Optimize your SFF XP build for peak performance.
Optimize your SFF XP build for peak performance.
Hello, welcome to my first project. It's still in its early stages, but my focus is on creating a solid Windows XP setup. The key requirement is using a Dell Optiplex 780 (or any 700 series SFF), which can only fit Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX form factors—not full-size ATX. After gathering some information over the past few days, here are my thoughts: I plan to use an i7-4790k with 32 GB RAM (decision pending), an ASUS ROG Maximus VII Impact (Mini-ITX), an ASUS ROG Maximus VII GENE (Micro-ATX), and a GTX 780Ti. My main concerns are whether these components will work reliably on XP, if there are any overlooked better options, and what GPU setup would be best. I’m considering a 2x GTX Titan X in SLI for overkill performance. The motherboard choice is important—I prefer Mini-ITX but may need Micro-ATX if I go with the SLI configuration. I also have several other boards on my list, like MSI Z97I Gaming ACK and Asrock Fatal1ty Z97M Killer. It’s unclear what the main factors are when picking a board since they all seem similar in specs and memory support. Thanks for your assistance!
I'm sure you won't see all the features of those boards running on Windows XP. They should start up and boot into XP, but you won't find any XP drivers available for them. I haven't been able to locate any on ASUS, MSI, or Asrock sites. The standard Windows versions might work for networking and sound, though not fully. There are XP drivers for the 780Ti, though.