Laptop Replacement Build

A

AMD_RULES

2[H]4U
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
3,010
Looking to build a new desktop to replace the laptop in my sig for graduate school this summer. Bought the laptop in my sig thinking I would take it to classes in college, but never did. I live near MicroCenter, and they have the i7 4770k for $249.99 right now. I'd like to use that CPU if possible. Also want SSD / HDD combo... This is a must! I already have keyboard, mouse, and monitor, so I'm just looking to build a new tower.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web browsing, music, Microsoft office, photoshop, ArcGIS, light programming/web development
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$900 not including tax
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Outside Philadelphia, PA.
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, RAM, MB, ETC... The "tower"
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Monitor, mouse, and keyboard.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
23.5" / 1920x1080 (monitor in sig)
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP
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.
No real requirements needed
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I have access to all Windows OSes through MSDNAA. I plan on running Windows 8.1
 
Last edited:
Okay here's what I came up with from MicroCenter. I usually like buying all from Newegg, but there's some good deals going on, and I can get it all local. Let me know what you think or if any changes should be made. This went over my budget a little, but I'd be willing to splurge. lol

Case: Fractal Design Core 100 mATX - $37.99
MB: ASUS Gryphon Z87 - $169.99
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K - $249.99
MEM: Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-1866 - $169.99
H/S: Coolermaster GeminII S524 - $39.99
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB - $139.99
Storage: Seagate Barracude 7200.12 1TB - $64.99
PSU: Corsair CX500M - $59.99
Optical: Asus BC-12B1ST 16x DVDRW Burner/12x BD Reader - $59.99
Subtotal: $992.91
 
Well first and foremost, do you actually need/want a mATX setup? For that smaller size, you're going to end paying a higher premium for it. Something that you shouldn't do with your tight budget.

Note that Microcenter will knock off $30 off any compatible motherboard when you buy that Core i7 4770K. So that motherboard is actually going to come out to $140. With that said, if you're not going mATX, then you can get the Asus Z87-A for $115

As for the case, that case will not provide sufficient cooling since it only comes with one 120mm fan. Not to mention that layout kinda sucks (PSU on top and all). As said earlier, when going mATX, it's going to cost you more money to get good cooling. I recommend these cases instead if you still want to stick with mATX:
$81 - Silverstone PS07B mATX Case
$100 - Silverstone TJ08B-E mATX Case
$100 - Fractal Design Arc Mini mATX Case

But if you're not going mATX, then I recommend the Corsair 200R:
$60 - Corsair Carbide Series 200R ATX Case

That RAM is really really overpriced. You won't notice a real world difference between that RAM and this $35 cheaper RAM:
$135 - Crucial BLS2CP8G3D1609DS1S00 Ballistix Sport 2 x 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM

That power supply isn't that good either when this higher quality XFX PSU is available for almost the same price:
$61 - XFX Core Edition PRO550W 550W PSU

Yes that Corsair is modular but it's a far lower quality PSU as a result of that modular capability due to the need fit in a certain price bracket. Corsair's own modular TX-M series is a prime example of that: While the TX-M PSUs cost the same as their TX brothers, it turns out that the TX-M were of lower quality and performance than the non-modular TX series. So it's almost the same case here with Corsair's CX and CX-M series PSUs.

For the HSF, it's not a good choice considering that significantly better cooling Coolermaster Hyper 212+ costs $10 less:
$29 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF

Finally the SSD: Yes that 840 Pro is a very solid SSD. But considering your budget, it would not be a bad idea to downgrade to the 840 Evo for $50 less:
$90 - Samsung 840 Evo 120GB SSD

If you had a higher budget, then yeah, that 840 Pro would make some sense. But at $900 to $1000? Go with the Samsung 840 Evo.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I also picked some parts but ran about $400 over your budget! I included a beefier PSU and a dedicated graphics card and larger case. Are you planning on using the integrated graphics for your Photoshop and ArcGIS applications? I did include the CPU/MB bundle that Dangman mentioned at Microcenter.

Were you able to run your software apps successfully on the Envy 14? (Have the same laptop and love it still!). If so, then you might be able to run them on the Haswell graphics; they are a bit better than the 5650 in the Envy. Know you are in love with the 4770k but price-wise and performance-wise you might do better by building an AMD system. Their APU will kick the Intel 4600 performance if you don't plan on using discrete graphics. Just some things to consider.

I'm in agreement about a Fractal case, Hyper 212 HSF and cheaper memory. Even overclocking the Haswell graphics anything above 1600 memory isn't noticeable.
 
Last edited:
Let me know what you guys think about this build... I may start playing BF4 a little bit with some friends. I stepped down from 16GB to 8GB, as I don't think I'll ever need the full 16GB. Could always swap out the memory down the road too. I was trying to spend around $900, but I discovered for what I wanted it would require me to spend a little bit more.

Case: Cooler Master Elite 130
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Impact
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770K
H/S: Cooler Master Seidon
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600
GPU: XFX Radeon R9 270X 2GB (like that it comes with BF4 free)
SSD: Samsung 840 evo 120GB SSD
HDD: WD Blue 1TB
PSU: XFX ATX 550
----------------
Subtotal: $1088.15 (not including tax/shipping). Closer to $1200 shipped.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I thought you might be underestimating the price for your build using the 4770k! Glad to see you added a discrete graphics card. I'm no fan of those tiny cases and MBs but it is your money to spend. I picked the WD Blue on my original picks for you--think better reliability than the Seagate you had picked. Suggest you should really, really upgrade that PSU--the one thing you don't want to compromise on. The 270x alone suggests using 500W PSU and the 4770k uses about 85; doesn't leave much if any room for O/C the processor as you had mentioned maybe doing. I'd go at least 650W just to be sure. It is easy enough to add RAM, change GPU later on but changing the PSU later would be a real pain!

Cooling could be a problem as it looks like the case has only two fans and one will be taken over by the Seidon radiator; also the D/D card is going to expel lots of hot air into the case. Another reason I like larger cases for more fans and better airflow (and easier assembly!). Check and see if other fans can be added to the case. I made a quick check and didn't see it.

Just make sure the memory you choose is compatible with the MB--Asus MB can be really testy if you don't use QVL memory. You can find all the details using this page; enter MB name.

http://www.service.asus.com/#!downloads/c1wax

Now is the time to check and re-check that everything is compatible with everything else so there wont' be surprises when you start the build. Read reviews and user tips on all the parts you are considering. I made a quick run-through and it looks pretty good. Check for bundle deals, free shipping and so forth. My experience is this is the hardest part of the build--assembling it is the easy part!
 
Last edited:
AMD_RULES said:
I stepped down from 16GB to 8GB, as I don't think I'll ever need the full 16GB.
Click to expand...
Wait, just how much photoshop are you actually doing?

In any case, you will have to spend a bit more money since I highly recommend getting a modular PSU for a mITX case due to the fact that there's limited space within the case to hide cables. Something like this will do nicely:
$85 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Nothing you intend to do with your computer seems to really take advantage of the HT on the i7 processor. With that being said, you'll be able to get a beefier GPU if you downgrade to an i5 CPU thus giving you more noticeable performance in gaming while not limiting your performance with the other tasks you intend to do.

Also note that the performance increase between running single channel and dual channel memory is very, very minimal. With that being said you could save additional money going with a single 8GB stick of DDR3 1600 RAM. Something along the lines of this module here for $60 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 This is more money that could go towards getting a beefier GPU and/or just getting it closer to your intended budget.

No real need for that AIO cooler either. You could save upwards of $15+ going with either the Coolermaster 212 EVO or 212+ tower coolers. They'll give you the same maximum overclock on your i5 or i7 processor while saving you money to go towards a better GPU and/or getting it closer to your original budget.


tordogs said:
Suggest you should really, really upgrade that PSU--the one thing you don't want to compromise on. The 270x alone suggests using 500W PSU and the 4770k uses about 85; doesn't leave much if any room for O/C the processor as you had mentioned maybe doing. I'd go at least 650W just to be sure. It is easy enough to add RAM, change GPU later on but changing the PSU later would be a real pain!
Click to expand...

That recommended PSU rating is based on the fact that there are so many shitty PSUs on the market. In reality that GPU only consumes ~230W. A 550W PSU will be able to handle that easily.

Cooling could be a problem as it looks like the case has only two fans and one will be taken over by the Seidon radiator; also the D/D card is going to expel lots of hot air into the case. Another reason I like larger cases for more fans and better airflow (and easier assembly!). Check and see if other fans can be added to the case. I made a quick check and didn't see it.
 
I doubt you will need a 4770K but I respect the nerdiness. An i5 would probably be just fine. Heck an i3 would probably suit your needs but lets be real. Screw that. and if you can get an i7 for $249.99 go for it
 
I'd like to thank everyone for their input on this build. I ended up going back to Microcenter last night, and I got a great deal on some parts. Specs are in my signature. I plan on adding a Corsair H100i, Noctua fans, and a 1TB or 2TB hard drive in the future. :D
 
Yah, found you in the SFF forums talking about the Shuttle and such. Glad you went with this build instead. Think you'll be happy with it. Wondered what cooling you were going to use or if you were going stock Intel. Were you able to stick with your original $900 budget? Think I know the answer to that already! Considering Microcenter prices maybe you kept it close. Consider it an investment. Post when you get it up and running. Curious to know how it works for you.
 
Last edited:
tordogs said:
Yah, found you in the SFF forums talking about the Shuttle and such. Glad you went with this build instead. Think you'll be happy with it. Wondered what cooling you were going to use or if you were going stock Intel. Were you able to stick with your original $900 budget? Think I know the answer to that already! Considering Microcenter prices maybe you kept it close. Consider it an investment. Post when you get it up and running. Curious to know how it works for you.
Click to expand...

I got it all up and running last night. Specs are in my signature. I ended up buying everything from Microcenter locally, as many of the prices were marked less than on their website, and they also had some deals going on if you bought parts together. I ended up paying $1264 with tax for all the parts, but I have about $50 in mail-in rebates to fill out. Also got four free games with the graphics card. I'm using the stock intel cooler for now, but I plan on getting Notcua fans for the case, as well as a Corsair H100i for the cpu. Also plan to get a blueray burner and a 1TB/2TB hard drive for storage.

So far it's working better than expected. Much faster than my laptop. SSD in this computer is twice as fast as the SSD in my laptop. Boots into windows in about 12 seconds, and apps open up almost immediately.
 
Don't know how that sad face got there--must have hit a wrong button! Glad you have everything up and running. Your new build is about two/three generations removed from the Envy 14--a great little laptop but the improvements in tech really do make a difference. Not a bad price for your parts. I came out around $1400 on your build before but I was using the GTX 780 and a liquid cooler in the parts and that is just about the difference in price right there. Whatever upgrades and changes you make later I think it will just be a lot easier to do in the C70 as opposed to those micro/mini cases. Cooling is so much better in the larger cases for the most part also. I'm just old enough I like to have plenty of room to work. The free games are a plus you can use when you aren't working on your Master's courses. The Corsair H100i will be a good upgrade when you get around to it. Wish I had a Microcenter within 200 miles of my location!
 
Last edited:
Glad to hear you got your system up and running so quickly, I was going to suggest a used 15" Samsung Series 9 for ~$600. My old laptop used to sit at home unused until I got it. The long battery life, large screen, light weight, thinness, and bluetooth all made it utilitarian enough to be school-compatible. It is still a drag printing/connecting to school networks though (mostly the school's fault). Happy building:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top