New Build Components Recomendations

[ddpaulb]

PC use: music recording and sequencing, photo and graphics, gaming (Civilization, Total War).

Budget: $300.

Country: USA.

Brand Preference: none.

Parts I have bought: Antec Earthwatts Green 450, atx case, my HD 6850, ssd system drive, odd, 4 hdd.

Overclocking: no.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080.

Build Time Frame: next 2 weeks.

Software Needed: none.

 

[Yuriman]

So, what you need is a motherboard + processor + RAM?

My vote will be roughly,

Skylake i5 6400 + ASRock H110 mATX motherboard + 8GB DDR4 2133

OR

Skylake i3 6100 + ASRock Z170 mATX motherbard + 8GB DDR4 2400 or faster (2666 or 2800 are ideal)

The i3 combo will have less CPU power, but will be a great platform to drop in an i7 later if you need more processing power, and the motherboard will have more USB/SATA ports, 4 RAM slots instead of 2, and possibly integrated WiFI (depending on what you pick out). The i5 combo, conversely, will outperform the i3 but you won't have free RAM slots and won't have the option of overclocking an unlocked CPU drop-in down the road.