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Mad Cow! Holiday Computer building (1 Viewer)

'Pick said:
'Zasada said:
'Pick said:
Zasada, I'm willing to spend more coin for quality if needed. I'm trying to think where I am right now. Got the case, burner, and power source. About $250 for those but some rebates still to do.Video card, mobo, and CPU to go as far as expensive stuff. I think I need a soundcard and Internet card or something still, right (but these two will be cheap)?
Click to expand...
You'll get the last two included with the motherboard (unless you're really picky about sound and want a dedicated card).How much do you want to spend on the CPU/mobo/vidcard in total?
Click to expand...
Not picky about soundcard and the other.As far as what to spend I'm not sure. I want quality but value is nice but I like to err on the side of quality if it costs a bit more.What would be the average price of CPU/mobo/vidcard total?
Click to expand...
There is no "average" price. The value sweet-spot for those three is probably about $500-$600 ($220 for i5 CPU, $110 for mobo, $200 for vidcard). But we can always do cheaper if your budget isn't that high.
 
'Zasada said:
'Pick said:
'Zasada said:
'Pick said:
Zasada, I'm willing to spend more coin for quality if needed. I'm trying to think where I am right now. Got the case, burner, and power source. About $250 for those but some rebates still to do.Video card, mobo, and CPU to go as far as expensive stuff. I think I need a soundcard and Internet card or something still, right (but these two will be cheap)?
Click to expand...
You'll get the last two included with the motherboard (unless you're really picky about sound and want a dedicated card).How much do you want to spend on the CPU/mobo/vidcard in total?
Click to expand...
Not picky about soundcard and the other.As far as what to spend I'm not sure. I want quality but value is nice but I like to err on the side of quality if it costs a bit more.What would be the average price of CPU/mobo/vidcard total?
Click to expand...
There is no "average" price. The value sweet-spot for those three is probably about $500-$600 ($220 for i5 CPU, $110 for mobo, $200 for vidcard). But we can always do cheaper if your budget isn't that high.
Click to expand...
You would be very well set at that price. As for a sound card, quite frankly with all the cores and RAM in today's systems I just don't see the need. As long as your mobo has a decent sound chip, you are good.
 
'Zasada said:
'moleculo said:
but anyone see anything troublesome with the above?
Click to expand...
This is pretty much the same setup I have for my media server, minus the SSD. It works great.A few suggestions:

1. Don't get an ECS mobo. They're crap. Cheap, yes. Quality, no. I have had some in the past that worked flawlessly and others that were really weak. ETA: This only has a 10/100 nic, no gigabit. Stay away!

2. Consider an i3 2125. That gives you HD3000 graphics in the case that you want to do some light gaming or 3D work with it. I have no idea how CAD works on this processor.

3. The Corsair 430W PSU on special today at NewEgg is perfect for this build.
Click to expand...
How do you feel about MSI motherboards? This onein particular is pretty cheap...
 
'moleculo said:
'Zasada said:
'moleculo said:
but anyone see anything troublesome with the above?
Click to expand...
This is pretty much the same setup I have for my media server, minus the SSD. It works great.A few suggestions:

1. Don't get an ECS mobo. They're crap. Cheap, yes. Quality, no. I have had some in the past that worked flawlessly and others that were really weak. ETA: This only has a 10/100 nic, no gigabit. Stay away!

2. Consider an i3 2125. That gives you HD3000 graphics in the case that you want to do some light gaming or 3D work with it. I have no idea how CAD works on this processor.

3. The Corsair 430W PSU on special today at NewEgg is perfect for this build.
Click to expand...
How do you feel about MSI motherboards? This onein particular is pretty cheap...
Click to expand...
Generally, MSI does OK stuff. Here are some reviews. Might be an issue with VGA install, but looks like MSI has a solution. :shrug:
 
'Mad Cow said:
'moleculo said:
'Zasada said:
'moleculo said:
but anyone see anything troublesome with the above?
Click to expand...
This is pretty much the same setup I have for my media server, minus the SSD. It works great.A few suggestions:

1. Don't get an ECS mobo. They're crap. Cheap, yes. Quality, no. I have had some in the past that worked flawlessly and others that were really weak. ETA: This only has a 10/100 nic, no gigabit. Stay away!

2. Consider an i3 2125. That gives you HD3000 graphics in the case that you want to do some light gaming or 3D work with it. I have no idea how CAD works on this processor.

3. The Corsair 430W PSU on special today at NewEgg is perfect for this build.
Click to expand...
How do you feel about MSI motherboards? This onein particular is pretty cheap...
Click to expand...
Generally, MSI does OK stuff. Here are some reviews. Might be an issue with VGA install, but looks like MSI has a solution. :shrug:
Click to expand...
I have had 2 MSI boards and both have crapped out for different reasons. They seem great spec wise but the reliability is not there IMO.
 
'Osaurus said:
I have had 2 MSI boards and both have crapped out for different reasons. They seem great spec wise but the reliability is not there IMO.
Click to expand...
When it comes to quality, I generally rank mobos first with ASUS, then Gigabyte, then MSI. I have had a few MSI boards and they all have been fine. While I wouldn't avoid them, I would choose the first two if given the choice and a minimal price difference.
 
For anyone building an HTPC to work with cable, the Ceton InfiniTV 4 is $220 at NewEgg right now.

 
'Zasada said:
'Osaurus said:
I have had 2 MSI boards and both have crapped out for different reasons. They seem great spec wise but the reliability is not there IMO.
Click to expand...
When it comes to quality, I generally rank mobos first with ASUS, then Gigabyte, then MSI. I have had a few MSI boards and they all have been fine. While I wouldn't avoid them, I would choose the first two if given the choice and a minimal price difference.
Click to expand...
Yup. Been very happy with Asus and Gigabyte
 
'Zasada said:
'Pick said:
'Zasada said:
'Pick said:
Zasada, I'm willing to spend more coin for quality if needed. I'm trying to think where I am right now. Got the case, burner, and power source. About $250 for those but some rebates still to do.Video card, mobo, and CPU to go as far as expensive stuff. I think I need a soundcard and Internet card or something still, right (but these two will be cheap)?
Click to expand...
You'll get the last two included with the motherboard (unless you're really picky about sound and want a dedicated card).How much do you want to spend on the CPU/mobo/vidcard in total?
Click to expand...
Not picky about soundcard and the other.As far as what to spend I'm not sure. I want quality but value is nice but I like to err on the side of quality if it costs a bit more.What would be the average price of CPU/mobo/vidcard total?
Click to expand...
There is no "average" price. The value sweet-spot for those three is probably about $500-$600 ($220 for i5 CPU, $110 for mobo, $200 for vidcard). But we can always do cheaper if your budget isn't that high.
Click to expand...
Sounds about right. And gotta get an HD, too.
 
I have a 450w cooler master psu that was used for 10 minutes, I was going to keep it but I have no use really. Willing to sell for cheap

 
Last edited by a moderator:
'moleculo said:
all right...my old machine is on it's last legs so I'm looking into putting together something new. I am not all that great with this stuff, but i'm not afraid of tinkering. i want to build a new machine so I can better control what is on it - no bloat ware, and i'm hoping to save a little cash along the way.

i am not much of a gamer these days. I want to use the computer for general home office stuff - internet portal, photo storage, music server, etc.

One thing I do want to start playing with is HTPC apps...this computer will be located in my office, but I'd like to be able to use a media extender (Xbox360, for example) to stream content onto my living room TV from this computers hard drive, including OTA broadcasts captured via a TV tuner, and make this machine a DVR, with the ultimate aim of cutting out cable.

At some point in the future, I may get back into 3D CAD work, so I want something that has a little bit of power as well.

so - all that being said, here's what I'm considering...let me know if you think I can do any better, an make sure everything makes sense.,

Mobo:

ECS H61H2-M2 Intel H61: $20 after rebate. microATX, socket LGA1155.

CPU:

Intel Core i3-2100: $110

RAM:

Kingston KHX1333C9D3B1/4G Desktop Memory Module - 4GB(x2): $30 for 8 Gb. At these prices, no reason to settle for 4 Gb, right?

HD:

intel 80GB SSD: $80 after rebate.

80GB will be fine for now, but at some time in the near future I will be looking to add a terrabite or so...possibly via external HD.

Still have to find case and power supply, but the above, plus $80 or so for win 7, 64 bit looks to me like it can be a pretty decent deal...still working out the case and the power supply, but anyone see anything troublesome with the above?
Click to expand...
just realized the SSD I'm looking at is a 2.5" drive, whereas desktop systems typically accommodate 3.5". The disk and motherboard claim to be SATA II. Will I have a problem hooking this up?ETA: n/m. I may have to get some sort of adapter to make sure the screws can line up, but power wise, no problem.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Best Buy 1MS ViewSonic for $80 more might still be a better deal

 
Last edited by a moderator:
27" 1MS refurbished Samsung Monitor for $169.

Another $10 off if you want to buy at $20 promotion for $10 here.

I might go this way. For $159, I'll take the refurb risk

 
'Mad Cow said:
Indeed. I am thinking if someone is wanting to build and willing to wait, wait for the next gen, which is in around a month I believe?
Click to expand...
Tough to find info on this (due to NDAs, I'm sure). News that is almost five months stale says "November" or "end of the year". I have seen some talk of Q1 now as well.I would probably buy now rather than risk going through the holidays (e.g. free time!) without my new toys. Sometimes the waiting game can have a very undefined end and I fear that is the case here...
 
'Zasada said:
$40 NewEgg gift card for $20, starting at 9AM PST. I don't imagine it will last more than a few minutes.

The Cyber Monday "deals" generally stink. Nothing of use in the video card area.
Click to expand...
It's not showing up for me. :confused: ETA - it showed up for a second, I clicked it, got an error and now it won't show up again. I guess it's gone.

And then it's back. In my cart and google wallet is having some issues. :hophead:

ETTA - looks like I finally got it. Although I'm waiting for email confirmation.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
'Zasada said:
'Mad Cow said:
Indeed. I am thinking if someone is wanting to build and willing to wait, wait for the next gen, which is in around a month I believe?
Click to expand...
Tough to find info on this (due to NDAs, I'm sure). News that is almost five months stale says "November" or "end of the year". I have seen some talk of Q1 now as well.I would probably buy now rather than risk going through the holidays (e.g. free time!) without my new toys. Sometimes the waiting game can have a very undefined end and I fear that is the case here...
Click to expand...
Yeah, I can see. I just see no good upgrade avenue for myself personally anyway since I am sitting with a 6970, for all intents and purposes.
 
What if we can't get the deals we want? Plan B to me seems to just buy what I gotta buy to make it work.

 
With the case I bought and was recommended (My link)... the reviews are saying how cool it stays. This leads to my question, are additional fans necessary? And how about the cpu cooler?

now that black friday and cyber monday has come and gone... looking to finish this up within a week or two.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Seagate 2TB 5900RPM HDD for $99.

This drive is only good if you have a large enough SSD to keep all/most of your games and your OS on. This is just a pure storage drive. It isn't fast, but fast enough for media, backup, etc. Best price I have seen since a week or two after the flood.

I bought it for my wife for xmas (she wants more storage on her DirecTV DVR).

 
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'jamil said:
With the case I bought and was recommended (My link)... the reviews are saying how cool it stays. This leads to my question, are additional fans necessary? And how about the cpu cooler?

now that black friday and cyber monday has come and gone... looking to finish this up within a week or two.
Click to expand...
What do you still need?For the CPU cooler, the Intel stock cooler is fine if you don't plan to overclock and don't care much about noise. If you want overclockability and/or quiet, I can recommend some good HSFs.

 
'Zasada said:
'jamil said:
With the case I bought and was recommended (My link)... the reviews are saying how cool it stays. This leads to my question, are additional fans necessary? And how about the cpu cooler?

now that black friday and cyber monday has come and gone... looking to finish this up within a week or two.
Click to expand...
What do you still need?For the CPU cooler, the Intel stock cooler is fine if you don't plan to overclock and don't care much about noise. If you want overclockability and/or quiet, I can recommend some good HSFs.
Click to expand...
A few of the HSFs I looked at required a mounting bracket under the motherboard. If that's the case with most/all, I'll probably want to put one in when I do the install, rather than some time down the road when I decide to overclock.What do you think?

 
B3 Stepping, Blu-ray Audio, USB 3.0, SATA III, HDMI BIOSTAR TH67+ Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $60 after rebate

Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - $195

Thoughts on that mobo?

 
'Dragons said:
A few of the HSFs I looked at required a mounting bracket under the motherboard. If that's the case with most/all, I'll probably want to put one in when I do the install, rather than some time down the road when I decide to overclock.What do you think?
Click to expand...
Best to get the heatsink now then. Usually the bracket under the mobo is custom-tailored to whatever HSF you buy (thus you might as well just buy the HSF and install it). Also the stock intel cooler won't work if you put a mounting plate behind the mobo.Finally, you can always add the plate later because your case has a cutout in the mobo tray for it.
 
Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 56NPH6HS4IXX Video Card Galaxy 56NPH6HS4IXX GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) ...

2GB GDDR5

PCI Express 2.0 x16

Model #: Item #: N82E16814162085

Was: $244.99Now: $219.99$179.99 with Rebate

Free Shipping

Good?

 
'Drifter said:
Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 56NPH6HS4IXX Video Card Galaxy 56NPH6HS4IXX GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) ...

2GB GDDR5

PCI Express 2.0 x16

Model #: Item #: N82E16814162085

Was: $244.99Now: $219.99$179.99 with Rebate

Free Shipping

Good?
Click to expand...
I'd probably get this 6870 for $150AR if you're ready to pull the trigger on a vid card. I believe it's similar performance to the 560 Ti.
 
'Dragons said:
'Pick said:
What if we can't get the deals we want? Plan B to me seems to just buy what I gotta buy to make it work.
Click to expand...
It depends how flexible your budget is and how patient you are.
Click to expand...
Flexible but would like to have this rig ready to go for Christmas break which starts December 17th. So probably 2 more weeks of watching and then time to build that third week.
 
'Zasada said:
'Dragons said:
A few of the HSFs I looked at required a mounting bracket under the motherboard. If that's the case with most/all, I'll probably want to put one in when I do the install, rather than some time down the road when I decide to overclock.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
Best to get the heatsink now then. Usually the bracket under the mobo is custom-tailored to whatever HSF you buy (thus you might as well just buy the HSF and install it). Also the stock intel cooler won't work if you put a mounting plate behind the mobo.Finally, you can always add the plate later because your case has a cutout in the mobo tray for it.
Click to expand...
I think I'll grab this one unless someone has a better option.
 
'Drifter said:
B3 Stepping, Blu-ray Audio, USB 3.0, SATA III, HDMI BIOSTAR TH67+ Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $60 after rebateIntel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - $195Thoughts on that mobo?
Click to expand...
?This is the same price as the Microcenter combo non-Black Friday deal after taxes. How does it compare?
 
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