New Budget Build

[ourkid2000]

So it's upgrade time for me.....you guys are gonna laugh at me on this one. The computer I am currently using, I built myself in 2004. It's a P4 2.4 ghz, running Windows XP, 1 GB Ram, 80 GB HD, ATI Radeon 9600, etc.....yeah I told you you'd laugh.

Up until now, this machine has met my needs quite well and I kinda lost interest over the years in keeping up with the new stuff as my machine did everything well. These days though its become quite sluggish and being so long in the tooth, I believe it's time to start fresh.

At the time, my machine was a nice middle of the road computer capable of everything I needed. So this is what I'm kinda going for with my new build. So here goes:

1) What will you be doing with this PC?
Photoshop & photo editing, spreadsheet work, movies & media, media server, maybe a game or two but I'm not gamer
2) What's your budget?
Lets say about 600 bucks
3) Which country do you live in?
Canada, Nova Scotia (Halifax)
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
I would imagine, considering what I have, that I'll need everything except a case.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing.
Probably my Antec Sonata II case
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1280x1024 (19"), but I plan on buying something newer and larger soon.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
In the next month
9) What features do you need in a motherboard?
SATA, USB3, Onboard audio

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Nope, gotta buy a new copy of Windows 7....I'm assuming 64bit

After doing quick reserach I have come up with the following:

Mobo: Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3: 139.99 ()
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 Black Edition 3.4 Ghz: 89.99
Hard Drive: Sandisk extreme 120 gb 2.5" Sata3 6gb/s: 79.99
Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700w ATX PS: 78.88
RAM: Kingston KHX1600C10D3B1K2/16G 16GB Kit 2X8GB 1600MHz DDR3 240PIN DIMM CL10 1.5V : 69.99

Total: ~600 with Win 7 Pro 64bit

No idea what to buy for a video card. Too many options! I've heard that the Athlon II is a great budget CPU as well, I can get one wicked cheap ($69)

So, am I heading in the right direction here?

Cheers!

 

[Kanaric_Anakri]

Based at Newegg Total is 495
DVD / Mouse / KB / Etc up to you

Antec VP-450 450W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817371045
$34.99

G.SKILL Trident 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820231621
$69.99

Open Box: ASUS F1A55-M LE Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Item #:N82E16813131796R
$45.99

SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128B/WW 2.5" MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #:N82E16820147163
$93.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit
Item #:N82E16832116992
$139.99

AMD A8-3870K Unlocked 3.0GHz Socket FM1 Quad-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic
Item #: N82E16819106001
$109.99

Optional Graphics Card, Based on detail I think it would be overkill

XFX Radeon HD 6670 HD-667X-ZWF4 Video Card
Item #:N82E16814150577
$99.99

 

[ourkid2000]

So this CPU.....the AMD A8, where does that stack up against the AMD Phenom II that I mentioned?

 

[Kanaric_Anakri]

I had to look, and I'm not 100% that you are suggesting the 965, but I think you are so.

According to the passmark software ( I don't personally put much stock in any bench marking [ or is that bench marketing? ] software but I take what I can get ... )
... from http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php ...

Processor                  cpu marks   rank
AMD Phenom II X4 965       	4202  	208
AMD A8-3870 APU	        	4734 	173

You can also look to a site like ...
http://www.cpu-world.com/benchmarks/

On that site I noted a mixed bag, the A8 better at some things and worse at others, generally the two processors scoring very similar results. However the APU also contains a good general purpose [not made to game] GPU, which can save big time and make setup easier. Hope that helps.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Please read the original question number 4 again. Since "everything" is not a valid answer. Thanks.

What games MIGHT you play in the future?



Kanaric_Anakri, he will need to order parts from Newegg's Canadian site, not the U.S. site therefore those parts you recommended most likely wont do him any good since they are priced differently on the Canadian site.

 

[ourkid2000]

Well by everything I mean I will require a new cpu, mobo, hard drive, power supply, ram, video card. I am looking for my mobo to have onboard audio and networking.

So I'm reusing my case, monitor, sound system, and wireless mouse & keyboard.

With regards to games, I might like to play the new C&C Generals

 

[ourkid2000]

Folks, I am just realizing that there are AMD and Intel CPUs out there with integrated graphics on the CPU's themselves........I had no idea such a thing existed. I noticed that the Intel I5 Core has this.

Are they decent? Do they have things like HDMI out?

 

[azeem40]

They are enough for your uses.

 

[runs2far]

I have no experience with any of the linked motherboards.
This is important as the balance in a budget build is going cheap without compromising to much on the quality.
All the linked motherboards have hdmi out for the build in graphis and yes the hdmi port has sound.
I am expecting Windows 7 to cost around 100$, making you hardware budget 500$,
Remember Windows 8 is out 26 of october.


This is a non oc suggestion which gives you something to build on, if you should decide to go for a bigger screen and some "heavy" gaming later on. You will see a big benefit in games if you add a dedicated gpu later.
The cpu is very much overkill for your current use, but it is a good choice if you get a dedicated gpu in the future and the build in igp graphics are enough for running most games at up to medium details on your current monitor.
If you only plan on playing indie/older games, then you may want to stick with an i3-2100 or i3-3220 and save about 60$.

80$ - GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D3H
195$ - i5-3450
60$ - Antec NEO ECO 520C
34$ - g.skill value 2x4 gb
99$ - M4 128 GB
19$ - DVD drive

total without shipping and tax = 487$

Alternative i3-3220 build:

Still no oc, same graphics and approximately the same cpu performance in stuff that does not utilize a quad core cpu.

80$ - GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D3H
130$ - i3-3220
60$ - Antec NEO ECO 520C
34$ - g.skill value 2x4 gb
99$ - M4 128 GB
19$ - DVD drive

total without shipping and tax = 422$

Alternative AMD build:
This gives you better game graphics out of the box, but the processor is slower and you will benefit less from adding a dedicated graphics card (gpu) later.
This is based of Llano cpu model, AMD will launch trinity (4xxx) models soon.
Trinity is expected to feature higher performance at the same price point.

86$ - MSI A75MA-G55
100$ - A8-3850
60$ - Antec NEO ECO 520C
50$ - g.skill ares series 2x4 gb
99$ - M4 128 GB
19$ - DVD drive

total without shipping and tax = 414$

EDIT:
I do not know the requirements of the next C&C generals game, but it is based of the same engine as BF3 and should be able to utilize the i5-3450 very well.
I believe the i5 will beat my other suggestions in levels that get crowded with units, as bf3 seems to benefit a lot from a quad core when a lot of stuff is happening in the game.
Either way, I doubt it will run of build in graphics and will require a dedicated gpu.

 

[tiraides]

I recommend runs2far's i5-3450-based build:

80$ - GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D3H
195$ - i5-3450
60$ - Antec NEO ECO 520C
34$ - g.skill value 2x4 gb
99$ - M4 128 GB
19$ - DVD drive

total without shipping and tax = $487

I suggest saving up some more money for a decent video card and a storage HDD of at least 1TB. You can time the purchase of those parts to around the same time as either the C&C Generals game or the newer monitor.

(I recommend, if nothing else, timing your video card purchase around the same time as the monitor. Not only do you have to factor in the monitor's resolution, you also have to consider the internals of your case when picking out a good card for your needs.)

The Intel Core i5-3450 is better than any AMD processor for your everyday tasks. While the AMD processors have better embedded GPUs than the i5-3450, you'll be fine at a 1280x1024 resolution.