I not-so-recently did my first overclocked build using an Intel Conroe, so I am not a "complete" newbie, but I am completely unfamiliar with Intel's Sandy Bridge. Also, I am not a gamer and GPUs have always been my "weak point".
I am trying to help a friend build HIS first rig. He is not going to do any gaming and probably not any overclocking either, but does want to run some occasional CPU-intensive simulations for his doctorate work. This will not be the primary purpose of the machine, so while good CPU power is needed, it probably doesn't justify a top-of-the-line CPU. I am leaning towards the i5-2500.
I already have all the components selected, but I am very confused about the built-in graphics on Sandy Bridge. From what I have read, I can take an H67 or Z68 MoBo and take advantage of the i5's built-in graphics, so I would NOT need a separate video card. Is this correct? From everything I have read this seems to be the case, but I have yet to see any configuration anywhere that does NOT use a separate GPU, so I fear I may be missing something. Even Anadtech's "lower end" Sandy Bridge buying guide includes a separate video card.
So, can I do a build with an i5-2500, H67 or Z68 MoBo, and NO video card? If so, what are the disadvantages of doing this? My fiend is not a gamer, but I also don't want him to end up with bad graphics that will be unable to run anything 6 months from now. If I do end up using built-in graphics, is the upgrade to the i5-2500K (and therefore HD 3000 graphics) worth the upgrade in this case?
Any help will be appreciated!
I am trying to help a friend build HIS first rig. He is not going to do any gaming and probably not any overclocking either, but does want to run some occasional CPU-intensive simulations for his doctorate work. This will not be the primary purpose of the machine, so while good CPU power is needed, it probably doesn't justify a top-of-the-line CPU. I am leaning towards the i5-2500.
I already have all the components selected, but I am very confused about the built-in graphics on Sandy Bridge. From what I have read, I can take an H67 or Z68 MoBo and take advantage of the i5's built-in graphics, so I would NOT need a separate video card. Is this correct? From everything I have read this seems to be the case, but I have yet to see any configuration anywhere that does NOT use a separate GPU, so I fear I may be missing something. Even Anadtech's "lower end" Sandy Bridge buying guide includes a separate video card.
So, can I do a build with an i5-2500, H67 or Z68 MoBo, and NO video card? If so, what are the disadvantages of doing this? My fiend is not a gamer, but I also don't want him to end up with bad graphics that will be unable to run anything 6 months from now. If I do end up using built-in graphics, is the upgrade to the i5-2500K (and therefore HD 3000 graphics) worth the upgrade in this case?
Any help will be appreciated!