Kaby Lake Workstation

[mundane]

TLDR; : I haven't put together a system in ~15 years, and have an opportunity to assemble one for some upcoming projects. The expected uses each dictate a piece of puzzle, and I think I've narrowed down a configuration. Input and feedback are appreciated.

Use: Programming/development (*heavy* VMs), Rift programming (CV1), some CUDA programming. At the end of the day, won't be the worst thing in the world if I can run a game or two on there, but it cannot be a primary consideration.

Purchasing: Buying inside the US, no current parts to re-use, no intention of overclocking. Company provides software (Win 10 Pro, Visual Studio, Unity Pro, and so on). Plan to put the order in this week. Trying to target around ~$1500 USD.

My primary considerations are/were processor, RAM, and video card. A typical workday has me interacting with multiple VMs on my current desktop, and I'd rather not have to miser out their resources if I can help it. I have some new projects coming in for VR, so the video card needs to meet or exceed the Oculus "VR Ready" standard. Lastly, to be honest, I'd rather not have to make any changes to the system for at least a few years, so I am thinking of splurging where I would normally hold back.

I recall 'back in the day' needing to pick up thermal paste, additional case fans, etc. Do I need to take those into consideration?

Thanks in advance.

Updates to:
* Change to z270 motherboard
* Upgrade power supply

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z270X-UD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($155.91 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z270-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($203.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($169.66 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX300 525GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($116.99 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Windforce OC Video Card ($376.59 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($58.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($58.51 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.94 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($49.84 @ Amazon)
Total: $1579.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-01-25 11:36 EST-0500

 

[Danielx64]

Maybe it just me but I would swap out that Seagate for Westen Digital. I used Seagate but I wasn't going back with then after how bad they were.

Also I would get a bigger power supply: I don't believe that 450W is enough. I would go with 550W or even 650W.

 

[bbhaag]

Looks like a solid build. I like Danielx64s suggestion of getting a better psu though. If money is tight take a look at the CRYORIG M9i cooler instead of the Cooler Master. It's a $15 difference that you could put toward a better psu.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Z170 board for a 7700K? Better hope that the newest firmware is already on the board, or that your vendor can flash it for you. Otherwise, budget a Skylake Celeron G3900 too, so that you can flash the board, or get a Z270 board that is Kaby Lake-ready.

 

[bbhaag]

Good call man. Didn't even think of that but it can be a problem. I had a P67 board once that wouldn't boot with a G530 installed. Had too buy an i3-2100 from Frys just too get the damn thing too post so I could update the BIOS.

 

[mundane]

Thank you for the feedback, I'll find a stronger PSU.

As for the Motherboard, it seems I have the following options:
* Roll the dice and pray the one I buy is already flashed
* See if this particular model supports USB flashing w/o CPU (I don't think it's the right line)
* Buy a second CPU just to boot and flash
* Buy a different model MB, with the Z270 chipset

It also occurs to me that if I'm not going do *any* overclocking the K designation (7700k) and corresponding motherboard may not really be worth the price premium to me.

 

[UsandThem]

As for the Motherboard, it seems I have the following options:
* Roll the dice and pray the one I buy is already flashed
* See if this particular model supports USB flashing w/o CPU (I don't think it's the right line)
* Buy a second CPU just to boot and flash
* Buy a different model MB, with the Z270 chipset

1. That seems like a waste of time/money.
2. Most motherboards do not support flashing BIOS without CPU. It's usually reserved for high-end enthusiast motherboards.
3. Seems like a waste of time/unethical if you are planning to send it back after using it to update the BIOS.
4. Probably your best bet. If I were buying a new Kaby Lake CPU, I'd also pair it with the z270 chipset over a z170 motherboard.

It also occurs to me that if I'm not going do *any* overclocking the K designation (7700k) and corresponding motherboard may not really be worth the price premium to me.

It depends. The 7700k is clocked higher than the 7700 (4.2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz base / 4.5 GHz vs 4.2 GHz Turbo).

You could do what I did and buy the unlocked CPU. It's not much difference in price, and 3-5 years down the line you have the option to overclock and keep it competitive with future CPUs. Even if you decide to never overclock it, an unlocked CPU will have a higher resale value and will be more desirable to enthusiasts than a locked CPU.

 

[mundane]

Thank you - I haven't found a lot for z270 recommendations (not unexpected, given their age). I updated the above to use the z270 flavor of the GB motherboard, and what came as a fairly well recommended power supply. I'm inching over my general budget, so I may try to cannibalize some minor parts from my current desktop (BD drive, possibly platter drive).

 

[UsandThem]

The EVGA G2 PSU is a great choice! 7 year warranty compared to the 3 year Corsair CX unit.

You can also keep an eye out for good limited-time sales. For example, last month Newegg had some nice, and highly rated Seasonic units in the $55 range.

Edit

You can also save up to $30 going with a different SSD like the Crucial MX300, OCZ Trion 150, or the PNY CS2211.

While not as fast as the 850 EVO, they are still pretty competitive for most uses.

 

[bbhaag]

Nice choice on the psu. I bought the 650w version a couple months back for my i7-6700k build and LOVE LOVE LOVE my Supernova g2!

 

[mundane]

Potential cost savings:
* Less expensive CPU cooler
* Change SSD vendor (e.g. MX300)

A few last questions before I proceed:
* Hard Drive - I've looked at the Western Digital offerings (Caviar Blue / Black), and can't find much around my price point. I'd ideally like 2-3 TB. Should I downgrade to a 1 TB platter drive?
* Do I need thermal paste? I see mixed notes whether or not the specific cooler comes with it; were some suggestions to 'pick up Artctic Silver anyways"
* What kind of miscellania am I missing? Cabling? Screws? I'd like to be ready to sit down Saturday afternoon without needing 1-2 trips out to Fry's.

TIA.


Edit: Ended up going with revised list (in original post). Grabbed some thermal paste, some SATA 6 cables, misc screw collection, and 2.5->3.5 mount (for SSD). Thanks all for input and feedback.