Build Advice I've Got the itch (for something new) What to do?

I've been prowling the web for about a month shopping for a new case to base my next build off of. I have been looking for something innovative, fresh and different but while there are a few new ideas out there since my current build was built in 2013. Nothing really excites me.... so the quest continues.

I really like the side profile layout with internals visible and all drives, i/o ports and switches facing you, but like the current rig I'd have to go custom for that. Other than a few test rigs and wall-mount rigs like the Thermal Take Core P3/P5, there isn't much of interest.

Where is the innovation in case design, I love how things are standardized, but a little more modular-ability would be fun. Maybe a remote back plate, or case with more compartmentalized lay out separating various components in a more aesthetically pleasing design than the Deepcool Tristellar.

My current rig in a Silverstone FT02 can be found below and while I don't think I ever finished the thread, the system has served me well since it finally came together in late 2013.

https://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=261815

Fast forward to today and this watercooled Z77, i7-2600K based system has gotten a little long in the tooth. While it was built for gaming and some mild video editing, I haven't played a game in over a year and the video editing has increased, but most days this former beasts of a system is relegated to browsing the web and keeping track financials.

My dilemma is what to do next...I've had the itch to build something new for the last month, I promised my wife I wouldn't start a build until 2018... With the eminent release of X299 I'm more inclined to wait to see what the new chip-set will offer, but can't stop wanting to modify my current rig. I even bid on eBay for a second Hydro 680GTX thinking adding a second in SLI might serve as a stop gap. (stay tuned here)

If I were to do something now, in addition to being placed in the dog house; I would have to settle for a less advanced system and would probably be forced to do an aircooled Z270 with a i7-7600. While nothing to sneeze at, for the first time in my life I have the resources to actually buy the latest and greatest (x299) if I can muster the patience to wait a few more months.

Any thoughts on my maybe reworking the existing rig by upgrading to a slightly newer board and chip with addition of a second 680GTX in SLI, or would I be better to do a new board, CPU and a lessor GPU (possibly a 1060) in a smaller form factor... for some reason I am intrigued about building a compact ITX system that would be faster than what I have now. Ultimately I know I should hold out for X299, but fear like the X99 we will be looking at a stratospheric price tag for a new system once it is released.

 

Go SFF! Options have never been better than they are now for building really tiny systems that do not compromise on performance. You have the Ncase M1, Dan A4, Zaber Sentry, Louqe Ghost, Fractal Node 202, etc as pretty damn small self-contained systems that can take full-length GPUs, and if you want to go even smaller there are cases like the NFC S4, CustomMOD Nano, Catz C1, Lone L4, etc that use short or even half-hieght GPUs along with DC-DC PSUs and external PSUs, that end up being as small or smaller than a lot of proprietary pre-built machines.

 

There's never been a better time to go SFF. There are more options than ever before to pack full-fat hardware into tiny little enclosures, so join us! As Edzieba says, there are tons of top-quality mITX cases out there now, and the majority of them are absolutely gorgeous. One thing I would add, though, is that a few of the cases listed above are either still at the funding stage or are of limited availability, so you might need to be prepared to wait to get your hands on some of them. Worth the wait, though

 

Buying a second GPU is a waste of money and time. In all of the modern titles it won't work, and when it does it will come with all of the problems of a multi GPU rig.

AFAIK the water block you have should go straight onto a modern Intel socket (not X99 but 11xx) so I personally would either leave the CPU alone ('cause the 2600k is still a very good CPU) and just upgrade to a single water cooled GPU. It's very easy to find cards like the 780 with a block on for peanuts now, or you could go something more serious like a 1070/980ti or what not.

So yeah, long story short just add a better GPU to the loop. Nice rig, BTW.

 

Thanks for the insight, move to appropriate forum and insight on the smaller form factors. I have been eyeing some of the higher end ITX cases and with Zotac releasing a mini 1080GTX I've been intrigued by the possibilities.

Case wise, I do love the layout and shape of the FTo2 I am using and have played around with reusing it and doing some custom mods; ie replicating the curved aluminum panels front and back and ditching the 5.25 drive bays in front and making custom grill. However with so many options on the market, I could probably buy a cheap case and reuse the frame and make a custom aluminum exterior for less money. Creative ideas have never been my problem, execution however has been.

The good part for me is I am not in a hurry and my current rig is serving me well. I do want my next rig to be something special so hope the ideas will still flow.

Does anyone have experience with the RAIJINTEK cases? I'm looking at some of those as maybe a starting point for a build. Maybe buy two Styx or Thetis and combine parts to get a really custom looking rig.... for under $100 each it might be an interesting starting point.