Building a good stable rig to last the next 4 years.

[gamefreakgcb]

Hey all! My current rig is a C2D E6600 on an ASUS P5W-DH with an OCZ modular PSU in a Lian Li PC-60B case. I built it late 2006 (almost 4 years ago) and it has served me well. But now I'm interested in a Micro ATX build and am going to give my current computer to a non-profit organization for some office work (it still works good), and I now want to assemble a machine that is power-efficient and has a small footprint, hence the micro ATX form factor.

I have eyes on the Lian Li Pc-V354B microATX case, and the components I want to install and forget are the motherboard, cpu, cooler (Corsair H70 most likely) and the PSU. The only "upgrades" that might happen will be the HDD, Graphics (currently on the way is a Gigabyte HD 4550 card) and RAM.

Cost wise I want to stay under $500 all told (case, mobo, cpu, ram, psu. I'll scrounge around for the rest). My usage is mostly web-browsing, frequent mp3 playback, viewing HD videos online and document work. Thats it. No gaming. No BD playback. Maybe once in a while some audio/video conversion but that would be once in a blue moon. The main thing is that I want my new build to last as much as the last one did, that is atleast 3-4 years. The Core i5 looks best for that I guess, but I just wanted some input regarding this because I just started reading about the mobo/cpu after being on hiatus for about 4 years. Is intel the best way to go? Is AMD a good choice? The C2D lured me away from AMD but I have no idea whats good power-consuption/performance wise. Thanks in advance for any help. I will also be looking around online and I'll post relevent info/questions here.

 

[LoneNinja]

If you can wait until January Intel's next generation Sandy Bridge will release at the same price points of current I3/I5/I7 chips. You'll see better performance and lower power consumption.

Otherwise I would say the current I3 processors are the most energy efficient excluding low power/low performance options like Atom.

 

[exar333]

You bought a great time back in 2006 when dual-core was still relatively new, and C2D was out. I would say you really are going to want a quad-core processor with 6 or 8GB of RAM. To be honest, either AMD or Intel would be fine (i5 or Ph II). You should be set for the near future with this setup.

Something like this maybe:
Case: $100
CPU: $150
RAM: $100
MB: $100
PSU: $50

 

[gamefreakgcb]

You bought a great time back in 2006 when dual-core was still relatively new, and C2D was out. I would say you really are going to want a quad-core processor with 6 or 8GB of RAM. To be honest, either AMD or Intel would be fine (i5 or Ph II). You should be set for the near future with this setup.

Something like this maybe:
Case: $100
CPU: $150
RAM: $100
MB: $100
PSU: $50

The case is like $150, RAM 4GB kit is $75 (I can buy another 4GB kit later), Some microATX intel motherboards are $100 and the H70 is like $80. Now the question is whether I should get a top range i3 or low to mid range i5?

 

[gamefreakgcb]

On a side not, I've got THIS board for very cheap, think I should just get something in this to go till Feb-March? A loaner if you will, I have a vid card, probably shop for PSU now, But then I'll have another mid tower system, and I really would like to have a microATX system.

 

[exar333]

The case is like $150, RAM 4GB kit is $75 (I can buy another 4GB kit later), Some microATX intel motherboards are $100 and the H70 is like $80. Now the question is whether I should get a top range i3 or low to mid range i5?

If you are by a Microcenter, they usually have great i5/i7 deals (<$200). I would say go for a decent i5 and call it a day. You will be happier for longer with the extra processing power.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

If you are by a Microcenter, they usually have great i5/i7 deals (<$200). I would say go for a decent i5 and call it a day. You will be happier for longer with the extra processing power.

Yup, close to MC (14 Miles). But I know what you mean. It just completely skipped my mind. I'll see what they have for BF this time.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Er, where can I find the combo deals on microcenter's website?

 

[betasub]

Try in-store, some deals are B&M only.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Try in-store, some deals are B&M only.

But you can atleast see the B&M deals online. I see many deals that say pick up only. But nowhere can I find a combo deal.

Edit: How is This deal? I can get rid of the case/psu. Doable?

 

[TemjinGold]

OP: Honestly for your usage, I would ditch the H70 and just go with the stock cooler. If you can wait for Sandy, the IGP on it will be more than enough, meaning you won't need to pick up the 4550. That will save you a good chunk of cash since you have a tight budget. I'd put that money towards like a good quality low wattage Seasonic PSU or something. Or if you already budgeted for that, a nice SSD even for a boot drive.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

OP: Honestly for your usage, I would ditch the H70 and just go with the stock cooler. If you can wait for Sandy, the IGP on it will be more than enough, meaning you won't need to pick up the 4550. That will save you a good chunk of cash since you have a tight budget. I'd put that money towards like a good quality low wattage Seasonic PSU or something. Or if you already budgeted for that, a nice SSD even for a boot drive.

I'm getting the 4550 for $11 shipped.

 

[Brutus04]

Great deals at MC. I picked up an i5 650 for $139 and I'm lovin' it!

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Great deals at MC. I picked up an i5 650 for $139 and I'm lovin' it!

combo or just the proc?

 

[fffblackmage]

Why not just pay $30 more and get the i5-760 quad core?

$140 seems ridiculously expensive for a dual core nowadays.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Why not just pay $30 more and get the i5-760 quad core?

$140 seems ridiculously expensive for a dual core nowadays.

Thats what I was debating, but, isn't the heat output more than the dual core?

 

[exar333]

Thats what I was debating, but, isn't the heat output more than the dual core?

Sure, but not close to 2x. You get twice the cores for a little more power usage. Go for the quad.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

Sure, but not close to 2x. You get twice the cores for a little more power usage. Go for the quad.

My current wish is to go microATX or miniITX with the new build, and I'll have space constraints so I can't go all out in the cooling department. Power wise I'm getting the OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550 Modular PSU. So I have to watch the heat build up.

 

[betasub]

^ It's a valid concern if you are likely to have the CPU under heavy load continuously, but if the system is at idle or low load, the efficient power-saving modes mean no additional cooling is required.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

^ It's a valid concern if you are likely to have the CPU under heavy load continuously, but if the system is at idle or low load, the efficient power-saving modes mean no additional cooling is required.

Oh heavy loads will be a rare thing (only I can manage that), my family will see no heavy usage. So are the stock coolers nowadays enough? Back in the day you'd need an aftermarket cooler on the list of "must buy".

 

[TemjinGold]

OP: For your use, the stock coolers are more than enough. There's no need to waste money on extra cooling. Get a quad on stock, you'll be fine.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

OP: For your use, the stock coolers are more than enough. There's no need to waste money on extra cooling. Get a quad on stock, you'll be fine.

Cool. the i5 760 is $169 at microcenter. is the Intel Trusted Execution Technology something good? No built in graphics also.

 

[grimpr]

You better get a cooler for that i5 760, you dont want to miss the Turbo function, the lower heat pressure on the motherboard and the massive drops on heat and noise. One of the first choises is the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus. Its totally worth it.

 

[gamefreakgcb]

You better get a cooler for that i5 760, you dont want to miss the Turbo function, the lower heat pressure on the motherboard and the massive drops on heat and noise. One of the first choises is the Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus. Its totally worth it.

Will it fit a microATX/miniITX case?

 

[grimpr]

Oops, typical rush, i didnt read your original post. No its a tower cooler and isnt perfectly suited for those small but excellent LiLi cases. A Scythe Shuriken is more likely to it.