Another Build Critique

[bthackne]

1. This PC will be used for general purpose. Lots of basic process, e-mail, itunes, web, aim, very little gaming. Likesto have everything open at once. Very large music/video collection.

2. Budget of $900-$1000. Cheaper is always better!
3. Will be buying in USA

4. No Brand preference.

5. Will be using 19" Acer LCD and a multimedia mouse.

6. Have read many threads.

7. Do not plan on overclocking because the build is for a friend.

Here is my planned build for my roommate who has been running a garbage IBM laptop that now takes 30 minutes to boot up.

CASE
NZXT Apollo ORANGE NP Orange SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16811146027
$55

PSU
Thermaltake W0093RU ATX 12V 2.0 Version 500W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, CUL, TUV, FCC, and CB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817153028
$50

HDD
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16822148136R
$100

Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115028
$280


MOBO
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131196
$150

GPU
EVGA 256-P2-N755-TR GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130091
$100

RAM
Patriot Extreme Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820220161
$116

DVD
LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106049
$27

Keyboard
Logitech 920-000021 Black 103 Normal Keys 11 Function Keys USB Standard Access Keyboard 600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16823126028
$27

Total - $905

1. Am I going overkill anywhere? I know the processor might be overkill.

2. Will everything be compatible, specifically mobo-ram?

3. Will I have enough power?

4. Any suggestions for changing the build at all? (besides the case, I couldn't talk him out of that)

 

[videogames101]

1. Change this (EDIT: the proccessor, that is) to a Q6600, better performance in the long term, ESpecially for having everything open at once, as it's a quad-core and also the same price, or less then the 6850.

2.RAM should be fine

3.Yes, but i would check this out http://www.buy.com/prod/corsai...loc/101/203270716.html

$50 more, but it's modular and is just a great PSU

4.The video card is just so weak :brokenheart: if this is a gaming rig, it needs to be upgraded (EDIT: just read that it's not, the video card should be fine then)

 

[bob4432]

for what you need i would get the slowest, current gen setup, this will still be overpowered for what you need.

honestly, my old amd xp2000 machine w/ 2GB of pc3200 could handle the tasks you need, so you are very safe, except in the gpu dept, the 8600 is a piece of sh!t card

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

I know most of you guys game non-stop, but if this rig is just for everyday use, I *strongly* suggest integrated video. If he ever wants to upgrade, he can always do so, but in the mean time you can save him some serious cash. Also, as long as he's not engaging in complex video editing or other CPU-intensive tasks on a regular basis, you should be able to cut the budget down a whole lot. I bet he'd be very pleased if you told him you could get him a great setup for $600 or less.

Now, on to the specifics:

CASE: That NZXT is incredibly gaudy. I'd stick to something simple and small, with no doors hindering access to optical drives or front ports. This Foxconn case ($56/$51AR) is what I plan to buy on my next build, and I think it'd be perfect for your friend, too. It's small, durable, inexpensive, and includes a power supply you can either hang onto as a spare or sell on Ebay for a few bucks. I feel a bit strange suggesting it, since I would *never* buy a Foxconn motherboard, but they have a very good reputation when it comes to cases. However, it only accommodates mATX and smaller motherboards, so if you get a full-length ATX board you'll need a larger case, too. I would then suggest the Raidmax Apex case ($66).

PSU: Assuming nothing's on sale at Fry's, I'd go for the FSP Group ATX400-PA ($44). It's cheap but reliable, and powerful enough to run a multi-core CPU and mid-range video card.

HARD DISK: Seagates are nice in part for their extended 5-year warranties, but their performance is too hit-or-miss for my taste. I'd go for a nice Western Digital drive like this ($115). Whatever you get, though, I would definitely avoid any "open box" items when it comes to the hard disk.

PROCESSOR: Remember that this isn't supposed to be a power-house. If all he's doing is managing media and browsing the net, then something in the budget sector will be plenty, even for the next several years. I suggest the Core 2 Duo E4400 ($126). It's fast (even at stock), highly overclockable (your friend may decide to push it past stock down the road, if not immediately), and very inexpensive. While it's no quad-core, does your friend really need to spend the extra money on one?

MOTHERBOARD: Something like the Gigabyte GA-945GC-S2 ($66) should be great. It's inexpensive, reliable, supports overclocking and has integrated video. Even if you get a dedicated video card, I'd still suggest this board. However, if he needs the features of a full-sized ATX board (I can't imagine why), I'd go for the Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L ($81).

VIDEO CARD: Like I said, unless this friend of yours already is a gamer, or needs some kind of special video function (e.g. a TV-out or dual displays), integrated video is your best option. Someone below mentioned that a good video card is "essential" for any system, but this is simply not the case. Integrated video is perfectly fine for watching videos on one's computer; it just lags behind when running games (there are a very few exceptions to this, of course, but none I think would matter). However, if you get a non-integrated board, or need a TV-out port, or something else which requires a dedicated video card, I suggest this Biostar 7300LE ($37). I like that particular model in part because it includes an s-video-to-RCA adapter, which is extremely handy for TV connections, yet costs a fair bit if you have to buy one from RadioShack. With its active cooler attached, I bet you could overclock it, too (it includes a software tool for doing just that). Also, I myself have a Biostar 6200TC, and it works like a champ, so I'm inclined to trust another Biostar video card. Something like the 8600GT you picked out would be great if you're a gamer, but if not it's just a waste of money, in my opinion.

MEMORY: DDR2-1066 is overkill when you can get DDR2-800 for less than half the cost. I suggest Corsair's XMS2 DDR2-800 series ($85/$55AR). I have the DDR2-675 version and I couldn't be happier. Corsair is a reliable manufacturer, and $55 is about as cheap as you can get for 2GB of DDR2-800.

DVD: The Lite-on drive you picked out should be okay, but I think you can do better. I've owned two Lite-on DVD burners in my time, and neither has been particularly reliable (I just had to RMA my last one!). I suggest something from Philips. I just ordered this retail unit ($35), actually, and I suggest the same for your friend. It's a SATA model, which will free up IDE channels in case he needs them (modern systems only have one IDE port for a max of two devices), it's a retail box, which means he gets a legal copy of Nero (freeware burning software sucks eggs), and it even has lightscribe (useless, mostly, but it still may come in handy some day). Also, a few years ago I had to return something directly to Philips, and so I speak from personal experience when I say their RMA process. if one ever needs to go through it, is quick, painless and quite satisfying; in contrast, I've heard some horror stories regarding Lite-on.

KEYBOARD: Something basic should be fine. This Logitech combo w/optical mouse ($21) is what I plan to buy for my Dad's upcoming upgrade.

So, that's what I suggest. Let's take a look at the total cost...

For mini-tower w/mATX board & integrated video: $548/$513AR
For mid-tower w/ATX board & dedicated video: $610/$580AR

Any way you cut it, my suggestions above are at least $295 cheaper than the components in the OP, and I don't think you included shipping in your prices (whereas I did). Go to your friend and ask him this: Would you rather have a fast, feature-rich and future-proof system for $610 flat, or a somewhat faster system for $905 plus shipping? As long as you don't underrate the speed of the former, or overrate that of the faster, I bet he'll go for the cheaper rig in a heartbeat.

 

[bladder23]

I would actually even upgrade the card to a 8600GTS if I were you.

Although he doesnt game, good video is essential to a system.

Does he have kids that might evolve into gaming whores? Does he plan on watching HD? Will he be another monitor?
And remember that certain games have the potential to turn non-gamers into addicts

I STRONGLY dont recommend integrated.

He could get pretty angry that he payed almost a grand to get 20fps in counter-strike

...otherwise, an excellent well-balanced build

edit: get a q6600

 

[jkresh]

definitely go with the q6600 for that usage if you want to spend close to $300 for a cpu, otherwise you could go cheaper. Also if he has a large music/video collection then he should have a second drive (internal or external) for backup and should run weekly backups of everything he cant easily redownload (if he does any home video work then its really important to make backups).

 

[DJCrunkMix]

I think we should go for Q6600 (more future proof) and he can always overclock in if he needs to in the future.

- Neil

 

[bthackne]

OK guys I think you have me convinced to get the Q6600. The 8600 may be a garbage card, but it will be great for his purposes. I will NOT go w/ integrated video as I at least want vista to look pretty for this guy.
Any other input?

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: bthackne
OK guys I think you have me convinced to get the Q6600. The 8600 may be a garbage card, but it will be great for his purposes. I will NOT go w/ integrated video as I at least want vista to look pretty for this guy.
Any other input?

I edited in a few other suggestions in my post above.