A/V + general purpose quiet build ≤$1.5k

[LostHighway]

Here is the situation: I have an old (Core 2) PC with what seems to be something failing on the motherboard (intermittently gives me “keyboard failure” or simply freezes the keyboard and mouse but it isn't the keyboard, unplugging everything and letting it sit will usually temporarily fix it). I'm trying to nurse this along, hopefully into early 2016, and then replace it with a new PC.

Most of my uses are extremely mundane: e-mail, word processing, web surfing, simple databases, streaming music and/or video, etc. I live in rural area and some of what I'd like to do is currently bottle necked by a slow DSL connection. I am not, and do not plan to be, a serious gamer. I'll be moving within the next nine to eighteen months to a more urban situation and a much faster internet connection. With faster internet I expect to be streaming and/or downloading HD and eventually UHD films and lossless audio (Pono, HDtracks, Tidal, etc.). I will eventually add a dedicated audio server* and potentially NAS but this build (not the dedicated server) will handle downloads, ripping, tagging, burning and streaming.

My budget, DAC not included, is in the $1k - $1.5k range. I don't expect this build to be totally fanless but I do want to minimize the number of fans and spinning drives within the box. I do, however, think a Blu-Ray optical drive, whether in the case or outboard, will be part of the build. I'm not very technically sophisticated so I'm going to need considerable help/advice.

Very tentative thoughts, assuming I can keep my current PC functioning for a few more months:

CPU: Maybe something on the order of a non-”K” i5-6600 (no overclocking anticipated) or would a fast i3 be completely adequate for my purposes?

GPU: ????

Motherboard: I've been assuming an ATX, ASUS Z170-A or Z-170 Pro? Ideally the MOBO itself would offer USB 3.0, Toslink and 75 ohm BNC S/PDIF digital audio outs but I think no such animal exists (see sound card notes below)

Sound card: Probably unnecessary? I will be using an outboard DAC, initially probably something inexpensive like an iFi or Schiit. My desktop speakers are powered, I only use stereo or stereo + subwoofer/2.1 (no surround). All I really care about is that the MOBO/OS/driver(s) can pass digital audio up to 24/192 (and perhaps DSD64 and 128) without any resampling/conversion/corruption. The SOtM tx-USBexp PCIe to USB might be of future interest pending more research (not included in this build budget).

Memory: 8GB DDR4 (2 x 4GB 2400? 2133? Crucial Ballistx Sport? G Skill Ripjaws?)

PSU: Probably one of the fanless SeaSonics ≤460w

Case: Antec SOLO II? I have some dimensional limitations on the case, especially width. I would like to keep the case width to ≤8.5”/216mm. Height and depth are less of an issue but preferably ≤20“/510mm(H) x 18.5”/470mm(D). The case depth measurement probably has the most flexibility and width the least. I do like the sort of Bauhaus aesthetic of the Fractal, Silverstone and Nanoxia cases. I have zero interest in case windows, LEDs or H R Giger-ish case design and I do want optical drive bays. SOLO II power button issues mildly put me off.

Storage: At least one SSD. budget might force a spinning HD for the second drive. I see some sort of NAS in the not too far distant future, maybe a small QNAP (not included in this build price). Most audio will be stored as 44.1/16 bit (CD Redbook) FLAC files but there will also be some higher resolution files as well as some lossy 256 or 320kbit/s MP3 files. If HD or UHD video is added storage space demands could grow rapidly and all of it will need to be backed up.

Optical drive: LG or ASUS Blu-Ray assumed

Fans & coolers: Per SPCReview recommendations but as noted I'm trying to keep the total number of fans to a minimum. I may look into the SOtM fan noise (electrical noise not audio frequency) filter(s). I want to minimize vibration and audio frequency noise and, to the extent that it is possible, electrical noise/RFI.

OS: probably Windows 10 Home but maybe Pro further research required.

FWIW my current monitor is a 24” analog 1920 x 1080 capable Acer. A better, maybe larger, monitor will happen down the road, not included in this build cost.

*Re: dedicated audio server - much smaller, totally fanless, no direct internet connection

[CA_Steve]

Welcome to SPCR.

i3 or i5: Are you planning to transcode the downloaded videos or just stream as is? If the former, then 4 physical cores in the i5 provide a significant bump in transcode speed over the i3. If the latter, then the i3 will do fine for all the tasks.

DAC/soundcard/etc: Simplest solution is go with the Shiit Modi 2 via USB and call it a day. You don't mention the powered speaker model, so I can't comment on what's the potential weakest link in your audio chain. But, just going with digital in the PC and a decent external DAC solves most issues. Is this a Windows build or other OS?

GPU: Start with the integrated gfx. It can drive 2160p/60 via Displayport. There's also the potential for HDMI 2.0 support on some mobos with an onboard Displayport to HDMI converter. ha ha. I've only seen HDMI 1.4a support so far (2160p/24Hz). You can always add a low end discrete card later if you get an HDMI only 2160p monitor/TV.

RAM: 2 x 4GB 2400 should be fine.

Case: Sure you want to go with ATX/mid tower size? If so, the Solo II is fine. There's also the Fractal Design Define Mini. Heck, you could go with a NUC sized case + external BD player.

[LostHighway]

This will be a Windows build, the least problematic option as far as I can tell.

As far as transcoding video goes I have to plead ignorance. I'm very interested in film/video media but I know zed about the technology side. I'm an old school physical formats guy being dragged into the digital realm. In the audio world, at least in some circles, transcoding carries some negative baggage and the ideal is to keep it as close to native as possible. On the video front I'm tabula rasa. FWIW I'll primarily be using J River's Media Center as the primary software for both audio and video plus some third-party software for ancillary tasks (dBpoweramp, SlySoft, etc.).

My desktop speakers are Emotiva AiMotiv 4, roughly comparable to the Audio Engine A5, but my primary audio system has much better equipment. The Modi 2 is a little more basic than I was thinking but I have to do a great deal of critical listening to catch up on DAC technology. At this point I have no idea where the sweet spot might be within my financial constraints, although the new Ayre Codex looks very tempting..

I'm totally open to alternative suggestions regarding the physical format. I was thinking ATX midtower largely on the basis of flexibility. I simply don't know enough to know which among the plethora of new data transfer options are likely to be useful and which are probably extraneous. I did consider a computer plus a freestanding BD player (I was assuming OPPO if they are still the big kid on the block) but the dollars add up quickly and it seems less cost effective. If you want to make an argument for mATX I'm certainly willing to listen. I do think a tower format case probably offers me more placement flexibility than a horizontal format A/V case.

Thanks for your help! My apologies for being so gormless.

[CA_Steve]

As far as transcoding video goes I have to plead ignorance. I'm very interested in film/video media but I know zed about the technology side. I'm an old school physical formats guy being dragged into the digital realm. In the audio world, at least in some circles, transcoding carries some negative baggage and the ideal is to keep it as close to native as possible. On the video front I'm tabula rasa.

A lossless compressed 1080p Blu-Ray movie can run 30-40GB, depending on the encoding method and audio tracks. So, if you have a large library, you'll need to decide whether to transcode for storage savings or have a fleet of HDD's Now, think about the storage requirements for "4K".

My desktop speakers are Emotiva AiMotiv 4, roughly comparable to the Audio Engine A5, but my primary audio system has much better equipment. The Modi 2 is a little more basic than I was thinking but I have to do a great deal of critical listening to catch up on DAC technology. At this point I have no idea where the sweet spot might be within my financial constraints.

<nods>

Where will this PC be placed? 1' away on your desk, 3' away on the floor, 10' away in an entertainment center?

[LostHighway]

A lossless compressed 1080p Blu-Ray movie can run 30-40GB, depending on the encoding method and audio tracks. So, if you have a large library, you'll need to decide whether to transcode for storage savings or have a fleet of HDD's Now, think about the storage requirements for "4K".

Thanks for the clarification re:transcoding. On the strictly audio side I intend to use FLAC, I'd probably opt for WAV were it not for the tagging issues. With video I guess I'd also be looking for lossless compression. I'm not sure yet what balance I may try to strike between physical DVDs & BDs and strictly digital storage. Unlike music where i already own a fairly substantial body of physical media I own hardly any film disks. I also lack a clear sense of how good streamed video can be relative to physical media, I've read fairly positive things abut Netflix "HD" streaming and less positive things about Amazon's service. At this point I don't know enough to make an informed decision.

Where will this PC be placed? 1' away on your desk, 3' away on the floor, 10' away in an entertainment center?

For now we're probably talking 2.5' to 3' away

[MikeC]

Welcome to SPCR.

You might consider an even smaller format since your need for plug-in boards seems nil. Top mini-ITX boards have virtually the same I/O and features as full size boards, and if you so desire, can fit into a small fanless (heatsink) case that looks much like a small power amp... or a case 15~20 liters that can hold multiple drives. Many mITX boards have 4 SATA connections. Because the thermal load of your system will be very modest, you won't have to worry much about cooling or airflow, even if your fan(s) are run really slowly for minimal noise.

Some case examples --
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Silversto ... _HTPC_case
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Rosewill_Legacy_U3
http://www.silentpcreview.com/SilverStone_DS380
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Lian_Li_PC-Q18

I run 2 A/V systems, one in the TV room -- mostly for video but hooked up to an AV receiver & spkrs -- and another in the LR dedicated to audio only. The latter is a modest 3-4 yr old mini-ITX board in a small shoebox style case. The former is an Intel NUC in a fanless case, with a small SSD, accessing my video library via gigabit LAN in the network server in a closet downstairs. Both have 8GB RAM. Both systems work 100% satisfactorily for my purposes. The audio PC has a 240GB SSD for the OS, and a 2TB WD Red (5400rpm) drive. My music collection is something like 35,000 tracks, about 30% 320mp3s, 50% standard 16/44 FLAC, and 20% HD (24/44-48-88-96-176-192 all the way up to DSD), and that takes up only~1.2TB. Lots more room to grow before I have to add storage space.

I'd have put an optical writer in the audio PC, but it was deemed unnecessary since I can rip discs from several other PCs in my lab & save them via the network to the PC.

I run wireless keyboards w/ built-in trackballs for both systems.

If the PC will always be around a desk, then size/shape is usually not critical, but if you want it in a more recreational room, then the horizontal orientation & small size becomes very useful.

ps -- I can vouch for the much improved quality of Netflix HD video these days. Effectively equal to Bluray. If you want to nitpick because you're bored watching a lousy movie maybe you'll see differences but otherwise, it's very good.

[LostHighway]

Thanks Mike!

I hope I can keep the aged PC alive for awhile as it appears that I have do a great deal more reading and thinking.

Apparently VortexBox will allow ripping and at least audio playback so maybe the optical drive could be moved to the NAS if I went down the VortexBox path?

I'm the antithesis of an early adopter, I tend to be slow and cautious, probably too cautious (I still kick myself for not buying a Squeezebox Touch or two when they were being discontinued but still in inventory and the prices had bottomed out).

[LostHighway]

While I like the potentially tiny form factor mITX feels to me like it cuts off too many avenues that I'm not sure I might want to go down. mATX doesn't deliver quite as significant a size reduction but I'm more comfortable with the trade-offs, at least right now.

When Lawrence Lee reviewed the Fractal Design Define Mini in December 2011 he gave it the SPCR Recomended seal of approval, however, it seems to be MIA from the current recommended cases master list. Is this just an oversight or is it the collective wisdom of SPCR that the SilverStone Temjin TJ08-E really is a much better mATX tower form factor case? I have to say that I really much prefer the aesthetics of the Fractal. The Nanoxia Deep Silence Four is another mATX case I like the look of but I gather that SPCR's feelings re: Nanoxia cases are rather tepid.

I remain a bit perplexed about whether or not I need or would want a separate GPU. I gather from other forums that people running video processing software like madVR really think a good GPU is a requirement. Any video or cinephiles out there with further insights into what i might need or want?