Semi-budget mATX builld

H

HeavensCloud

Oswego, not shitty as Buffalo
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Feb 7, 2008
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So I have never done a micro build, I would like to try now. I want to use AMDs new procs and that's about all I'm sure of right now.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Multi-tasking. This build is for my parents. They each use this one computer, they have iTunes, email, remote desktop to step-dads work, and 4 instances of FireFox with about 20 tabs open in each one. These are all running continuously. My mother is petrified of change so when I build her new computers I build ones that will last at least 5 years, which is how old their current one is.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$800. Buying from Newegg so I get no taxes.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Upstate NY, only a Best Buy near me.
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.
Case, Mobo, CPU, HSF, Monitor, SSD for boot drive and programs
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Thermaltake 430 watt PSU, 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance ram, 500GB green mechanical secondary drive, loads of case fans.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Stable mild-moderate overclock.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
24" 1080p
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
This week
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.
Don't need USB 3.0, Raid possibly if I end up getting two 120GB SSDs for boot drive.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I have to check on this. If their Vista install is 32 bit I will need to buy Windows 8 retail disc I believe, if it's 64 bit I just need Windows 8 upgrade download.

Here's what I have brainstormed so far:
Need ideas for HSF that will cool well but fit in mATX case. Nothing special
Rosewill R363-M-BK Black Ultra High Gloss Finished MicroATX Computer Case with 400W ATX 2.2 12V Power Supply (Power supply would go in the trash) My mother is a stay at home interior decorator, so the case must look classy and nice in a house that is covered in Oak wood and trim.
ASRock 880GM-LE FX AM3+ AMD 880G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor FD6300WMHKBOX
ASUS VS Series VS247H-P Black 23.6" 2ms LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 50000000:1 (ASCR)
Whatever Samsung 830 or Crucial M4 240GB+ SSD is cheapest when I put my order in.

Criticize me :p
 
Well here goes.

That's not a good case, simply because it lacks good cable management. Something that a mATX setup will need since fans are usually limited to a few due to the noise that most mATX setups tend to want little of. They are also already tight with space, so making the most of it is a mnust. With that being said, that 90mm fan isn't adequate to cool the system. All around, not a good buy.

AsRock isn't a good choice, simply because AsRock has a bad track record of not being very consistent with good quality parts. This has been seen with back to back reviews of the same product here at HardOCP. It would be wise to avoid them for the time being. Plus that motherboard only has a 1 year warranty; wont get you very far if you intend to upgrade/replace systems every ~5 years.

While it's a descent processor with 6 cores, from the description you stated with what your parents intend to do with the system 4 or more of those cores will go mostly unused anyway. Therefore I'd recommend at most a quad core setup, but I highly recommend a dual core setup. Since clock for clock, Intel processors are faster than current offerings from AMD even at the same price points I'd recommend either a G series Pentium processor or an i3 processor from Intel. It will handle everything your parents intend to do, then some.

I have an ASUS monitor, my buddy has three ASUS monitors and his Dad has an ASUS monitor and we've all had no real problems with them. The one problem my buddy had with one of his monitors, it had a dead/dark area int he top corner. ASUS replaced it. Therefore I do recommend monitors, but I think you could probably find one a little cheaper than $190 in that size. I didn't look around though. 2ms response time isn't really relevant with what your parents will be doing, so no need to get a "fast" monitor for them to use.

Good choices on either SSD. Samsung 830s are a tad faster than Crucials, but both are solid products.

Before I go recommending a build, I need some input from you;
Exactly what PSU is that you have? Chances are, we will need to replace it.
Exactly what model number is that RAM? Better yet, let me know what voltage it's rated at. Anything over 1.5v and it may damage Intel CPUs (What I intend to recommend to you)
No need for those case fans, just sell 'em or use them for projects. The case I will most likely recommend to you will have adequate cooling.
 
The power supply is 2 years old, it's at my parents house so I can't check until this afternoon. I also have a 620w neo eco extra. I know modular would be best here but I don't know if I can swing the budget for one. I forgot to mention my brother will be getting a video card in December and it will also be a gaming computer, nothing hardcore I'm sure. The ram I'm using is 1.5v. I know rosewill cases are crap, but the case MUST be elegant looking. They have a shiny black baby grand piano about 4 feet away from the computer desk so I was imagining that it would look nice. As for motherboard, I just need something cheap. Doesn't need a lot of features, I don't care what brand it is - except Foxconn. I am a pretty set on AMD, I'm aware they are slower that Intel, which is why I own Intel, but I like to alternate builds and my last one was Intel.
 
So by "elegant looking", you basically mean a mirror finish to the case? What about the NZXT Source 210 Elite?
 
Not a lot bigger but bigger. If you really need a mATX case, the Silverston PS07 cases are good choices.
 
Ok I'll go with that Silverstone, looks nice. How about a HSF? Would the COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO fit in there?
 
I don't think it will fit. But the stock HSF should do the job.
 
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