HDD's :<. The second drive that's giving errors, try it in one of the SATA 3gb/s ports, see if that helps?

Thanks for the compliment! I was planning for it all black so it was the look I was trying to achieve for sure. Only bad thing with it being all black is had had to use a flashlight a few times as it seems to suck all the light out.

I will try that with the second drive and also switch the cable and see if that changes things. Thanks for the tip.

 

[malinois1]

Yep, this is why I don't go for expensive HDDs. All drives pretty much have the same failure probability when they're new. Chances are, if it lasts 6 months, it will last 6 years.

Anyway, OP the only problem that I see with the build is that the HSF isn't nearly big enough. :awe:

Lesson learned on the HDD. One of the biggest reason I chose those is it seemed to have a lot of reviews on the egg and they seemed like less troubles than some of the other drives out there.

LOL I hope I detect a joke in that post. I was thinking it may have been too big. It does keep things nice and cool and quiet though.

 

[lehtv]

Well, not all drives have the same failure rate. See this for example: http://translate.google.com/transla...ttp://www.hardware.fr/articles/862-7/ssd.html

 

[mfenn]

Well, not all drives have the same failure rate. See this for example: http://translate.google.com/transla...ttp://www.hardware.fr/articles/862-7/ssd.html

Technically speaking, that's return rates, not exactly failure rates. You could say that the two are somewhat correlated though. Somebody buying drives in quantities of 5 or less is not going notice a difference between any of the drives.