office i3 vs a10

[NTMBK]

Third, I need this experience for certain job applications, I'm trying to get a summer job in the computer industry.

Just so long as your Dad is cool with you using him as a guinea pig for work experience.

What kind of job are you hoping to apply for? If it's more coding related, you might be better off learning Python or something similar.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Overclocking isn't really something you should put on your resume. Just take the money he would have spent on a desktop and get him a really good 27" monitor and mechanical keyboard for him to dock his laptop into. Then put on your resume you built whatever.

Best suggestion in this thread.

 

[lxgoldsmith]

I'm back.

Upon reading the responses, I'm not going to just tell him to buy a laptop and hook up extras. Upon buying a good laptop running windows 7 with an extra drive bay, adding a ssd (still few have switched), and migrating the OS and removing bloatware, it would cost less time and money to let me pick out some parts and build him a custom desktop.

Just so long as your Dad is cool with you using him as a guinea pig for work experience.

What kind of job are you hoping to apply for? If it's more coding related, you might be better off learning Python or something similar.

We're not rich enough to buy many certification tests ($200/test).

I'm prepared for the A+ certification testing and have experience working on repairing computers with the school technician. I love working on computers, but I need to be 18+ for most related jobs and compete against people with multiple certifications from a nearby public tech school. I've been repeatedly told that experience is a trump card over any number of certifications.


So here's where I am: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YrsG

I've come down to an A8 build that's ready to play low-end games and older games if need be. My dad is very interested in the new Baldur's Gate rehash.

The Geminii s524 looks good, and putting on a simple 140mm fan will lower the sound and increase the airflow on the cooler. I'll face that downwards onto the mobo (please tell me if that would be OK with this cooler).

The motherboard I chose has its purpose. it's a higher chipset, possibly supporting a newer, better APU later on if need be. It also has more 4 pin connectors so I can put the other side fan and CM turbine fans in pwm mode.

The HTPC case would be great, but the chosen cooler was slightly too big. I'll still look at HTPC cases. Any usb 2.0 cases should have a 3.5 inch external bay. Currently, the Line M is in the plan, even if there's too much space.

The area is dusty, so I'll add dust filters to any intakes

Dust filters reduce airflow, and a blue glow on the front is not preferred. I'll put a non-glowing CM fan on the front with a dust filter and put the glowing fan on the back. The back fan will be an intake (w/ filter) on the side on the bottom, and the other CM fan will be an intake (w/ filter) on the side on the top. Moving fans is not a problem. Tapping the screw holes is a pain, though.

the RAM I'm using is on sale. it's great RAM at 35% off this weekend.

The seasonic 300W PSU gets good ratings. Since this is an AMD trinity build, there will be no dedicated GPU. 300W is enough.

basic DVD/CD drive and Windows 7 Pro. It needs to be Pro because it connects to a domain network.

128GB ssd + 1TB hdd. Any more storage should be added to the server in a Raid 5 or 1+0 configuration. The server's storage is what gets eaten here. He's using 200GB hdd in the other ones without reaching 80GB after 2.5 years. I'm sure he'll get there eventually. hdd for backup either way.

P.S. Not overclocking right now but getting OC chip if/when plans change. The cooler will have great longevity either way.

 

[lxgoldsmith]

Best suggestion in this thread.

This business laptop has actually become his personal laptop since it has proven unreliability at work. (toshiba satellite) It gets BSOD problems that have proven difficult to diagnose. It's usually fixed with a power drain, so it might be a lemon.

 

[Cerb]

The Silverstone PS07B, at about $84 shipped, is a far superior case, and will need no work or added parts. The included fans are good, the filters are good, and the filters offers are spaced a bit away from the fans, improving airflow and noise, compared to filters that go right on the fan mount.

The Xigmatek Gaia is $20 right now, at Newegg, and performs within a couple degrees of the Gemini (it's got a moderately quiet fan). That's $20-23 less.

The Hyper212+ is $30 at Newegg ($20 AMIR), and outperforms both.

You will not significantly reduce the cooler's noise with any Cooler Master branded anything. They're idea of quiet is being able to yell over it (not literally, of course ). If you want to reduce noise, without much hassle, or cost, just stick to Xigmatek and Arctic Cooling (there are better, but they are both good, highly available, and not too expensive for what they offer in the <$60 range).

You are spending too much for the case, HSF, fans, and filters.

CM Gemini HSF: $32.92 (w/o MIR)
140mm fan: $9.99
2x120mm fans $18.94
Rosewill Line-M: $39.99
3x120mm filters: $12
Total: $113.84+s&h (2 fans)

Xigmatek Gaia HSF: $19.99
Silverstone PS07B: $76.99
Total: $96.98+s&h (~$6.50 for the case)

The Xigmatek Gaia performs about as well as the Cooler Master Gemini II s254, won't need another fan for any reason, and is cheaper. The Silverstone case is a really good case. It comes with a tower heatsink support, removable back panel, and removable dust filters. The only cons to it are that it is not as sturdy as their more expensive cases, like the Kubai or Temjin, so it will produce some vibration noise that their others will not (for the money, that's nitpicking), and that the fans it comes with are 3-pin.

The Fractal Design Core series might work, too, but the side and top vents are completely unnecessary, and are really wasteful design, with dust in mind (why have a dust filter, then have more places for dust to enter, unless you put exhaust fans there, which will increase airflow unnecessarily?).

With the Hyer212+ or Hyper212+ Evo, you would end up with about the same total costs as now, but a better cooler (louder than the Xigmatek, but lower temps), better case, and still no need to buy case fans or filters.

--

OT: Toshiba business laptop? I think that's bile coming up (hard to diagnose problems are the norm...they just go bad after awhile). Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Fujitsu make good business notebooks, and have support presence in the U.S. (the biggest problem for Asus and Samsung models--not even official support either, it extends to less availability of parts on eBay and such). Avoid them in the future. Toshiba and Acer branded notebooks tend to be feature-filled for the money, but low quality (Gateways may be Acers, technically, but are categorically made better, IME).

 

[Sleepingforest]

The only cons to it are that it is not as sturdy as their more expensive cases, like the Kubai or Temjin, so it will produce some vibration noise that their others will not (for the money, that's nitpicking), and that the fans it comes with are 3-pin.

If that's true (vibrational noise) for the PS07, it's probably double true for the Rosewill M-Line. Just another consideration. Since Silverstone's expensive cases are especially solid, you'll probably get at least decent build quality out of the PS07 (certainly miles better than the Rosewill).

 

[Cerb]

If that's true (vibrational noise) for the PS07, it's probably double true for the Rosewill M-Line. Just another consideration. Since Silverstone's expensive cases are especially solid, you'll probably get at least decent build quality out of the PS07 (certainly miles better than the Rosewill).

Oh, certainly. It's less a problem for a case in that price range, than it is that you do get something other than aluminum trim in their more expensive models (I haven't used the FD Cores, but I would think the same holds true for them v. the R4 and such...it sure looks like it aught to from the pictures at Newegg).

Noise bias note: my case's cooling is handled by my PSU, and a single Scythe Slipstream PWM, which rarely goes above 500 RPM. My video card has its factory fans, though my CPU has none, and there are no exhaust fans, unless counting the PSU. I was lazy with the video card, since its idle noise is acceptable to me (I can hear it, but it's quiet enough, and mostly broadband), but I'm very much a quiet PC snob .

IMO, the dust concern really makes a good case for the Silverstone PS07, at only $10 more than the Rosewill, v. others, especially with the light cooling requirements. Like several other Silverstones, it's made for positive pressure front to back airflow, has filters, no extra vents without directed air (like side vents), where dust could easily wander in, is a good acoustic and thermal performer, offers some HDD isolation, and has holes with space around them just for cable management. The obstructing door might be a weakness for an overclocked i5+7870, FI, but an overclocked APU will not present any cooling difficulties to it (if it seems to, it's time to vacuum ).

The Rosewill is cheap for the bare case, but it's not that much cheaper in total, and that $10 gets a far superior case.

 

[lxgoldsmith]

The Silverstone PS07B, at about $84 shipped, is a far superior case, and will need no work or added parts. The included fans are good, the filters are good, and the filters offers are spaced a bit away from the fans, improving airflow and noise, compared to filters that go right on the fan mount.

The Xigmatek Gaia is $20 right now, at Newegg, and performs within a couple degrees of the Gemini (it's got a moderately quiet fan). That's $20-23 less.

The Hyper212+ is $30 at Newegg ($20 AMIR), and outperforms both.

You will not significantly reduce the cooler's noise with any Cooler Master branded anything. They're idea of quiet is being able to yell over it (not literally, of course ). If you want to reduce noise, without much hassle, or cost, just stick to Xigmatek and Arctic Cooling (there are better, but they are both good, highly available, and not too expensive for what they offer in the <$60 range).

You are spending too much for the case, HSF, fans, and filters.

CM Gemini HSF: $32.92 (w/o MIR)
140mm fan: $9.99
2x120mm fans $18.94
Rosewill Line-M: $39.99
3x120mm filters: $12
Total: $113.84+s&h (2 fans)

Xigmatek Gaia HSF: $19.99
Silverstone PS07B: $76.99
Total: $96.98+s&h (~$6.50 for the case)

The Xigmatek Gaia performs about as well as the Cooler Master Gemini II s254, won't need another fan for any reason, and is cheaper. The Silverstone case is a really good case. It comes with a tower heatsink support, removable back panel, and removable dust filters. The only cons to it are that it is not as sturdy as their more expensive cases, like the Kubai or Temjin, so it will produce some vibration noise that their others will not (for the money, that's nitpicking), and that the fans it comes with are 3-pin.

The Fractal Design Core series might work, too, but the side and top vents are completely unnecessary, and are really wasteful design, with dust in mind (why have a dust filter, then have more places for dust to enter, unless you put exhaust fans there, which will increase airflow unnecessarily?).

With the Hyer212+ or Hyper212+ Evo, you would end up with about the same total costs as now, but a better cooler (louder than the Xigmatek, but lower temps), better case, and still no need to buy case fans or filters.

My dad had to use my computer, so I had to make the purchase. Now I read your post and think that it was really good advice. I hope it will be alright with the layout.

It will be a small PC

For another build, I might be able to simply replace parts in a currently owned dell PC. I'd replace a matx mobo, CPU, etc. and add a USB 3.0 header. Basically upgrade a case and replace the mobo & CPU (& ssd of course)

 

[Montosaurous]

i3 is better for office use, no doubt go with it.