My primary objective is threefold. There are a few minor secondary objectives, but, really, I'm not asking for much. I just want a system that is extensively versatile, extremely durable, very efficient, cool, quiet and buttery...you can't forget buttery! Ergo I want it to be able to take anything and everything I might throw at it for the next 7 years or more then look back at me and say, "Is that all you got?" I also don't want to be replacing worn out components every year or two or feeling pressed to upgrade just to be capable of running Windows 12 or whatever new software du jour requirements there might be a few years from now. Plus, I'm trying to convince my wife that this is a $1200 investment rather than simply another one of my unreasonable harebrained projects I've come up with for the fun of it.
I think we have reached a point where hardware does not become completely obsolete and unusable quite as fast as it did just a few years ago. So, I'm not dead set on the absolute cutting edge components. I would rather have components that are current yet have also been out long enough to have been thoroughly tested by trusted professional reviewers and have also been found to be tried and true by hard core end users. Still, with that said, expect some overkill to be the rule rather than the exception.
On the other hand, I do have limited funds and have decided that $1,200.00 is the absolute upper limit of what I want to spend, but I will be spreading that out over several months. It'll be tight, but I think I can manage it. And who knows...an unexpected windfall between now and the maiden voyage can't be completely ruled out. It could happen!
Yeah, I know, $1200 sounds like a lot of money for a computer and it is for most people (myself included), but I've been through a few mid-range Acers, Dells, E-Machines and the like, before I realized I could put together something much better myself for the same or even less money. What I can build myself for $1200 would probably cost upwards of 2 grand if it had a brand name attached to it and I expect my build will still be relevant long after the name brands have been relegated to the trash heap. And, as an added bonus, it's fun and not at all hard to do with a little research.
Now, when looking at cases, I read a lot of reviews and opinions and for a little while I waffled back and forth between the COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower, which seemed to be the most popular choice of gaming and overclocking enthusiasts, and the gigantic COOLER MASTER COSMOS II RC-1200-KKN1 Black Steel ATX Full Tower, which would absolutetly be able accommodate any sort of configuration I could possibly dream up. I've since backed away from both of those choices mostly for aesthetic reasons, but also because of practical concerns.
The HAF X would fit the bill if I weren't such a minimalist. I like things less showy. I'm not one of those guys who thinks a motherboard can look sexy. I prefer a simple clean look. The Cosmos 2 leans a little more in that direction, but it's certainly not inconspicuous. It's honkin' massive. It's not just a computer case. It's a friggin' substantial piece of furniture. I might just buy one anyway and give it to my wife to use as an armoire. Seriously though, I thought I could find something a little more my style for a little less coin without sacrificing too much in the way of space or functionality.
I think I have done exactly that with the Antec P280. It's sleek, smooth and clean looking. Antec calls it a "super mid-tower" and it's only slightly smaller than most full tower cases. It's solidly built with plenty of well laid out room inside from what I've seen from reviewers and end users.
I very much like the quiet factor and the 3 pre-installed exhaust fans are perfectly positioned (although I would prefer 4 pin fans for PWM reasons) for using the forthcoming Zalman CNPS FX100 Cube Fanless CPU Cooler if it specs out the way I hope it will, but I'll get more into fans and the still very much up in the air CPU cooling in another post down the road.
Now, before I get accused of shilling for Newegg, because of all the links to them above, let me just say that I have no affiliation whatsoever with Newegg. I just find it a handy place to get the product details, informative customer reviews and their prices are generally representative of the lower range of product pricing that I've been able to find on the Internet. I have heard of some very negative experiences with their customer service, but I've bought several components from them and have never had a problem...yet.
I'm putting much more thought and planning (some might argue more than it deserves) into the case and power supply this time than I did the first time around. You live and learn and if I've learned nothing else, I've learned that you always need a solid foundation in everything you do. Building a computer is no exception and I'm hoping these two foundational components will still be useful long after the other components of this build are dead and gone. In the next post, I'll be looking at power supply units and feature the one I believe is the right choice for this build.
Okay, we're up to a grand total of ~
Update: Newegg just marked down their price on the Anetc P280 to $99.99 (free shipping) and I snapped it up today (2-26-2013), so we're off to the turtle races.
Questions and comments are welcome. There are probably some things I simply haven't considered despite my best efforts to be thorough. If you have a different perspective or information that might cause me to change my mind, by all means, have a crack at it and lay it on me. I might take it and decide to go in a completely different direction.
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