Need Help finalizing a build on the fly.

[Ake2k]

I have been told to build a computer on the fly for my father who has just lost his computer.
I really like to take my time and get alot of input but he wants to pull the trigger asap.


Key questions: Should we shell out a few more bucks for intel cpu/mobo
and i've heard alot about Lian Li cases would one of those be better?

Most important thing is if my build is all compatible.

Thank you in advance.

HERES THE BUILD

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21921327

GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3 AM3+ AMD 990X SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition Thuban 3.3GHz, 3.7GHz Turbo 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

He will mostly be using this computer for general stuff like surfing the web/email/stocks/the most intense things might be converting videos and editing photos. I love my dad but he is a noob and wont be doing much of anything No gaming but i kinda want to get him a decent gaming card for me

Since it's a higher end system i would like a recommendation on a high end card that isnt designed for gaming if that even exists or makes sense seems kinda like an oxymoron.

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

less then 850$ all together basicly

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

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.

-Ram
-Mobo
-CPU
-Case
-1tb hdd
-2x disk drives
-power supply
-videocard*

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

As a place holder really will be my BFG 9800GTX

6) Will you be overclocking?

No

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

22" i believe 1680x1050 he wants to eventually run dual monitor

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

Asap like within 24 hours

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.

Basic SATA stuff/ USB would be nice/Firewire if possible

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

Yes we have a license for windows 7 ultimate 32 bit

 

[tiraides]

Oh hell no. Go with this build instead:

$220 - Intel Core i5 2500K
$26 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
$42 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT 2x4GB DDR3 1333
$190 - MSI Z68A-G43 (B3) and Corsair TX650 V2 combo
$65 - Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D HDS721010DLE630 (0F13180) 1TB SATA 6Gb/s HDD
$19 - Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA DVD burner
$185 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC HD 6850
$60 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K57W ATX mid-tower case
=====
$807 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

And all of that doesn't include the additional savings from promo codes:

Processor - $15 off promo code; expires 10/19
PSU - 10% off (~$9.50) promo code; expires 10/19
Case - 20% off (~$12) promo code; expires 10/21
DVD burner - free shipping promo code; expires 10/19

What you get from my build compared to yours:

- Better processor and platform (Ivy Bridge appears to be much better than Bulldozer, based on the latter's early reviews)
- Ready to be overclocked now (if you change your mind about the subject )
- Good video card for 1680x1050
- Better PSU
- Cheaper yet better HDD
- Cheaper case with more usable space

You don't need more than 8GB of RAM or a second optical drive, especially if your dad will use this system more than you.

If you want to build this on the cheap:

- Replace the motherboard and processor with a cheaper AMD-based combo, like:

$188 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition and XFX HD-687A-ZHFC HD 6850 combo
$109 - Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3

- Go with a cheaper yet equally capable power supply, like the Antec NEO ECO 520C. It has more than enough power for your father's needs, plus the video card, and it has a promo code (expires on 10/19) that drops the price down an additional $10.

- You can omit the Hyper 212 Plus. That's an "instant discount" of $26.

The total of my AMD build is $483 before taxes and promo codes (for case, PSU, and optical drive) are factored in. It gives your father something new to work with, you get to keep your gaming option, and your (immediate) future upgrade path to Bulldozer is preserved -- all for about a third off the cost of your build.

You also need to find a (legal) copy of Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit so you could use that license key. There's no sense in getting more than 4GB of RAM when the 32-bit OS prevents you from using all of it.

 

[Forceman]

If you really aren't going to be overclocking, you can eliminate the Hyper 212+ cooler and the i5-2500K and just get the i5-2400 instead, for a $40 saving.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074

 

[Dangman]

Yeah go with Tiraides and Forceman's advice. That planned setup of yours is pretty bad for the money with virtually every part in your list being overpriced and/or unnecessary as Tiraides just pointed out.

 

[E4g1e]

Yeah go with Tiraides and Forceman's advice. That planned setup of yours is pretty bad for the money with virtually every part in your list being overpriced and/or unnecessary as Tiraides just pointed out.

Yes, I agree. Virtually every single part in the OP's wish list are piss-poor buys for the buck. In fact, I have already mentioned in my previous posts in other threads at the [H] all of the drawbacks and failings of the BP550+ PSU and and Antec Nine Hundred case (after all, you cannot buy a decent modular or semi-modular PSU without spending $100+ on the PSU by itself while the Antec Nine Hundred case cannot accommodate most of today's higher-end graphics cards at all). And do not put any trust in most of the customer reviews on the BP550+ PSU: Most such reviews are from people who have either no reference whatsoever or only a known shitty PSU for a reference. And of those reviewers who do have a decent reference to compare the BP550+ with, most have systems that do not take anywhere near full advantage of a 350W to 400W PSU (or more specifically, most of those have systems that draw less than 200W total from the PSU even at maximum load).

In addition, I would like to mention that the WD1001FALS is now a bit outdated even though some recent versions of that drive use two platters instead of its original three-platter design. The biggest thing going for the WD Blacks is their relatively fast random access speed (compared to other 7200 RPM hard drives). That does make the Blacks more suitable than other 7200 RPM hard drives as an OS/programs drive.

And most AMD platforms cannot really run DDR3-1866 (PC3-14900) RAM at its full speed, especially with more than two DIMMs (one DIMM per channel). This is due to the limitations of the IMC: AMD officially restricts the maximum RAM speed on its Athlon II and Phenom II CPUs to only DDR3-1066 (PC3-8500) speed with four DIMMs. Plus, with only a 32-bit version of Windows, the OP is effectively restricted to 3GB or less RAM with the GPU he has (or as little as 2 to 2.5 GB total of RAM with a higher-end GPU with more VRAM).

Lastly, that Phenom II X6 1100T is priced way too close to a superior-performing Intel quad-core Sandy Bridge CPU for comfort: The 1100T underperforms a comparably priced i5-2400, especially with lesser-threaded apps.

 

[HardwareGuru]

Oh hell no. Go with this build instead:

$220 - Intel Core i5 2500K
$26 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
$42 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT 2x4GB DDR3 1333
$190 - MSI Z68A-G43 (B3) and Corsair TX650 V2 combo
$65 - Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.D HDS721010DLE630 (0F13180) 1TB SATA 6Gb/s HDD
$19 - Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS SATA DVD burner
$185 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC HD 6850
$60 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K57W ATX mid-tower case
=====
$807 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

And all of that doesn't include the additional savings from promo codes:

Processor - $15 off promo code; expires 10/19
PSU - 10% off (~$9.50) promo code; expires 10/19
Case - 20% off (~$12) promo code; expires 10/21
DVD burner - free shipping promo code; expires 10/19
.

I would go with Tiraides build but, adjust a few things

CPU + MOBO (combo) I2500K + MSI P67A-C43 both for $314.98
I personally have this mobo and setup was smooth with no issues.

PSU - Antec NEO ECO 520C for $49.99
This is a really good deal plus it has a $10 off promo and $5 MIR

VIDEO CARD - XFX AMD Radeon HD 6870 900M 1 GB for $169.99 from Amazon

With these adjustments minus the HSF, you should be at $720 total. Well below your budget of $850. You have enough leeway to get a Win 7 64 bit O/S + Case combo

 

[Ake2k]

Wow guys, Thanks a million i'm really grateful for your help. What makes that ram better then the other "faster" more popular rams on newegg. I know I'll probably make my self sound dumb but woudn't those other rams, ones with heatsinks be better.

Sorry I'm not super up to date with these things.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231445

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

 

[Dangman]

Wow guys, Thanks a million i'm really grateful for your help. What makes that ram better then the other "faster" more popular rams on newegg. I know I'll probably make my self sound dumb but woudn't those other rams, ones with heatsinks be better.

There's little to no real world performance difference between the two RAM you linked as well as the RAM that Tiraides linked. Current Intel CPUs do not benefit from faster RAM nor lower timings. As such, there's no point in spending more on RAM that won't do anything for you. With that said, if you really like the look of the heatsinks, by all means, get the $47 G.Skill RAM that you linked.

 

[Ake2k]

So here's an update of the build


http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21921327

that doesn't include a video card but probably leaning towards

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-MI...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1318872208&sr=1-1

I'm also not sure why that Ram over some of the other nominally more expensive "faster" and heatsinked ram.

That build with Promo's shipped with out the video card is $536.26

I'm pretty confident with the other components now just hesitant on the video card just because at the end of the day I won't be using his computer that much. I want to get him something that suits his needs. He does absolutely no graphic intensive stuff. He just want's to run dual monitors.

He literally asked me if a good video card would help minimizing and maximizing be smoother.

He was using a pci 7100 gs which already was probably plenty powerful for his uses.

Then again I don't wanna buy him a New car and put plastic rims on it.

 

[Dangman]

So here's an update of the build

http://www.secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21921327

Your link doesn't work.

I'm also not sure why that Ram over some of the other nominally more expensive "faster" and heatsinked ram.

Read my post above yours again. What part don't you get?

I'm pretty confident with the other components now just hesitant on the video card just because at the end of the day I won't be using his computer that much. I want to get him something that suits his needs. He does absolutely no graphic intensive stuff. He just want's to run dual monitors.

He literally asked me if a good video card would help minimizing and maximizing be smoother.

He was using a pci 7100 gs which already was probably plenty powerful for his uses.

Then again I don't wanna buy him a New car and put plastic rims on it.

In that case, don't bother with the HD 6870 then unless you're actually gonna be using his PC a lot. He would be just fine with onboard video of the Z68 mobo if his sole requirement is dual monitors. Or if you don't like the idea of onboard video, just go with the HD 5450 and you'll be set:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121444

 

[Ake2k]

fixed** the link here it is again


http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21921327

So thats a good call on the gpu. However it seems that the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130571 doesn't have built in video.

So we could go with the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130571 which has 1 digital/analog/hdmi port.

On a related note does a dual monitor setup need 2 dvi ports?

would my 7800gtx be fine it's just laying around, and that have 2 dvi's
Basicly what is needed to run dual monitors?

 

[Dangman]

So thats a good call on the gpu. However it seems that the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130571 doesn't have built in video.

So we could go with the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130571 which has 1 digital/analog/hdmi port.

You used the same link for both. If you mean the HD 5450, then yes that's a good buy. However do note that the combined cost for the GPU and mobo puts it right in the price range of this higher-quality motherboard with onboard video outputs:
$145 - MSI Z68A-GD55 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard

On a related note does a dual monitor setup need 2 dvi ports?

Not necessarily.

would my 7800gtx be fine it's just laying around, and that have 2 dvi's
Basicly what is needed to run dual monitors?

That 7800GTX will be fine. All you need to power dual monitors are two video outputs thats compatible with the monitors you have. That could be either DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort or VGA.

 

[Ake2k]

I would like give a gracious thank you for all your help all of you, you never let me down. I think i have all the information i need at the moment! You will be seeing me again soon for my build I hope.

 

[Dangman]

I would like give a gracious thank you for all your help all of you, you never let me down. I think i have all the information i need at the moment! You will be seeing me again soon for my build I hope.

Good luck with the build!