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Budget Build advice

S

Squirreljester

n00b
Joined
Jan 27, 2011
Messages
60
My current computer is a P4 2.8Ghz HT socket 478 on a P4P800S motherboard, a Radeon HD 3850 AGP video card, in an 8 bay tower I've had for probably 10 years.... so I think it's about time to do a full upgrade. :)
I do have a 5 year old 17" LCD that I would like to upgrade as well.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Moderate gaming (I play DAOC on a semi-regular basis), web browsing, iTunes, web flash games (for the kid), light Photoshop and very light video editing. I usually have like 10 tabs open on my web browser, iTunes open, and a couple other programs open at one. Also, the one twist is I would like to run a VM of XP so I can play some of my really old games like Baulder's Gate and Warcraft II.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$700 - $900 is ideal, but I'm getting the 12 month financing from NewEgg so it can run closer to the $800 mark.
3) Where do you live?
Illinois, right outside of Chicago, USA.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Proc/motherboard, ram, video card, LCD monitor (as an option, I can forgo this item for better components and just pick up a monitor from Best Buy), case, everything but the PSU as I just replaced my old 350watt about a year ago with an Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 PSU and my 1.5TB SATA II drive I bought 3 months ago.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Possibly, I'd like to since it's so easy now, and it's much more stable than back in the day. I've read a lot on the ability to OC on air cooling, if I bump up to an i5-2500S or K will I need one of the $30 coolers NewEgg has? Also, is the arctic silver compound good to get or is the white goo that comes with the processor ok?
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I have an old 17" LCD, I'd like to pick up a 22" widescreen, but I can buy one from Best Buy if giving up the monitor will get me better build components.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Before January 31st to get the NewEgg financing and deals.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
I want a couple SATA 6GB/s ports, a couple USB 3.0 ports, at least 6 USB 2.0 ports, I don't need crossfire as I will be just running a single video card, at least 16GB of ram capacity, dual core at the very minimum but I would like to go i5-2500S or K quad core, I need to be able to burn CD's, DVD's, DL DVD's, and BLU-RAY in the future), and integrated sound is fine. I don't plan on upgrading for quite a few years. I actually wouldn't mind an SSD drive for my OS if there's any way to make a slight cut somewhere else in the build, as this would give me much better performance when running a VM.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I'll need a copy of Windows 7 64-bit PROFESSIONAL (I need remote connection host capabilities). I have legit copies of Windows XP Pro for the VM I'd like to run.


I've spent a couple days researching this stuff, and I've build a minimal cart on NewEgg already. Here is what I've built:

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UB Black /Blue Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $48.98 $6 (instant off)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119047
ASUS VW224T Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor $149.99 ($20 instant off)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236078
MSI N430GT-MD1GD3 OC/TF GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card $83.99 ($10 MiR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127535
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276
ASRock P67 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard Item #: N82E16813157222 $123.99 ($15 instant off)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157222
Intel Core i3-560 Clarkdale 3.33GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3560 Item #: N82E16819115068 $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115068
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM Item #: N82E16832116758 $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116758


Total is $769.91 with $21 shipping.

Thanks for any help and/or advice you can give.
 
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Squirreljester said:
My current computer is a P4 2.8Ghz HT socket 478 on a P4P800S motherboard, a Radeon HD 3850 AGP video card, in an 8 bay tower I've had for probably 10 years.... so I think it's about time to do a full upgrade. :)
I do have a 5 year old 17" LCD that I would like to upgrade as well.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Moderate gaming (I play DAOC on a semi-regular basis), web browsing, iTunes, web flash games (for the kid), light Photoshop and very light video editing. I usually have like 10 tabs open on my web browser, iTunes open, and a couple other programs open at one. Also, the one twist is I would like to run a VM of XP so I can play some of my really old games like Baulder's Gate and Warcraft II.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$700 - $900 is ideal, but I'm getting the 12 month financing from NewEgg so it can run closer to the $800 mark.
3) Where do you live?
Illinois, right outside of Chicago, USA.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Proc/motherboard, ram, video card, LCD monitor (as an option, I can forgo this item for better components and just pick up a monitor from Best Buy), case, everything but the PSU as I just replaced my old 350watt about a year ago with an Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 PSU and my 1.5TB SATA II drive I bought 3 months ago.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Possibly, I'd like to since it's so easy now, and it's much more stable than back in the day. I've read a lot on the ability to OC on air cooling, if I bump up to an i5-2500S or K will I need one of the $30 coolers NewEgg has? Also, is the arctic silver compound good to get or is the white goo that comes with the processor ok?
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I have an old 17" LCD, I'd like to pick up a 22" widescreen, but I can buy one from Best Buy if giving up the monitor will get me better build components.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Before January 31st to get the NewEgg financing and deals.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
I want a couple SATA 6GB/s ports, a couple USB 3.0 ports, at least 6 USB 2.0 ports, I don't need crossfire as I will be just running a single video card, at least 16GB of ram capacity, dual core at the very minimum but I would like to go i5-2500S or K quad core, I need to be able to burn CD's, DVD's, DL DVD's, and BLU-RAY in the future), and integrated sound is fine. I don't plan on upgrading for quite a few years. I actually wouldn't mind an SSD drive for my OS if there's any way to make a slight cut somewhere else in the build, as this would give me much better performance when running a VM.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I'll need a copy of Windows 7 64-bit PROFESSIONAL (I need remote connection host capabilities). I have legit copies of Windows XP Pro for the VM I'd like to run.


I've spent a couple days researching this stuff, and I've build a minimal cart on NewEgg already. Here is what I've built:

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UB Black /Blue Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $48.98 $6 (instant off)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119047
ASUS VW224T Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor $149.99 ($20 instant off)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236078
MSI N430GT-MD1GD3 OC/TF GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card $83.99 ($10 MiR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127535
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276
ASRock P67 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard Item #: N82E16813157222 $123.99 ($15 instant off)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157222
Intel Core i3-560 Clarkdale 3.33GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3560 Item #: N82E16819115068 $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115068
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM Item #: N82E16832116758 $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116758


Total is $769.91 with $21 shipping.

Thanks for any help and/or advice you can give.
Click to expand...

As listed, you have a non-working build due to the mismatch in components (especially between the CPU and motherboard). The i3-560 is severely overpriced for only a dual-core CPU to begin with -- especially a CPU of an older architecture (the new Sandy Bridge CPUs came out back on the 9th, completely obsolescing all of the existing CPUs and chipsets that came before the introduction of the LGA 1155 Sandy Bridge platform). Worse, it will not even fit the socket of any P67 motherboard! LGA 1156 CPUs are completely incompatible with LGA 1155 sockets: Not only are the electrical pin assignments differ between the two, but the notches in the sockets are in different locations and of different sizes.

Second, your choice of RAM is about $12 to $15 more expensive than you really need (for a 4GB kit): There is practically no performance difference between 7-7-7 and 9-9-9 latency timings at this speed.

Third, your choice of a GT 430 is on the pricey side for such undistinguished performance: It is not sufficiently faster than the IGP in the new i5-2500K to justify its price.

Fourth, that Centurion 5 does not cost $49 shipped - but it actually costs $59 shipped. Worse, it is relatively cramped on the inside. Even more so, it has insufficient cooling for most modern systems (it has only an 80mm fan in front but a 120mm fan in rear, which results in the worst of both worlds: Poor air circulation and excessive dust buildup internally due to the imbalanced fan system (too much exhaust and not enough intake).

Fifth, even if you buy an i5-2xxx series CPU, that ASRock is not one of my first choices in motherboards: It has only a one-year warranty (Newegg's warranty specification for that motherboard is wrong; I went directly to ASRock's Web site to confirm this). All other brands of motherboards in this price range have at least a two-year warranty.

In other words, not only you chose some parts that are crappy values, but the system as a whole (as listed) won't even work together at all.
 
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I concur with 100% with E4g1e's above post.

Here's an alt build sans CPU and mobo:
$40 - G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$16 - LG GH22NS50B DVD Burner
$193 - Cooler Master HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 ATX Case + Windows 7 Professional 64bit OEM Combo
$147 - Acer G235HAbd Black 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor
----
Total: $396 plus tax

Key differences:
- Better case
- Larger monitor
- Cheaper DVD drive (once you factor in shipping and all)
- More suitable RAM

Now before I start recommending a CPU, mobo, and probably video card, I need to know right now: Are you overclocking? If so, that means a P67 mobo + dedicated video card which means that you may have to go above $800. If not, that means a H67 mobo with onboard video which will keep you under $800. Either option will still have enough GPU power to run those old games you've mentioned.
 
E4g1e, I obviously haven't bought or built a computer in a loooong time, based on my current computer I listed, and I also stated that I have only spent the last 2 days researching the stuff. I came here for advice and to see if I missed anything with what I had put together in 2 days of learning and building, but thanks for the critique anyway, I obviously was off slightly matching the proc to the mobo. Also, that Centurion 5 was listed as $49 on my cart, so that's the price I put here.

Thanks Danny... I made the decision based on other posts on here to go with an i5-2500k setup. I'll list the system I picked below, and I like the monitor and OS + case found. My buddy suggested this case yesterday because he didn't like the 80mm fan in that case either: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023&Tpk=roswell blackbone
So which case would be better?

That LG doesn't do DL-DVD which I stated I needed to do. I don't mind a couple bucks difference on that though, so don't worry about that so much.

This video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161338
The i5-2500K processor
The only thing I need is a decent motherboard.
And yes, I will be OC'ing, just not right away. I found this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128460
I was going between this, an asrock, and an asus board, all between $120 and $130, but I don't know which one is the better of the boards, which is why I'm asking here, since you guys know way more about this stuff than I can learn before the 31st.

Thanks again for all the help... I will be ordering today. Also, is my 650w power supply I bought a year ago still good for upgrading to this kind of system?
 
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Squirreljester said:
E4g1e, You don't have to be a dick about it. I obviously haven't bought or built a computer in a loooong time, based on my current computer I listed, and I also stated that I have only spent the last 2 days researching the stuff. I came here for advice and to see if I missed anything with what I had put together in 2 days of learning and building, but thanks for the critique anyway, I obviously was off slightly matching the proc to the mobo. Also, that Centurion 5 was listed as $49 on my cart, so that's the price I put here.

Thanks Danny... I made the decision based on other posts on here to go with an i5-2500k setup. I'll list the system I picked below, and I like the monitor and OS + case found. My buddy suggested this case yesterday because he didn't like the 80mm fan in that case either: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023&Tpk=roswell blackbone
So which case would be better?

That LG doesn't do DL-DVD-R which I stated I needed to do. I don't mind a couple bucks difference on that though, so don't worry about that so much.
Click to expand...

I went a little overboard on my post.

As for the case, it is still cramped on the inside, especially from front to rear. This needlessly complicates the installation of internal SATA hard drives and internal optical drives because the SATA ports (especially front-edge-mouunted ones) on most motherboards would then become blocked by the hard drives themselves. I would have forgiven this case had there been a large opening in the motherboard tray for effective cable management (you could route the cables behind, or to the right-hand side of, the motherboard tray). But that Rosewill case does not appear to have such an opening at all, which makes working inside that case that much more difficult.

The LG DVD burner Danny suggested actually supports DVD-R DL (Newegg tends to omit a lot of specs on bulk hardware). The GH22NS50 (the "B" after the model number merely indicates the color of the drive's front panel - in this case, black) does write onto DVD-R DL at up to 12x speed. DVD+R DL can be written at up to 16x speed. Without knowing the brand I assume that your particular DVD-R DL discs are rated up to 6x speed.
 
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E4g1e, I edited my post after re-reading your critique, sorry about the name calling. My brain is melting from all of this reading and research.

I like the case Danny suggested, it seems like it has good airflow, dual fans, and bottom mounted PSU. I think I'll choose that one, since you also don't like the

I just have 3 questions before I pull the trigger on this purchase:

1) Do I have a sufficient PSU using my current 650W Antec True power TP3 650?
2) Is that gigabyte motherboard sufficient for overclocking, overall stability, and warranty?
3) I keep going back and forth between that Samsung spinpoint drive that keeps getting suggested, a crucial 64GB SSD, or the Seagate Momentus XT hybrid HD-SSD drive. I just don't know if I can justify the price of the SSD vs performance, and I keep reading mixed reviews on the Seagate hybrid drive. Which is the better choice in your opinions?
Keep in mind I already have a 1.5TB Seagate 7200rpm hard drive that I bought 3 months ago and is working fine.
 
1) The TP3 650 will be enough for your system plus a good mid-range video card like the Radeon HD 6850/6870 or the GeForce GTX 460/560.

2) Asus and Gigabyte are considered two of the best brands for motherboards. If you have any doubts about a Gigabyte board (but your choice looks fine to me), then go with an Asus board instead.

3) Since you already have a working HDD, I recommend an SSD for the OS and your key programs. The performance of an SSD in general is better than any HDD you could buy. I can't recommend the Seagate Momentus XT drives based on their mixed reviews.
 
I love both Gigabyte and Asus, I have an ASUS board now and it's been awesome.

You would pick the Radeon HD 6850 or the GTX 460 over the HIS 5770? You really can't beat $99 :)
 
If you want to play games decently at a 1920x1080 resolution, you'll have to pay for the privilege.

In that case, the HD 6850 is the cheaper of the two "alternatives."

Buy the monitor online as you can find a better one (than what Best Buy has to offer) at a lower price. Samsung, Acer, and Asus are generally good brands for (relatively) inexpensive monitors with low refresh rates (that are important for gaming).
 
Yeah, I agree, I'm gonna grab the ACER Danny suggested, no sense buying at 2 separate places anyway.

What's the difference between 128-bit and 256-bit? The HIS card has a higher core clock and a higher effective memory clock, but is only 128-bit. The Asus Radeon 6850 has a lower core clock and effective memory clock, but is 256-bit. Both have 1GB GDDR5 memory. I thought more was better. Remember, I don't need SLI or crossfire since I will just be running a single video card.
 
Squirreljester said:
Yeah, I agree, I'm gonna grab the ACER Danny suggested, no sense buying at 2 separate places anyway.

What's the difference between 128-bit and 256-bit? The HIS card has a higher core clock and a higher effective memory clock, but is only 128-bit. The Asus Radeon 6850 has a lower core clock and effective memory clock, but is 256-bit. Both have 1GB GDDR5 memory. I thought more was better. Remember, I don't need SLI or crossfire since I will just be running a single video card.
Click to expand...

Also, the HIS has an older GPU to begin with. Thus, clock speeds can only be compared within the same GPU, not across different GPUs.
 
The 6850 is about a 40% increase in performance over the 5770 due to better optimised (and more) unified shaders(960 vs 800), almost twice as much memory bandwidth (128 vs 76 GB/s), more ROPs (32 vs 16), and more TMUs (48 vs 40)
 
Squirreljester said:
What's the difference between 128-bit and 256-bit? The HIS card has a higher core clock and a higher effective memory clock, but is only 128-bit. The Asus Radeon 6850 has a lower core clock and effective memory clock, but is 256-bit. Both have 1GB GDDR5 memory. I thought more was better. Remember, I don't need SLI or crossfire since I will just be running a single video card.
Click to expand...
Generally 256bit is better than 128bit as it's a higher bandwidth which allows for greater performance. Think of it as a multi-lane highway: A 6 lane highway is gonna be a bit faster than a two lane highway. In addition, as E4g1e pointed out, you can't compare speeds across different GPUs.

Squirreljester said:
Saying it's just better doesn't tell me anything. I want to learn more about this stuff, not just mindlessly buy components. You guys don't want people telling you they need "everything", well I don't just want "this is just better than that". :)
Click to expand...
Ummm, 4LC4PON3 did post two links that explained exactly why the HD 6850 is better than the HD 5770.

Squirreljester said:
Also, I'm lookin at this SSD drive, and the numbers are through the roof for the price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227550
Click to expand...

Wouldn't get it. The stated numbers on the specs page for that SSD is actually not representative of real world usage. So the performance of that SSD is actually much much lower in real world usage than what is stated in the specs page. This is different from Crucial, Corsair, and Intel SSDs where the real world numbers are actually posted.
 
Review the benchmarks in the links that 4LC4PON3 provided, as well as other sites that "review" the 6850 and 5770 together. Simply put, at higher resolutions (read: 1920x1080) the 6850 generates higher frame rates with greater visual settings than the 5770. For example, check out these benchmarks from Legit Reviews.

Lately, we've been recommending the Crucial C300 series over the OCZ Vertex 2 and other brands. Check out this AnandTech review, as its benchmarks compares the C300 to the Vertex 2, Intel X25-M, and other popular brands. However, you may want to wait a month or two for new SSDs from Intel, Crucial, and other brands to arrive. Those SSDs are reportedly faster and cheaper than what is currently available.
 
Sorry, I didn't see the posts, I must have been typing mine while he was posting his. I'll check out the links....
Nice find on the comparison between the Juniper and the Radeon. The numbers don't lie, I guess I'm picking up a 6850... now the question is, which company to go with. They have an XFX in their testing, but I'm lookin at the ASUS one on newegg as it's cheaper.

Thanks for the explanation of the 256-bit vs 128-bit thing, that makes sense, it's just annoying a million different options for everything.
 
I have changed to the ASUS mobo as it's USB ports are arranged better, and it's got a little better reviews than the gigabyte: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131687

I was going to upgrade myself to the HardOCD's gold winning MSI board, but looking through the reviews, people seem to be having issues with the BIOS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...553&cm_re=msi_p67_1155-_-13-130-553-_-Product

Is this really the case with the MSI? I personally have had nothing but problems with MSI's products in the past, but the last time I worked with a MSI motherboard was 5 years ago. I also don't really need the crossfire functionality of the MSI board, and the ASUS board seems like a solid board.

I also just looked at the height of that 23" and it's an inch taller than where my upper desk shelf is, good thing I still have 1 notch higher I can go with it hehe.
 
I also noticed that the case you guys suggested only has 1 fan, is that normal? Am I going to have to buy a couple fans for it? And, there's a vent on the bottom for the power supply's fan, but if that's sitting on the ground, how does that even function?

I've also heard that side fans are worthless, what is your takes on that comment?
 
Squirreljester said:
I also noticed that the case you guys suggested only has 1 fan, is that normal? Am I going to have to buy a couple fans for it?
Click to expand...
Yes. Yes and no: Depending on the ambient temperature as well as cable management, sometimes all you need is one fan. However there are some situations/cases where a front fan is sorely needed.
Squirreljester said:
And, there's a vent on the bottom for the power supply's fan, but if that's sitting on the ground, how does that even function?
Click to expand...
The case does have feet which elevate the case a little above the ground. In addition, if you look at the bottom carefully, you'll see that that there are raised grommets around PSU area which makes sure that the PSU isn't totally flush against the bottome of the case. This allows for the PSU to still get air should the bottom of the case actually fully meet the floor (i.e like in the case of carpeting).
Squirreljester said:
I've also heard that side fans are worthless, what is your takes on that comment?
Click to expand...
Depends on the hardware and the airflow layout of the case. There are some situations where having a side fan doesn't help that much and some cases where having the side fan makes a big difference. So I'd have to disagree with that comment in general.
 
Awesome, thanks.

Alright, I'm sending the order in tomorrow morning, any chance of maybe shaving $100 off of the total price?

Acer G235HAbd 23'' WideScreen LCD monitor $146.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009266

ASUS EAH6850 DC/2DIS/1GD5/V2 Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $179.99 + $20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121419

G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424

ASUS P8P67 LE LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard Item #: N82E16813131687 $129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131687

Everything else like proc, extra fan, 64-bit Windows 7, DVD drive, etc. are pretty set prices.
 
You really aren't going to be able to cut many price corners. Since you wish to use a VM, I recommend that you stick with the 8GB dual-channel kit.

Jump on one of these i5-2500k combo deals:

$389.99 - i5-2500k and Sapphire HD 6850 combo deal
$349.98 - i5-2500k and MSI P67A-C45 combo deal (with free coupon for Futuremark 3DMark 11)
 
@4LC4PON3, ewww home premium hehe. I got that case+OS combo for Windows 7 pro 64-bit already, it must be a good case since everyone is suggesting it. I really like how I can remove that middle drive tray for unobstructed air flow from the front fan.

@tiraides That's true on the memory. The video card combo would be more $$, and I don't need a more powerful video card, I'm already about $60 over what I wanted to spend on a video card.

The motherboard/proc combo isn't bad. I really don't need that software, but with that extra $20 MIR it comes out to be about $20 cheaper. Is that motherboard better than the one I have selected? I've never had good luck with MSI in the past, but that was 5 years ago.
 
Again, if you're planning on buying a 1920x1080 monitor soon (and many 22" monitors have that resolution), I recommend the 6850 over the 5770.

MSI is good, but it's not a "Tier 1" company like Asus and Gigabyte. You'll find about as many people singing MSI's praises as you could those who've had nothing but problems with that brand. The MSI board has a few more features than the board that you chose earlier, but its cost premium is (somewhat) negated by the combo deal.
 
@tiraides It seems like every MSI board review I read has overwhelming BIOS complaints. Funny thing about that though, is the $20 MIR seems to be just on the motherboard. I added the board to my card, without the rest of the combo, and it's telling me the price is $139.99 with a $20 MIR. I like the solid state config of that board though... but the bois issues everyone seems to be having really makes me leary of picking that combo up.

And yeah, I got that Acer 23" I linked above that I'll be picking up along with everything else.
 
Right now with Sandy Bridge ALL mobos are having general issues no matter what Brand. Asus is having the most issues then MSI then gigabyte then Biostar having the least.
 
No e-SATA port on the back either on the MSI board, which I'm not sure I'd even use. I don't know, I'll sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow. The reviews I've read on the MSI on other boards aren't overwhelming, but it would be worth it if the board is solid, once they get the BIOS issues ironed out... at least they seem to be working on it.
 
that will have to be up to you on the board. I am a huge fan of Biostar myself only because they can keep up with the best out there. I feel Asus boards are over priced for the same features you get with other board such as gigabyte, MSI & biostar. Just throwing this up cause I love to support Biostar

5GZ on BIOSTAR TP67XE: http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/866724-intel-lga1155-i7-2600k-w-biostar.html
7007: http://hwbot.org/community/submission/957022_pt1t_cpu_z_core_i5_670_7007_mhz
6761: http://hwbot.org/community/submission/760597_boblemagnifique_cpu_z_core_2_e8600_3.33ghz_6761_mhz
7153.9: http://hwbot.org/community/submission/1084958_namegt_cpu_z_phenom_ii_x4_955_be_7153.9_mhz
 
Odd, I posted a big thank you to everyone that had helped me, and that I had learned a lot from building this computer, and it's not here, where'd it go?
 
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I wish I could make the a=href linking thing work so this list doesn't look so ugly with the links underneath the item, but this is my cart list:

LG DVD±RW SuperMulti Drive Black SATA Model GH22NS50B - OEM Item #: N82E16827136216
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136216

Acer G235HAbd 23'' WideScreen LCD monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009266

ASUS EAH6850 DC/2DIS/1GD5/V2 Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121419

G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424

2 IPCQUEEN IPC-12025 120mm Case Fan Item #: N82E16835168006
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835168006

COMBO DEAL
1. Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
2. COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.590821

COMBO DEAL
1. MSI P67A-C45 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
2. Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
3. MSI Gift Coupon - Futuremark 3DMark 11 Free with purchase!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.576623

Total: $972.90 and 2 $20 MIR

Slightly over-budget, but I think the upgrades are worth it.
 
are you planning to crossfire or SLI? just wondering cause that board only supports a single GPU
 
Nope, unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be back into gaming for enough of the week to justify it.I wouldn't have minded the option to later, but I'm about 99% sure that I'll never need it.
 
Yikes! I've had a hard drive do that, start smoking out of one of the corner holes, but never an entire motherboard!

Also, the LG drive I picked went out of stock during my purchase, so I had to switch back to the LITE-ON I had on there originally. I've had great luck with LITE-ON drives, I've had one in a little test computer that I bought back when I upgraded to a PII 233 system, still works good enough... 2x CD burning rocks BTW hehe.
 
Now I get a message that my motherboard choice has been "deactivated" ?? It seems like every decent motherboard from the top 4 brand names have all been "deactivated" on newegg's side, what gives?!
 
And now the 2500k proc is out of stock, what in the hell?!

Wow, that's insane about the recall... well, that shoots my getting a new computer order in by today to hell. I guess we'll wait and see what happens with this.
 
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