SFF gamind and photoshop build

[Risto1]

Hey all,

I've been thinking about to build SFF pc for gaming and photoshop use. This pc will be located in the living room and as a monitor I'll be using sony 32" smart tv.


This is my list so far:
CPU: Xeon E3-1231 v3, LGA1150, 3.4GHz, 8MB 249.00€
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI, LGA 1150, Intel H97, DDR3, mITX 115.00€
Case: Silverstone SST-RVZ01 97.00€
PSU: 600W Strider SFX 100% modulaarinen, 80 Plus Gold 129€
RAM: 16GB (2x8GB) HyperX Fury, DDR3 1600MHz, CL10, 1.5V, 149€
OS: Windows 8.1, 64-bit, ENG, DVD, OEM 107€
Cooler: SST-NT06 Pro, CPU-Cooler, 53,90€
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 280, 3GB GDDR5, OC, WF, + NSF Space 198€
SSD: SSD9SC240GMDA-RB PNY 240GB XLR8 SSD, 2.5", MLC, SATA III 6GB/S 99€
HD: Western Digital 3TB Caviar Green, 3.5", IntelliPower, 64MB, Sata3 109,90€
All together: 1306,80€

I'm a bit hesitating what CPU I should be using. Should I use Xeon E3-1231 (249€), i5 4690 (219€) or i7 4770 for 289€.

I'm not sure about the graphics card either. GTX 970 doesn't look very expensive but I'm not interested to use too much money for the build. Any other suggestions for 200€ to 250€?

SSD for OS use I just chose the cheapest for 240GB and also for storage one of the cheapest HD for 3TB.

16GB for photoshop use might be quite ok? Also for RAM I chose the cheapest 2x8GB set.

I won't be doing any OC.

I live in Finland and I might be buying from Jimms.fi

 

[geofelt]

Your build is very reasonable.
Here are my thoughts:

1. I think I would opt for the i5-4690.
It has a higher individual core clock rate than either of the other two and is cheaper.
Faster cores are most helpful for gaming. The wattage required is similar.

2. If you will have any problem, it will be a heat issue.
The R9 cards are power hungry and run hot. They get their speed from overclocking. Also, they do not come with blower type coolers that get heat out of your case efficiently. I think a GTX970 with a reference blower cooler would be much better. It will be a bit more expensive, but the Maxwell architecture takes much less power and the card is stronger than the r9-280. As a plus, some apps can use the CUDA capability of nvidia cards. Check to see if that applies to your apps. Spend the extra here, you will not regret it.
3. 240gb ssd is good and appropriate. I prefer Samsung or intel for quality. Caviar green is good and efficient for storage.

 

[DonkeyOatie]

The Silverstone ML07 HTPC case has the same innards as the RVZ01 but costs less (in the USA) and has a less aggressive look (if that matters).