New Build ?? Before I buy

[Gorrillasnot]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
General purpose use, storing and playing music and movies, surfing the web, office, etc.

2. What YOUR budget is.
$1000 max but would like to be closer to $500-$700ish.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA. most likely from newegg.com

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
Not a fanboy of any brand.

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

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

8. What resolution will you be using?
1080p.
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
ASAP This upcoming week hopefully.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
No software needed.

I am building this PC for my sister. Her only requirement is she wants a case with a side panel window and green interior lighting.

Here's what I've come up with so far.
Case COOLER MASTER Elite 430 46.99 free s/h
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119227
It's cheap and looks ok but has 0 provisions for tidying up the wires and no front USB 3.0

Second choice
Corsair Carbide Series 300R $80.99 after promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139016
Sweet looking case with plenty of room to hide wires but almost twice the price of the Elite 430.

Power Supply
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 $44.99

Motherboard choices
1. ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $134.99 Currently includes 8GB of RAM for free.
2. ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M $139.99 Currently includes a free 60GB SSD. It's a mATX version of the Extreme4 so it might look goofy in a windowed case.

CPU
i5 2500k 199.99 after promo code
Overkill for the intended use, but this PC needs to last 5+years

RAM
SAMSUNG 8GB 1.35v $44.99

Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB $109.99

Optical
ASUS 24X DVD Burner $19.99

4 Green LED 120mm Case fans $33.40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998122

total is around $635 using the Carbide 300r Case, CX430w PSU, Extreme4 (with free RAM), 2500k, 1TB HDD, and a DVD burner.

What do you all think or what would you change?
I've never used an Asrock board before. Are they reliable?
Am I forgetting anything?

thanks for any advice.

 

[Ken g6]

This all looks like overkill for the intended purposes. A G530 or G620 could do all the things you've listed easily. I would:

- Get a G620 bundled with a slightly cheaper DVD drive, $74 overall

- Get a nice H77 board, bundled with 8GB RAM for $113.

- Use the savings to get a Samsung 830 128GB SSD, $100

- Divide the SSD in half: Format 64GB for a Windows install and basic programs (Office, browser(s)), while making sure that any programs she installs will go on the hard drive by default. Set up the other 64GB for Intel Smart Response caching of the main drive.

And by the way, with this setup, a 2TB green drive for storing all those movies would be an option without significantly reducing performance.

 

[lehtv]

I agree with Ken. G620, H77 chipset, 8GB RAM and an SSD is all you need for a good general purpose rig. An i5 is seriously overkill, none of the things you listed really need much CPU power. Can upgrade to an i5 later if the need arises, and can add a graphics card, more hard disks, etc. as well. But for basic needs you need basic components.

A good 400W PSU:
Corsair CX430 V2 $45 ($25 AR) or
Antec Neo Eco 400C $30 after promo

You could get a good basic case for $40: NZXT Source 210

But given the requirements, Corsair 300R Windowed is a good option for $71 AR AP. Green lighting: Logisys dual 8" cold cathode

 

[riversend]

Agree with the overkill sentiments. If you want a middle ground btwn the G620 and the i5 then look at an i3 3220 or the like for around $130. The SSD will make the system feel snappy and almost any Intel chip will do well for simple tasks for the next few years.

Greatest threat to performance for those simple tasks is going to be malware and bloat if she is not a disciplined user.

 

[DSF]

Another point about the overkill - I don't see the point of an overclock on this computer. It's not yours, so the tinkering aspect doesn't really come into play, at least in my opinion. No reason to do anything that could potentially cause stability issues when she doesn't need the extra performance anyway.

Is it something she asked for?

 

[Zap]

Here's my take on a possible build. Considerations paid to cost, need (as I see it), size/layout of case, noise output, cooling needs (or lack thereof).

Apevia X-QBOII mATX case with green front panel and side window $75+shipping
Normally I avoid Apevia stuff, but this one is decent quality (not flimsy) and shares a chassis with a Cooler Master Centurion 541 case. Since this computer will be super basic, no need for a giant tower. I would normally even recommend mini ITX, but for the side window part (no stock side window ITX cases I'm aware of). The PSU it comes with is probably crappy, so toss it and use...

Seasonic 360W 80Plus Gold PSU $51 after coupon SSPSUSEP12 (exp.9/10) with free shipping
Yeah, Seasonic + Gold + around 4x the wattage needed.

Pentium G2120 CPU $100 shipped
Ivy Bridge and dual core. All that is needed. Alternately $30 more ($130 shipped) for an Ivy Bridge Core i3 for the fake quad core (dual core with Hyperthreading). Heck, $45 more ($145 shipped) for an Ivy Bridge Core i3 with HD 4000 graphics - not that either Hyperthreading or better graphics are needed for the described use case.

CPU cooler - free with CPU
Enable a silent fan profile in motherboard BIOS

Biostar TZ77MXE motherboard $110 shipped with free 8GB RAM
Z77 chipset mATX motherboard with free RAM, making it similar cost to buying RAM separately and an H77 chipset motherboard (unless going with 4GB).

RAM - free with motherboard
DDR3-1600 8GB 1.5v, sounds like a winner.

Samsung 830 128GB SSD $100 shipped
There are cheaper deals if you want the risk (AKA OCZ Solid 3 $80). Also, deals come/go daily with SSDs, so waiting a couple days might easily save $20 on a good SSD. Alternative is Intel 330 120GB for around the same price. OS + all software can go on this, and put all data (vids/pics/music) on HDD.

WD Caviar Green 2TB $110 shipped
Plenty 'o storage with industry leading 2 year warranty. 😱

HDD 5¼" adapter $4 shipped
I will explain below.

LG SATA DVD writer $18 shipped
Seriously though, DVD writers are cheap and pretty much all equally disposable. Don't get hung up on brand. Just buy the cheapest one (taking shipping into account).

Logisys 12" green LED strip $11 shipped
For teh blingbling. I prefer these over cold cathodes because the cathodes use more electricity and require use of the included inverters, which are another point of failure and source of heat.

Total cost: $579 + shipping on case

Here are my build tips.

1) Test/prep parts. Assemble motherboard, RAM, CPU, CPU cooler outside of case with PSU. Test to make sure it works before putting in case. This way you can also be sure the CPU cooler is properly seated by looking on the bottom of the motherboard to make sure all 4 pins are through. The stock TIM on the cooler is fine. Make sure you enable a silent fan profile in BIOS (and that the CPU fan is plugged into CPU fan header, not a case fan header), and the SATA controllers are set to AHCI. Pretty much leave everything else on stock settings. RAM may end up underclocked to 1333 that way, but it should work fine.

2) Prep case. Take the fan off the side panel. It won't be needed. Remove the bottom 3½" HDD bays. IIRC it is held on by a screw or two. It is no longer needed. Remove the 3½" external bays that are right underneath the 5¼" bays. Again, just a screw or few. It is no longer needed. Route the front panel USB 2.0 cable up the front, using cable ties to secure to the front of the chassis. Preferably run it close to the motherboard tray, up to the bottom of the 5¼" bays and then across to where the headers will be on the motherboard. Do similar routing with the other front panel wires. Mount the Logisys LED strip on bottom of case and run wire up the motherboard tray between the standoffs so it will be hidden.

3) Install parts. Put DVD writer into bay. Put HDD into 5¼" adapter, and then install into second bay. Shove SSD into gap between HDD and DVD writer (don't worry, cables will hold in place, or you can use double sided foam tape or Velcro™). Install PSU. Route (if possible) the 4+4=8pin EPS plug down the motherboard tray so it hides underneath the motherboard, leaving enough sticking out to plug into the motherboard. Plug SATA power connectors into drives. Plug in the LED strip to a peripheral (AKA Molex™) connector. Using the empty spaces on the sides of the HDD in the 5¼" bay, shove in the excess power cables (cable tie them together if it makes you feel better). Connect SATA data cables to all drives. Install motherboard. Plug in 24 pin and 8 pin power connectors to motherboard. Plug in front panel and USB connectors to motherboard. Plug in SATA data cables to motherboard, making sure that the HDD and SSD are in the SATA 6G ports (white ones on that Biostar board). Shove extra lengths of the SATA data cables into any remaining empty space next to the HDD.

Other miscellaneous thoughts.

1) Can save a lot more money by doing the Pentium G620/DVD bundle that Ken G6 suggested ($79 shipped?), plus using a single 1TB 7200RPM HDD ($70 shipped) instead of the SSD+HDD route, plus using the "500W" PSU included with the case ("free and worth every cent"). With those parts changes, this computer will run around $349 (+case shipping).

2) Another thought is to build this into an Antec ISK 110 VESA case using a mini ITX motherboard and 2.5" HDD of course, plus USB optical drive. Mount system on back of monitor, with the LED light strip stuck to the rear of the monitor as kind of a strange colored bias lighting. The USB optical drive can sit on the desk, and a combo USB hub + card reader can also sit on desk for easy access, if the user needs such items. If USB flash drives, phone syncing and flash card reading isn't needed then no need for such an item. Heck, if discs won't be used (everything streamed/downloaded) then even the USB optical drive won't be needed (just borrow some random SATA DVD drive hooked up externally for the Windows install). Here would be the parts list.
Antec ISK 110 VESA $75 shipped
Pentium G2120 CPU $100 shipped
CPU cooler - free with CPU
ASRock B75M-ITX motherboard $97 shipped
Samsung 8GB DDR3 $38 shipped with coupon EMCNBNA25 (exp.9/8?)
Samsung 830 128GB SSD $100 shipped
WD Scorpio Blue 1TB HDD $90 shipped
Logisys 12" green LED strip $11 shipped
Total $511

 

[Gorrillasnot]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I have changed my parts to the following

Apevia X-DREAMER3-GN $70 shipped.
Ugly as sin and expensive s/h but it's the one my sister likes the looks of the most.
Anyone know of a place to get it cheaper?

Antec NEO ECO 400C $30 after promo.

G620 with bundled DVD Burner $74.

ASRock Z77 Pro4 with free 60GB SSD $118 shipped ($108 after $10 rebate).
Is the pro4 board decent as far as being stable/reliable? the reviews leave me a little leery.

SAMSUNG 8GB 1.35v $38.24 after promo EMCNANC48.

WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB $118 shipped.
Pricey but It's the only drive I could find with a 5 year warranty.

LOGISYS ML12GN LED Sunlight Stick $22 shipped for 2.

APEVIA 120mm Green Led fans $17 shipped for 2.

Total after promos but before rebates is $475.07 (Grand total after s/h and promos as shown in newegg cart) Look ok?

If I go with these parts should the 60GB ssd be used as an OS drive and the 1tb as storage or should the OS go on the 1tb and the ssd be used as cache?

thanks

 

[lehtv]

Looks good apart from the extra fans and the extra lights... isn't the case green enough already?

Tbh the extra warranty on the hdd isn't really needed. If it's going to fail, it's probably going to do so within the first year. It's a better bet to buy a 1-year warranty drive for $75 than a 5-year warranty drive for $118. She should make backups of important files in either case.

 

[Zap]

WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB $118 shipped.
Pricey but It's the only drive I could find with a 5 year warranty.

LOGISYS ML12GN LED Sunlight Stick $22 shipped for 2.

APEVIA 120mm Green Led fans $17 shipped for 2.

With the LED sticks you shouldn't need the LED fans.

I would suggest a cheaper drive, even if warranty was shorter. Think of it this way. Longer warranty in NO WAY guarantees no failures. You can buy the cheaper drive, and then put the saved $50 or so into your bank account (or an envelope under your bed) to be used in case the drive fails outside warranty.

If I go with these parts should the 60GB ssd be used as an OS drive and the 1tb as storage or should the OS go on the 1tb and the ssd be used as cache?

That small? Use as SSD cache. It also becomes transparent to the user. Some users may not fully take advantage of multiple drive letters (though remapping folders helps mitigate that somewhat).

 

[Gorrillasnot]

After googling g620 vs core2duo it would seem the g620 isn't a big leap in performance over the g620 4GHz E8400 VS G620/i3 2100. I realize the 8400 is OC'd to 4GHz, but on the "final words" page of the article it says "in most of the test is still slightly behind 2.6GHz G620"

I know my 3.2GHz core2 is really starting to show it's age especially with multiple flash heavy tabs open in firefox.

Anyways I splurged and got a ivy bridge i3-3225 for $144.99. It was a big jump in price but should preform well for a few years and gets her HD4000 graphics if she decides she wants to play a few games.

All together I spent $560 and some change which is well under my $1000 max budget and right in the sweet spot of my ideal $500-$700ish budget.

thanks everyone for your advice. I really appreciated it.

 

[mfenn]

Anyways I splurged and got a ivy bridge i3-3225 for $144.99. It was a big jump in price but should preform well for a few years and gets her HD4000 graphics if she decides she wants to play a few games.

That's dual-core that costs nearly as much as a quad-core, not a good move.

 

[Gorrillasnot]

I agree. I kept thinking 2500k but after I ordered it dawned on me the 2500k isn't the only quad.
Could of got a i5-2310 for $180..but I impulse bought. I should of waited for advice.

thanks

edit: Another thought just dawned on me is I want to build a new PC for myself so I probably should of split the fuel costs with my sister and went to microcenter. It's a 4 hour round trip and 30 bux in gas but might have been worth it as I want a 2500k or 2700k for gaming and video editing.

 

[mfenn]

I agree. I kept thinking 2500k but after I ordered it dawned on me the 2500k isn't the only quad.
Could of got a i5-2310 for $180..but I impulse bought. I should of waited for advice.

thanks

No prob, sorry it worked out that way. 🙂

edit: Another thought just dawned on me is I want to build a new PC for myself so I probably should of split the fuel costs with my sister and went to microcenter. It's a 4 hour round trip and 30 bux in gas but might have been worth it as I want a 2500k or 2700k for gaming and video editing.

If you don't pay tax at Newegg, that is another factor to consider when planning a long-distance MC run.