Work Station Build, Atx or mAtx?

[HalKeRn]

I'm building a workstation for audio editing.

I'm between ATX or mAtx.
I think in ASUS H97m Plus

ATX: Corsair 200r
mATX: Bitfenix: Bitfenix Prodigy M

I dont think use all the pci slots of the ATX asus...
What do you system choose to work?

Thanks really!

 

[bambiboom]

I'm building a workstation for audio editing.

I'm between ATX or mAtx.
I think in ASUS H97m Plus

ATX: Corsair 200r
mATX: Bitfenix: Bitfenix Prodigy M

I dont think use all the pci slots of the ATX asus...
What do you system choose to work?

Thanks really!

HalKeRn,

If you have enough space, a full ATX format board is preferable. Any workstation is more useful if the functions can be extended. The motherboard when larger will have more clearance between the CPU cooler and RAM for example, and the larger case will have better air movement for cooling. Audio editing can run for very long periods and effects processing can be demanding. Many times there will be multiple sound cards, or various input/ output cards- Firewire or controllers for external drives, and etc. Having extra slots is easier than adding them later or having to chain together a lot of external USB devices.

A larger case might also be quieter. Proprietary workstation are configured to be very quiet, but built systems often are designed for extreme cooling in gaming- with noisy fans mounted on the outside case surfaces. When choosing a case, look for cases specifically designed to be quiet, for example:

Corsair Carbide Series 330R Blackout Edition Ultra-Silent Mid-Tower Case > ( £ 84. 99 )

http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/carbide-series-330r-blackout-edition-ultra-silent-mid-tower-case

Also, when looking for the CPU cooler, check the noise rating and look for coolers that are rated to be silent.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz > 32GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> Logitech z2300 > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] [Cinebench R15 > CPU = 1014 OpenGL= 126.59 FPS] 7.8.15

Dell Precision T5500 (2011) > 2X Xeon X5680 six -core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz, 48GB DDR3 ECC 1333 > Quadro K2200 (4GB ) > PERC H310 / Samsung 840 250GB / WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > 875W PSU > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (1920 X 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3844 / CPU = 15047 / 2D= 662 / 3D= 3500 / Mem= 1785 / Disk= 2649] (12.30.15)

 

[jmsellars1]

mATX is only worth it if you really want a smaller case. If you're not bothered about a smaller case, go for ATX.

I'm pretty experienced in building ultra quiet systems so I'm happy to suggest a full build if you give me your budget and usage etc.

EDIT: Just to add to that, I've built and used audio workstations too.

 

[jsmithepa]

^What they say. If you have no physical limitation or aesthetic consideration, GO BIG. A smaller box you have to worry about whether the cooler fits, where to mount the fans, taking care to router the cables, big GPU doesn't fit blah-blah-blah. Big box = less issues.

 

[SVTruong]

I built a mATX workstation. Compact, but I was still able to fit a 240mm CPU cooler, oversized PSU, and GTX 970. It's difficult finding a small form factor case that can do all that.

• 
  -Raijintek Styx Micro ATX Case
  -Intel i7 5820K
  -Asus X99-M WS
  -Cougar CFD 120mm Red LED Fan
  -G.Skill TridentZ DDR4 3200mhz Ram
  -Samsung 850 Evo 500gb SSD
  -EVGA GeForce GTX 970 04g-94-2974
  -EVGA 120-G1-0750-XR 80 Plus Gold 750 watt Modular PSU
  -Corsair H100i GTX
  -Windows 7 Professional

 

[SVTruong]

I also retain the ability to do SLI if I decide to double up.

 

[Outlander_04]

The ATX specification was designed when adding functions meant adding cards .
You wanted graphics , add a card
You want a network, add a card
You want sound , add a card
you want a printer , add a card

Almost no one needs a bigger build than m-ATX since those things are now always built in to a mb .

I would not use the prodigy however . Its a great case for purpose but one of the newer Fractal design models like
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1100bl
or
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcacore1300bl
is a reasonable and solid choice
This is also a decent m-ATX case and available in a wide range of colors
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/aerocool-case-dscubeblack

 

[jmsellars1]

Love the Raijintek Styx, going to get that or the new revision of the Metis for my next build

But yeah mATX is enough for most people nowadays, I'd agree with that. You can even have two dual slot graphics cards on a mATX board.

 

[SVTruong]

Love the Raijintek Styx, going to get that or the new revision of the Metis for my next build

But yeah mATX is enough for most people nowadays, I'd agree with that. You can even have two dual slot graphics cards on a mATX board.

Styx is the way to go if you're going to put a big card in there. I was between this one and the new Rosewill Aluminum mATX cases which I think are gorgeous. Problem is, all of them are limited to like 9.5 inches or something or rather. Most new cards 970 and larger are 10-11 inches. My EVGA 970 is actually short and I was lucky. If my PSU was not so friggin long, I could fit a longer card. If I go SLI or swap with bigger cards, I would have to swap my PSU with something shorter (like half an inch) in order to fit longer cards. The Styx is also ideal for water cooling since it accepts 120mm fans or a 240 up top. Makes it a great stylish case for those entertaining a water cpu cooler.