Would appreciate some advice on a new build

[The Mudman]

I would like to ask all the professionals and enthusiasts here their opinions an the parts I've picked out to complete a new build to replace my outdated Athlon 3200. I've been putting this off for sometime now, but now that the fan on my video card is screaming at me, it's finally time to bite the bullet and build a new one.

All my previous builds have been based on AMD, but I'm convinced Intel is the way to go this time around. And after a lil bit of research I've decided on an Intel I5 4670K as the heart of this build. The motherboard is still undecided but I'm leaning heavily on a Gigabyte GA-Z87x UD3H. I haven't fully wrapped my head around all the different board manufacturers and features but i think the Gigabyte should be a decent choice. The Video card still has me wondering but I'm hoping a 650ti or 660 should do the job considering i don't want to spend a fortune on the video card. As far as Ram goes, WOW, talk about choices not only by manufacture but also by the various version they offer. I used OCZ on my last build but I don't think thats an option this time around, haven't heard to many positive things about their current offerings so maybe Crucial or Gskill. I would like to have a SSD on this build but can't decide on crucial or Samsung for this item.

I'm really undecided on a lot of this build, so I just thought maybe you all could help steer me in the right direction after seeing the parts I'm currently thinking about.

1. PC will be used for basic tasks such as web browsing, documents and spreadsheets. It will also be used to view movies and listening to my music collection. I also plan on doing light photoshop work and some mild video editing. I'm not a big gamer although i would like the system to run current titles at a reasonable frame rate.

2. I would like to keep the budget to about $700

3. All parts will be purchased from a nearby micro center or newegg.com

5. I'm not really a fanboy of anybody at this time. It's been awhile since I've built a PC and i know products and companies change over time, so I'll be open minded.

6. I plan on keeping my current monitor(Gateway FHD2400), keyboard (Logitech G15), mouse (Logitech mx518), and speakers(klipsch 2.1). And if I can get away with it, I have two different power supplies I can use. One is a brand new Seasonic M12II Bronze and the other is a FSP Group AX500A which is in my current rig. I could also keep my case, although I would like a new one if cost permits.

7. I plan on doing a bit of mild overclocking, but nothing to severe

8. Current monitors resolution is 1920 x 1200

9. I would like to get this built within the next week or two

10. It's time to say goodbye to XP, so yes, windows 7 will also be needed.


Processor - Intel I5 4670K - (179.99)
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H - (119.99 AR)
Memory - 2x4GB Crucial Ballistic sport XT - (84.99)
Power supply - Seasonic M12II bronze - (have)
Video card - Gigabyte GV-N660OC-2GD - (189.99)
Storage - Crucial M500 120GB - (84.99)
DVD Drive - Samsung SH-224DB24x - (16.99)
Operating System - Windows 7 home - (99.99)
Case - ???
CPU Cooler - ???

Total parts cost including sales tax is 823.54 which is over my budget by 123.54. I'm not sure If i should cut some corners or if i should hold off on the video card for another month or two, when I can better afford it, it's not like I have the games to run currently anyways. This way I can do a case and cooler in this purchase and then add the video card when funds allow, that is as long as the on-board video will get me by for the time being.

Decisions, decisions, Hope you all can help me make a few, and thanks for taking the time to read.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

AS Rock Z87 extreme 3 ends up being $80.- after microcenter bundle. That could save you $40.- for a comparable mobo

Team DDR3 1600 8GB $77 saves another $8.-
Crucial m500 is $79.- at amzon saves another $5.-
Win 7 $89.- at amazn saves another $10.-
7870 2GB available for $160 AR

That should get you alot closer to your budget without having to sacrifice much, if any, performance.

 

[Termie]

If your budget is $700, then you'll need to make some changes. If you actually will have an extra $200 in a few months, then your budget is really $900. Only you can make that decision, but you should let us know either way.

For a $700 build, the first thing that gets dropped is the 4670K. You'd have to go with an AMD 6350, which is $130 at Microcenter. Then pick up an Asus M5A97 motherboard for $45 after combo discount. You've just saved $125, and you're within budget.

 

[Charlie98]

Power supply - Seasonic M12II bronze - (have)

What is the wattage of your PSU? The SeaSonic is a decent unit, but we need to know if it's going to be adequate.

Personally, I would stick with the i5-4670K and dump the GPU until you can afford that. You can survive without a GPU for what looks like about 90% of your use. With the benefit of living near a MicroCenterI wouldn't waste the opportunity to get an i5/mobo bundle for cheap. I would also look at mATX boards like the Gigabyte D3H. The smaller board will save you a little money but can use a smaller and less expensive (potentially) mATX case. It's my opinion... unless you require a specific feature on a full ATX board like SLI... to go with the mATX platform.

You didn't spec a HDD storage drive... do you plan on keeping everything on the SSD? Or do you have a storage drive you are swapping over from the old build?

Throw us a bone on the case... what do you currently have and what are you looking for in a new case. For an ATX case you can go from $20 to $200 very easily... depending on what you are looking for in a case: cooling, quiet, looks, USB3.0. Your old case certainly doesn't have USB3.0 ports, your new motherboard will support it. If you need that kind of connectivity I would be looking for a new case that has that.

The CoolerMaster 212 EVO is the basic aftermarket cooler (available on sale sometimes at MicroCenter...) but there are other choices. For a moderate OC, the 212E will be fine.

 

[The Mudman]

AS Rock Z87 extreme 3 ends up being $80.- after Microcenter bundle. That could save you $40.- for a comparable mobo

Team DDR3 1600 8GB $77 saves another $8.-
Crucial m500 is $79.- at amzon saves another $5.-
Win 7 $89.- at amazn saves another $10.-
7870 2GB available for $160 AR

That should get you alot closer to your budget without having to sacrifice much, if any, performance.

I guess I've always thought of AS Rock as a low quality manufacturer. i do see them mentioned more and more as I'm researching this build, so maybe my initial thoughts are way off base. I just have to question why if it's a comparable mobo is it that much cheaper.

I've never heard of "Team Group" Ram. Are they fairly reputable? And how would this set of Ram compare to the performance of the Crucial Ballistic sport XT or even the Crucial Ballistic sport?

Never really gave amazon much thought, but If I can save a few dollars on the product and the sales tax I'd be paying at Microcenter, then maybe it's time to explore amazon as a viable option to purchase from. As far as the Video card, I'm still up in arms as to AMD or Nvidia, still kinda looking for advice to swing me in one direction or another.

If your budget is $700, then you'll need to make some changes. If you actually will have an extra $200 in a few months, then your budget is really $900. Only you can make that decision, but you should let us know either way.

For a $700 build, the first thing that gets dropped is the 4670K. You'd have to go with an AMD 6350, which is $130 at Microcenter. Then pick up an Asus M5A97 motherboard for $45 after combo discount. You've just saved $125, and you're within budget.

You do have a point about the discrepancy in what I'm calling my budget. For simplicity's sake lets call it at $900. I do have to ask why for a $700 budget you would recommend an AMD instead of a lower tier Intel chip? As far as your recommendation on the mobo, truth be told I have serious reservations about Asus. I do understand they are a top notch manufacturer, although I've read way to many bad reviews about there service and support dept.

What is the wattage of your PSU? The SeaSonic is a decent unit, but we need to know if it's going to be adequate.

Personally, I would stick with the i5-4670K and dump the GPU until you can afford that. You can survive without a GPU for what looks like about 90% of your use. With the benefit of living near a MicroCenterI wouldn't waste the opportunity to get an i5/mobo bundle for cheap. I would also look at mATX boards like the Gigabyte D3H. The smaller board will save you a little money but can use a smaller and less expensive (potentially) mATX case. It's my opinion... unless you require a specific feature on a full ATX board like SLI... to go with the mATX platform.

You didn't spec a HDD storage drive... do you plan on keeping everything on the SSD? Or do you have a storage drive you are swapping over from the old build?

Throw us a bone on the case... what do you currently have and what are you looking for in a new case. For an ATX case you can go from $20 to $200 very easily... depending on what you are looking for in a case: cooling, quiet, looks, USB3.0. Your old case certainly doesn't have USB3.0 ports, your new motherboard will support it. If you need that kind of connectivity I would be looking for a new case that has that.

The CoolerMaster 212 EVO is the basic aftermarket cooler (available on sale sometimes at MicroCenter...) but there are other choices. For a moderate OC, the 212E will be fine.

The Seasonic is rated at 520 watts, which I'm assuming should be adequate for the direction I'm going.

I never really gave much thought to an mATX board. I did do a few comparisons on the Gigabyte site but didn't realize that the D3H was a mATX. I did notice that it was absent a PCI slot so I kinda scratched it due to the fact I thought I'd be installing a sound card in the near future. But after thinking about it a bit , I'm not sure if I'm going to be needing one as the on-board sound may do just fine. I've never used integrated sound, guess I just thought it would be sub-par to a dedicated card. Other then that issue There is no specific features of a full ATX that I can think of that I would need. Don't ever plan on doing dual video cards

I have a 500GB WD passport that I use for my storage and I also have a couple older HD's laying around if I need them.

The case I have is nothing special thats for sure, not ever sure of the manufacturer. I know I don't need anything fancy and pretty. Quiet would be a nice feature as would the USB 3.0. Cable management also comes to mind, but I don't know how important that would be now a days, as it seems cables are smaller and fewer. I was originally thinking of only spending 50 to 80 on a new one. And now that you throw the mATX factor into the thought process I guess my choice in a case is going to hinge on the form factor of the board. I'm wide open to opinions in both directions.

I see the 212 EVO being recommended and used by many folks, so that seems like a logical choice.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I guess I've always thought of AS Rock as a low quality manufacturer. i do see them mentioned more and more as I'm researching this build, so maybe my initial thoughts are way off base. I just have to question why if it's a comparable mobo is it that much cheaper.
.

5 years ago I would have agreed with you. Since that time ASRock has stepped up their game. I've been using an ASRock Pro-4 for the past few years trouble free. Got it for $40.- at microcenter with 3570k bundle. Hard to beat that value. I still would not put them in the highest reliability class as Asus though.

I've never heard of "Team Group" Ram. Are they fairly reputable? And how would this set of Ram compare to the performance of the Crucial Ballistic sport XT or even the Crucial Ballistic sport?
.

They're cheap and good. Again, not in the same league as Kingston or Crucial but you started out having a $700.- budget so corners had to be cut.

Never really gave amazon much thought, but If I can save a few dollars on the product and the sales tax I'd be paying at Microcenter, then maybe it's time to explore amazon as a viable option to purchase from.
.

Amazon is becoming the go-to provider as Newegg customer service slides.

As far as the Video card, I'm still up in arms as to AMD or Nvidia, still kinda looking for advice to swing me in one direction or another.
.

I believe Nvidia to be more reliable. That being said I'm using a 7950 because it was a very good deal. The 7870 deal for $160.- is another value play.

You do have a point about the discrepancy in what I'm calling my budget. For simplicity's sake lets call it at $900. I do have to ask why for a $700 budget you would recommend an AMD instead of a lower tier Intel chip?
.

Because a $700.- build with OS is "budget". That's AMD's territory/speciality. $200 extra is alot and can get you within spitting distance of "mid range". Intel/Nvidia land.

As far as your recommendation on the mobo, truth be told I have serious reservations about Asus. I do understand they are a top notch manufacturer, although I've read way to many bad reviews about there service and support dept.
.

That's assuming you have to use their support which is unlikely.

The Seasonic is rated at 520 watts, which I'm assuming should be adequate for the direction I'm going.
.

Yes, it is

I never really gave much thought to an mATX board. I did do a few comparisons on the Gigabyte site but didn't realize that the D3H was a mATX. I did notice that it was absent a PCI slot so I kinda scratched it due to the fact I thought I'd be installing a sound card in the near future. But after thinking about it a bit , I'm not sure if I'm going to be needing one as the on-board sound may do just fine. I've never used integrated sound, guess I just thought it would be sub-par to a dedicated card. Other then that issue There is no specific features of a full ATX that I can think of that I would need. Don't ever plan on doing dual video cards
.

Then you should consider a mATX build. Unless you are an audiophile on-board sound is good. You will probably save a couple more $$ on the mobo and have a smaller build, if that matters to you. I like small form factor builds personally. Others like monolithic testaments to the PC gods. Whatever your fancy.

 

[Cerb]

OK, so you have a Microcenter. That's $270 for a i5-4670K and Z87-A, leaving $430 for all but PSU. Cheaper can be had, but no by much for the same kind of performance, and not for OC-friendly parts.

Well, with a GTX 760, I can't make that happen, and it would be silly to get that much CPU and then pair it with a GTX 660, HD 7850, or other much lesser GPU, especially for 1920x1200.

Now, for not simplicity's sake, why should we call it $900? Will you have $900? That changes things, and for the better. That extra $200 can allow for a lot more performance, and probably some generally nicer parts, too (like a new case). Any decent motherboard is going to be $60+, any gaming-worthy CPU $100+, any decent case $50+, an ODD $20, an OS $80-90, 8GB RAM $70, video card worth using $100+, and HDD $60+. So there you have about $600 for the bare minimum. From there up to about $1000, returns on added money to spend are exceptionally good: FX->i3->i5->E3/i5K->i7K; GTX 650->650Ti->660->760->770 (or AMD's matching lineups); better case; better/bigger SSD; etc..

 

[The Mudman]

monkeydelmagico....Thank you for all the additional input you have given. I'm going to take some time and think about some of what you have mentioned such as Asrock not being as bad as what I thought , and the possibility of going with a mATX build. Thanks for taking the time to help me out

Cerb.....Thank you as well for the input. Yes, I will have $900 to spend. The problem is I won't have the last $200 until the second week of march and I'd really like to be able to take advantage of the microcenter bundle that is being offered this month. I'm afraid if I wait till I have the whole $900 in march then I may lose out on the savings generated by going the microcenter route. or worse yet spend it on something else that pops up between now and then.

I'd really like to get the basic system put together this month and then when the funds become available in march start looking at getting the video card. I know I can live with the on-board video until then. I may even have a bit more cash to put towards the video card , but I won't know that until week 2 of march.

My apologizes for not being up front and clear about the funds that I have available for this build. In my world nothing is ever a given except the money that is in my pocket at the moment. I do envy those that get a weekly pay check.

 

[Termie]

Based on your budget of $900, you have a great build.

One tip, which others have mentioned, is to save a bit of money on the motherboard. The Gigabyte model you chose really is too expensive for this build. Something like the AsRock z87 Pro 4, which is on the bundle list, would be ideal. I like the idea of mATX, but based on the motherboard list at MC, the discounts aren't quite as good.

 

[Charlie98]

such as Asrock not being as bad as what I thought , and the possibility of going with a mATX build.

I'm a die-hard Gigabyte guy, but I used an ASRock budget mATX board in my last build and I was pretty impressed with it. That doesn't mean I'm leaving Gigabyte, but it's a decent option; from what I have seen, ASRock is priced slightly lower than a GB board of equal features.

 

[JumBie]

All Prices are from Micro Center
i5 4670k $179.99
MSI Z87-G41 $54.99
HyperX blu 8GB_DDR3-1333 $79.99
Kingston HyperX 3k 240GB SSD $169.99 or spend $20 more for Samsung 840 EVO(faster)
WD Blue 1TD $59.99
Gigabyte R9 270 OC $199.99
Corsair CX-600 Modular PSU $64.99 or Keep PSU
Zalman Z9 ATX Mid tower $37.99 or Keep Case
Total: $847.92
Total (w/o PSU&CASE): $744.94
DO NOT BUY WINDOWS 7 IN STORE! Look for someone selling a key for $40, they are everywhere.

Also why I say to buy Kingston Ram is because they have great products and the very best RMA process I have ever dealt with in my entire life.

 

[VirtualLarry]

DO NOT BUY WINDOWS 7 IN STORE! Look for someone selling a key for $40, they are everywhere.

Erm. *cough* legality?

 

[Cerb]

IMO, take something like JumBie's, but waste less money, and get a bit faster GPU, if you'll have $900.
PSU: the S12II 520 you have will be fine.
SSD: the same space with an M500 can be had for $30+ less, or 256GB in a Sandisk Ultra Plus for $20+ less.
RAM: $10+ can be saved by buying online, elsewhere.
HDD: IMO, add one later. The slightly larger SSD will buy you some time for now, and will be better to have had in the long run, after you add a data HDD.
GPU: get a GTX 760 with some of the savings, or a R9 270X (some sellers have them at OK prices).
OS: you should have enough for a regular-source, regular-price Windows license.

If your current PC needs to just go away, and it's video card is too old to make use of, you could go ahead and buy everything but the video card, and then get that when you get more money. Basically no gaming until then, but it wouldn't require the rather poor performance compromises of building a $700 AMD system v. a $900 Intel system.

 

[mfenn]

. The problem is I won't have the last $200 until the second week of march and I'd really like to be able to take advantage of the microcenter bundle that is being offered this month. I'm afraid if I wait till I have the whole $900 in march then I may lose out on the savings generated by going the microcenter route.

Microcenter has been running some variation of their CPU/mobo bundle ever since the i7 2600K came out in 2011. Nothing is guaranteed, but I think that it is safe to say that they'll still be offering a CPU/mobo bundle in March.

Other than that, Cerb's last post is good advice as always.