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New $1000 Build

H

Heyday

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
218
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

This is a build for a friend. Main purpose is water supply system simulation calcs. It may also be used for video editing

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

Around $1000 with tax and shipping

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

Topeka, KS

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, Mobo, RAM, HDs, PSU, DVD

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 an old 8800 GTS I can give him.

6) Will you be overclocking?

Not unless I can talk him into it. It is doubtful.

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

None yet, but not part of budget.

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

Now

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)? etc.

Whatever is best for the build. No RAID or Crossfire\SLI needed.

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

Nope, will be buying W7 Pro 64.

Here is my initial build. Let me know your thoughts:
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k
Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V LX
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
PSU: Antec NEO ECO 620C
SSD: Crucial M4 128GB
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EARX 1TB
Case: LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58 Black

Add in W7 and a cheap DVD drive and the grand total comes to $1,106.43 shipped. It is a little over the budget, but I like the looks of it. I could drop the SSD to get the price back down. I am sure I can get the price down by getting the CPU/Mobo at Microcenter, but that is an hour drive.

I would like any suggestions to get the best bang for the buck for the described uses.
 
Looks good. If you really aren't going to overclock and you are worried about budget, you can save $30 by going with the i5-2400, but the 2500K gives you flexibility for future overclocking.
 
Are you planning on using the features of the p8z68? If not, you can drop it down to a P67 board.

Are you planning on ever getting more than 2 sticks of ram? If not, you can drop it down even more to a H/P61 board.
 
What features does the p8z68 have that the P67 does not? I don't see any reason not to get the P67. I would like the option to go to 16GB of RAM.
 
The P8Z68 gives an option for onboard video with intel core i3/5/7 CPUs, and allows SSD Caching.
 
It may be nice to have that onboard video, since this is not a gaming machine.
 
If he doesn't plan on gaming, then the integrated graphics on the i5 will run him just fine, even for HD videos and such. However, if he'll be doing a lot of heavy video editing, a discrete card is still highly recommended. The Z68 will allow him to easily switch between onboard and discrete video on the fly, allowing him to save energy and reduce heat from having the discrete on constantly.
 
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