Intel Core i3 Build help

[MR1]

Please help me verify my parts look good and compatible. Thanks!

The PC will be for general use. Watching online vids (hulu, netflix), midlevel gaming (Civ IV & V, GTA4, World in Conflict), productivity (Microsoft Office suite), dvd rip viewing, some video editing (After Effects, Premiere Pro)

Budget is between $500-$550 and I intend to buy parts from NewEgg

I have these parts already: Radeon 4670 vid card, sata Seagate harddrive, pata Sony dvd drive, Win7 OS. I don't intend to overclock.

- - -

Here are the parts I've chosen:

Antec Two Hundred Black ATX Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129070

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX 12V2.2 Modular
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371016

G.Skil 4GB (2x2GB)240 pin DDR3 1333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231190

Asus P7H55D-M EVO LGA 1156
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131625

Intel Core i3-530 2.93 Ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115222


I'm particularly wondering if the Power Supply is too much and if I'd be safe going with something in the 400-499 Watt range.

Thanks for the help

 

[MisterDonut]

Haha no way you're going to be able to run those games on IGP. Since you want to play GTA IV, it's a pretty CPU heavy game, so a quad would run it much better than a dual.

Cheapest setup for a quad core I can think of is

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-402-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-706-_-Product

+ everything else you listed. I'd go with the Antec 300 over the Antec 200 though. The motherboard leaves you the option of CFX if you need a boost in graphics. Or you can pick up a cheap 5770 and CFX that down the road.

 

[MR1]

Agreed, but I wasn't planning to use the Intel integrated. I was going to use the Radeon 4670 I mentioned. I'm using it to run those games now on a Pentium 4. Sorry, I was probably confusing. I should have said I would like it to be able to handle some newer games like Civ 5, Call of Duty, etc.

Regarding the Antec 300 versus 200. Why do you suggest moving up? I was worried that the Antec 300 would be louder.


Thanks for your reply.

 

[MisterDonut]

I can't say because I've never built out of an Antec 200. I personally think that thing is butt-ugly and couldn't stand that on my desk 24/7 . In terms of noise level, I think they should be pretty close (the 300 is near silent, but my rig is running out of a really superb airflow Antec 900, so it can get pretty loud). But from my experience with the 300, it's roomy, easy to work with, great airflow if you add some intake fans. Otherwise it's still pretty good without, especially if you're not overclocking. If you don't mind shelling out a bit more, you can get the Antec P180 (the ATX mid-tower version), and you probably wouldn't be able to hear a thing. It's a bit more expensive though.

Ahh, yeah, I got a little confused to what GPU you would be running. The setup I listed was at about $420 (hey, hey ). If you wanna shell out about $150 more (puts you at $570), you can get the Sapphire 5770 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-858-_-Product). That's what I would do, but it's all up to you. The DX11 support and CFX capability on the motherboard should keep the rig running for a while . IMO, I wouldn't touch i3. I'd either go for the gold (i5/i7) or go for bang-for-buck parts (AMD).

 

[dualsmp]

A 550w is waay overpowered for an i3, you'll probably never even hit 150w ever. Newegg has a Seasonic 300w 80+ Bronze power supply which is fairly well priced.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-086-_-Product

Edit: Just remember this is OEM and has no power cable. Most everyone has a few lying around, so no biggie for most.

4670's generally don't need a PCI-E 6-pin/8-pin power connector, however if you ever upgrade and need one, some cards will come with an PCI-E adapter cable or you can simply purchase one separately if need be.