Yet another micro-atrx build. Power supply?

[Kuzbad]

Hello all,

Many thanks for this site and the forums. The articles are great and I hope I have been able to sift through all of the information!

I have not built a new computer in probably 8 years--my current desktop case is an Antec Sonata that I've Frankensteined together over the years. I'm going for a pretty powerful build that will be quiet and last for quite a few years (so I have a NAS and no hdd, and thus the i7 over an i5). Any thoughts on the case / power supply / CPU cooler? I'm particularly unsure about the power supply. Should I look at any additional case fans?

My build:

Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler:Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard:Asus Z97M-PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory:Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866
Storage:Samsung 850 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card:Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card
Case:Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case
Power Supply:SeaSonic X Series Fanless 460W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

Many thanks!
-K

[Mod edit to remove links to seller site.]

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

I didn't get the gist of this :

(so I have a NAS and no hdd, and thus the i7 over an i5)

No HDD in this build because you have a NAS?

i7 because you want to <shudder> futureproof? Do you have any applications that currently use hyperthreading? Do you plan to overclock?

cooler: It's a nice cooler. But, unless you plan some serious overvolting, a more compact cooler like the Scythe Kotetsu would be suitable. Similar performance for stock CPU and cheaper.

RAM with large heatspreaders are like fins on an old car. All marketing, no benefit. Do you have any apps that will make use of more than 8GB?

Video card: is this for gaming or something else? What's your monitor resolution?

[Kuzbad]

Welcome to SPCR.

I didn't get the gist of this : ...
No HDD in this build because you have a NAS?

Hi Steve, sorry if I was unclear! What I meant was the 256gb SSD I selected was plenty of immediate storage space for me--no need for extra spinning platters physically within this system.

i7 because you want to <shudder> futureproof? Do you have any applications that currently use hyperthreading? Do you plan to overclock?

I'm definitely ambivalent between the i5 and the i7 (and I did want to avoid the "f" word!). I have a budget of about $1500 for this computer and the i7 seemed the best for within my budget.

cooler: It's a nice cooler. But, unless you plan some serious overvolting, a more compact cooler like the Scythe Kotetsu would be suitable. Similar performance for stock CPU and cheaper.

Perfect, thank you! I will try to overclock a bit, but I don't plan on pushing for anything crazy.

RAM with large heatspreaders are like fins on an old car. All marketing, no benefit. Do you have any apps that will make use of more than 8GB?

I just basically picked this RAM at random as I've used corsair over many years with good results. The fins are ridiculous (and the names of the DIMMs now?! snipers and fatalities etc--sheesh!). The price difference between 8gb and 16gb was minimal so I decided to go for 16. No, I don't think I really need that much now, but RAM demands do seem to grow pretty consistently.

Video card: is this for gaming or something else? What's your monitor resolution?

I would like to do some gaming, yes--this computer will be split between workstation and personal usage.
Workstation usage will include compiling some pretty large codebases (embarrassingly parallel, as they say). I'm currently using a 1920x1080 monitor but am planning to upgrade within a year or so as 4k becomes more readily available.

[CA_Steve]

Thanks for the additional info.

cpu: I guess only you can know whether or not having hyperthreading will be useful for coding. It generally doesn't add value for gaming.

fans: I prefer 2 in front and 1 in rear to set up positive pressure and minimize dust build up. The Mini comes with two. Build with them to see if you like their sonic signature and then decide on what to do next.

gfx card: If you plan to game at 1080p, then the GTX 970 is severe overkill. The GTX 760 has worked fine for me...and I'd suspect the upcoming GTX 960 will be a nice step up. If you plan to game at 4k, then I guess the GTX 970 is an entry level card I've gone with two 1080p monitors side by side for work and that added screen space is better than tinier pixels in one monitor for me. 2160p gaming just takes too much power for the benefit.

PSU: your stressed load is under 300W, gaming load is closer to 240-250W. So, the 460W is fine.

RAM: Consider lower profile memory like the g.skill ares or crucial ballistix sport.