System Builder Marathon Q1 2016: $1232 Prosumer PC

[Crashman]

This quarter’s “Prancing Workhorse” keeps the same “Play” components but adds a little to the “Work” budget. Will added performance offset increased cost for a value win?

System Builder Marathon Q1 2016: $1232 Prosumer PC : Read more

 

[damric]

Love the Wolfstone but they have been sold out for weeks and replaced with the Wolfalloy which just isn't as awesome.

 

[Onus]

I have to wonder what results you might have gotten with a Z170 and an i5-6600K. For all those arguing for Xeons, that comparison would be very useful.
Due to the light load, I think I can withhold any notable grumbling about the PSU, even though it isn't one I'd buy myself.
This was an interesting build, but I'll need to think about it before I even think about coming to any conclusions. I'm not sure that BCLK overclocking is going to be readily available. You might have hit a small niche audience, but it is an interesting one.

 

[DouglasLand]

Maybe the move down to an i5 and not so much case would have gotten you a 980ti? Again though you were right to try and balance the build compared to the other ones.

 

[elbert]

Great build with the xeon. I would drop the HD and replace the samsung 850 with the samsung 950 pro. Beings there is only one m.2 slot its a shame to waste on anything but the fastest.

 

[Crashman]

I have to wonder what results you might have gotten with a Z170 and an i5-6600K. For all those arguing for Xeons, that comparison would be very useful.

Scroll down to the configuration table on the second page. Then look at those performance charts again

 

[dstarr3]

That case is a great way to make people think you have a 12-year-old.

 

[SinxarKnights]

Decent PC's... but the cases you guys pick... What is the equivalent of the Antec 300 these days? Does anything like that exist anymore? I should add that I understand the need to choose different cases. Variety, advertising, etc. I just don't like the way they look. Reminds me of the first PC I built, total disaster of a case, "never again" I said.

 

[Crashman]

Decent PC's... but the cases you guys pick... What is the equivalent of the Antec 300 these days? Does anything like that exist anymore? I should add that I understand the need to choose different cases. Variety, advertising, etc. I just don't like the way they look. Reminds me of the first PC I built, total disaster of a case, "never again" I said.

The WolfStone is a slightly better case than the 300, and was purchased at the same price the 300 used to cost when it was most popular.

I realize it looks a little playful: I considered only the material quality and ventilation in its selection.

 

[Onus]

No wonder I don't get much done on weekdays after work, I must have been half asleep...
I wonder how many boards will continue to allow BCLK overclocking on Xeons; for those not sharply focused on gaming, it looks like a solid choice. For the gamers though, it looks like the i5 is a little better.

 

[Math Geek]

not that impressed with the xeon so far. kep seeing folks swearing by them in the forum as "will stomp an i5 for the same money" don't really see that stomping reflected here.

what is interesting is an i3 oc'ed this way. seen a few reviews of this with the supermicro board and that was impressive. close enough to i5 performance oc'ed and so much cheaper making it a very interesting idea from a value perspective. perhaps next time you could go this way and drop the extra cash into the next step of gpu.

that sounds like an interesting build to me.

 

[damric]

not that impressed with the xeon so far. kep seeing folks swearing by them in the forum as "will stomp an i5 for the same money" don't really see that stomping reflected here.

what is interesting is an i3 oc'ed this way. seen a few reviews of this with the supermicro board and that was impressive. close enough to i5 performance oc'ed and so much cheaper making it a very interesting idea from a value perspective. perhaps next time you could go this way and drop the extra cash into the next step of gpu.

that sounds like an interesting build to me.

Spoiler: I think Jaron will be showing us his i3 results soon for the budget end SBM. I don't know if he will stabilize 4.6GHz like I did on my i3 though. I think it was easier because I used DDR3.

 

[Math Geek]

SSSSWWWEEEEETTTTT. won't be sleeping tonight waiting for that one to drop

from what i have seen so far, there is a reason the i3 is not offered in a "k" model and i'm assuming we get another taste of that for the budget build.....

 

[Mac266]

They should re-boot the Pentium line as a unlocked Hyper-threaded dual core.

 

[ComputerSecurityGuy]

Intel ruined Skylake Xeon by requiring a different chipset. Sometimes I remember the good old times of nForce when you could never do such a thing.

 

[gilbadon]

The wolfstone is really cool. I love rosewill's influence in the market. They create both the cheapest and best products while also introducing new ideas that actually work. Maybe not the best case for $60, but hard to beat the cool factor.

 

[f-14]

first time i am NOT signing up for the contest. smhid

 

[RedJaron]

first time i am NOT signing up for the contest. smhid

I can understand not having interest in a workstation machine, but what's not to like here? That's a Xeon E3v5, 16GB RAM, GTX 970, and 850 Evo SSD. Spiting all the internals just because you don't like the look of a case?

 

[damric]

Nice job on the overclocking, Thomas!

 

[mben]

What OS did you use? In the table Q1 2016 "Prosumer" PC Components under OS is listed Windows 10 Home USB Pack for $120 with it being 64-bit implied by having > 4 GB of memory in use . However, in the table Test Hardware Configuration the Software OS is listed as Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x 64.

 

[Crashman]

What OS did you use? In the table Q1 2016 "Prosumer" PC Components under OS is listed Windows 10 Home USB Pack for $120 with it being 64-bit implied by having > 4 GB of memory in use . However, in the table Test Hardware Configuration the Software OS is listed as Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x 64.

Both OS are 64 bit. The Win10 test image is still being finalized.

 

[mben]

What OS did you use? In the table Q1 2016 "Prosumer" PC Components under OS is listed Windows 10 Home USB Pack for $120 with it being 64-bit implied by having > 4 GB of memory in use . However, in the table Test Hardware Configuration the Software OS is listed as Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x 64.

Both OS are 64 bit. The Win10 test image is still being finalized.

I don't remember Tom's using Windows Home version for any system builds before so I thought it strange you would start using the cheaper Windows Home now. Windows 10 Home Pack is listed as $120 while you used Windows 8.1 Pro which list on Newegg for $139 for the OEM version while the Windows 8.1 Full Version list for even more money.

I am shocked, truly shocked that you list the OS as Windows 10 Home when you actually tested using Windows 8.1 Pro. Please make the necessary correction to the table "Prosumer" PC Components to reflect the actual product used and it's cost.

 

[Crashman]

What OS did you use? In the table Q1 2016 "Prosumer" PC Components under OS is listed Windows 10 Home USB Pack for $120 with it being 64-bit implied by having > 4 GB of memory in use . However, in the table Test Hardware Configuration the Software OS is listed as Microsoft Windows 8 Pro x 64.

Both OS are 64 bit. The Win10 test image is still being finalized.

I don't remember Tom's using Windows Home version for any system builds before so I thought it strange you would start using the cheaper Windows Home now. Windows 10 Home Pack is listed as $120 while you used Windows 8.1 Pro which list on Newegg for $139 for the OEM version while the Windows 8.1 Full Version list for even more money.

I am shocked, truly shocked that you list the OS as Windows 10 Home when you actually tested using Windows 8.1 Pro. Please make the necessary correction to the table "Prosumer" PC Components to reflect the actual product used and it's cost.

Then you'll be shocked when you win the system and it comes with Windows 10. The correction we're trying to make is to get the Windows 10 test suite debugged so we can publish the new test results in the next SBM.

 

[ragnarok94]

did they really have to go with a $140 mobo though? I guess its great for overclocking, but if someone went with say a 3.5 ghz xeon 1241 v3 and didnt plan to overclock, they could go with a $50-$80 microAtX/ATX board like an MSI H81M-E34 ($50 at NCIX-US)

 

[virtualban]

I have a suggestion: A "Tom'sHardware" team participating at #BAUniC ('Building A Universe Competition' baunic.blogspot.com) with the possibility of incentive to give its US participants 2016's winter contest prizes, something like:
Rendering group: high end machine;
Formula group: medium machine
Debug/Document group: budget machine;

#BAUniC is going to change the world, and Tom's Hardware fans have the spark to do it already within. Igniting the spark and gaining the extra notoriety along, sounds like a win-win.

Thank you for reading this, and upping it to the mods attention (maybe volunteering?)