Help with a new build

[hawkeye_wx]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
This build is for my Mom and will replace her ancient Athlon XP system. This system is used for typical mom stuff... email, web browsing, etc. She does not play games or watch movies. I just want the new system to be nice and snappy with smooth browsing and hd video playback(youtube videos, etc).

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I don't have a fixed budget. I just want good bang-for-the-buck parts for a solid basic build.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Iowa, 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.
CPU - I had considered a Pentium G3220 for ~$60, but I can get some better cpus at a good discount. Here are my three options... unfortunately, no mainstream(no-letter) chips.
core i3 4130T ($61) - 2 cores, 35W
core i5 4570T ($97) - 2 cores with enhancements, 35W
core i5 4690S ($111) - 4 cores, 65W, great deal but may be overkill for my mom
Here's a side-by-side comparison chart http://ark.intel.com/compare/77481,75045,80812

GPU - Intel integrated gfx should work well, I would think

Mobo - I've been out of the loop for a while, so I'm not sure what the most reputable brands are now. It appears the H81 chipset is the least expensive, so is that a good one for this basic build?

RAM - This is going to be my mom's computer for 7-10 years(hopefully), so I was leaning toward 8 GB, but if she'll never use more than 4 GB then that could work as well. I'm not sure.

SSD - Would like to get a good deal(<$100) on a 250/256 GB ssd this holiday season... leaning toward a Crucial MX100, or a Samsung EVO.

DVD - She rarely uses her current dvd drive, but it's an old IDE model. I think the new system would require a SATA drive.

PSU - Her current system uses an old Antec 350W with a loud, past-its-prime fan. I was thinking something like an Antec Earthwatts 380D or Corsair CX430 would be good for her new system. Any preference for one of those? Or is there a better choice? I don't want a cheapo unit, but don't want to spend a ton, either. Obviously, this system will be pretty low power.

Speakers - This isn't an immediate priority, but she is still using the crappy speakers that came with her first HP computer in 1997. I'd like to get her something decent at some point. I don't think she needs a subwoofer, just some nice sounding speakers that can sit on her desk next to the monitor.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
-case - I figure I can save money by reusing her old case with 2 x 80mm exhaust fans
-ps/2 keyboard - it's very old, but still works fine
-cheapo speakers (came with HP system in 1997) - I need to upgrade her audio to something decent one of these days
-mouse - she just bought a wireless Logitech
-fan controller - a Sunbeam, currently used for two case fans and a cpu fan
-usb hub

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
22" Acer LCD, 1920 or 1680 res

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Soon. I've been waiting for the typical November(black friday) deals.

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.
Her old keyboard will require a ps/2 port. I suppose USB 3.0 would be a plus for the long term. Otherwise, whatever is necessary for a basic haswell system with integrated gfx.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I'm thinking she could just keep using her retail copy of Windows Vista 32-bit for a while and then pick up a copy of Windows 10 later next year.

 

[Dangman]

Considering the price you're paying, the best choice is the Core i5 4690S and here's why:
1) A quad-core Intel is going to be your best bet if you want the system to last your planned 7 to 10 years since there's a good chance that more software/OSes will be heavily multi-threaded in the future.
2) The onboard graphics of the 4690S allows for more headroom for the time HD video playback requires more GPU power.
3) It's clocked higher than the 4590T.

I generally don't recommend the H81 outside of extreme budget builds as their quality tends to be.....not as good as it could be. Again considering your extreme longevity plans, I recommend something like this:
$88 - Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Intel H97M mATX Motherboard

For the RAM, I recommend this Kingston 8GB of RAM since 8GB of RAM is the lowest bang for the buck price-point when it comes to RAM. Not to mention that current and future OSes and software will use up whatever RAM you have in order to not let it go to waste:
$74 - Kingston HyperX FURY HX316C10F/8 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM

SSD wise, I'd stick with the Crucial MX100 or Samsung 840 Evo, whichever one is the cheapest deal.

For the PSU while any of the PSUs you've mentioned would work, I recommend this Seasonic instead:
$60 - Seasonic G Series SSR-360GP 360W PSU

Here's why:
1) Again, your extreme longevity plans means you should get a PSU that's of higher quality and therefore has a better chance of lasting longer.
2) That PSU is more efficient and your situation is one of the few situations where a more efficient PSU justifies the higher upfront cost as it means potentially more energy savings over time.
3) It's also quieter than either of the PSUs you've listed.

If that case still has 80mm exhaust fans, I'm betting it's way too old for a modern system. Considering how old the PC is, might as well go with a new case now rather than disassemble and reassemnble the PC into a new case later on. I recommend this budget case:
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case

 

[hawkeye_wx]

Thanks for the suggestions, Dangman. I've been looking at those parts and others over the last week.

I have pretty much decided to go with the i5 4690S. I was going to use the stock Intel heatsink/fan, but I'm wondering if a third-party cooler would be better considering user reviews rarely have good things to say about stock HSFs. I have usually used third-party cpu coolers in the past whether the system gets stressed or not, just to provide the best and quietest cooling. I do want my mom's new system to be as quiet as possible. Is there a cooler you (or anyone else) would recommend? I noticed there is a popular Cooler Master 212 evo that's reasonably priced, but it's also huge and right up against the width limit if I get one of the NZXT cases you recommend.

You suggested an H97 mobo, which I'm certainly considering. Hopefully, that one or another brand H97 will have a nice sale next week (*update: There is an ASRock H97M Pro4 board for less $ than the Gigabyte. What is ASRock's mobo reputation?). I did not realize the H81 boards were more cheaply made. I had thought the different chipsets simply had more or less features(headers, ports, etc). Many features on an H97 board would go unused in my mom's system, but if it's a better-quality board I'll consider it. What about something like a B85 board? I did read that a Haswell-refresh cpu like the 4690S may not work with H8x/B8x boards that have an older bios, so that could be a risk if there's no way to flash the bios without a working cpu installed(although that may not be an issue anymore). An H97 board would obviously be guaranteed to work.

Is there something in particular you like about the NZXT Source 210 Elite case vs something like the Antec One? I've never had a case with side and top vents. How does that affect the noise? It also appears I would have to get a 3.5->2.5 ssd adapter. I read there may be some kind spot for a 2.5" drive, but it doesn't work well. I was expecting modern cases, even cheaper ones, would come with dust filters, but apparently that's not the case. Even my 15-yr-old Antec SLK3700 case has a front vent filter that did a great job keeping dust out. My mom's current system has to be cleaned out monthly because there's so much dust that gets sucked in. Another thing about her system is it is located inside a mostly-enclosed desk compartment. The new one will be as well. The side and bottom psu intake vents won't have the best access to fresh air. Perhaps it would be best if I remove the front door of the desk compartment to allow better air to get in there. Hopefully, the case/cpu/psu fans would be quiet enough so removing the door wouldn't make much of a difference, noise-wise.

 

[Dangman]

I was going to use the stock Intel heatsink/fan, but I'm wondering if a third-party cooler would be better considering user reviews rarely have good things to say about stock HSFs. I have usually used third-party cpu coolers in the past whether the system gets stressed or not, just to provide the best and quietest cooling. I do want my mom's new system to be as quiet as possible. Is there a cooler you(or anyone else) would recommend? I noticed there is a popular Cooler Master 212 evo that's reasonably priced, but it's also huge and right up against the width limit if I get one of the NZXT cases you recommend.

Well do note that the case is also a factor in how quiet a PC is. So if you're actually serious about making the PC as quiet as possible, then I recommend these other cases instead:
$90 - Antec P280 ATX Case
$90 - Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl ATX Case
$120 - NZXT H440 White/Black ATX Case
$120 - NZXT H440 Red/Matte Black ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case

As for the HSF, the COolermaster 212 Evo is a fine choice. However, if noise is really key, then I'd spend the extra $7 for this Scythe HSF:
$40 - Scythe SCKTT-1000 HSF

You suggested an H97 mobo, which I'm certainly considering. Hopefully, that one or another brand H97 will have a nice sale next week(update: There is an ASRock H97M Pro4 board for less $ than the Gigabyte. What is ASRock's mobo reputation?). I did not realize the H81 boards were more cheaply made. I had thought the different chipsets simply had more or less features(headers, ports, etc). Many features on an H97 board would go unused in my mom's system, but if it's a better-quality board I'll consider it. What about something like a B85 board? I did read that a Haswell-refresh cpu like the 4690S may not work with H8x/B8x boards that have an older bios, so that could be a risk if there's no way to flash the bios without a working cpu installed(although that may not be an issue anymore). An H97 board would obviously be guaranteed to work.

AsRock mobos tends to have thinner PCBs which makes their motherboards feel physically weak. But that also allows them to sell cheaper motherboards with the same features as other more expensive motherboards. Depending on which AsRock mobo, the thinner PCB isn't quite that big of an issue. If you're wreckless enough to snap a motherboard into pieces, it won't matter how thin the PCB is.

H81 mobos tend to be cheaply made since they're aimed for the lower-end market. Their limited features set is a reflection of this market goal. Thus, why spend extra money making it just as good as B85, H97, and Z97 counterparts?

It's because of the guaranteed compatibility issue that I don't recommend the B85 chipset either. Nor do I expect that even months after the release of the Haswell refresh that Newegg or Amazon would have completely cleared out their old inventory with outdated BIOs. Nine months after the release of the Ivy Bridge-E CPUs, I was still UEFI updating multiple X79 motherboards. In addition, B85 mobos, still generally better than their H81 brothers, still fall behind H97 motherboards in quality.

Is there something in particular you like about the NZXT Source 210 Elite case vs something like the Antec One? I've never had a case with side and top vents. How does that affect the noise? It also appears I would have to get a 3.5->2.5 ssd adapter. I read there may be some kind spot for a 2.5" drive, but it doesn't work well. I was expecting modern cases, even cheaper ones, would come with dust filters, but apparently that's not the case. Even my 15-yr-old Antec SLK3700 case has a front vent filter that did a great job keeping dust out. My mom's current system has to be cleaned out monthly because there's so much dust that gets sucked in. Another thing about her system is it is located inside a mostly-enclosed desk compartment. The new one will be as well. The side and bottom psu intake vents won't have the best access to fresh air. Perhaps it would be best if I remove the front door of the desk compartment to allow better air to get in there. Hopefully, the case/cpu/psu fans would be quiet enough so removing the door wouldn't make much of a difference, noise-wise.

Let me preface this by saying that I don't have a problem with Antec in general. My last case was an Antec P180 and I'm still recommending the Antec P280 (the updated version of my P180) above. But lately a lot of Antec cases have been....poor. Here's why I don't like the Antec One:
1) Tear off expansion slots. I've never seen those on a good quality case. I've only seen those on cheaply made cases.
2) Limited space behind the motherboard tray to hide cables compared to the NZXT Source 210 Elite.
3) Only comes with two 120mm exhaust fans when the NZXT Source 210 Elite comes with two exhaust fans, one 120mm and one 140mm. The 140mm is important in that it's quieter than 120mm fans in general.

Having side and top fans does increase the chances of noise escaping the PC. But set up the system right and those vents aren't that big of an issue noise wise. As for the SSD adapter, you technically don't need it: SSDs can be mounted anywhere in a PC. You can just duct-tape or velcro it to the bottom, side, top, or at some weird angle inside the PC and it'll be fine. With that said, if you still want to mount the SSD in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion, you might as well spend extra for cases that have SSDs mounts since 3.5" to 2.5" adapters often costs the same as the price difference between the NZXT Source 210 ELite and cases with SSD mounts. Assuming that you're not going for one of the quiet cases I recommended above, I recommend these cases as an alternative:
$63 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Case
$70 - Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black w/ Window ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 V2 ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$100 - Phanteks “Enthoo Pro Series“ Black ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case

But dust filters are still seen as a feature of more higher-end cases so some companies will introduce dust filters on on their cheaper cases. However, they tends to cheap on other areas of the case (like actual case quality, cable management spaces, etc) in order to get that dust filter feature in at a certain price point. As such, I have not seen a case with a MSRP or normal retail price that has a dust filter that's close to the NZXT Source 210 in terms of quality and features.

Yes remove the front door.

 

[hawkeye_wx]

Today I noticed the Intel core i3 4150 (3.5 GHz, 54W) is selling at newegg and amazon for $100 (no tax, free shipping). The 4690S (3.2 Ghz(3.9 turbo), 65W) I was going to buy for my mom's system will end up being at least $120 with tax, perhaps more if I have to pay for shipping. Would I be better off just getting the i3 4150? Would my mom ever notice the difference given the most stressful thing her computer ever does is surf the net and play youtube videos? Would there be any benefit to going with the i5 4690S or should I save myself $20+?

Update: I just found out I can't currently get the 4690S because it's out-of-stock (which is weird because Intel makes the things). It seems the 4150 is the way to go, then. With a 5% off newegg promo through this evening I can get the 4150 for $95. I do still have the option of getting a 4570T for $108 total. I'm still trying to figure out how TDP would matter in a build like my mom's. The 4150 is 54W, the 4570T is 35W. Considering my mom's system will be at low load the vast majority of the time, what kind of difference would the TDP difference make?

I also noticed yesterday there is a Rosewill Capstone 450w gold-rated psu for $35 with rebate. I was leaning toward the Seasonic 360, but that is $60 and I haven't seen any sale yet in the last week. Do you have any thoughts on the Rosewill at that price?

 

[Dangman]

Today I noticed the Intel core i3 4150 (3.5 GHz, 54W) is selling at newegg and amazon for $100 (no tax, free shipping). The 4690S (3.2 Ghz(3.9 turbo), 65W) I was going to buy for my mom's system will end up being at least $120 with tax, perhaps more if I have to pay for shipping. Would I be better off just getting the i3 4150? Would my mom ever notice the difference given the most stressful thing her computer ever does is surf the net and play youtube videos? Would there be any benefit to going with the i5 4690S or should I save myself $20+?

Well a bit moot now but might as well: Should have gone for the i5 4690S. More beneficial in the long-run.

Update: I just found out I can't currently get the 4690S because it's out-of-stock (which is weird because Intel makes the things). It seems the 4150 is the way to go, then. With a 5% off newegg promo through this evening I can get the 4150 for $95. I do still have the option of getting a 4570T for $108 total. I'm still trying to figure out how TDP would matter in a build like my mom's. The 4150 is 54W, the 4570T is 35W. Considering my mom's system will be at low load the vast majority of the time, what kind of difference would the TDP difference make?

No difference really. Idle power is still within 1W of one another. I would go with the Core i3 4150 in this case: It's clocked higher and the extra HT offered by the i5 4570T doesn't really matter.

I also noticed yesterday there is a Rosewill Capstone 450w gold-rated psu for $35 with rebate. I was leaning toward the Seasonic 360, but that is $60 and I haven't seen any sale yet in the last week. Do you have any thoughts on the Rosewill at that price?

I don't factor in MIR until I actually receive them. With that said, at its current $55 price tag, it's not a bad choice from a quality to price standpoint. However, my main reservation with recommending that PSU is the customer support: Rosewill is Newegg's house brand so any support issues will actually be dealt through Newegg. Not a big fan of Newegg customer support myself.