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International student building a computer from scratch

W

wahoyaho

Senior member
Hi guys, I'm an international student and I'll be moving to the US for graduate school in August. I'm thinking about buying a new computer from scratch for when I get there, and this is what I have so far.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20892707

Any comments and/or suggestions and advices are welcome. Thanks!
PS: I plan on getting the I5 2400 for ~$157 at MicroCenter when I arrive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
A little bit of everything, little bit of gaming, entertainment (music, videos), work, web, etc

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Trying to keep it as cheap as possible while have acceptable name brand components. Definitely trying to keep it under 1K.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
I'll be in Boston, MA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
No preference, as long as it's trustworthy

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
None

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Light overclock for GPU probably.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
I'm using 22" 1680x1050 right now and haven't really found a reason to get a 1920x1080 monitor yet. Maybe someone can convince me otherwise?

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Next month, August 2011.
 
I'd definitely reccomend getting a 1080p monitor. You'll get several benefits:

  • You can watch 1080p videos on it. 1080p video is everywhere now. Even entirely free on youtube...
  • More desktop space for work.
  • More screen space for gaming.
  • You can keep your 1680*1050 screen and go dual monitor (for even more workspace, or watching video and working 😛)

1080p monitors have been around for a while and their price is pretty stable. If you see yourself getting a 1080p monitor in the next two years, then you might as well get one now. If you wait, they're still going to be as expensive as they are at the moment...

Additionally, your monitor is the one of the three main ways you interact with your computer (monitor, keyboard, mouse). I think it would be the wrong thing to do to scrimp and save on a monitor just for the latest processor..
 
What you have looks fine for a budget build. You can better better bang for your buck in a few areas though:
- The 430CX is sufficient for this build and much less expensive
- The Samsung F3 1TB will perform as well or better than the Hitachi and saves you $5.
- I agree with Tommy that there is really no reason to buy a 1680x1050 monitor at this time. You can get a 23" ASUS 1080P monitor for $155 AR.
 
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