Help me build a new rig

[qwertz325]

I want to build a new rig for little money to replace my old one.

I use my computer for watching TV and record stuff off it using progDVB (this is the most taxing activity, I think), watch movies, listen to music and firefox. In firefox I always have a whole bunch of tabs open for days and a lot of the tabs are youtube videos (as you can imagine, after a while, memory is a nonexistent property).

I guess, given my working habits, I don't need a lot of processing power but rather lots of memory, right?

 

[notsane]

This is from the forum stickie:

If you're gonna ask us to build/list a PC for you or seek advice about a build, please answer all of the following questions:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
3) Where do you live?
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
6) Will you be overclocking?
7) What size monitor do you have or plan to have?
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.

By answering these questions you help us help you build a PC that's of better quality, better performing, cheaper or all of the above.

 

[qwertz325]

I don't have a budget, but I don't want to spend a lot of money so I want to go for the cheapest option that'll give me smooth working conditions. I'm not from the US so we can't work with a budget since I'll be buying from local vendors.

I'd like help with picking a CPU, motherboard, and GPU and RAM (amount and brand). Also, I don't know whether cases have any bearing on the noise, if they do I could use some suggestions about that as well.

I don't need any special features on the MB, I will be building the rig as soon as I choose the parts and I won't be OCing it. I'll be using a 22" monitor.

 

[Dangman]

I'm not from the US so we can't work with a budget since I'll be buying from local vendors.

Ok, where do you live? Do your local vendors have an online site or an inventory list available?

Oh and cases do have a bearing on noise.

 

[engiNURD]

Since you give us limited info, we can offer limited help. For your needs, it sounds like the AMD 7750 + 780G mobo will be your best option, since they're typically cheap, you're not OCing, and you're not gaming. The 780G can help when you watch HD video content as well.

For RAM, go with DDR2-800 from any major manufacturer (Corsair, Kingston, Crucial, G.Skill, OCZ, etc). You won't notice the difference between CL4 and CL5, so just stick with CL5 since you're on a tight budget. If you're using XP 32-bit, 4GB is about all you can use anyway, so stick with a 2x2GB kit. If you're using Vista 64-bit, 4GB is still all you need, but if you want, you can even bump it to 8GB since RAM is so cheap right now.

For a case, make sure it has at least 2x120mm fan openings, front and back. Find some 120mm fans that can push 40+CFM @ <25dBA -- Yate Loons are popular since they're cheap and fit this criteria. Any ATX Mid tower should do fine, but the 120mm fans are what keeps the case quiet yet flowing with enough air to cool the system.