Help with Office PC Build

[motolube]

OK, I am going to try to follow the guidelines here in order to find the best bang for my buck.

I prefer Intel & Nvidia over AMD/ATI just because I am more familiar with it... the few times I'd used AMD/ATI I had bad experiences.

I don't want to go cheap (as in lower quality) but I also don't need top shelf or I-gotta-have-it-because-it-just-came-out stuff.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Office PC, Point of Sale/Accounting software, Parts look-up microfiche software (files on the server and not on the pc/workstation), Web browsing, e-mail + light MS Office (Word + Excel), Some/light Video and Image editing


2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$500 to $600 before taxes and shipping

3) Where do you live?
Miami, Florida

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. Case, Mobo, CPU, PSU, GPU, RAM, KB + Mouse, Monitor... I should also add that KB+Mouse and Monitor could be discarded if need be.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
WDC WD160 Velociraptor, CD Rom, DVD Rom, Floppy Disk + Card Reader,

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I have a Hyundai ImageQuest L70s that I plan to discard and I plan to buy a std 22" LCD

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as I can find the best price and combo

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
10/100/1000 Ethernet card if not included with mobo, SATA,

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows XP Pro 32 bit

Here are some of the things I have seen so far: I literally went with price here, did not take into consideration quality or whether components had good reviews.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ef46abb&itemid=320489513680&ff4=263602_304652 $264.95 - Intel E7500 Core 2 Duo 2.93 CPU-Motherboard-RAM Combo


http://www.axiontech.com/prdt.php?item=89723 $235.99 - Clarkdale Combo Deal 1: MSI H55M-E33 Motherboard with Intel Core i3 530 Processor and 2GB DDR3 Memory


http://compare.ebay.com/like/320601...ef46abb&itemid=320601154836&ff4=263602_304662 $223.95 - Intel E6600 3.06GHz Dual Core CPU-Motherboard-RAM Combo


http://www.buy.com/prod/asus-vk222h...50-16-10-2ms-0-282mm/q/loc/101/208286866.html $223.95 - ASUS VK222H Widescreen LCD Monitor


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121096
$39.99 - HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer Chassis Gaming Case w/ Front Blue LED 120mm Fan & Top 120mm Fan


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023
$44.99 - Rosewill Blackbone Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121096
$58.99 after MiR - NZXT M59 Case + OCZ 600w PSU

 

[motolube]

Nobody wants to take a stab at this?

 

[tiraides]

You should consider AMD/ATI (they're the same company now) for this build since you don't need to spend a lot of money for the results that you want. (While I understand about your concern with possibly obtaining some bad parts, AMD's reliability record is no worse than Intel's.) AMD's Athlon II quad-cores perform about at least as well as the Intel processors you're considering in your OP, yet its Socket AM3 boards pack more features for a lower price than the Intel equivalent. For example:

$110 - AMD Athlon II X4 645 3.1GHz quad-core processor
$60 - Foxconn A88GMV Socket AM3 microATX motherboard
$40 - G.Skill 2x2GB DDR3 1333 dual channel kit
$40 - Cooler Master Elite 341 microATX mini-tower case
$40 - Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D 380W PSU
=====
$390 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

Since you're not gaming, you could get away with a microATX board -- AMD's onboard GPUs perform better than the first-gen Core i3's GPUs -- DDR3 1333 RAM, and a 380 watt power supply. The quad-core Athlon II X4 645 will allow you to multitask (run several programs together at the same time) and its additional CPU cores could aid you in photo- and video editing.

As you can see, you have plenty of funds left over for the Asus monitor that you're considering. I'll let you decide whether or not you should throw in a cheap keyboard-and-mouse set.

Does your accounting or point-of-sale software require Windows XP? Do you really need a floppy drive or a second optical drive? (You can now buy a new SATA DVD burner for less than $20.)

 

[mutantmagnet]

To improve productivity and flexibility I suggest you keep your current monitor and get a second one. That will be the biggest upgrade for your needs.


For less hassle setting up a dual display Intel is the better option when it comes to using integrated chips. If you actually want a discrete GPU then the only thing that matters is how important is your video editing hobby to you? Intel after it fixes its Sata port issue is going to be more expensive for your budget but will allow you to more efficiently spend you valuable time experimenting with video.

So do you really want a GPU because I think you put that in by mistake?

 

[engiNURD]

Don't bother with Core2 (old/outdated/overpriced for the performance). Wait for the fix for the 6 series chipsets or go with AMD to save money, as tiraides suggested.

 

[motolube]

AMD Combo Pc

I trully thank you for this, the more I look at prices, the more I lean towards AMD but I can't wrap my head around it since we have had a few AMD workstation and the Intel ones always out perform the AMD/ATI ones... with similar specs.

Of course and on the other hand... this was 3 or 4 yrs ago. For the most part, the fact that I work on intel/Nvidia and I am more comfortable with it is another reason why I didn't want AMD/ATI.

WOW, 380w PSU only??? are you sure about that? I don't want to sound like an ingrate but wouldn't be better if I spend a little more money on a bigger PSU. Again, don't take it the wrong way, just making sure I understand it correctly. Can you school me as to the why you prefer that case + PSU versus the one I had posted on my initial post?

As you can see, you have plenty of funds left over for the Asus monitor that you're considering. I'll let you decide whether or not you should throw in a cheap keyboard-and-mouse set.

The fact is that I may have a line on selling my old rig to a guy that really does not need much. Basically, he needs a desktop to run a software for repairing Jet Skis so my setup just works for him and what he wants to do... hence why I may get rid of my KB/Mouse and Monitor.

Does your accounting or point-of-sale software require Windows XP? Do you really need a floppy drive or a second optical drive? (You can now buy a new SATA DVD burner for less than $20.)

Yes it does unfortunately, upgrading to a Win 7 version is not cost effective for what little we will get in return... believe me, I have crunched the numbers.

No, I don't need a floppy drive but since it came with the card readers, I use it... very little but I do use the card reader part.

I was thinking on getting away with the old CD Rom, give it to the guy who may buy my old rig and just keep the new DVD Burner. I don't use it a lot so spending even 20 bucks on a new one seems like I am wasting money.

To improve productivity and flexibility I suggest you keep your current monitor and get a second one. That will be the biggest upgrade for your needs.


For less hassle setting up a dual display Intel is the better option when it comes to using integrated chips. If you actually want a discrete GPU then the only thing that matters is how important is your video editing hobby to you? Intel after it fixes its Sata port issue is going to be more expensive for your budget but will allow you to more efficiently spend you valuable time experimenting with video.

So do you really want a GPU because I think you put that in by mistake?

Dual monitor is not really necessary, aside from the fact that I may not have it... read above why.

The fact why I was looking for an external GPU (read: not onboard) is because of lack of drivers but I guess that is the same with old vga/pci cards and since I am buying a new mobo, I may not need to update my drivers for quiet a while so I may look for a newer GPU down the line.

Image and video editing are really not important, is just something I do from time to time, although, having a Quad core may help with multitasking and I may do more of it now

OK, I'll work with the list that tiraides has offer me, change a few things I will like to have to see if you guys think its ok or counter offer with something else. Remember, I am looking for good components because I figure I can do these upgrades every 3, 4 or 5 years but I don't want to overspend just because 1 brand is better than the other but it doesn't offer best results or the results are just negligent.

Don't bother with Core2 (old/outdated/overpriced for the performance). Wait for the fix for the 6 series chipsets or go with AMD to save money, as tiraides suggested.

No way I am spending 200+ on the Sandy I5 just because they are or will be that great... I may get them 4 or 5 years from now though

Thanks again guys... I am going to do some homework now!

 

[bastage]

Posted via Mobile Device

 

[motolube]

Posted via Mobile Device

Alrightee then... Thanks

 

[Dangman]

I trully thank you for this, the more I look at prices, the more I lean towards AMD but I can't wrap my head around it since we have had a few AMD workstation and the Intel ones always out perform the AMD/ATI ones... with similar specs.

Of course and on the other hand... this was 3 or 4 yrs ago. For the most part, the fact that I work on intel/Nvidia and I am more comfortable with it is another reason why I didn't want AMD/ATI.[/QUOTE]
Yeah things have changed since then. AMD's current CPUs have a significantly better price to performance ratio than many Intel CPUs. So while yes some Intel CPUs are faster than AMD CPUs, the problem is that you have to pay a significantly more amount of cash for an Intel setup. And in your case, you listed extremely outdated and significantly overpriced Core 2 Duo setups. Those have been superceded by AMD CPUs in performance in the last two years or so. The

In fact if you want a cost-effective Intel setup, you're looking at $200 for the CPU alone or aim for a server grade setup. Right now there's been a recent price spike in Intel's Core i3 CPUs which have made them even worse buys than before. I.e the cheapest Core i3 CPU on newegg is the dual-core Core i3 550 at $130. That's a really big ripoff considering that the quad-core and faster AMD Phenom II 955 CPU is $140. See the problem there?

WOW, 380w PSU only??? are you sure about that? I don't want to sound like an ingrate but wouldn't be better if I spend a little more money on a bigger PSU. Again, don't take it the wrong way, just making sure I understand it correctly. Can you school me as to the why you prefer that case + PSU versus the one I had posted on my initial post?

Yup 380W is all that you need since there's no gaming nor overclocking involved. So it really doesn't matter if you go with a larger PSU in this use case: It's not gonna make a huge difference besides sligthly better efficiency.

The fact why I was looking for an external GPU (read: not onboard) is because of lack of drivers but I guess that is the same with old vga/pci cards and since I am buying a new mobo, I may not need to update my drivers for quiet a while so I may look for a newer GPU down the line.

Lack of drivers for what?

 

[motolube]

Yeah things have changed since then. AMD's current CPUs have a significantly better price to performance ratio than many Intel CPUs. So while yes some Intel CPUs are faster than AMD CPUs, the problem is that you have to pay a significantly more amount of cash for an Intel setup. And in your case, you listed extremely outdated and significantly overpriced Core 2 Duo setups. Those have been superceded by AMD CPUs in performance in the last two years or so.

I listed what I knew about since it is pretty much what I used when I built my last rig, I have not done anything as far as upgrades since then so I am kind off out of the loop.

In fact if you want a cost-effective Intel setup, you're looking at $200 for the CPU alone or aim for a server grade setup. Right now there's been a recent price spike in Intel's Core i3 CPUs which have made them even worse buys than before. I.e the cheapest Core i3 CPU on newegg is the dual-core Core i3 550 at $130. That's a really big ripoff considering that the quad-core and faster AMD Phenom II 955 CPU is $140. See the problem there?

Yes indeed, I am starting to see this the more I browse and check around for different combos.

My main problem is that I have always been an Intel guy so I literally know nothing about AMD/ATI combinations. Not that I am a PC guru (by any stretch of the imagination) but, the little I know about computers is Intel/Nvidia related so I feel more comfortable talking and checking prices for it... hopefully, you understand what I am trying to say here.

Yup 380W is all that you need since there's no gaming nor overclocking involved. So it really doesn't matter if you go with a larger PSU in this use case: It's not gonna make a huge difference besides sligthly better efficiency.

OK, I trust you guys so I won't doubt that but, this question is more about buying more for less... here it is
Based on the Case + PSU that tiraides offered versus the choice I posted on my first post ($58.99 after MiR - NZXT M59 Case + OCZ 600w PSU)... would I be doing my build any harm if I go with it? and if so, Why? if not... I would say that that is the first thing I am going to buy before the MiR expire or the price changes.

Lack of drivers for what?

Lack of drivers for my video... I can't be sure now since I am not at the office but IIRC, the driver I have for video is from 2006 and sometimes and in some websites (those loaded with images, flash video, etc, etc) the pages take a long time to load, other pages with less images load pretty fast so I have to assume that it may be either my video card that is old or the lack of new drivers that are holding me back... am I wrong to believe this as well?

Again, I am leaning towards the Mobo/CPU/Ram combo that tiraides offered even though this is the first time I hear about Foxconn Motherboards but according to a few reviews I read, they are not bad at all.

I just gotta decide once and for all and start getting the components I am going to need.

 

[Dangman]

My main problem is that I have always been an Intel guy so I literally know nothing about AMD/ATI combinations. Not that I am a PC guru (by any stretch of the imagination) but, the little I know about computers is Intel/Nvidia related so I feel more comfortable talking and checking prices for it... hopefully, you understand what I am trying to say here.

Understood.

OK, I trust you guys so I won't doubt that but, this question is more about buying more for less... here it is
Based on the Case + PSU that tiraides offered versus the choice I posted on my first post ($58.99 after MiR - NZXT M59 Case + OCZ 600w PSU)... would I be doing my build any harm if I go with it? and if so, Why? if not... I would say that that is the first thing I am going to buy before the MiR expire or the price changes.

Meant to say something about that: We generally don't recommend OCZ PSUs around here as they tend to be of lower quality than similarily priced PSUs. In fact, I would not be surprised if that Antec 380W PSU is of better quality than the OCZ StealthXstream PSUs. The case is fine however. It's just that PSU is not worth buying, even for an office type PC.

Lack of drivers for my video... I can't be sure now since I am not at the office but IIRC, the driver I have for video is from 2006 and sometimes and in some websites (those loaded with images, flash video, etc, etc) the pages take a long time to load, other pages with less images load pretty fast so I have to assume that it may be either my video card that is old or the lack of new drivers that are holding me back... am I wrong to believe this as well?

Yes and no: Depends on the OS you're using, your CPU, RAM, HDD, and then GPU. And sometimes updated drivers can't help what is already a slow GPU. These days however, the onboard GPU is more than enough for most people's needs.

 

[engiNURD]

...No way I am spending 200+ on the Sandy I5 just because they are or will be that great... I may get them 4 or 5 years from now though

Yah, the point I was trying to make was that you'd have to spend much more to get an intel setup worth buying, which would be overkill for your needs if you weren't very serious about the photo/video editing, so the AMD setup was a better value.

...Again, I am leaning towards the Mobo/CPU/Ram combo that tiraides offered even though this is the first time I hear about Foxconn Motherboards but according to a few reviews I read, they are not bad at all.

Foxconn is a huge manufacturer for many things (you'll probably see their connector parts used on many of your other components). Their boards are decent, despite only recently entering the mobo market (~mid 2000's).


Just read up on the newer tech at sites like HardOCP and AnandTech, and you'll get more familiar with the platform.

 

[motolube]

OK, I think I am ready to make the purchase, the only thing is that newegg is running a 15% Off sale on memory today and I was wondering if you guys think that I could pick up a better memory for equal or less value than the one offered by tiraides?

Also, say I want to upgrade in a year or so to a better GPU, will the PSU handle one of those new PCIe GPU?

I promise I will not bother you guys anymore

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCate...1-_-EMC-021011-Index-_-BANNER-_-DesktopMemory


Thank you very, very much guys... I appreciate all the help

 

[bastage]

The price to performance ratio for the memory triades suggested is very good.

For the usage though I think a quad even at 100 bucks is overkill. If it were me doing it I would get the following

130 AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz Socket AM3 95W + BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G
40 G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

& If you do decide to stick with the quad use the memory & Mobo I linked.. Reason being is that that biostar board is about 10 bucks cheaper shipped & biostar seems to have a a better track record as of late for there hardware. & The ram change since it still leaves a slot open for an upgrade later if you wanted to go to 8gb.

In fact Tiraides combo for mobo, CPU & Ram is currently at 233.81 Shipped (prices ahve gone up on 2 of the 3 items since he posted) Where the combo I just linked is 169.98 shipped. I Think most will agree that the extra core isnt worth 63.83. You could even throw in another 4gb of ram just to be sure & still save money.

 

[motolube]

Ahhhhhh damnnnnn, I was all setup to do the other suggestion and I am now back to square one!

Throwing another 4GB's of ram would be a total waste since I have to use Win XP as my OS.

So, you are saying that this particular Biostar Mobo and Ram you suggested is better than the Foxconn & Ram that Tiraides suggested?

 

[bastage]

Ahhhhhh damnnnnn, I was all setup to do the other suggestion and I am now back to square one!

Throwing another 4GB's of ram would be a total waste since I have to use Win XP as my OS.

So, you are saying that this particular Biostar Mobo and Ram you suggested is better than the Foxconn & Ram that Tiraides suggested?

Yea if using XP dont bother with the other 4gb of ram..

The motherboard is better & cheaper so yes on both parts there. As far as the ram goes we recommended the same thing just in different sizes. I Suggested a single 4gb stick so that it uses 1 slot instead of 2. Partially because the board I recommended only has 2 slots instead of his 4.

 

[motolube]

Last thing on my list is the keyboard... what do you guys think of this one?

$50.00 (Shipped) - Keyboard - USB Logitech Illuminated

 

[motolube]

Well, I have finally pulled the pin, couldn't wait... you know how it is.

Thank you every body, I hope you don't feel bad if I didn't take your advise, my thought process was... Go for future upgrade accessibility.

So here is the list

Rosewill Case (in my first Post), I get 2 120mm fans and with a coupon code I got it for 35.00 + free shipping.

AMD Athlon II X4 645 for 108.99 at buy.com + free shipping

Foxconn A88GMV Mobo just because it has more features than the BioStar... it took me a while to decide.

Antec EA-380D PSU + G.Skill 2 x 2GB Ram suggested by Tiraides

Acer 23" LCD Monitor for 145.99
Logitech Slim KB from ebay for 50.00 shipped

I also purchased Artic Silver thermal compound + a trendnet usb 54kbps usb wireless hub.

All in all the total was $ 508.76 and I still have money left for those last minute components that you forgot to buy.

Again, I am happy and I want to thank everyone here on more time for taking the time. I know I will be back when the time comes to build my home gaming rig in a year or less.

 

[tiraides]

If/When you can, show us some pictures of your fully-built office PC.

 

[motolube]

If/When you can, show us some pictures of your fully-built office PC.

I am not the most proficient nor am I a picky pc builder so I don't have that attention to detail that most here have when it comes to hiding wires and cables. I am more the type that buys a car, changes the oil when it needs to be changed but think that the truck is just a vehicle to take me from point A to point B but... taking a picture won't be a big deal

Thanks again.

 

[motolube]

Well, here it is is... not the best or the cleanest Office PC but it does its job.

Now, would I be able to ask a couple of question here regarding maximizing the Quad Core with Windows XP and running Acronis Director to have 2 Hdd running with a mirror back up? or do I make a new post somewhere else more appropriate?

Again, thanks for everything, you guys Rock!

 

[Dangman]

Well, here it is is... not the best or the cleanest Office PC but it does its job.

Thanks for the pics!

Now, would I be able to ask a couple of question here regarding maximizing the Quad Core with Windows XP and running Acronis Director to have 2 Hdd running with a mirror back up? or do I make a new post somewhere else more appropriate?

The Acronis Direction question should be asked over in the Data Storage subforum. The maximizing quad-core question can be asked in this thread.

 

[motolube]

I was just wondering if there is a software or something similar that I can run so I can maximize the quad core experience on my pc... even though I have heard that it depends on the application more than XP, Vista or Win 7

Thanks

 

[Dangman]

I was just wondering if there is a software or something similar that I can run so I can maximize the quad core experience on my pc... even though I have heard that it depends on the application more than XP, Vista or Win 7

Thanks

Fairly sure there's nothing like that anywhere. It really is dependent on the application and possibly the OS.

 

[motolube]

Guys, so as not to open another thread for the same thing and based on this Microcenter Sale here which bundle would you buy?

Keep in mind, I would like to spend about 200 bucks since I only need CPU/Mobo/RAM... I can use the other stuff from the PC we have running at the moment... I just can't let this deal pass up.

Thanks again guys.

 

[mellon]

a quad with the gigabyte board for 99$ after 10$ rebate sounds sweet

 

[Dangman]

Go for it.

 

[motolube]

What kind of RAM would you opt to buy with that combo?

4GB should suffice... remember this is for a Windows XP build.

Thanks a lot guys, I hope I am not to late to pull the pin on it.


Aaaarrrgggghhhhh, In store pick up only... I miss that unimportant tid bit

 

[Dangman]

Aaaarrrgggghhhhh, In store pick up only... I miss that unimportant tid bit

Yeah totally forgot that you lived in Florida where there is no MC.