My Budget Build

[truepusk]

Purpose:
This is a new computer for my wife. It's replacing an old Athlon 64 system. She will use it for heavy internet surfing, general work station, and digital photography (maybe some photoshop someday, for now Canon Zoom Browser, Picnik, Flickr). She's interested in playing some video games with me, in particular Left4Dead 1 & 2, probably at 1920x1080, although it's definitely okay if she doesn't have all the settings maxed out as she won't be playing a ton of games.

Budget:
I really don't have much to spend on this. I've been shooting for $400 and I think I can get close to that. It's going to be rebate heavy, but I've been getting a lot of rebates lately and I've had GREAT luck with them, so I'm comfortable with that.

Other Parameters:
I like having this be a system that is largely compatible with my new i5 760 system in case it's needed for part swapping and troubleshooting down the road. I feel strongly about making this an Intel system - I bet I could get better performance at this price point with an AMD system, but 1. compatibility with my system and 2. the lower heat output of the intel chips is a big plus. I like the idea of eventually upgrading her system to an i5 760, but it's outside the budget for now. This dual core system should be MUCH quieter (I love the stock cooling on my i5 760!) and better performing than the single core Athlon 64 she currently has. Quiet, at least under no load, is important.

Here is my part list:

• CPU i3 550 $110 aftere tax. It's not the fastest thing out there, but should be a big step up from the current computer and I should be able to upgrade to an i5 760 at some point in time in the future if we deem it necessary. It fits in the budget!
• Motherboard EVGA P55V 120-LF-E651-TR $78 after rebate. It might not be the best board out there, but it has 4 memory DIMMS. It doesn't have much for expansion slots, but I don't expect to really need much other than a GPU for this box.
• Memory CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (Already Purchased) $23 after rebate. I know there is more reputable memory out there, but I really couldn't resist that price.
• Case Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z $30 after rebate + promo code. There are some other good deals on good cases I considered including the Antec Three Hundred Black $50 (it would need one more fan as well) and the Thermaltake Armor A60 (it has all the fans it needs, I already own one for my i5 760, and I love it!)
• Hard Drives 80 GB Seagate Barracuda SATA, 1TB Seagate Barracuda SATA $0, already owned (only parts I'm taking from the old computer).
• Optical DriveASUS 24X DVD Burner $18
• Power SupplyCORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W $80 after rebate. Quality PSU Prices are killing me right now. This is much bigger power than I need, but the other option is more expensive - SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W $85. I also could go with the SeaSonic S12II 430B 430W $80, but I'll take the extra 90 Watts in the off chance that I need it in the future for just $5 more. A huge, quiet 120mm fan is a MUST, and I know everyone says don't cheap out on the PSU. I need to do some comparative shopping, because there might be a cheaper place than NewEgg and I'd like to get this down around $70. Note that the upgrades I could see happening include moving to the i5 760 and adding an additional 4 to 8GB RAM. Maybe a Solid State HDD someday, as well, but if I add new mechanical HDDs, I'll be taking out old ones - I have other computers that will behave as servers with more accessible hard drive storage. Any other cheaper PSU alternatives?
• GPU Haven't worried about this yet, but probably will spend $90 - $100 on a GTX 460 (maybe 768 MB version) or something just a step down from there, depending on what options I have at that budget.
• Operating System - I already have a copy of Windows 7 Enterprise ready for this computer - $0.
• Monitor - eMachines E233Hbd Black 23" Already own - $0

Total Price - I believe that comes out to $439.

Questions:
1. Critique my build, let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions.
2. The case I'm getting doesn't have a fan in the front on the HDDs. I have a fan I can put in there right away if I need to, and I'll definitely eventually get a quiet, slow fan for it, but do you think there is any danger in not running a fan in the front for a little while? I suppose one downside is that if I don't run a fan in the front less of the intake air will come through filters, thus more dust.

 

[truepusk]

I think I covered almost everything in the standard question list, but just to clarify a few things:

Everything is purchased in the US. I mentioned why I have a strong preference for an Intel system right now. I probably lean towards nVidia for GPU, but I don't feel too strongly. I want to build this ASAP. I don't foresee overclocking this system - I don't think the MoBo I have is overclocking friendly, anyway.

 

[mfenn]

Bad move on the RAM. It's 1.65V, which is not good for Nehalem and newer Intel systems.

I'm going to strongly urge you to look at AMD you just get more bang for the buck in the sub $100 range. If you decide to go Intel, you really should be looking at the Sandy Bridge i3's. Also, I think that EVGA mobos really suck because EVGA (imho) has know idea WTF they are doing in the mobo department. There's just so many little compatibility problems with them.

As for the PSU. 650W is ridiculous overkill (as you know). I'd recommend the 430CX for $35 AR. It'll handle and moderate GPU config.

 

[DaveSimmons]

H61 chipset Sandy Bridge motherboards start at $65, you could get an I3-2100 + mb for as low as $190, no rebate needed.

SilentPCReview -- the 2100 beats the stuffing out of an AMD Phenom II X2 565, using much less power:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/i3-2100-x2-565

 

[truepusk]

Bad move on the RAM. It's 1.65V, which is not good for Nehalem and newer Intel systems.

Should I return it or see if it will work? Will it work on my i5 760 system? Probably won't be compatible with the RAM I already have. LOL, RAM used to not be so complicated

If you decide to go Intel, you really should be looking at the Sandy Bridge i3's.

Okay, so that's socket 1155 versus 1156, if I understand correctly. I assume this means it will not be compatible with my i5 760 system (LGA 1156). I thought that would be a benefit because we all know how useful it can be to be able to swap parts to debug what's busted when you have hardware issues.

Also, I think that EVGA mobos really suck because EVGA (imho) has know idea WTF they are doing in the mobo department. There's just so many little compatibility problems with them.

Well if I switch to LGA 1155, that will change everything. If I stay with this socket, my other options might include an MSI H55 or something similar, but I really want 4 memory DIMMs for upgradability.

How does the EVGA compare to the off-brand motherboards? (Biostar, ECS, Foxconn, etc.) I assumed I was smart to stay away from them; EVGA seemed more reputable, but I guess not (?)

As for the PSU. 650W is ridiculous overkill (as you know). I'd recommend the 430CX for $35 AR. It'll handle and moderate GPU config.

I'm sure that could handle it, but I should avoid PSUs with fans that small.

 

[mnewsham]

The RAM will work it is just a little out of spec.

I second the socket 1155, that allows you LARGE upgrades down the line.

IMHO biostar is currently above EVGA with motherboards. I would switch to a low end H61 or H67 motherboard by, MSI, GIGABYTE, or ASUS.

Psu's fan sizes aren't TOO important. That PSU mfenn posted would be fine.

 

[truepusk]

I guess I'll spend some time looking into some 1155 options and see what I think. I might hold off on pulling the trigger for now - I got excited because I was able to get some good prices on items. Some of those case deals are very good, so I might pick up one of those Thermaltek cases for now and just wait until I get the other stuff figured out.

I guess I'll play around with the RAM when I get it and see if I can get it to work in my i5 760 in the meantime (not that I do anything that will cause me to use more than the 4G I already have, but might as well not let it go to waste in the meantime).

PSUs with larger fans tend to be quieter. I'm afraid of the CX series - I believe it's relatively new. It has some good reviews with people saying it's quiet, but there are a lot of bad reviews of people saying it makes a buzzing noise often times. There seems to be implications that it really isn't up to the typical Corsair or Seasonic quality.

 

[mnewsham]

There are plenty of good psu's antec, seasonic, xfx.

 

[truepusk]

There are plenty of good psu's antec, seasonic, xfx.

There's some opinions on PSUs here:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1137318&hilit=quality+power+supply

They seem down on Antec. I usually stick to quiet Corsairs and Seasonics with large fans, but I'll read around a little to see if anything else deserves consideration.

 

[mnewsham]

There's some opinions on PSUs here:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1137318&hilit=quality+power+supply

They seem down on Antec. I usually stick to quiet Corsairs and Seasonics with large fans, but I'll read around a little to see if anything else deserves consideration.

jonnyGURU is THE power supply site I use.

 

[fffblackmage]

There's some opinions on PSUs here:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1137318&hilit=quality+power+supply

They seem down on Antec. I usually stick to quiet Corsairs and Seasonics with large fans, but I'll read around a little to see if anything else deserves consideration.

WTF... that thread is over a decade old.

 

[mfenn]

Should I return it or see if it will work? Will it work on my i5 760 system? Probably won't be compatible with the RAM I already have. LOL, RAM used to not be so complicated

It will work, just know that you are running outside of the Intel recommended spec.

Okay, so that's socket 1155 versus 1156, if I understand correctly. I assume this means it will not be compatible with my i5 760 system (LGA 1156). I thought that would be a benefit because we all know how useful it can be to be able to swap parts to debug what's busted when you have hardware issues.

I understand the desire, but it's not worth throwing away a ton of free performance IMHO.

Well if I switch to LGA 1155, that will change everything. If I stay with this socket, my other options might include an MSI H55 or something similar, but I really want 4 memory DIMMs for upgradability.

Seems pointless when you consider that the machine will never be fast enough to utilize 16GB (even that will be possible with 8GB DIMMs)

How does the EVGA compare to the off-brand motherboards? (Biostar, ECS, Foxconn, etc.) I assumed I was smart to stay away from them; EVGA seemed more reputable, but I guess not (?)

Biostar > EVGA > Foxconn > ECS

I'm sure that could handle it, but I should avoid PSUs with fans that small.

The fan on the 430CX 120mm. How is that "small"? It's the same size and probably quieter than the fans in the case that you're planning on using.

 

[truepusk]

WTF... that thread is over a decade old.

Feb 2011. You are probably cnfusing joined date and posted date.

 

[truepusk]

mfenn... My bad on fan size. I made an assumption from the pic. The cases I'm looking at are all 120mm or bigger fans.

 

[mnewsham]

http://www.jonnyguru.com/

 

[fffblackmage]

Feb 2011. You are probably cnfusing joined date and posted date.

I don't know how I managed to confuse those two, but you are correct. Sorry about that.

 

[truepusk]

jonnyGURU is THE power supply site I use.

Yeah, I don't know a ton about them, but I have a pretty strong opinion of them in general.

 

[truepusk]

I understand the desire, but it's not worth throwing away a ton of free performance IMHO.

I find your opinion convincing. I'll spend some time looking at the 1155 options.

Biostar > EVGA > Foxconn > ECS

My understanding is you would stay away from EVGA and thus Foxconn and ECS. Would you consider a Biostar board or do you lump that in the "not worth it" category?

 

[mfenn]

I find your opinion convincing. I'll spend some time looking at the 1155 options.

I tend to have the effect on people. :awe: (j/k)

My understanding is you would stay away from EVGA and thus Foxconn and ECS. Would you consider a Biostar board or do you lump that in the "not worth it" category?

I'd definitely consider a Biostar board if it was significantly less expensive than the competition (ie. ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI). Surveying the H67 field at Newegg, I'd probably go with the MSI H67MA-E35 for $100.

 

[truepusk]

Revised part list:

• 
  CPU i3 2100 $110 after tax. Same price is the LGA 1156 i3 I was original considering if you get it from Microcenter.
• Motherboard MSI H67MA-E45 (B3) LGA 1155 $123. I'll take USB 3.0 for only $5 over the MSI H67MS-E43. Cheapest decent 4 DIMM option.
• Memory $40 -$50 on 2x2GB from GSkill
• Case Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z $30 after rebate + promo code. (Already purchased). It had some minor shipping damage, but I'm not going to return it. I'll probably have to get or use 1 additional fan right away (I have some scythes I could put in it) for the front HDDs.
• Hard Drives 80 GB Seagate Barracuda SATA, 1TB Seagate Barracuda SATA $0, already owned (only parts I'm taking from the old computer).
• Optical DriveASUS 24X DVD Burner $18
• Power Supply I think I saw Seasonic S12 II 430 W for $65 from a place that was reputable enough. It seems like now is a tough time to get a good deal on a PSU that is both reputable performance wise and quiet. I'm afraid of Corsair's CX series for noise/performance and it's hard to find much outside of Seasonic and Corsair that I get confirmation on performance. I was looking at an XFX Core 500W (IIRC) that looked efficient, well designed, and quiet, but jonnyguru was concerned about the 12VDC rail getting higher than it should (not quiet out of spec at realistic loads). I'm not authoritative enough to know if that will matter long term, but I like my systems to have longevity.
• GPU Haven't worried about this yet, but probably will spend $90 - $100 on a GTX 460 (maybe 768 MB version) or something just a step down from there, depending on what options I have at that budget.
• Operating System - I already have a copy of Windows 7 Enterprise ready for this computer - $0.
• Monitor - eMachines E233Hbd Black 23" Already own - $0

I've realized that I'll eventually have to get aftermarket coolers for my i5 760 and this new box. Besides an additional fan (again, I might have something acceptable for reuse) the case that I have does not have a front fan filter, but I might be able to resuse on of those as well.

I haven't to recalculated the price yet. I'm also not in a huge hurry to pull the trigger on this since the only item I've purchased isn't something I'm worried about being defective. I have time to wait and see if there are better deals.

 

[truepusk]

Quick question - am I right to assume the above MoBo/CPU combo would get me onboard video without a graphics card (and without 3D gaming on the 1024x128- monitor)?

 

[mfenn]

Quick question - am I right to assume the above MoBo/CPU combo would get me onboard video without a graphics card (and without 3D gaming on the 1024x128- monitor)?

I'm assuming that you meant to change your CPU to the i3 2100? Your text still says i3 550, but you linked to the i3 2100. If that's the case, then yes you will be able to use the i3's IGP.

The rest of your build looks fine to me.

 

[mnewsham]

Looks fine from here.

 

[truepusk]

I'm assuming that you meant to change your CPU to the i3 2100? Your text still says i3 550, but you linked to the i3 2100. If that's the case, then yes you will be able to use the i3's IGP.

The rest of your build looks fine to me.

Yup, cool, thanks, fixed the text to go along with the link.

 

[truepusk]

New total is $491. Wow, I really am paying a lot more for socket/mobo upgrade. $45 difference.