New build in old case

[yowen]

Been reading this forum for many years, haven't built a desktop in about 6 years, I have kept up on the latest technology pretty well i like to think. I am somewhat leaning toward AMD, seeing as how I want a budget build this seems like a good way to go.

I just got done reading the multi lcd thread of 800 some pages, I probably read about 300 of them, very cool!

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Movie/tv show watching, web design (photoshop), web surfing, gaming (I want to be able to play all games, I want them to look good, but won't need to max them out).
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$500-ish
3) Where do you live?
West Michigan
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, Mobo, gfx card, dvd burner, power supply, hard drive
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Case, It's a Centurion 5 I believe, about 5 or 6 yrs old, but looks nice and clean/simple, so I like it.
I have a SATA drive in the case right now that I'll probably hook up just for the purpose of having the files on there, not as a primary drive.
The PSU is coolermaster 420 Watt, I would have to look at model when I get home, but its OLD and I assume useless for current hardware?
6) Will you be overclocking?
I am not opposed as long as it doesnt impact longevity significantly
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I currently have a 1080p 24 inch viewsonic led monitor, bought it last week.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
End of this month, beginning of next month
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.
Crossfire support would be a nice option to have, I'd like the motherboard to be futureproof as much as possible. I suppose thats mostly up to the CPU socket and USB type?
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I plan to buy OS, but don't include it in the budget.

I guess this really is: "what can I squeeze out of 500 bucks these days?". Is it a realistic budget for my requirements of this system?

What sort of amount of cores will be appropriate you guys think? I have really loved the dual core performance I get out of my laptop and its only a Dell D620.

How much memory is considered a good amount these days? I have seen prices of it just plummet over the years.

I like having a lot of windows open, ie: many browser tabs (chrome), ftp program, photoshop, outlook, have a movie paused ready for me to resume at any time or even playing while I do all this stuff.

As for my gaming I haven't been able to even get into anything due to my systems being underpowered and or not supporting the new shader models... Would I be turning down my resolution from native 1080p of my monitor at this budget?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Dangman]

3) Where do you live?
West Michigan

Do you happen to live near the "Detroit/Madison Heights" area where there's a Microcenter?

Case, It's a Centurion 5 I believe, about 5 or 6 yrs old, but looks nice and clean/simple, so I like it.

Yeah you're looking at a new case as well since the Centurion 5 is no longer suitable for a modern system.

The PSU is coolermaster 420 Watt, I would have to look at model when I get home, but its OLD and I assume useless for current hardware?

Correct assumption but not all due to age: If it came with that Centurion 5, it was more than likely a low quality PSU capable of only providing 300W or so when it was brand new

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
End of this month, beginning of next month

Ok we need you to narrow this to be either one, not both. Here's the deal: A lot of our recommendations are based on cash saving Newegg combo deals that, unfortunately, expire at the end of the month. However there are usually new Newegg combo deals after about a week or two into the new month. But those get announced slowly over that week or two.

As such, if you plan on building next month, just come back a week into the next month and bump up this thread. If you're planning on building this month, we can come up with a list for you now. But the second June 1st hits, any combo deal used will probably not work.

I guess this really is: "what can I squeeze out of 500 bucks these days?". Is it a realistic budget for my requirements of this system?

Depends on your answer to the Microcenter question and when you're building the PC question. But considering that a new case has to be factored in, $500 may not be realistic.

What sort of amount of cores will be appropriate you guys think? I have really loved the dual core performance I get out of my laptop and its only a Dell D620.

Well dual-cores are basically a minimum these days.

How much memory is considered a good amount these days? I have seen prices of it just plummet over the years.

4GB

Would I be turning down my resolution from native 1080p of my monitor at this budget?

Yes, yes you would.

 

[yowen]

I probably live about 2.5 hrs from that microcenter, so I am not sure if I'll find myself out that way, because a special trip there, not sure it'd be worth my gas money/time. How much can I expect to save at this place?

I bought the PSU seperate from it on newegg. I am not at home so I cannot check the model number, but the case came sans-psu.

What sort of budget do you recommend? I can handle more, just thought 500 would be a nice price.

Also, the case is a decent size, why won't it work for a modern computer?

 

[Dangman]

I probably live about 2.5 hrs from that microcenter, so I am not sure if I'll find myself out that way, because a special trip there, not sure it'd be worth my gas money/time. How much can I expect to save at this place?

Anywhere from $20 to $60.

What sort of budget do you recommend? I can handle more, just thought 500 would be a nice price.

$600 to $700 range should do ya

Also, the case is a decent size, why won't it work for a modern computer?

The front 80mm fan: Doesn't draw enough air to provide enough cooling for modern parts. Not to mention the total lack of cable management features will also hinder cooling.

 

[Nathan_P]

The front 80mm fan: Doesn't draw enough air to provide enough cooling for modern parts. Not to mention the total lack of cable management features will also hinder cooling.

^^^This, i have a centurion 5 and while it did well for my FX-62 based rig it can't keep my x6cool without having the case sides off. mine is being gracefully retired to make wayfor a corsair 650D

 

[E4g1e]

Also, the case is a decent size, why won't it work for a modern computer?

As Danny stated, the single front 80mm fan is woefully inadequate for cooling. Worse, that Centurion 5 case cannot accommodate any additional or any larger front fans at all whatsoever without major and serious modifications which may severely reduce the number of internal hard drives it can hold.

 

[hossdaddy]

As Danny stated, the single front 80mm fan is woefully inadequate for cooling. Worse, that Centurion 5 case cannot accommodate any additional or any larger front fans at all whatsoever without major and serious modifications which may severely reduce the number of internal hard drives it can hold.

If you can use a cordless drill you can modify the holes on the case to accommodate 120mm fans. It will not decrease the space for hd's either. All you would need to do is buy some 120mm fans and line them up, mark the holes and drill them through, being light grade sheet metal this should be a nothing job. Just make sure that the hole you drill is the same size as the holes for the existing fans to ensure that the screws will fit properly. OP if you can post pics of your case this would answer this query 100%. If not you will need to spend about $50 of your budget for a replacement case.

 

[hossdaddy]

ok here is a starting point,

Combo: AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz + BIOSTAR TA880GB+ AM3 AMD 880G $154.98

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 $39.99 + fs

Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W $64.99 + fs


XFX HD-685X-ZNFC Radeon HD 6850 1GB $166.99 - $20 mir

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB $43.99 + fs

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner $19.99 + fs

COOLER MASTER R4-L2S-122B-GP 120mm 4 BLUE LED LED Case Fan $11.99 + $3 shipping(this is a 2 pack so you can replace the 80mm thats in there and add this one to the back of the case

Total: $502.92 - $20 mir + free game.

 

[yowen]

Some very great advice, thank you all!

I have the tools to modify the case, as far as cooling goes, so I'll stick with this case. It might actually be a fun project! Also someone mentioned poor cable management, I think that can be fixed too, with the right tools!

I hope I can buy soon, but I unfortunately had to spend the night in the ER this past weekend, the bill is not going to be pretty I imagine! I'll be sure to give this a bump when I figure more out.

 

[hossdaddy]

gl and check back when you are ready to buy as deals and pricing changes often.