Building new system for general browsing/use

[eli2k]

Hi everyone. I am building a system for my mom. It will be replacing a stock computer purchased in 2007. The primary use will be web browsing, email, youtube, movies--so generally light tasks. I want to future-proof it for at least 5 years. I have a LIAN LI PC-V351A case that I plan to use, and I'd like to go with Intel processors. I plan to install Win7 (Win8 if you can make a convincing argument) on an SSD, and already have additional hard drives at hand. I don't feel I need any special features that don't already come with every motherboard these days. For USB ports, just two for keyboard/mouse, maybe a third for webcam, and a fourth for an external drive sometimes.

Regarding processor, I was looking at the i3-4130T given its low power consumption. Please let me know if this the right path to take. Should I go for something faster or jump to an i5? Is there any reason that I would need a quad-core in the next five years given the above usage scenario? And I was planning to go for 4GB memory, unless someone feels I should have 8GB.

Regarding power supply, at most this system will have two optical drives, an SSD, one green-class hard drive, and the above. So I thought anything 80 Bronze or Silver less than 400W should suffice, right? Probably a SeaSonic?

And regarding the motherboard, besides what was mentioned above, I'm not quite sure how to start looking to choose one.

Please let me know if there's anything else I haven't considered. Thanks!

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- primarily web browsing, watching video (youtube)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- less than $1000, but flexible
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
- United States, Orange County
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.
- need CPU (Intel)/motherboard/RAM/PSU (see above)
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- will be reusing monitor/external peripherals. I have a SSD and hard drives already.
6) Will you be overclocking?
- No
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
- 20 inches; unknown resolution
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- sometime within the next six months
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
- not sure. I describe my use-case above.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

- I have Win7 license

 

[Dangman]

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- sometime within the next six months

First and foremost, you're planning way to early. Computer hardware pricing and availability can change quickly in a month let alone six months from now. So if you want an up-to-date build list, please come back when you're 1-2 weeks away from buying parts and ask for advice then.

However, I can answer some of your questions now..

Regarding processor, I was looking at the i3-4130T given its low power consumption. Please let me know if this the right path to take. Should I go for something faster or jump to an i5? Is there any reason that I would need a quad-core in the next five years given the above usage scenario? And I was planning to go for 4GB memory, unless someone feels I should have 8GB.

The Core i3 4130T is not the right choice since it has almost the same idle power usage as a regular Core i3 4130. The 4130T only uses less power because it's clocked lower than the 4130. As a result, the 4130T will take more time to do a certain task which means that in the long run, it can potentially use up more power. So in other words, just go for the faster Core i3 4130: Basically the same idle power usage and will use less power in the long-run.

As for RAM, based on current pricing right now, 8GB of RAM is the actual sweet-spot pricing wise. I have yet to see a 4GB set of RAM in the past month that I would consider a "good deal".

Regarding power supply, at most this system will have two optical drives, an SSD, one green-class hard drive, and the above. So I thought anything 80 Bronze or Silver less than 400W should suffice, right? Probably a SeaSonic?

Correct, a sub 400W PSU should be enough.

 

[eli2k]

Thanks for answering my questions above. I'll post again when I'm closer to buy.