Thoughts on this build....

[amp1069]

Hello everyone...

Hopefully I'm posting in the right section, if not sorry.

I'm building a compter or my 9 year old son. He plays Steam games and Mine Craft the most. If his system could handle it, I'm sure there would be more PC games installed. Anyway, I've done some research and came up with this build.

PcPartPicker

I was also wondering if the onboard video could be used for now that would support the Steam games without lagging. I'd like to cut the cost down as much as possible and add to it later. He's really not going to know the difference between video cards, motherboards, memory, etc. but I will since he will be complaining that it's lagging and taking forever!

I have a Microcenter close by, so the price automatically drops $45 for the i5. We already have a 500gb 7200rpm WD drive. Maybe later a SSD would be purchased for the OS and use the 500 for data/storage. He has dual monitor setup with a 22in ViewSonic and 32" LG HDTV. Memory can be upgraded at a later date, 8gb will be more than sufficient at this time.

So I guess some of my questions would be:

Will this board provide me with enough options to add on?
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What video card (Brand/size, etc.) is best at a reasonable price to add on later?
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If I'm not over clocking, do I need to purchase the cooler?
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Do I need the higher PSU if I'm going to add video later?​

Total: 465.83 (including the $$ difference of the i5 from microcenter)
________________________________________________________________

Other options I looked at......

Tiger Direct: Case/PSU bundle 74.99

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4959322&sku=M69-0062 (If adding a video card later on, will 600w be sufficient?)

Microcenter: i5-3570k 169.99

SuperBlitz: Hyper 212 23.99

NewEgg: ASRock Pro4-M 109.99
Corsair 8gb Low Profile 39.99

Total: 418.95



Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[dma0991]

Not quite sure what Steam games he would play but a Core i3 3220 works just fine if you'd like to save more or spend it on a SSD and/or discrete GPU now. You might want to get this casing + PSU instead. The combo you've listed looks bad.

 

[amp1069]

dma0991: Thanks for responding.

Some of the Steam games would be Elder Scrolls Oblivion/Skyrim, Black Ops, Batman Asylum, etc.

Are you saying both combo's listed look bad? If so, which parts or all parts?

What would be the reason be for choosing the i3 3220 over the i5 3750k?

The case you suggested is not compatible with the ASRock Pro4-M board because it doesn't have the front panel USB 3.0 ports.

I forgot to mention that programming software will also be installed on this compter. Mainly the free ones where kids can learn to program (some similar to Scratch, some not).

 

[dma0991]

If you're planning on doing a one time build, a Core i3 3220 and a $100 discrete GPU works best when it comes to gaming. A Core i5 3570K with its HD4000 IGP isn't gonna play those Steam games unless you'd want to run it at the lowest settings. Minecraft wouldn't be a problem though for either Core i3 or Core i5. But if you are certain about getting a mid range discrete GPU in the near future, go with the Core i5 3570K.

The combo that I mention is the PSU + casing. You wouldn't want a no name brand PSU and a decent casing could outlast more than 1 build. The only reason why I went with that casing earlier is due to its cheap price and good features except USB 3.0 front headers. If you'd like the option of a front USB 3.0, this is a good choice at a slightly higher price tag and less expandability than the CM Elite 430.

 

[amp1069]

This wasn't going to be a one time build, so I'll stick with the i5.

What about this case?

Would I need to purchase the CPU cooler?

Would the PSU need to be higher if additional options are added later?

What mid range discrete GPU would you suggest?

Since you said the games can be played but on low settings, then that will have to do until February. I'm sure these low settings are 100 times better than what is going on now, which is crap! With that being said, this setup should get him to February, right?

Thanks

 

[dma0991]

That casing would do, its all a matter of personal preference. The stock cooler works just fine if you're not planning to overclock. 500W can support a wide range of cards, low till medium high(HD7950) end GPUs. Stick with the mids and you wouldn't need more than a 500W PSU.

Again, its a matter of personal preference, green camp or the red camp. You can't go wrong with a HD7870 or GTX660 Ti. Some cards are better at certain games, you'll have to sift through the reviews to decide on which works best for your needs.

If all he plays is Minecraft till February, it will do but other than that, no guarantees. Look through the Intel HD4000 games testing, it should give you some idea of what to expect.

 

[amp1069]

Thanks for your help. I ended up going with:


Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower - 57.00

Intel Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor - 169.99

Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler - 29.00

ASRock Z77 Pro4 LGA 1155 ATX Intel Motherboard - 59.99

Vengeance Series 8GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL9 Dual Channel - 39.99

CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE - 29.99

EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 - 129.00

Sony 24x SATA Internal DVD Burner - 19.99

Assassin’s Creed III (PC - with GTX purchase) - 0.00


Total: 535.94 (includes rebates/coupon codes) + 25.00 (shipping/tax) = 560.94

I didn't buy a HD but will be getting an SSD at some point, probably in Feb. I threw a SATA in there for now and it seems to be fine. I already assembled everything and it's running very good with Win 7 Pro 64-bit. I only have Steam and Minecraft left to install plus all the game downloads for Steam. Once this is all done then I'll make an image and I'm good to go. Plus I'll be returning the DVD Burner because it's loud and doesn't seem to read the disc sometimes, a quick exchange.

 

[crazymonkeyzero]

Raidmax psu???? Thats a big nono! Probably one of the worse manufacturers. Go get yourself something by corsair, seasonic or antec like you did above. The build above looks solid. And if you decide to get an SSD, I recommend Sansung 830/840 series or Crucial M4. The other manufacturers/models are pretty flaky interns of reliability.

 

[amp1069]

No RaidMax PSU, I ended up getting this one: CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE. The RaidMax might have been bundled with my first post, but didn't go with that anyway.

I was looking at Intel and Crucial SSD's, but will wait a bit for that.

 

[InsaneAdam]

No RaidMax PSU, I ended up getting this one: CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE. The RaidMax might have been bundled with my first post, but didn't go with that anyway.

I was looking at Intel and Crucial SSD's, but will wait a bit for that.

That is a solid and reliable power supply.


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[nature1ders]

Everything seems fine to me, but your stupid DVD burner omg get this instead
ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM 59.99 with rebates but you lost out cuz i got mine for 39.99 with rebates