Storage
Plextor M5S 256GB
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm (ST2000DM001)
Lite-On 24x DVD-RW (iHAS124-04)
For primary storage, an SSD is expected in a box like the Hot Rod. The performance benefits for frequently used data and applications are tremendous, and the cost is now very affordable. Not quite affordable enough to permit the Hot Rod (or even God Box) to go flash-only for storage, but it's enough to permit a very decent amount of SSD for storage.
The Plextor M5S is a solid performer based on a proven Marvell controller, and Plextor's engineering seems to have paid off with solid performance. The similarly priced Samsung 840 offers equal (if not better) performance, but it's not as consistent as the Plextor M5S in used states. Crucial's M500 is also worth a look, especially in larger capacities. Extra money for higher-end SSDs such as the Intel 520 Series, Sandisk Extreme II, Plextor M5P Xtreme, and Samsung 840 Pro does buy more performance, but the differences in real-world use are slight. Even benchmarks show differences that tend to be limited in typical enthusiast workloads.
The Plextor M5S has a maximum sequential read speed of 520MBps, maximum sequential writes of 390MBps, 4KB random read up to 73,000 IOPS, 4KB random write up to 70,000 IOPS, a 1.5 million hour MTBF—all based on a Marvell controller and packed into a 2.5-inch form factor with a three-year warranty.
For bulk storage, 1TB/platter 5400rpm or 7200rpm hard disks are very affordable. Western Digital Red drives and Seagate's latest Barracuda models all fit the bill. While there are performance differences, for bulk storage it's less of a concern. Check warranty differences—some drives pack only one-year warranties today, some pack longer. Seagate Barracuda is two years, Western Digital Red is three years, and only a few give five-year warranties, such as the Western Digital Black.
Optical drives have been a commodity product for the past few years, and the DVD-RW we choose is no exception. A BD-ROM is also affordable, should Blu-ray be necessary. Heck, even a nice Blu-ray writer such as the Pioneer BDR-208 isn't too expensive.
Case and power supply
Fractal Design Define R4
Seasonic G Series 450W
The Hot Rod has quite a selection of chassis to choose from. The Antec Solo II, Bitfenix Shinobi, Corsair Obsidian 550D and Corsair Carbide 500R are all very good. The somewhat cheaper Corsair Carbide 300R and a few others are also worth looking at. Nanoxia has an impressive pair of cases as well, the Deep Silence 1 and Deep Silence 2, although finding them for sale in the USA is practically impossible.
Most cases aimed at Hot Rod builders pack only a few 5.25-inch exposed bays, maybe an exposed 3.5-inch bay or two, and then a bunch of 3.5-inch bays, plus clearance for video cards up to 11 inches in length or more. As the Hot Rod video card choice often hits 10.5" or even 11", this is a good feature that a previous long-time favorite lacked (the original Antec Solo). A few 120 mm or 140 mm fans keep things cool, although as SilentPCReview and Anandtech find, there are definite differences in layout, construction, cooling, and noise.
With a single CPU, single GPU, single optical drive and single hard disk, the Hot Rod is fairly modest in its chassis needs, and any of the above choices will work more than well enough. We splurge a little with the case, as a good quality chassis not only offers the potential for superior noise control while simultaneously offering superior cooling, but it also ends up being easier to work in, not to mention the aesthetic benefits.
The Fractal Design Define R4 can pack up to seven fans (120 mm and 140 mm), two 5.25-inch bays, and eight 3.5-inch bays, plus USB 3.0 compatible front headers.
The power supply is a bit trickier. Finding an appropriately sized, quiet, high-quality unit is easier now than before, but price changes make keeping track of the best value a bit tough. Additionally, somewhat-reasonably priced 80PLUS Gold units are finally available, bringing a nice efficiency jump over older 80PLUS (regular, Bronze, or Silver) units.
450W is almost the right size for the Hot Rod, and it's at least somewhat closer than the previous 500W+ units available. SilentPCReview's power distribution numbers show that similar systems can probably get by with as little as 300W, although a quick browse for high-efficiency power supplies shows relatively few smaller suitable power supplies available. Plus, they cost almost the same as slightly larger units.
The Seasonic G-series 450W packs more than enough power for the Hot Rod with up to 37A on its +12v rail, two PCI-e 6+2-pin power connectors, very low noise, 80PLUS Gold efficiency, and some of the best voltage regulation on the market. An alternative unit would be the FSP Aurum Gold 400W, although Seasonic has a long history in the Orbiting HQ. If value is the most important thing, the lower-end Corsair CX430 would also work at the expense of some additional noise and slightly lower efficiency.
Those seeking more performance will probably want a higher-end video card, which the power supply of choice should power just fine. However, the truly ambitious aiming for a pair of higher-end video cards in SLI/Crossfire will probably want a bigger power supply such as the Seasonic X-760. The larger Seasonic X-850 and its competition are probably unnecessary unless a pair of overclocked GTX 680s plus a heavily overclocked CPU is being planned. Note that specific power needs of such systems are probably worth more detailed investigation by individual builders.
Monitor
Asus VS248H-P 24-inch LCD
A large selection of potentially suitable 1920×1080 (plus a few 1920×1200) monitors exists for the Hot Rod. Finding ones that actually perform well is a bit trickier, as tons of them are fairly lousy panels with excessive input lag (very bad for gamers), poor response time, lousy contrast ratios, etc. Input lag in particular is rarely discussed in spec sheets and hence finding quality reviews is necessary. Xbitlabs, prad.de, TFTCentral, Digitalversus, Anandtech, and others all do very good reviews, but there are so many monitors on the market that they can only review a tiny fraction of what's available.
On the cheaper side, monitors such as the Asus VS248H-P pack a TN panel with a decent response time and fairly low input lag. The VS248H-P adds an LED backlight for lower power consumption and still manages to look pretty good. The hard numbers are a 1920×1080 resolution on a 24-inch screen, 170/160 degree (horizontal/vertical) viewing angles, 250cd/m^2 brightness, and a 2ms (grey-to-grey) rated response time. Slightly smaller (23.6-inch, 21.5-inch) models also exist in Asus' VS-series and VE-series lineups. The very similar Asus VS247H-P also has low input lag if the VS248H-P is unavailable for some reason.
Also worth a look are monitors that support Lightboost, such as the Asus VG248QE and its 27-inch counterparts, the VG278H. TFTCentral gives a detailed analysis of its benefits for gaming, and serious gamers may find such monitors are worth the extra money.
Hot Rod builders with more money to burn or who need a nicer monitor, perhaps for color-sensitive work, have several choices. For those who merely want a bigger monitor, the Asus VG27AH is a 27-inch IPS 3D-capable panel that is supposedly quite good, although we have limited exposure to it in the Orbiting HQ. We also like the slightly cheaper Asus VE278Q. Note that both of these monitors offer the same 1920×1080 resolution as the smaller versions, though, so those looking for more screen real estate will be disappointed.
Those more concerned about image quality will want to look at IPS, PLS, or PVA/MVA panel-equipped monitors. They cost somewhat more but tend to lead to better viewing angles and much better color reproduction than TN panels. Check reviews and specs carefully if gaming is a consideration; some have very competitive response times and input lag, but some do not. Solid examples include the Dell U2212HM, Dell U2312HM, HP ZR2240w, and NEC EA232Wmi on the more affordable side. The slightly larger Dell U2412M and HP ZR2440w 24-inch ones offer a few more pixels (1920×1200 vs. 1920×1080) but also cost more. Plenty of others also exist, including Asus' excellent PA248Q. For even more pixels, 2560×1440 27-inch monitors such as the HP ZR2740w and Dell U2713HM are excellent, but they're much too pricey for the average Hot Rod builder.
Also worth mentioning is the availability of affordable 27-inch high-resolution IPS displays from smaller Korean brands; Tech Report has an excellent breakdown on them. Monoprice also carries one with its own in-house label at a very affordable price. For massive 2560×1440 pixels at the price of a nice 1920×1200 monitor, they have attracted more than a few enthusiasts despite their drawbacks.
Mouse, keyboard, and speakers
Logitech Z323 2.1 speakers
Microsoft Keyboard 200
Logitech G500
Computer speakers have sucked for years, and the recent past has been no exception. Somewhat more serious money buys the Swan M200MkIII, Audioengine A5+, M-Audio AV40, or M-Audio BX8a, but all of those are too much money to be the de facto recommendation in the Hot Rod. The cheaper, smaller Audioengine A2 might work, but it's also still a little pricey. The one computer speaker worth serious mention is the Corsair SP2500, but again, it fails the value measurement.
This leaves the Hot Rod in a less than desirable area. The Logitech Z323 2.1 speaker setup does the job well enough, but only just so. 30W RMS total power and a 55Hz-20kHz frequency response reflect their modest capabilities. For higher quality sound on a restricted budget, we might recommend some nice headphones instead.
Keyboards are an intensely personal choice; we have no strong preference for the Microsoft Keyboard 200, but it does the job well. Serious gamers will want to pay attention to N-key rollover, mechanical key switches, and other features, but breaking things down too far beyond this is beyond the scope of the guide. Logitech, Corsair, steelseries, Razer, and Microsoft all make a large variety of keyboards to choose from.
The mouse situation is similar, but recommendations are at least easier to make. Logitech's G500 is very well-regarded and very capable, and it's a good value for the money. The newer G400s also look solid, but it's so new it has yet to prove itself the way the G500 has. More basic units also exist, plus a few ambidextrous models. Logitech, Microsoft, Razer, and others all make plenty of other mice to choose from should the G500 be unsatisfactory.
Up next: The God Box...
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