Need help with a $600 non-gaming Build - Please Critique Proposed Build

[Dasda]

Hi guys, I stopped keeping up with all the latest components because I've been busy with school. A family friend has been asking me to build him a desktop to replace his Pentium 3. The $600 limit is just a guide, it can be expanded if needed.

Proposed build so far
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/?sku=236955&kw=asus p8z68

ASUS P8Z68-V LX $126 -- It has VGA, DVI, and HDMI. All sata/usb requirements would be met also.
Intel Core i3-2100 or i3-2120 124.99 or 129.99 ----> Any difference other than the default clock rate? Might as well get the cheaper one and tweak the bios a little 🙂
G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-8GBSR Sniper SE 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1333 CL9-9-9-24 1.5V Memory Kit --- $44
Cooler Master HAF 912 $56 --- I am going to build it and he is probably going to ask me to clean/maintain it all the time. I have pretty big hands and hate working in tight cases so this would do fine as I have one of my own builds in the same case.
Antec Basiq VP 450W PSU $36 ---> I understand the importance of PSUs so definitely wouldn't mind spending more here for a cleaner power supply in the same wattage range. I want to avoid MIR though. Preferred brands here include Corsair, Seasonic, and Antec.
Crucial M4 128gb SSD - $160
ODD --- $20.

Total = $552 before taxes.

Anything I miss? Any conflicting parts?

Thanks a lot guys.

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

Answer: It will be used for mainly browsing the internet, word processing, and some light video editing of home videos.

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

Answer: Under $600 would be perfect but lets say $600-$700?

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

Answer: Canada

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.

Answer: A reputable brand for Mobo (gigabyte or asus preferably). No brand preference for CPU. I myself own a Intel i7-920 build and an AMD 945 build.

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

Answer: Don't need any peripherals. Surprisingly he has been upgrading those as his monitor/keyboard/mice/etc are all pretty new. Also owns a license for Windows 7. I will give him a 500gb hdd for storage. I highly doubt he will ever use that much because his current desktop is 60gb.

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

Answer: Yes

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

Answer: Default... No need to overclock yet. His son is only about 4 so maybe in like 2 years if he wants to turn into a gaming PC.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Answer: For now no gaming. But would like the option to drop in a GPU in 2 years if needed.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Answer: Anytime starting now. Can wait if there is something worth waiting for.


I would love to build it around a i5-2500k just so he has some flexibility in the future as more and more apps fully start utilizing quad cores. Bascically, I want him to have this PC for 5 years at least without it being a drawback to anything his son wants to run. A SSD is probably the right thing to do as well. I can give him a 500gb hdd as storage that I have laying around so a decent size SSD would be fine if it can be fitted in the budget. A 128gb preferably to allow for a Windows 7 install and some maneuvering.

Thanks for any advice you guys can give to get me started. The Mobo is what I really need help with. I haven't kept track of the chipsets so really would appreciate it if you can tell me what fits this situation best. Something with on-board video would do fine for now as there is going to be very little gaming. A HDMI port out would be nice but not necessary as he isn't really going to hook it up to a TV I think but having the option to do so would be nice. If any gaming is done, I will get him to buy a GPU.

 

[Ken g6]

Take [thread=2192841]this build[/thread], remove the GPU and HDD, and you have a $671 2500k build. In the USA, that is.

With taxes, shipping, and general price differences, I just don't know if you can fit a 2500K + 128GB SSD in this build, since they alone add up to about $400. You could get an i3-2120 for about $100 less. It acts like it has 4 cores, although it only has two, but that should be good enough for a lot of software. And surely an i5-2500K or i5-3570K could be found used some time down the road.

 

[Dasda]

Take [thread=2192841]this build[/thread], remove the GPU and HDD, and you have a $671 2500k build. In the USA, that is.

With taxes, shipping, and general price differences, I just don't know if you can fit a 2500K + 128GB SSD in this build, since they alone add up to about $400. You could get an i3-2120 for about $100 less. It acts like it has 4 cores, although it only has two, but that should be good enough for a lot of software. And surely an i5-2500K or i5-3570K could be found used some time down the road.

No i5-2500k will stick because of the quad core. A dual core with hyperthreading isn't really good. I guess the budget has to expand 😀

I really don't want a AsRock mobo. I don't trust them. Asus or Gigabyte would be fine as I've used them both before and neither has failed me.

Sorry I should have mentioned that in brand preference. Will edit it now.

If I absolutely need to cut the budget. I guess we could do a smaller SSD. I really don't think it makes sense not to get a SSD now with prices of them coming low and prices of HDDs being higher than before. Correct?

 

[janas19]

No i5-2500k will stick because of the quad core. A dual core with hyperthreading isn't really good. I guess the budget has to expand 😀

I really don't want a AsRock mobo. I don't trust them. Asus or Gigabyte would be fine as I've used them both before and neither has failed me.

Sorry I should have mentioned that in brand preference. Will edit it now.

Just curious, what specific things make you distrustful of AsRock? Just because you haven't used a brand before, does not mean they are not a good brand.

I'm crapping on your thread though. Sorry 🙁

 

[lehtv]

If the most demanding thing the PC does is light editing of home videos, an i3-2100 would be more than powerful enough. H61 or H67 board, integrated graphics, 8GB DDR3-1333. No need to spend $600 on this.

Intel i3-2120 3.3GHz $117 AP
Intel BOXDH67BLB3 $103 (make sure the monitor has hdmi or dvi)
8GB Mushkin 1333 $42
XFX 450W $30 AR
Fractal Design Core 1000 $40
DVD Writer $20

Only $352 and it's lightyears ahead a PIII. Save the rest for future upgrades. Instead of spending $600 on a PC whose power will largely go to waste, I'd rather tighten the upgrade frequency to something less than 13 years.

Consider also adding Crucial M4 120 GB (which would render the 500GB hdd obsolete so sell it or use it yourself). It's only $160 at the moment, it'll go OOS very quickly.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

If the most demanding thing the PC does is light editing of home videos, an i3-2100 would be more than powerful enough. H61 or H67 board, integrated graphics, 8GB DDR3-1333. No need to spend $600 on this.

Intel i3-2120 3.3GHz $117 AP
Intel BOXDH67BLB3 $103 (make sure the monitor has hdmi or dvi)
8GB Mushkin 1333 $42
XFX 450W $30 AR
Fractal Design Core 1000 $40
DVD Writer $20

Only $352 and it's lightyears ahead a PIII. Save the rest for future upgrades. Instead of spending $600 on a PC whose power will largely go to waste, I'd rather tighten the upgrade frequency to something less than 13 years.

Consider also adding Crucial M4 120 GB (which would render the 500GB hdd obsolete so sell it or use it yourself). It's only $160 at the moment, it'll go OOS very quickly.

+1 also ASRock is highly mentioned here on the forums. More than ASUS or any other mobo maker

 

[lehtv]

+1 also ASRock is highly mentioned here on the forums. More than ASUS or any other mobo maker

Asrock is mentioned mostly because of their affordable yet good quality and feature rich Z68 Pro3 Gen3 and Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 boards. They have stronger competition in the H61/H67 chipset sections.

 

[NTMBK]

If you're not interested in overclocking, consider dropping the CPU down to an i5-2400. You get a cheaper CPU, and don't need to pay for an expensive aftermarket cooler in order to get a good overclock.

 

[Charlie98]

If the most demanding thing the PC does is light editing of home videos, an i3-2100 would be more than powerful enough. H61 or H67 board, integrated graphics, 8GB DDR3-1333. No need to spend $600 on this.

Intel i3-2120 3.3GHz $117 AP
Intel BOXDH67BLB3 $103 (make sure the monitor has hdmi or dvi)
8GB Mushkin 1333 $42
XFX 450W $30 AR
Fractal Design Core 1000 $40
DVD Writer $20

Only $352 and it's lightyears ahead a PIII. Save the rest for future upgrades. Instead of spending $600 on a PC whose power will largely go to waste, I'd rather tighten the upgrade frequency to something less than 13 years.

Consider also adding Crucial M4 120 GB (which would render the 500GB hdd obsolete so sell it or use it yourself). It's only $160 at the moment, it'll go OOS very quickly.

If you think about it... saving $200-300 now and upgrade the CPU/mobo in 3 years when maybe the computer demands may be different. I would think for general computing (as you described) even an i5 2400 is a waste.

...and I would tend to agree, also, to just get a 120GB SSD and skip the HDD (or use the HDD as a backup/image drive.)

 

[lehtv]

Indeed. A $350 rig with $250 CPU/mobo/RAM upgrade reserved for 3 years down the line is going to give a lot better performance over time than a 5-year rig for $600. The SSD is just an extra to that, you can buy it or leave for later.

 

[Dasda]

I think what you guys are saying is making sense. I am currently in class but will whip up a i3-2120 build for you to critique. Sorry for downplaying ASRock, I just have never had a problem with Asus or Gigabye so want to remain loyal when I am treated good.

PS: Is the crucial m4 128gb SSD a good one? Or should I be looking at something else? It is $160 which is fine but Toms has that drive in Tier 3 of their hierarchy chart. I am not sure if that is a good thing.

Thanks

 

[lehtv]

I am currently in class but will whip up a i3-2120 build for you to critique.

We'll see what you come up with, I don't think I can do better than the build I already posted (in terms of price/performance)

PS: Is the crucial m4 128gb SSD a good one? Or should I be looking at something else? It is $160 which is fine but Toms has that drive in Tier 3 of their hierarchy chart. I am not sure if that is a good thing.

Crucial M4 is a very reliable and high performing drive. And that's why it's also quite popular and frequently recommended. Tom's on the other hand is a crappy site. The only alternative I'd suggest is Samsung 830, but it's usually more expensive.

 

[Ken g6]

Where are these tiers of which you speak? The M4 looks pretty good here. (The 830 looks even better.)

I'd aim toward at least a cheap Z68, just for the upgrading potential.

 

[Dasda]

Where are these tiers of which you speak? The M4 looks pretty good here. (The 830 looks even better.)

I'd aim toward at least a cheap Z68, just for the upgrading potential.

This is the chart I was referring to. It has it in tier 5. I don't know what that is worth but was just checking up. If you guys say it is good, then it is good...I trust you fellas. I literally didn't read anything computer component related for over a year now so I know very little about these new SSDs and chipsets.

Thanks for the z68 recommendation. Does it have onboard video? Just need to get a video feed to the monitor.

EDIT: Will post build in a few minutes taking all replies into account.

 

[lehtv]

That z68 board has DVI, HDMI and VGA video connections. Overall it has very similar specs to the Intel board I posted - the main differences are the Z68 chipset, more high bandwidth PCIe lanes and higher price.

 

[Dasda]

ASUS P8Z68-V LX $126 -- It has VGA, DVI, and HDMI. All sata/usb requirements would be met also.
Intel Core i3-2100 or i3-2120 124.99 or 129.99 ----> Any difference other than the default clock rate? Might as well get the cheaper one and tweak the bios a little 🙂
G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-8GBSR Sniper SE 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1333 CL9-9-9-24 1.5V Memory Kit --- $44
Cooler Master HAF 912 $56 --- I am going to build it and he is probably going to ask me to clean/maintain it all the time. I have pretty big hands and hate working in tight cases so this would do fine as I have one of my own builds in the same case.
Antec Basiq VP 450W PSU $36 ---> I understand the importance of PSUs so definitely wouldn't mind spending more here for a cleaner power supply in the same wattage range. I want to avoid MIR though. Preferred brands here include Corsair, Seasonic, and Antec.
Crucial M4 128gb SSD - $160
ODD --- $20.

Total = $552 before taxes.

Anything I miss? Any conflicting parts?

Thanks a lot guys.

 

[Charlie98]

It has VGA, DVI, and HDMI. All sata/usb requirements would be met also.

So does the Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H-B3... for $104 (Newegg.)

2x SATA3, 4x SATA2, 1x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, etc...

 

[Dasda]

So does the Gigabyte Z68MA-D2H-B3... for $104 (Newegg.)

2x SATA3, 4x SATA2, 1x USB 3.0, 4x USB 2.0, etc...

Definitely looked at it. I just prefer the ATX form over microATX. That was the only reason I changed it to the Asus board. I looked for similar features to the Gigabyte.

Is there anything else that you found wrong? Really need some feedback.

Any good PSUs that are modular under 500w and also under $70? I didn't really see any so I chose this Antec. Making me think over and over though.

Thanks for all your help so far guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[lehtv]

ASUS P8Z68-V LX $126 -- It has VGA, DVI, and HDMI. All sata/usb requirements would be met also.

This is a better board: Asus P8Z68-M Pro $125. In addition to what P8Z68-V LX has, it has DisplayPort, 1 more internal SATA 6gb/s port, more USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, PS/2, comes with two SATA 3gb/s cables. Not necessarily important differences but it still makes it a better choice - and the smaller form factor is a bonus in my book.

Intel Core i3-2100 or i3-2120 124.99 or 129.99 ----> Any difference other than the default clock rate? Might as well get the cheaper one and tweak the bios a little 🙂

You will get the i3-2120 for $124 after promo & shipping on newegg.ca.

Clock speed tweaking of locked Sandy Bridge chips is limited to the turbo boost multiplier. However the i3 doesn't even have turbo boost.

G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-8GBSR Sniper SE 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1333 CL9-9-9-24 1.5V Memory Kit --- $44

Save $4 http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/221142/F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL/G.SKILL/

Cooler Master HAF 912 $56 --- I am going to build it and he is probably going to ask me to clean/maintain it all the time. I have pretty big hands and hate working in tight cases so this would do fine as I have one of my own builds in the same case.

Doesn't have fan filters, so yeah you'd have to clean it. The Fractal Design microATX case I suggested has only one fan and a filter and no roof fan slots, it's going to take a long time to gather dust. You don't need more cooling than that for this setup.

When cleaning a case you don't go inside the case with your hands, you clean the filters with a vacuum cleaner and if needed, use compressed air from about 15cm distance to blow dust off of components. So the size of the case hardly matters, apart from a smaller case taking less time to clean. Your friend should be able to do these things himself.

Antec Basiq VP 450W PSU $36

Good find, it's a budget PSU but a good quality one at that.

Crucial M4 128gb SSD - $160
ODD --- $20.

:thumbsup:

 

[NTMBK]

Go for an i3-2125- it's got the HD3000 graphics chip, giving about twice the graphics performance of the others listed in this thread. I know this isn't a gaming machine, but better graphics means smoother video playback, etc etc 🙂

 

[mfenn]

Go for an i3-2125- it's got the HD3000 graphics chip, giving about twice the graphics performance of the others listed in this thread. I know this isn't a gaming machine, but better graphics means smoother video playback, etc etc 🙂

Not really. Any i3 is more than capable any HD stream completely in software should the need arise.

 

[mfenn]

This is the chart I was referring to. It has it in tier 5. I don't know what that is worth but was just checking up.

What the "tiers" don't tell you is the difference between the top 5 or 6 tiers is very small.

 

[Euchrestalin]

What the "tiers" don't tell you is the difference between the top 5 or 6 tiers is very small.

+1

As a point of comparison, a file operation completes 85% faster on a low-end SSD than it does on a high-end hard drive, but there is only an 88% speed difference between a high-end hard drive and a high-end SSD.

For this build you should not worry about the minute performance difference between SSDs and instead focus on reliability (of which the aforementioned Crucial is among the best). Alternatively you could get a Samsung 830 SSD but these come at a higher price than Crucials.

 

[Fire&Blood]

If you aren't pressed to build ASAP and really want to squeeze the most value of the budget, consider buying used parts from a reputable source, such as AT FS/T forums. You may not be able to find all the parts, you may not even want to but you should be able to build it for less or get better components within the budget.