Building a media pc for around $900

[SadPanda]

Hi, I'm looking to build a media pc and could use some advice from you guys! The last time I built a computer was in 2005/2006 when youtube wasn't around yet...so hopefully it will be easier this time around
Currently using a HP core i5 laptop running Windows 7 with 4gb of ram, but it really lags when streaming movies and heats up fast. Would like a system that can handle multi-tasking well.


1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
The computer won't be used for gaming. I'll be using it for lots of movie streaming to a tv/music/browsing/downloading/photoshop work/and maybe some movie editing in the future.

2. What YOUR budget is.
Looking to spend around $900, but can go a little higher or lower.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA. I have a Micro Center nearby so hope that helps? Will also be looking at Amazon/Newegg.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference.
I like Intel and am looking to get at least a core i5 processor. I also like Western Digital. Other than that, I'm open to any other brands.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts.
I'll be using a 42" Sceptre 1080p as my monitor.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Not sure if I want to overclock as I read it will kill your pc parts faster?

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
1080p

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
In a week or two. Will there be really good deals for 4th of July?

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system?
Should I get Windows 8.1 or stick with Windows 7? Seems a lot of people hate W8?


I'm also looking for a good wireless keyboard/mouse combo if you guys know of any good ones. Also, a bluray writer.

Since I won't be playing any games, do I still need an ok graphics card to stream and record stuff? Or will the onboard graphics be good enough?


Thank you guys!

 

[Charlie98]

How do you intend to set this up? Is it going into a standard HTPC case for integration into your home theatre or stereo setup, or is the build going into a standard PC case and used like a desktop? You mentioned video editing and Photoshop.

 

[SadPanda]

It is going in a standard pc case and used like a desktop.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

i7-4790: $250
ASRock H97M :80

The CPU and Motherboard are from Microcenter, rest are from Newegg.

MSI GTX 750 Ti: $119
Crucial MX100 256GB SSD: $115
Asus Blu-Ray: $60
G.Skill 8GB DDR3-2400Mhz RAM: $83
Corsair 200$: $50
Corsair CS450M: $30
Windows 8.1: $93
Logitech K360: $23
Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000: $25

Total: 928.00

If you want an extra 1TB of storage, the 1TB Western Digital Blue goes for $60.

New Total: $988.00

 

[Insert_Nickname]

i7-4790: $250
ASRock H97M :80

The CPU and Motherboard are from Microcenter, rest are from Newegg.

MSI GTX 750 Ti: $119
Crucial MX100 256GB SSD: $115
Asus Blu-Ray: $60
G.Skill 8GB DDR3-2400Mhz RAM: $83
Corsair 200$: $50
Corsair CS450M: $30
Windows 8.1: $93
Logitech K360: $23
Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000: $25

Total: 928.00

If you want an extra 1TB of storage, the 1TB Western Digital Blue goes for $60.

New Total: $988.00

Only comment on that is the 4790 -might- be a bit overkill for this kind of use. I think one of the lower-end i5's (4460/4590) might be better suited. Except for transcoding, there is little here to really take advantage of HT, and the 4590 is only 100MHz slower then a 4670K.

As for a bluray drive, the Pioneer BDR-209EBK/BDR-S09XLT is an excellent choice which also has BDXL support.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

The computer won't be used for gaming. I'll be using it for lots of movie streaming to a tv/music/browsing/downloading/photoshop work/and maybe some movie editing in the future.

Only comment on that is the 4790 -might- be a bit overkill for this kind of use. I think one of the lower-end i5's (4460/4590) might be better suited. Except for transcoding, there is little here to really take advantage of HT, and the 4590 is only 100MHz slower then a 4670K.

The i7 has ht (hyperthreading). If the OP does video editing, the extra cores will benefit. That said, the i5-4590 is $160, and will bring the price closer to the $900 mark. The i5-4690 isnt sold at Microcenter, only the $200 i5-4690K.

 

[Charlie98]

Here's where I would go...

Intel i5-4670K & ASRock Z97M Pro mATX mobo; $230 Microcenter combo
Team Zeus 2x4GB 2133MHz RAM; $71 Newegg
Crucial MX100 256GB SSD; $115 Newegg
WD 1TB Blue HDD; $60 Newegg
Corsair CX430 or CX430M (modular; ) $45 or $40(AR) respectively Newegg
ASUS Blu-Ray OD burner; $60 (AR) Newegg
Fractal Design Core 1000 case; $40 Newegg
Windows 8.1 OEM; $90 Newegg

$711

A few thoughts....

I think an Intel i5 should work for your purposes well; if you are really going to edit video, or do things like transcode, you could spend the money on the i7, but I don't see the immediate need.

You didn't really specify your storage needs... so I spec'd a 256GB SSD for your OS and programs, and a 1TB storage HDD; you can adjust either of them up or down, but I wouldn't go to a smaller SSD. As far as an HDD, the Blue was the cheapest 1TB available, but I would easily pick any 7200RPM drive on sale.

RAM is RAM... I picked that 2133MHz RAM because it was as cheap as the corresponding 1600 RAM... but if you find some on sale, a basic set of 2x 4GB 1600 RAM is fine.

I picked the CX430 PSU over the newer, Gold rated CS because I have 3 of them and they have all been very solid. I don't know anything about the CS units except they are built by someone else (not Channel Well like the CX's) I actually prefer the plain CX430 over the modular 430M because I don't like the very stiff modular cables, even though it's $5 cheaper. The PSU is a pretty volatile market right now, who knows what will go on sale as soon as tomorrow...

I recommended the Fractal Core 1000 as a reasonable, quality, basic case. Since you live near a MicroCenter :thumbsup: you can go in and actually lay hands on pretty much any case you want. You might find something else you prefer. I like Fractal cases (my last 5 builds are in them...) if you want to spend a little more money take a look at the Arc and Define series. Each is an upgrade and have their own benefits.

You are on your own with the keyboard and mouse... those are very personal items... what I like may not be what you like. While you are at MC, take a look at what they have.

 

[Charlie98]

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Not sure if I want to overclock as I read it will kill your pc parts faster?

Not true... usually. A mild OC with quality components assembled correctly can provide a useful increase in performance with very little risk of problems. The key is don't get stupid with the OC and voltages. I've been running my 2500K i5 for 2.5 years with a mild 4.1GHz OC with a slight undervolt as my business computer and it never gives problems or instability.

If you decide to OC, you will need to get an aftermarket CPU cooler like the 212 EVO or similar.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

Basically, lets plan it like this:

Either i5 or i7
H97 or Z97 Mobo
DDR3-2133 or DDR3-2400 (your tasks will benefit from faster RAM)
256GB SSD
1TB Blue
CS450M (80+ Gold)
Either GTX 750 Ti or R7 260X
Corsair 200R

 

[SadPanda]

Wow so much advice I don't even know where to start lol. Thanks guys for the help!

So do you think I need a discrete graphics card or will the onboard be fine? How about 16gb of ram? Is that overkill?
I just hate when I'm watching a hd movie and it gets all choppy or lags cause my computer can't handle it.

Also, should I wait till the 4th of July for deals?

 

[NewYorksFinest]

Wow so much advice I don't even know where to start lol. Thanks guys for the help!

So do you think I need a discrete graphics card or will the onboard be fine? How about 16gb of ram? Is that overkill?
I just hate when I'm watching a hd movie and it gets all choppy or lags cause my computer can't handle it.

Also, should I wait till the 4th of July for deals?

8 is fine...I would get an R7 260X ($99.99) or GTX 750 Ti ($119.99).

 

[Insert_Nickname]

The i7 has ht (hyperthreading). If the OP does video editing, the extra cores will benefit. That said, the i5-4590 is $160, and will bring the price closer to the $900 mark. The i5-4690 isnt sold at Microcenter, only the $200 i5-4690K.

I think an Intel i5 should work for your purposes well; if you are really going to edit video, or do things like transcode, you could spend the money on the i7, but I don't see the immediate need.

My thoughts exactly...

DDR3-2133 or DDR3-2400 (your tasks will benefit from faster RAM)

Not sure if its enough to matter. Xbitlabs did a good little write-up on Haswells memory controller a while ago:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/haswell-ddr3.html

Makes for some interesting reading. That said, if the price difference is minimal definitely get higher frequency memory. So long as its 1.5V, everything is just fine.

 

[Charlie98]

Wow so much advice I don't even know where to start lol. Thanks guys for the help!

So do you think I need a discrete graphics card or will the onboard be fine? How about 16gb of ram? Is that overkill?
I just hate when I'm watching a hd movie and it gets all choppy or lags cause my computer can't handle it.

Also, should I wait till the 4th of July for deals?

Most of the components are basically equal between the builds outside of the CPU, the brand and minor differences are all that separate them.

8GB RAM is fine unless, as I mentioned before, you are really going to go to town with video editing... my thoughts are if you actually need 16GB RAM, you will need the i7.

That's a good question about the GPU... I don't know if Photoshop and video editing would tax the iGPU on an i5. It will certainly hammer the CPU, but I'm not familiar with those utilities and the demand on a GPU. As NYF mentioned... a GTX750 variant or R7 would certainly be adequate.

I don't really expect any blazing deals over July 4th, but it's only 2 weeks away... can't hurt to wait. I don't think you will do much better than MC for the CPU/mobo combo, but you might find a good 256GB SSD on sale (Crucial, Samsung, Intel, SanDisk are all likely and reasonable candidates for sale prices) as well as a good PSU. You won't need more than 500w for a PSU, so don't go bananas over a 750w PSU on sale... :biggrin: RAM is a regular sale item on Newegg... just keep your eyes peeled. I would not spend more than $5 on anything faster than 1600MHz 1.5v RAM.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

My thoughts exactly...



Not sure if its enough to matter. Xbitlabs did a good little write-up on Haswells memory controller a while ago:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/haswell-ddr3.html

Makes for some interesting reading. That said, if the price difference is minimal definitely get higher frequency memory. So long as its 1.5V, everything is just fine.

It is a $10 difference. If it was $50 no, but $10, yes.

 

[SadPanda]

How come the mobo specs says it recommends a 500w or greater psu?

Is the Samsung 256gb ssd better or Crucial?

So I should get DDR3-2400 ram cause it's faster?

I will be using a WD 3TB Red drive to store data on.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

How come the mobo specs says it recommends a 500w or greater psu?

That's just because the manufacturer doesn't want trouble from people who try and run multiple graphics cards on a ~350W PSU. Or try and use some crappy no-name PSU that can't handle its rated output.

I'm using a 450W PSU to power a 3770non-K, HD7870, an SSD, two HDDs and various fans. Doesn't pull more then ~200W. Its just a guideline.

Is the Samsung 256gb ssd better or Crucial?

Both are about equal. Get whichever is cheapest. The Samsung properly has a small performance advantage, but you will not notice it outside benchmarks.

So I should get DDR3-2400 ram cause it's faster?

No harm in it. Its just not worth paying a lot extra for.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Is this to be a desktop computer used to watch movies? Or an HTPC that will also be used as a desktop computer?

What are your storage needs? Do you need 20TB of disk space to store Blu-ray movie rips, or no storage at all because you'll only be watching Netflix and/or storing media on a NAS or file server?

Will you be doing video editing on this system?

An i5 is overkill for an HTPC that won't be used for gaming, but maybe not for a desktop system. Same with 16GB RAM. You won't need a discrete video card. If you haven't experienced it recently, you'll be amazed at how far integrated graphics have come. You may not want to play many games using an IGPU, but HD movies will be fine.

If system noise is of any concern, spend a little extra for a Fractal Design Define Mini or R4 case. They're amazingly quiet. Also, a high efficiency PSU that isn't overspec'd.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

Is the Samsung 256gb ssd better or Crucial?

The MX100 and 840EVO are ~ equal. The M500 is older, so it will be slower.

So I should get DDR3-2400 ram cause it's faster?

For your tasks, yes. For what you are doing, there will be a speed increase, esp since it is $10 more than DDR3-1600Mhz.

Both are about equal. Get whichever is cheapest. The Samsung properly has a small performance advantage, but you will not notice it outside banchmarks.

Are you from the South?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Are you from the South?

Whoops. Typo. Fixed.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

Y'all should just build what is in the thread...

 

[Charlie98]

Is the Samsung 256gb ssd better or Crucial?

So I should get DDR3-2400 ram cause it's faster?

I will be using a WD 3TB Red drive to store data on.

At the 256GB level, most leading brand consumer-level (non-pro) SSDs will perform equal in normal use. I've had 4 different SSDs in my desktop, including 2 'pro' SSDs, and I'm hard pressed to tell the difference between them outside of benchmarks.

I know others might be pushing for faster RAM... following that logic you should go with an i7 because it's 'faster.' In general use, even including video editing, I don't think you will see a substantial difference to justify dumping more money into 'faster' components. $5 here, $10 there... and all of a sudden your $900 budget is blown for very little return. That's just my humble .02 worth... :biggrin:

3TB Red... good choice! That's what I have in my HTPC...

 

[coolpurplefan]

Even though I linked to stores in Canada, you can have a look at the end of post #37 here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2387544&page=2

 

[snoylekim]

<< hat's a good question about the GPU... I don't know if Photoshop and video editing would tax the iGPU on an i5. It will certainly hammer the CPU, but I'm not familiar with those utilities and the demand on a GPU. As NYF mentioned... a GTX750 variant or R7 would certainly be adequate. >>

I can talk to that a little, having been through a recent build/procurement effort that did involve Adobe Products .

- Lightroom 5.* will work fine with the HD4600 integrated graphics and an i5/I7 processor . It's the least greedy of the 'suite' . Things like export and video slideshow creation are enhanced a bit with more processor and memory .
- Photoshop CS ( 5 and up) will work with HD4600 Integrated Graphics ..but ..as the releases get newer, many filters and processes are leveraging the Mercury Engine and a few other processes that are dramatically improved by leveraging OpenGl/CUDA graphics and OpenCl processes . If it can't leverage these, it will use the primary processor exclusively. This is also true of Premiere Pro , Adobe Media Encoder, and some of the other 'pro' products. The good news is that they no longer 'blacklist' consumer/gaming graphics cards for these processes .Details are available on their web pages, so , with a newer release, there's no reason to hack to use a perfectly adequate graphics card . The cards recommended would be fine for someone in non-full-time , non "production' environment.

For video , we've always recommended a discrete graphics card .More and more of the prosumer and all of the 'pro' Video editing software can leverage the graphics processors for tasks, especially in the rendering and transcoding areas . We've also alway recommended an I7 level processor and 16 G of memory , as well as at least 7200 RPM storage for video for anything above basic 'hobby' processes.

A bit OT , but had to address this in another forum ..Hope this helps .

 

[Charlie98]

<< hat's a good question about the GPU... I don't know if Photoshop and video editing would tax the iGPU on an i5. It will certainly hammer the CPU, but I'm not familiar with those utilities and the demand on a GPU. As NYF mentioned... a GTX750 variant or R7 would certainly be adequate. >>

I can talk to that a little, having been through a recent build/procurement effort that did involve Adobe Products .

- Lightroom 5.* will work fine with the HD4600 integrated graphics and an i5/I7 processor . It's the least greedy of the 'suite' . Things like export and video slideshow creation are enhanced a bit with more processor and memory .
- Photoshop CS ( 5 and up) will work with HD4600 Integrated Graphics ..but ..as the releases get newer, many filters and processes are leveraging the Mercury Engine and a few other processes that are dramatically improved by leveraging OpenGl/CUDA graphics and OpenCl processes . If it can't leverage these, it will use the primary processor exclusively. This is also true of Premiere Pro , Adobe Media Encoder, and some of the other 'pro' products. The good news is that they no longer 'blacklist' consumer/gaming graphics cards for these processes .Details are available on their web pages, so , with a newer release, there's no reason to hack to use a perfectly adequate graphics card . The cards recommended would be fine for someone in non-full-time , non "production' environment.

For video , we've always recommended a discrete graphics card .More and more of the prosumer and all of the 'pro' Video editing software can leverage the graphics processors for tasks, especially in the rendering and transcoding areas . We've also alway recommended an I7 level processor and 16 G of memory , as well as at least 7200 RPM storage for video for anything above basic 'hobby' processes.

A bit OT , but had to address this in another forum ..Hope this helps .

Right on... good to know. :thumbsup:

 

[mfenn]

Both of the DDR3 2000+ kits being bandied about in this thread are 1.65V, which is out of spec for recent Intel processors, including Haswell. "True" DDR3 2000+ memory with ICs that can hit that speed at standard voltage are more expensive. I'd pick up this ADATA 1866 kit for $69 AP since the OP isn't getting a big cooler.

Regarding CPU + mobo, since the OP has access to a MicroCenter, the only CPUs worth discussing are the i3 4360, i5 4670K, i5 4690K, i7 4770K, and i7 4790K because those are the ones eligible for the combo discount.

The decision between i5 and i7 hinges on how likely "and maybe some movie editing in the future" is. If it's unlikely, then the i5 4690K makes more sense, otherwise I'd go with the 4790K.