Hi all,
I'm looking at putting together a SFF PC for my technically challenged grandparents. Their 7+ year old P4 is locking up now so its time for them to upgrade and I figured why not give them a nice small tower.
1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Overclocking, Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc. (If you have multiple things you want to do with the system, make sure you rank them from most important to least important).
Web browsing, email, word processing, some light video playback eg. Youtube
2. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
The budget is flexible, but the cheaper the better. Sub $500 ideally for the parts I will list. I can afford anything, but obviously I'm looking to save as much money as possible while doing it right.
3. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
I live in Calgary, Canada. Nearby the best store available is MemoryExpress. Beyond that, I'm comfortable with most major e-tailers.
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.
I need:
Case
Mobo
CPU
RAM
DVD Drive
possibly wifi card
5. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. For reused parts, list brands, model #s, and, if applicable, firmware revisions.
I'll be reusing a Crucial m4 128GB SSD so hopefully that should cover them (they dont have much in the way of bulk storage so I'm hoping to dodge a regular HDD)
6. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature? Make sure you indicate *required* vs. *wanted* for each feature you list.
Required:
DDR3 Support
Wanted:
Sata 6Gb/s
WiFi
7. What resolution output do you need? 1080p, 720p, DVD quality, etc for HTPC or list Vertical/horizontal resolution for non-HTPC SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
Single monitor 1080p should be plenty, the plan is to utilize onboard graphics.
8. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc.
Nope, just the smaller the better. I have a particular case that I'm rather enamoured with but I could probably be convinced to change my mind.
9. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?
I'd really rather not do much in the way of mods, but I have screwdrivers, drills, soldering iron etc available if I really have to.
10. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
I'd like to keep it quiet, but absolute silence is not required.
11. How mobile does this system need to be? Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?
Light is good, but I don't anticipate it weighing enough to cause an issue no matter what I do here.
12. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards
Oh yeah, I'll need to buy Win7 Home Premium OEM with the mobo I suppose. My local B&M store carries it but I'm not sure what the sale restrictions are on the OEM version?
13. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
ASAP (hopeful deadline: Entirely assembled by May 5th)
For starters, I really like this case: Link
Most of my questions revolve around motherboard/processor combinations. The cheapest SB i3 costs $130 which is more than I was really hoping to pay. Llano A6 APU's cost closer to $70, which is much more attractive. However, I can't find a reasonable mITX motherboard supporting the FM1 socket for less than about $150, which entirely negates any savings the processor would get me. So I'm thinking of sticking with a cheap i3, and grabbing a cheap mobo. Something like This processor and This MoBo.
Sorry for the immense wall of text. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
I'm looking at putting together a SFF PC for my technically challenged grandparents. Their 7+ year old P4 is locking up now so its time for them to upgrade and I figured why not give them a nice small tower.
1. What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming, Photoshop (or other intensive programs), Overclocking, Web browsing, strictly HTPC/Playback, etc. (If you have multiple things you want to do with the system, make sure you rank them from most important to least important).
Web browsing, email, word processing, some light video playback eg. Youtube
2. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
The budget is flexible, but the cheaper the better. Sub $500 ideally for the parts I will list. I can afford anything, but obviously I'm looking to save as much money as possible while doing it right.
3. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
I live in Calgary, Canada. Nearby the best store available is MemoryExpress. Beyond that, I'm comfortable with most major e-tailers.
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.
I need:
Case
Mobo
CPU
RAM
DVD Drive
possibly wifi card
5. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. For reused parts, list brands, model #s, and, if applicable, firmware revisions.
I'll be reusing a Crucial m4 128GB SSD so hopefully that should cover them (they dont have much in the way of bulk storage so I'm hoping to dodge a regular HDD)
6. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature? Make sure you indicate *required* vs. *wanted* for each feature you list.
Required:
DDR3 Support
Wanted:
Sata 6Gb/s
WiFi
7. What resolution output do you need? 1080p, 720p, DVD quality, etc for HTPC or list Vertical/horizontal resolution for non-HTPC SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
Single monitor 1080p should be plenty, the plan is to utilize onboard graphics.
8. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc.
Nope, just the smaller the better. I have a particular case that I'm rather enamoured with but I could probably be convinced to change my mind.
9. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?
I'd really rather not do much in the way of mods, but I have screwdrivers, drills, soldering iron etc available if I really have to.
10. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
I'd like to keep it quiet, but absolute silence is not required.
11. How mobile does this system need to be? Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?
Light is good, but I don't anticipate it weighing enough to cause an issue no matter what I do here.
12. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards
Oh yeah, I'll need to buy Win7 Home Premium OEM with the mobo I suppose. My local B&M store carries it but I'm not sure what the sale restrictions are on the OEM version?
13. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
ASAP (hopeful deadline: Entirely assembled by May 5th)
For starters, I really like this case: Link
Most of my questions revolve around motherboard/processor combinations. The cheapest SB i3 costs $130 which is more than I was really hoping to pay. Llano A6 APU's cost closer to $70, which is much more attractive. However, I can't find a reasonable mITX motherboard supporting the FM1 socket for less than about $150, which entirely negates any savings the processor would get me. So I'm thinking of sticking with a cheap i3, and grabbing a cheap mobo. Something like This processor and This MoBo.
Sorry for the immense wall of text. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!