Help with parts for build

T

Tom_S

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
323
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc?

Selling it to a coworker. He said "I need a nice desktop computer for web browsing, e-mail, photo storage, photo editing (I suspect light duty photo editing) and to rip my cds to. I want good speakers with a subwoofer and a good keyboard and mouse." He also told me that he doesn't like wires and to eliminate them where ever possible. Later he told me he would like to rip his movies and stream them to his LCD big screen TV 30' away in another room. No gaming. Both he and his wife will be using the computer.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

He has the means to spend whatever he wants to. I pressed hard for a limit but didn't really get one, he understands that he will not get what he's asking for in the $600 to $800 range, he did not balk when I mentioned $1,200, I started to sense some push back @ $1,500 and pretty much said no to $2,000.

With that in mind if we give him every thing on his wish list I can probably get $1500 from him includuing the value of the parts I already have on hand (if suitable), tax and shipping.

I do this because I enjoy helping my friends by building and setting up the computers, not for profit so every thing goes to them at my cost.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

US zip 64506, 50 miles to MicroCenter. In veiw of our forum's recent treatment by NE I will try to avoid buying from them. Amazon or other online vendors are fine.

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.

Everything will be included in the budget, though I may be selling him some items I already have on hand if they are suitale for this build:

CPU, RAM, MB, GPU, PSU, HDD, SSD, Case, 1 Monitor, Mouse (they both have small hands), Keyboard, Speakers, Card reader, CPU cooler, ODD (capable of reading BluRay)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

I have these parts available to use:

ASUS P8Z77V-LK
Intel i7 3770 (non K)
Coolmaster Hyper 212 plus
Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Antec 300Two Case
WD VR 600 Gb
2 WD VR 300 Gb
Crucial M4 128 Gb
Crucial M4 256 Gb
Crucial M4 512 Gb
Samsung 830 64 Gb
ASUS Black SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS (they don't need BR burner so maybe not)
AFT PRO-57U R USB 3.0 Card Reader

6) Will you be overclocking?

No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?

I'm going to allow $250 from the budget toward a 1920 x 1080 24" ips panel unless you tell me I'm wrong.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

Week of 2/4/13 at the latest for the build (depending on shipping)

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.

Raid, only if you tell me its necessary.
USB 3.0
SATA 6Gb/s

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

If I use the MB listed above then the Win 7 Pro 64 bit OEM already registered to it will go with it otherwise I will need a new OS.

I'm thinking of using one of the Crucial M4s for the OS and possibly programs and then some WD Black HDDs in the 1, 2 or 3 Tb range for storage. I perfer working with AMD GPU's, it should be capable of running two monitors (extended desktop) and pushing video to his TV (I assume the TV will be on HDMI, the new monitor on DP or MDP and the refurb monitor (not included in this budget) on DVI). I do not intend to use the onboard/CPU graphics. As he was leaving today he told me he was getting all new home entertainment equipment for the TV that he wants to stream video to, that equipment is in a closet immediately next to where the new computer will be, I don't know if that changes things but I asked him to get me model numbers for the TV, receiver, BluRay player, etc. If I need more memory I will need to replace all the modules with low profile to clear the Hyper 212 plus.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this and help me out.
 
An i7 is completely overkill and a waste of money.
Velociraptors are outdated. Sell him either the 128 or 256GB Crucial M4 and get him a pair of 3TB drives to store the ripped movies.

Will he be compressing the movies?

How do you plan on streaming the movies to the TV?
Wifi or hardwired? What device on the TV will be doing the decoding/ playback of the movies?

There's quite a few options, including the iMito MX1, Raspberry Pi, Ouya or there's a Western Digital player I think.
Factor in $100 for a device to play the movies on his TV.
 
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Hi J Macker

I have no problem slicing and dicing the parts I have on hand so Switching out the processor is not an issue. Would you recommend an i5?

I would probably sell him the 128 Gb M4 as the OS is already loaded on it.Do the HDDs need to be in a raid array?

I'm guessing that if ripping and streaming the DVDs/BluRays works well for him he will need to compress to save storage space.

He threw the Streaming on me at the last minute, this area is new to me. I assume he was thinking wireless but with all his equipment for his home theater just inches away maybe there would be a way to go hardwired.

I guess we will need a decode/playback device, do any of the ones you listed offer remote control for the computer?

Thanks, Tom
 
I'm confused. In your first paragraph you said "stream to his LCD TV 30' away in another room" and then in the last paragraph you said that the TV equipment will be in a closet right next to his computer.

Will he really be running HDMI cables 30 feet away and through a wall just to keep the "equipment" in the closet?

If so, then you may consider skipping the third party media player altogether (add Roku to that list). One way to do that would be to use xbmc and use a smartphone or iphone as a remote control. Then use XBMC on the computer as the playback device, with the TV setup as a second display.

If you had him buy a Roku, it comes with a remote. I would definitely hardwire it to ensure smooth streaming.

Yes, an i5 will be fine (look at the 3470). If he's going to be ripping a lot, most time is spent waiting for the BD-ROM drive to read the discs. Also factor in another $100+ for some nice ripping software (i.e., AnyDVD HD). I suggest getting the lifetime updates because the companies always like to come out with new encryptions.

Newegg still has great search functions, where amazon is sorely lacking. Pick out the cheapest I prefer MSI and Gigabyte motherboards, but haven't had any problems with no-frills Biostar boards either. I won't buy Asus because I've read too many threads of people having RMA problems with Asus.
I think the MSI Z77A-G41 would be good enough for his needs. It has an HDMI port as well.


What kind of budget for speakers?
 
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I used to buy Ripjaws ram, but the last three 8gb kits I've purchased I've bought Samsung low-voltage low-profile ram.

Sometimes I've had problems with Ripjaws ram in the slot closest to the cpu, and I usually use the Hyper 212+ in builds for friends.

holy cow! I just read your post again. 2x8GB sticks?! that's expensive stuff.
8GB total is plenty. 2x4GB sticks and <$50.

Why did you buy 2x8gb sticks?
 
Yes I was a little confused too, what he told me is that had the home theater system professionally installed in the closet that is also 30' away from the TV and all the wires are run in conduits in the walls/ceiling. He is going to pay these same people to come and replace/upgrade the whole system and pull new wires. He's already spec'd and paid for the equipment.

He is the one that said "stream wirelessly to his TV". I did not get the chance to ask him if we could just connect to the new home theater system which will be literally inches away on the otherside of a wall.

Both he and his wife have new iPads, will they work as a remote?

Thanks for the cpu and software recommendation.

The MB I have listed is proven and has run well for 3 months so I'll probably stick with unless there is a compelling reason (beyond RMA issues).

The ram was for a different build that didn't really work out but I don't need to sell it so no problem downgrading to a 4 Gb set of sticks.

Thanks
 
The speakers, well he said "I want cool speakers with a subwoofer". Since he is not an audiophile I assume he meant reasonable sound quailty, visually attractive speakers. So probably not $50 speakers but maybe up to $150
 
with speakers, pick 1 out of two:

1. cost
2. good sound

An entry level subwoofer is $100. Passive bookshelf speakers are anywhere from $50/pair to $500+ per pair.
Add a used receiver or T-amp ranging from $20-$150 and you're well over $150 total.

But, you can get reasonably good bass out of bookshelf speakers if done right and he won't need a sub for near-field listening. However, if he wants a sub, with "visually attractive speakers", then it will cost much more than $150 since the sub alone is $100.
Instead of the Logitech 2.1 setups for that price, you will get much better sound going with passive speakers & T-amp and skipping the subwoofer altogether. Alternately, a pair of studio monitors for around $150-$400 would also work well.
Noteable options include Swan D1080 IV, Swan M200MkII (I can personally vouch for these ones, as I had a coworker buy them), or a pair of KRK Rokit 5's ($150 each)

I have the M-audio AV40's for my wife's computer and they sound really good, but there have been many reports of premature failure by other users over the past 2 years.
They retail for around $130 for the pair. The M-Audio BX5a is the upgraded pair.

The <$150 topic has been covered many times in the audio subforum. Please read a few of the threads.
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1724420
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1730342
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1706812

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1038945636

J Macker said:
I'm going to link to a few threads where we've had some good discussions:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1618684
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1704161
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1670622
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1694469

I hope you take the time to read these because everything I would say to you has already been said. I hope these thread links are helpful.

There is one thing I'd like to point out; there are often used receivers available locally on craigslist that do not have HDMI out. Most if not all, will have a SPDIF input that is a digital signal and most motherboards have it as well. So, you can purchase a fully capable decent receiver for $100 and use it to power your passive speakers and also serve as a good DAC for headphone use.

I'm sure that there is a big difference in sound quality from a good headphone amp and a receiver, but a receiver is versatile in the sense that it can also provide good clean power for your speakers and has a subwoofer pre-out should you decide to add a sub.

Effectively, there is no reason to purchase a soundcard if you use optical out to a receiver. Think of your receiver as your new soundcard, but the only driver you need is the integrated motherboard driver.

The main reasons I chose to go with a receiver:
1. Provide good power for passive bookshelf speakers
2. No soundcard needed, no software
3. Future proof. I previously bought and used a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz in the waning years of Windows XP. However, Turtle Beach never released drivers for Windows 7. Now I have a soundcard that I can't use. I never have to worry about that with a receiver.

The only major drawback for a receiver is the shelf space. It's big and it takes up a large portion of my desk.

When I want to use my headphones, I simply plug them into the receiver. It disables the bookshelf speakers automatically and it works great. I did have to purchase a 3.5mm female/male extension cable for my microphone headset however.
A USB headset would not be nearly as convenient.
Click to expand...
 
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Danny Bui said:
Does your friend want a HTPC style case?
Click to expand...

Hi Danny,

He said he wanted a "tower" that would fit under his desk, He has seen the Antec 300two and likes it but I did not go into the other options with him.

If there is a good reason to switch to a HTPC case I could probably sell him on the idea.
 
Hi J_Macker,

Since he was so ambiguous about the speakers I will probably work with him seperately on them. Let's take them out of the picture. I know that the speakers I use each cost more than his entire budget. On the other hand he is the type who can and will spend any amount of money if he sees something he really likes.

Thanks
 
Tom_S said:
Hi Danny,

He said he wanted a "tower" that would fit under his desk, He has seen the Antec 300two and likes it but I did not go into the other options with him.

If there is a good reason to switch to a HTPC case I could probably sell him on the idea.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the "good reason" to switch to HTPC is that the case will better fit his home theater aesthetically. Though if this is mainly a desktop PC first, then a regular case will be fine. However I would not recommend the Antec 300 Two. I'd recommend the Corsair 200R instead which can be had for $45 these days:
$45 - Corsair Carbide Series 200R ATX Case
 
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Danny Bui said:
Pretty much the "good reason" to switch to HTPC is that the case will better fit his home theater aesthetically. Though if this is mainly a desktop PC first, then a regular case will be fine. However I would not recommend the Antec 300 Two. I'd recommend the Corsair 200R instead which can be had for $45 these days:
$45 - Corsair Carbide Series 200R ATX Case
Click to expand...

Hi Danny Bui,

I like the looks of that case and I sure he will like the cleaner look. All his Home Theater equipment is in the closet out of site. This started out as a simple build and I'm going to try to steer him back that direction. Would be better to build him a HTPC and A desktop? For two machines I'm sure I could get the budget up.

Thanks
 
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Tom_S said:
Hi Danny Bui,

I like the looks of that case and I sure he will like the cleaner look. All his Home Theater equipment is in the closet out of site. This started out as a simple build and I'm going to try to steer him back that direction. Would be better to build him a HTPC and A desktop? For two machines I'm sure I could get the budget up.
Click to expand...

IMO yes if he has the money to spare.

Also, just how willing are you to sell the parts you have now? If very willing, please list the prices for the parts that you plan on selling to your friend. That would be the mobo, SSDs, HSF, and PSU for now.
 
Danny Bui,

Off to work now, should be able to have that info to you in a couple hours.
 
Danny Bui said:
IMO yes if he has the money to spare.

Also, just how willing are you to sell the parts you have now? If very willing, please list the prices for the parts that you plan on selling to your friend. That would be the mobo, SSDs, HSF, and PSU for now.
Click to expand...

Yes they have the money to spare, not a problem. He will need to be sold on the idea of two computers but I'm confident that I can do that.

$110 ASUS P8Z77V-LK
$25 Coolmaster Hyper 212 plus
$50 Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W
$110 Crucial M4 128 Gb
$170 Crucial M4 256 Gb
$390 Crucial M4 512 Gb
$75 Samsung 830 64 Gb
$137 Win 7 Pro OEM
 
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