Budget Build for Android Dev and Some Gaming

[deffibaugh]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
I plan running both Windows and a Linux distribution that I will be Android development in. When I am not working I would like to be able to play games once in a while. I definitely want to run Deus Ex: HR, Starcraft II, Diablo III, and Skyrim if possible. I also play indie Steam games and emulators but that shouldn't be a problem. I don't need crazy performance I just need playability.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
about $500
3) Where do you live?
Pennsylvania
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.
CPU, RAM, Graphics Card, Motherboard, Storage, Case, PSU
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Nothing to reuse
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not likely since its a development machine as well.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22inch 1080p monitor
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
very soon
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
I just need a basic motherboard. Something like an H61 SandyBridge board will be fine. I won't be doing much on the machine but development and occasional gaming.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I have a Windows 7 licensee for both 32 and 64 bit.


Basically, I am interested in building something similar to this: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4456/sandy-bridge-buyers-guide/3

I am just trying to figure out what graphics I need to run Deus Ex at 1080p adequately.

 

[tonytnnt]

Do you live by a Microcenter? They have Core i3 and motherboard combos for under $150 (the cheapest one is about $110 before tax -- see this build for ideas.) But let me know if you're close to one and I'll throw together an updated parts list for you later today (probably this evening.)

 

[deffibaugh]

No where close. I live in the middle of nowhere at the moment.

 

[tonytnnt]

Sorry for not getting back soon -- Deus Ex drew me in.

$125 (use promo code EMCKBJB26) - Core i3-2105
$65 - BIOSTAR H61MU3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
$60 - Samsung F3 1TB 7200 RPM
$23 - G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
$50 (use promo code EMCKBHG42, before $20 MIR) - CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W
$20 - Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM
$45 - NZXT BETA EVO Classic Series CS-NT-BETA-EVO
$135 (before $20 MIR) - XFX HD-679X-ZRFC Radeon HD 6790 1GB

Total (including shipping to Nebraska, PN should be similar): $530.25

A few options:
$40 (before $10 MIR) - Thermaltake V4 Black Edition (appears to have poor cable management.)
$40 - NZXT Beta Series CS-NT-BETA-B

(the sky is the limi for cases, don't be afraid to get something you like.)

If your budget can go higher, I would suggest considering a Radeon 6870 or better for 1080p.

 

[munkle]

Sorry for not getting back soon -- Deus Ex drew me in.

$125 (use promo code EMCKBJB26) - Core i3-2105
$65 - BIOSTAR H61MU3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
$60 - Samsung F3 1TB 7200 RPM
$23 - G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
$50 (use promo code EMCKBHG42, before $20 MIR) - CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W
$20 - Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM
$45 - NZXT BETA EVO Classic Series CS-NT-BETA-EVO
$135 (before $20 MIR) - XFX HD-679X-ZRFC Radeon HD 6790 1GB

Total (including shipping to Nebraska, PN should be similar): $530.25

A few options:
$40 (before $10 MIR) - Thermaltake V4 Black Edition (appears to have poor cable management.)
$40 - NZXT Beta Series CS-NT-BETA-B

(the sky is the limi for cases, don't be afraid to get something you like.)

If your budget can go higher, I would suggest considering a Radeon 6870 or better for 1080p.

There's no point getting the 2105 over the 2100 since he is using add in graphics (thats the only diff between the two as far as I can tell), 2100 can be had for $100 on sale.

Also I would go a 6850, it isnt much more if the same price, personally I would go a gtx 460 over the 6850.

 

[tonytnnt]

There's no point getting the 2105 over the 2100 since he is using add in graphics (thats the only diff between the two as far as I can tell), 2100 can be had for $100 on sale.

Also I would go a 6850, it isnt much more if the same price, personally I would go a gtx 460 over the 6850.

Post a link for a Core i3-2100 he can get for $100. The Core i3-2105 is the same price as the Core i3-2100 at the current time on Newegg. So post some links if he can get it for $100 -- he doesn't live by a Microcenter.

 

[deffibaugh]

There's no point getting the 2105 over the 2100 since he is using add in graphics (thats the only diff between the two as far as I can tell), 2100 can be had for $100 on sale.

Also I would go a 6850, it isnt much more if the same price, personally I would go a gtx 460 over the 6850.

I might be pulling the trigger on a used i3-2100 and MSI H61-P23 someone offered me after reading this thread. They should run me about $100 shipped. Does anyone know the difference between the various MSI H61 boards? They have a P21, P23, E33 that all seem to be the same. Anyway, the used CPU and motherboard will free up some cash. I am definitely going to use this machine at 1080p so I am thinking I am going to put some extra cash in the graphics card. The 6870s on Newegg are all coming with Deus Ex, the reason I am building this machine, so that will save me some money. What is a good price and good brand for a 6870?

 

[munkle]

Post a link for a Core i3-2100 he can get for $100. The Core i3-2105 is the same price as the Core i3-2100 at the current time on Newegg. So post some links if he can get it for $100 -- he doesn't live by a Microcenter.

as of right now there aren't any on sale ( I did say on sale). I bought mine for $100 at superbiiz about 2 months ago. newegg drops the i3 2100 to $115 at least once a month as well.

What is a good price and good brand for a 6870?

Xfx has lifetime warranty, I don't think you go wrong with an Asus card either, gigabyte and msi would be fine as well but not to sure how there warranty support is.

 

[tonytnnt]

XFX is generally considered the top AMD brand because of their lifetime warranty. They also are giving you three fairly new games with the purchase. If you were to go with a cheaper Sapphire card, you'd save $15 before MIR, but only $5 after the MIR, and you would only get Deus Ex, missing out on the other games. (I got my XFX rebates in 4 to 6 weeks IIRC.)

$190 (before $30 MIR) - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB and Shogun 2: Total War and Deus Ex Human Revolution and Dirt 3 free

Go for the used combo (assuming the seller bought it at Microcenter he/she would have paid between $110 and $130 plus tax for it IIRC, so you're getting at least a 15% discount on fairly new hardware.) On the motherboard you're only missing out on USB 3.0, but you could always get a PCIe x1 expansion card for it later if you miss it. Just make sure you trust that the parts work well -- you are getting used afterall. You might need some new thermal paste too.

 

[deffibaugh]

Im thinking I do want USB 3.0. I noticed that the MSI H61 E35 supports it and a front panel USB 3.0 connector. I haven't been able to find any cases with that though. It still doesn't support SATA III though. I will probably put an SSD boot drive in at some point. Are the new SATA III jobs that much better than SATA II?

Also, I noticed that the 5870 supports Eyefinity. I don't think my machine would have enough power to game on the 19 inch 1080p monitors but I am interested in this down the road for a development environment. Just the one card can support three monitors right?

 

[tonytnnt]

Im thinking I do want USB 3.0. I noticed that the MSI H61 E35 supports it and a front panel USB 3.0 connector. I haven't been able to find any cases with that though. It still doesn't support SATA III though. I will probably put an SSD boot drive in at some point. Are the new SATA III jobs that much better than SATA II?

More and more cases are coming out with USB 3.0 front panel connectors, but they're usually higher priced. I can't remember any off the top of my head that are sub $60.

Also, I noticed that the 5870 supports Eyefinity. I don't think my machine would have enough power to game on the 19 inch 1080p monitors but I am interested in this down the road for a development environment. Just the one card can support three monitors right?

Most mid to high end Radeons support Eyefinity now. The 6870 I linked to below does. There are even $120 Radeon 5770/6770s that support it. Not sure about below that but it's a possibility. Do you have a 5870 to use?

 

[deffibaugh]

Does the Biostar board support front USB 3.0?

 

[tonytnnt]

Does the Biostar board support front USB 3.0?

This specific motherboard does not have an internal USB 3.0 header. However many cases with front USB 3.0 ports actually use a cable pass through to the back. So it really depends on your case, but it does lack an internal header. It does have two USB 2.0 headers for a total of four more USB 2.0 ports available.

 

[deffibaugh]

Can I get away with keeping a card that large in a micro-atx case or should stick with mid towers? I am thinking of just grabbing an antec 300.

 

[tonytnnt]

Im thinking I do want USB 3.0. I noticed that the MSI H61 E35 supports it and a front panel USB 3.0 connector.

I just looked up that motherboard. I don't see an internal USB 3.0 header (look for the blue header on the right edge of the motherboard) on there but maybe I'm missing it. So the only way the H61 E35 could do front panel USB 3.0 is via a pass through.

 

[rpchip]

That motherboard does not have any USB3 ports

 

[deffibaugh]

So here is what I ended up going with. I spent slightly more than I had planned but I used a Newegg Preferred Account to get 12 months no interest and $15 off per $100.

ASRock Mobo, with Sata III, USB 3.0, and HDMI $74.99

XFX AMD 6870 with a free copy of Shogun and Deus Ex! $189.99

Intel Core i3 2100

WD Cavair Black Sata III 64mb cache 1TB

Patriot 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model PSD34G1333K

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan

Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM

Rosewill RNX-N180PCe PCI Express Revision 1.1 Wireless Adapter

I also picked up a couple of extra fans for the case. Im pretty sure it was a waste of ten dollars to get the sataIII HDD but my ocd wouldn't let me not get it. It will make a nice comboniation with vertex III boot drive when I can afford one. The case even supports SSDs! I also changed the motherboard choice. The ASRock had a bunch of good reviews (and their other boards do too) and it had USB 3.0, HDMI, and SATA III for just a little bit more.

Thanks for the help! The total was about $600 shipped.

 

[Dangman]

Any chance of you being able to cancel that order?

ASRock Mobo, with Sata III, USB 3.0, and HDMI $74.99

Not a good choice IMO on account of the one year warranty. There are other motherboards in that price range that have 2-3 year warranties. With that said, if the one year warranty doesn't bother you, go for it.

WD Cavair Black Sata III 64mb cache 1TB

That's the link for the 500GB version. So which drive did you get?

Patriot 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model PSD34G1333K

From a price to performance perspective, this RAM was a poor choice considering the following:
- For another $17, you can get twice as much RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424

- For $4 less, you could have gotten a single 4GB stick of RAM (the RAM that tony linked to) which would have allowed you to expand to 8GB of RAM later on without having to ditch your current set. Note that both the AsRock and Biostar mobo has only two RAM slots. So by going with that 2x2GB set, you've effectively limited yourself to only 4GB of RAM

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Very low quality PSU. Outside of the modular cables, that PSU offers nothing over similarily priced PSUs. Its performance and quality is low compared to PSUs of that price range. In fact, so low it's almost near dangerous to the PC. So if you could only change one part, this is the part I would change. I would recommend any of these PSUs instead:
$58 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
$59 - Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-520 520W PSU

So ditch that Antec Basiq PSU ASAP!

Rosewill RNX-N180PCe PCI Express Revision 1.1 Wireless Adapter

A higher quality, longer warrantied, and faster adapter was only $5 more:
$28 - Asus PCE-N13 Wireless Adapter

To reiterate: Even if you don't want to take any of my suggestions, the one suggestion I highly recommend listening to and acting upon is the PSU: That Baisq isn't good at all. You're putting that PC at risk with that PSU.

 

[deffibaugh]

Its already shipped. I really am not worried about PSU from Antec thats continuous power rating is 50 watts more than the recommended amount of wattage straight from XFX's website for the 6870. I mean come on, the thing has 478 reviews with a 5 egg average. What exactly makes it bad? I am not going to be doing dual cards or raid.

I got this hard drive

I am not really considered with only having a one year warranty on a $75 part. It would probably cost at least $20 to ship it there and back. Besides, this motherboard is a steal at that price imo. As for the ram I thought about getting one stick so I could upgrade later, but I don't think I will need 8gb any time in the near future so I figured it would be better to run in dual channel mode.

 

[deffibaugh]

I just compared the details between the NEO and the power supply I bought the one I purchased is better in almost every aspect.

 

[Dangman]

I mean come on, the thing has 478 reviews with a 5 egg average.

When it comes to PSUs, Newegg reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. Unlike other computer parts, it takes a certain amount of expertise to determine whether or not a PSU is of good quality. It's not a simple case of "Oh I plugged it in and it worked!" and therefore the PSU is of good quality. There are whole variety of factors that determines whether or not a PSU is good. There are tons of newegg reviews as well as 4-5 stars for known shitty power supplies. Therefore, Newegg PSU reviews should be take with a grain of salt. They're not done by experts but by people with little to no knowledge of what exactly a PSU is.

What exactly makes it bad? I am not going to be doing dual cards or raid.

I just compared the details between the NEO and the power supply I bought the one I purchased is better in almost every aspect.

Its actual quality and performance is lesser than that of the Neo Eco and High Current Gamer designs. The Basiq BP550 Plus is based on a lower-end budget Delta platform. The Antec Neo Eco is based on a budget but higher quality Seasonic paltform. As such, there's a significantly higher chance of the Antec Neo Eco being capable of actually providing its 520W of power. Due to the Basiq BP550 Plus low budget design, there is little to no gurantee that PSU will be able to provide its supposed 550W output.

Specs stated on the Newegg page do not tell the entire story. Case in point: Despite that Basiq having an extra 30W over the Antec 520W PSUs above, its actual usuable power is much much less. Note that the vast majority of PC parts draw power from the +12V rail. The higher the amount of power on the +12V rail, the more parts you can add. Newegg does not list that figure. You have to actually check the PSU label. Now the Antec Neo Eco and the Antec High C has 40A or 480W on the +12V rail. That Antec Basiq only has 37A on the +12V rail. So in reality, that Basiq PSU has LESS power for future upgrades than the Antec Neo Eco or the HCG.

The only key worthwhile advantage that the Basiq has over the other two Antec PSUs are the modular cables. Unfortunately its low quality as well as actual performance offset the modular cables capability. In fact think about it: Modular cables typically add an additional $20 to $30 to the cost of a PSU. You can see this with the old Corsair 650TX and 620HX or the newer 650TX V2 and 650HX or the Enermax MODU82+ 625W and Liberty Eco 620W : Based on the same platforms but due to the modular cables, the 620HX, 650HX, and Modu82+ command a higher price of $20 to $60 in some case.

So if we were to remove the cost of the modular cables, that PSU comes out to around $35. I'm more than willing to bet that Antec did not come out with a 550W PSU capable of actually providing 550W of power under real world conditions for $35. Especially considering that its lowest end but still good quality PSU from Antec is the $35 to $40 Earthwatts 380W PSU.

So thats why the Basiq 550 Plus is not a good choice.

As for the ram I thought about getting one stick so I could upgrade later, but I don't think I will need 8gb any time in the near future so I figured it would be better to run in dual channel mode.

Dual channel, at most and under the most ideal of conditions, only provides a 5% performance increase.

 

[deffibaugh]

Given that I am not planning on adding more than an SSD to this machine in the future should I order another power supply and return the other one? If its dangerous I would rather pay the 15% restocking fee.

 

[Dangman]

Given that I am not planning on adding more than an SSD to this machine in the future should I order another power supply and return the other one? If its dangerous I would rather pay the 15% restocking fee.

Although another SSD wouldn't stress the PSU, I'd still get a different PSU due to your choice of video card: that HD 6870 does use quite a bit of power. So that means more stress on the PSU. Stress that the Basiq may not be able to take.

Also make sure that you contact Newegg's customer support. They'll usually waive the restocking fee once you tell them that you're planning on buying a different PSU from them.

 

[deffibaugh]

I just ordered the second PS you recommended. I guess this is my tax for rushing and not paying attention. I want to play Deus Ex so badly.

 

[E4g1e]

Its already shipped. I really am not worried about PSU from Antec thats continuous power rating is 50 watts more than the recommended amount of wattage straight from XFX's website for the 6870. I mean come on, the thing has 478 reviews with a 5 egg average. What exactly makes it bad? I am not going to be doing dual cards or raid.

Actually, I compared the total +12V capacity of the two PSUs in question. Despite two 22A "rails" plus one 25A "rail", the total combined +12V capacity of that BP550 is only 37A (or 444W). NEVER add up all of the rails of a "multi-rail" PSU like that! It just does not work this way at all. In the BP550's case, the three rails are driven by a single common source with a limited current capacity (in this case, a single 37A voltage source). By contrast, the NEO ECO 520W has a single 40A (480W) +12V rail.

So in other words, the BP550 is effectively only a 450W to 475W PSU under realistic conditions. And even then, its output quality is mediocre.

 

[deffibaugh]

So I haven't received everything yet but I decided to to order some replacement parts and just return the things I made some mistakes on. Sorry, for not waiting for everyone's advice. I definitely jumped the gun. I will just have to $30 dollar shipping and restocking fee hit.

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I32100 $124.99

Mobo: ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $74.99

After doing some more research this appears to be a really solid board and it was a lot less than anything else. Apparently ASRock is upping their quality. I really like having SATA III as I will probably add a Sandforce SSD eventually. HDMI is also nice because this machine might loose the graphics card at some point so I would still be able to do dual monitors on digital output.

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT $44.99

Like you said Danny Boi it was only another $17 dollars so I figured why not?

GPU: XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $189.99

This comes with two games, Shogun and Deux Ex. I considered this free money.

Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-520 520W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply 58.99

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $79.99

Optical: Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM $18.99

Wireless Adapter: ASUS PCE-N13 PCI Express 150/300Mbps Transfer/Receive Rate Wireless Adapter $27.99

I decided it was silly to save money on cheap wireless card. I get very annoyed when laptop drops the connection as it is.

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan $39.99

Fan 1: Vantec Stealth 92 mm Double Ball Bearing Silent Case Fan - Model SF9225L $13.99

Fan 2: Scythe SY1225SL12L 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan $12.99

The total, with a free Deus Ex and Shogun code, is $687.89. A little out of my budget but I think I have pretty good bang for my buck. Plus Newegg was running a promotion for their preferred account that gives no interest or payments for 12 months and $15 off per $100. So even with my return issues this build should end up costing me in between $600 and $650.

Eventually, I can put a non K version of a core i7 in this machine or even a new Ivy Bridge chip correct?

 

[E4g1e]

So I haven't received everything yet but I decided to to order some replacement parts and just return the things I made some mistakes on. Sorry, for not waiting for everyone's advice. I definitely jumped the gun. I will just have to $30 dollar shipping and restocking fee hit.

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I32100 $124.99

Mobo: ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $74.99

After doing some more research this appears to be a really solid board and it was a lot less than anything else. Apparently ASRock is upping their quality. I really like having SATA III as I will probably add a Sandforce SSD eventually. HDMI is also nice because this machine might loose the graphics card at some point so I would still be able to do dual monitors on digital output.

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT $44.99

Like you said Danny Boi it was only another $17 dollars so I figured why not?

GPU: XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card $189.99

This comes with two games, Shogun and Deux Ex. I considered this free money.

Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-520 520W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply 58.99

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $79.99

Optical: Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM $18.99

Wireless Adapter: ASUS PCE-N13 PCI Express 150/300Mbps Transfer/Receive Rate Wireless Adapter $27.99

I decided it was silly to save money on cheap wireless card. I get very annoyed when laptop drops the connection as it is.

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan $39.99

Fan 1: Vantec Stealth 92 mm Double Ball Bearing Silent Case Fan - Model SF9225L $13.99

Fan 2: Scythe SY1225SL12L 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan $12.99

The total, with a free Deus Ex and Shogun code, is $687.89. A little out of my budget but I think I have pretty good bang for my buck. Plus Newegg was running a promotion for their preferred account that gives no interest or payments for 12 months and $15 off per $100. So even with my return issues this build should end up costing me in between $600 and $650.

Eventually, I can put a non K version of a core i7 in this machine or even a new Ivy Bridge chip correct?

Actually, I would not recommend any Sandforce SSD at this time because later (newer) revisions all suffer from BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) issues in Windows. And currently available firmware revisions do not fix any of the problems associated with the Sandforce SSD controllers at all.

Of all the other SSDs, the only ones that are feasible at this point are those SATA 6.0 Gbps models that use a Marvell controller. (Yes, I know that Marvell sucks at motherboard SATA controllers, but they are one of the few decent choices when it comes to controllers integrated into the SSDs themselves.) This list is fairly short, consisting of the Crucial m4 series and the Intel 510 series.

 

[deffibaugh]

Thats a shame. I love the intel x25-m I have in my laptop so much. SSDs are hard to quit once you start. Does everything look solid on the build though? Its been a long time since I have a had a rig and I am very excited.

 

[Dangman]

Like you said Danny Boi it was only another $17 dollars so I figured why not?

It's Bui, not Boi.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $79.99

That hard drive actually performs the same as this $20 cheaper hard drive:
$60 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Optical: Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM $18.99

You can save $4 with this similar DVD burner instead:
$20 - Lite-On iHAS-324-98B 24X SATA DVD Burner

Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan $39.99

Fan 1: Vantec Stealth 92 mm Double Ball Bearing Silent Case Fan - Model SF9225L $13.99

Fan 2: Scythe SY1225SL12L 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan $12.99

Considering the costs of the fans and the case, that whole setup isn't too good for the money. It comes out to $76 shipped. Not really worth it IMO since you can get larger, better cable management, better quality, and equal or greater cooling cases for around that price range:
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58W ATX Case
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K56 ATX Case

Eventually, I can put a non K version of a core i7 in this machine or even a new Ivy Bridge chip correct?

Yes on the non-K, not sure about the IB CPU.

And yes, definitely go with the Crucial M4 or Intel 510 series SSDs.

 

[deffibaugh]

I really like the look of the fractal designs case and that it is a smaller micro atx case. I just noticed something interesting about the board I went with. It says that it does support K CPUs. I thought H61 didn't allow overclocking?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157236

Sorry about the mistake on your name.

 

[Dangman]

I really like the look of the fractal designs case and that it is a smaller micro atx case.

Fair enough. Personally not a fan of the look of that Fractal Design case on account of the fan filters giving it a very messy look. Personally I'd go with the Coolermaster Elite 341 on account of the larger rear exhaust fan and better look IMO.

I just noticed something interesting about the board I went with. It says that it does support K CPUs. I thought H61 didn't allow overclocking?

The H61 does not support overclocking. But not everyone will overclock a K CPU. There are occasions where a K CPU is a better buy than a non-K CPU. In addition, the faster graphics that comes with a K CPU is often worth it for some people.

Sorry about the mistake on your name.

No worries