Looking for new MB/CPU for office system

[dminimal]

I have a DIY office system I've upgraded piecemeal as the need arose. Currently I'm having problems whenever I have to shut down the computer (it's fine as long as it's on, even in standby). I suspect the motherboard or CPU, which I bought used, and I'm looking to replace them. As my budget is very limited, I want to change out as little else as possible.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Web development work: I usually have a few editing programs (both text and images) and a ton of browser tabs open, along with a music player or two, etc. I keep everything open as long as I can.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

Around $200.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

USA.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference.

I've used AMD for a long time, but would be happy to switch to Intel if it makes more sense for my price range and intended usage.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

I have an 8GB Samsung DDR3-1600 kit (2×4GB, MV-3V4G3). The storage side of the system is nearly new: Crucial MX100 and WD GreenPower drives. If possible I'd like to keep using the Seasonic SS-380GB power supply. I realize I'll probably need to get a new optical drive, as the current ones are IDE, not SATA.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

If it's a quick, one-time thing, I'd overclock, but I don't particularly want to bother with it.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

I'm using a couple of older monitors: 1600 by 1200 and 1280 by 1024.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

As soon as possible.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

Hopefully not. I'm running Windows 8.1 64-bit.

Thanks for any useful advice!

 

[lehtv]

For $200, definitely grab an i3. The other option is going a bit over budget with an i5-4460, but I don't see how that would matter enough to be worth it.

i3-4160 + Gigabyte B85M-DS3H $164 ($154 after rebate) @ newegg
Samsung DVD-RW $13 AP @ newegg (promo ends today)
= $167 AR AP

 

[dminimal]

Thanks for the recommendation and deal links, lehtv. The reviews are rough on that motherboard… I'd rather spend a little more now if it would save me trouble or last longer. I'm trying to get up to speed on the current chipsets — any good overviews out there? I'm not having a lot of success searching.

I am wondering if I've been too quick to assume the power supply is good.… That would break the budget.

 

[lehtv]

The reviews are rough on that motherboard… I'd rather spend a little more now if it would save me trouble or last longer.

Hmm. Although user reviews do give some glimpse of indication of the chance that you receive a dud, it's still going to be a very low chance - the people who receive a DOA product are more inclined to review it. (Giving 1/5 to a DOA is just stupid though - it's not a real rating, it just means "I got unlucky"). You'll most likely receive a board that works just fine.

Alternatives:
Gigabyte B85M-Gaming 3 $48 AP ($38 AR) shipped (if you only need two DIMM slots; 2x8GB RAM upgrade is still viable)
Gigabyte B85M-D3H $75
Gigabyte H97-D3H $90 (if you want to have ATX size with a more complete layout of slots and connectors)

I'm trying to get up to speed on the current chipsets — any good overviews out there? I'm not having a lot of success searching.

There's not actually much difference between LGA1150 chipsets for everyday use. I would buy B85, as it has four DIMM slots. The features in H97 and Z97 simply aren't needed.

I am wondering if I've been too quick to assume the power supply is good.… That would break the budget.

How old is it ?

 

[dminimal]

Hmm. Although user reviews do give some glimpse of indication of the chance that you receive a dud, it's still going to be a very low chance - the people who receive a DOA product are more inclined to review it. (Giving 1/5 to a DOA is just stupid though - it's not a real rating, it just means "I got unlucky"). You'll most likely receive a board that works just fine.

OK, fair point. Thanks for the other links. Gigabyte fan?

There's not actually much difference between LGA1150 chipsets for everyday use. I would buy B85, as it has four DIMM slots. The features in H97 and Z97 simply aren't needed.

Yup, I want four slots for RAM. Seems the main difference that could affect me is in the USB port mix, but it's probably not a significant factor.

How old is it ?

Umm… uhh… evidently I bought it in 2006. Though this one might be a warranty replacement I got a couple of years later.

When I started looking through the motherboard specifications, I realized it may need to be replaced anyway because it has the older 4-pin 12V supply for the motherboard. However, I've also realized I might be able to poach a newer PSU from a project that's been shelved.

 

[lehtv]

OK, fair point. Thanks for the other links. Gigabyte fan?

I've never even owned a Gigabyte board. I just find their LGA1150 boards nicely balanced with price and features

Umm… uhh… evidently I bought it in 2006. Though this one might be a warranty replacement I got a couple of years later.

When I started looking through the motherboard specifications, I realized it may need to be replaced anyway because it has the older 4-pin 12V supply for the motherboard. However, I've also realized I might be able to poach a newer PSU from a project that's been shelved.

You mean the CPU power cable? Hmmmm. I'm not sure if this is enough of a reason alone to get a new unit. You can still use a 4-pin cable in an 8-pin header - there are adapters for that sort of thing. But given the age of the unit, it would be fine to replace it as well 😕

If you get the originally suggested parts, you still have $33 left for a PSU: Antec EA-380D Green $33 AR shipped

 

[mfenn]

You mean the CPU power cable? Hmmmm. I'm not sure if this is enough of a reason alone to get a new unit. You can still use a 4-pin cable in an 8-pin header - there are adapters for that sort of thing. But given the age of the unit, it would be fine to replace it as well 😕

You can also just plug the 4-pin plug into one side of the 8-pin socket. It's keyed so that it will only fit in a single orientation. An i3 has a low enough power draw that a 4-pin has plenty of current capacity.

 

[dminimal]

You mean the CPU power cable? Hmmmm. I'm not sure if this is enough of a reason alone to get a new unit. You can still use a 4-pin cable in an 8-pin header - there are adapters for that sort of thing. But given the age of the unit, it would be fine to replace it as well 😕

If you get the originally suggested parts, you still have $33 left for a PSU: Antec EA-380D Green $33 AR shipped

Hah, that's awesome — the power supply from the shelved project is that Antec!

It's good to know about the adapter option too. I think it's probably not the PSU's fault, since the system is totally stable while running (the problems happen mid-boot). But I could be wrong.

You can also just plug the 4-pin plug into one side of the 8-pin socket. It's keyed so that it will only fit in a single orientation. An i3 has a low enough power draw that a 4-pin has plenty of current capacity.

Also good to know. Thanks, guys.

 

[lehtv]

You can also just plug the 4-pin plug into one side of the 8-pin socket. It's keyed so that it will only fit in a single orientation. An i3 has a low enough power draw that a 4-pin has plenty of current capacity.

Oh yeah you're right, I actually did that once and had no problems... even though the CPU was i7-920.

 

[piasabird]

Some people report problems with "green" hard drives. They had problems with them in a raid setup. Don't know personally. It had something with them going into extreme low power states and not waking up while in RAID. There may be different modes they run in that you can set.

I have a gigabyte GA-Z87N-WIFI and it runs great. I saw people complaining about the Z97N-WIFI board. It had to do with the vertical wireless card slot and the wireless card not working with the Intel Drivers. To take the card out you had to remove a screw on the bottom of the motherboard. i.e. to accomplish this they had to remove the motherboard from the case. It might have just been the wireless card had issues.

Once or twice I noticed an issue which caused my system to crash but I have not noticed that happening again in about a year. I use wireless 802.11 ac to connect to the wireless 802.11 n router on my network so that may have something to do with it. Of course it might be the buggy IE Browser also.

I put an i3 4330 with the 4600 HD IGP and 4 megs of cache. I used the i3 mainly because it had more cache and better graphics and less watts and heat. This processor is a bit dated and there may be faster versions for around the same price. When I purchased it there was a sale and it cost about $125. It probably still is selling for around $139.

A 3 meg cache version of an i3 might sell for a little less and work just fine. I think if you look at benchmarks there is very little improvement overall. It only had slightly better graphics. I only use mine for some older games and watching videos. I used the Intel CPU cooler with the retail CPU package and turned the power supply upside down to suck out hot air.

 

[Charlie98]

Alternatives:
Gigabyte B85M-Gaming 3 $48 AP ($38 AR) shipped (if you only need two DIMM slots; 2x8GB RAM upgrade is still viable)
Gigabyte B85M-D3H $75
Gigabyte H97-D3H $90 (if you want to have ATX size with a more complete layout of slots and connectors)

I have the older version of the B85M-D3H board in my HTPC (1155 socket, B75M-D3H) and it's a fine board, has 4 RAM slots, and, more importantly for my HTPC, a USB3.0 header to go with the USB3 case ports. Depending on how old the OP's case is, he may not have that need.

As far as Gigabyte boards, I like them and spec them whenever I can, ASRock being the backup or when absolute budget must be considered.

 

[dminimal]

Some people report problems with "green" hard drives. They had problems with them in a raid setup. Don't know personally. It had something with them going into extreme low power states and not waking up while in RAID. There may be different modes they run in that you can set.

Thanks for the tip. While I have two WD Greenpower drives, they aren't in a RAID array — one is a backup drive in an external enclosure.

 

[dminimal]

I finally placed my orders yesterday. I went with the i3-4160 CPU and, after much deliberation, picked the Gigabyte G1.Sniper H6 motherboard. The enhanced (if the marketing is to be believed) audio features on that line of boards caught my attention, as I'm a wannabe audiophile. Though I can't afford to put much into audio equipment at the moment, spending a little extra on a motherboard seemed worth it. I was looking at the B85 version, but just before ordering found that the H97 version is actually cheaper right now — Newegg has it discounted to $95.

I did end up a little over budget, but close enough. I think I won't have to replace my DVD drive at the moment; I was chatting with a friend who reminded me about SATA adapters, and I happen to have one on the shelf. I appreciate you guys' advice!

 

[mfenn]

Let us know how the build goes and be sure to post here if you run into any problems! 🙂

 

[lehtv]

I finally placed my orders yesterday. I went with the i3-4160 CPU and, after much deliberation, picked the Gigabyte G1.Sniper H6 motherboard.

Under $100 for a H97 board with high end integrated audio is definitely worth it, great pick IMO