Build Advice €600-€700

numbskull20

I have configured a PC on HWVS. I would just like to know what people thought of my configuration in case I made any bad choices.

My Requirements:

1. Budget: €600-700
2. Purpose of computer: Movies, programming, Photoshop, some light gaming (Sam & Max, point and click adventure, etc.)
3. Windows? No
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? No
5. Do you need a monitor? No
Resolution? Not sure. It's a crappy old monitor that'll do me for the time being. I plan to upgrade soon!
6. Peripherals needed: Wireless Card
7. Overclocking? No
8. How can you pay? Bank Transfer, Laser
9. When are you purchasing? About 2 weeks hopefully.


My Configuration:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K Box
Mainboard: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
RAM: 8GB-Kit Kingston HyperX blu PC3-10667U CL9
Case: Xigmatek Midgard II Midi Tower
Graphics Card: None, onboard.
PSU: Corsair Builder Series CX430 V2, 430 Watt
Harddisk: Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS
USB Controller: None


Thanks guys.

deravarra

Your motherboard isnt the best for 3rd gen cpus - try and pick something from the z77 chipset range - and when you do, try to pick ram rated at 1600MHz.

Eboggles

How much photoshop do you do? I'd personally go with an A10 5800k Bitfenix Prodigy build with some sleeved cables, modular PSU and SSD. You could also stick a watercooler into it for low temps/noise.

numbskull20

Eboggles- I don't use Photoshop that much. And I have a budget.
deravarra- I did what you suggested.

Here's my new configuration. I changed CPU, motherboard and RAM.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 Box
Mainboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL9
Case: Xigmatek Midgard II Midi Tower
Graphics Card: None, onboard.
PSU: Corsair Builder Series CX430 V2, 430 Watt
Harddisk: Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS
USB Controller: None

deravarra

numbskull20 wrote: »

Eboggles- I don't use Photoshop that much. And I have a budget.
deravarra- I did what you suggested.

Here's my new configuration. I changed CPU, motherboard and RAM.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 Box
Mainboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL9
Case: Xigmatek Midgard II Midi Tower
Graphics Card: None, onboard.
PSU: Corsair Builder Series CX430 V2, 430 Watt
Harddisk: Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS
USB Controller: None

Looking much better

However, I would beg borrow or steal to get yourself a decent GPU - especially if you are any way serious about gaming

Eboggles

That's not a great build for your requirements, IMHO. This would be more suited, it'd be quieter, and much more aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention it has a 256GB SSD and watercooling (for silence):

Item|Price
AMD A10 5800K Black Edition mit AMD Radeon HD 7660D Grafikeinheit, Box, FM2|€115.04
8GB-Kit Patriot AMD Performance K2 Edition PC3-12800 1600MHz CL8|€56.69
Scythe GentleTyphoon 120 mm Lüfter 1150 rpm|€12.21
WD Caviar Green 1TB Sata 6Gb/s|€70.34
ASUS DRW-24B5ST Retail|€20.02
be quiet! PURE POWER CM BQT L8-CM-430W|€57.23
BitFenix Prodigy Mini-ITX Gehäuse - weiß, ohne Netzteil|€72.79
Thermaltake Water 2.0 Performer / All-in-one Liquid Cooling System|€61.91
Samsung SSD 830 256GB SATA III Paper Box|€156.36
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€641.58

All you need is a motherboard, the ITX FM2 boards aren't out on HWVS yet.

marco_polo

numbskull20 wrote: »

Eboggles- I don't use Photoshop that much. And I have a budget.
deravarra- I did what you suggested.

Here's my new configuration. I changed CPU, motherboard and RAM.

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 Box
Mainboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL9
Case: Xigmatek Midgard II Midi Tower
Graphics Card: None, onboard.
PSU: Corsair Builder Series CX430 V2, 430 Watt
Harddisk: Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB's
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS
USB Controller: None

I think you'd be much better of switching to an i5-3570 and spending the €80 odd difference on a 128GB SSD.

numbskull20

An SSD and graphics card are things I can add on in the near future when I have more money.

The BitFenix Prodigy Mini does look nice but I'd like a larger form factor.

marco_polo

Fair enough, its just much easier to install Windows fresh onto an SSD from the get go rather than trying to move it later, as Windows detects whether it is being installed on a SSD or HDD and optimize itself accordingly. Stuff you will have to do manually if you clone from a HDD to an SSD later.

In addition I don't really think anything of the tasks you have listed in the first post would benefit much if at all from the i7 in terms of Hyperthreading, which is really the only major feature it offers over the i5. And in that case 80 odd euro difference could surely be put to better use elsewhere.

numbskull20

I've decided to be a bit sensible and go for the i5-3570k. And I added a 128GB SSD. I'm pretty happy with this I think.

Item|Price
PSU: be quiet! Pure Power 430 Watt / BQT L7|€45.24
Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B5ST Retail|€19.97
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Box, LGA1155|€208.05
Case: Xigmatek Midgard II Midi Tower - black, ATX|€65.43
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL9|€32.17
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK, Sockel 1155, ATX, DDR3|€121.77
Wireless Card: ASUS PCE-N15|€22.90
SSD: Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€86.58
HDD: WD Caviar Green 1TB Sata 6Gb/s|€68.75
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€689.85

deravarra

numbskull20 wrote: »

I've decided to be a bit sensible and go for the i5-3570k. And I added a 128GB SSD. I'm pretty happy with this I think.

Item|Price
PSU: be quiet! Pure Power 430 Watt / BQT L7|€45.24
Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B5ST Retail|€19.97
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Box, LGA1155|€208.05
Case: Xigmatek Midgard II Midi Tower - black, ATX|€65.43
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800U CL9|€32.17
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK, Sockel 1155, ATX, DDR3|€121.77
Wireless Card: ASUS PCE-N15|€22.90
SSD: Samsung SSD 830 128GB SATA 6GB's Paper Box|€86.58
HDD: WD Caviar Green 1TB Sata 6Gb/s|€68.75
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€689.85

Just one more addition recommended here - a 3rd party cooler. to be fair, intel's stock coolers are not the worst in the world, but there are much better out there. Go with a be quiet one - decent performance for the price

Amirani

I'd also consider getting get a slightly bigger PSU. If you're getting an overclockable cpu and potentially adding a gpu later then I reckon you should, it shouldn't cost much extra.

areyawell

No decent graphics card for a 700 euro build?