Intel I5 First Time Build, Need Opinions Before purchase

[wildtree]

I want to keep the case(personal preference), I'm running windows off the solid state and the other for files. No overclocking

In terms of use it'll be general (Microsoft windows programs), running adobe graphic design programs and not too much gaming but if I do max age of empires 3 or something oldish

The rest I'm fine changing if it'll be cheaper or better..It's my first build so I'm a bit of a newb when it comes to computers although I've researched the components a lot

Budget = $1,200 AUD



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($223.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($99.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($82.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270X 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($235.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.02 @ Mwave Australia)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($19.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($115.00 @ Centre Com)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-S2S-124K-GP 44.7 CFM 120mm Fans ($19.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1183.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-21 10:45 EST+1100

 

[mangodrinker]

Looks good, nice selection of components.

 

[SchuIIe]

If you do more graphic design than gaming, consider changing your cpu/gpu. Take the r9 270 (without x) and take the saved money to get a xeon e3 1231 v3. I guess you will benefit from its hyperthreading feature and since you dont want to overclock you will be just fine. Also you can keep the rest of your build

 

[wildtree]

If you do more graphic design than gaming, consider changing your cpu/gpu. Take the r9 270 (without x) and take the saved money to get a xeon e3 1231 v3. I guess you will benefit from its hyperthreading feature and since you dont want to overclock you will be just fine. Also you can keep the rest of your build

I was originally going to go with an I7 or a xeon but stuck with the I5, I'll upgrade in the future

 

[SchuIIe]

If you do more graphic design than gaming, consider changing your cpu/gpu. Take the r9 270 (without x) and take the saved money to get a xeon e3 1231 v3. I guess you will benefit from its hyperthreading feature and since you dont want to overclock you will be just fine. Also you can keep the rest of your build

I was originally going to go with an I7 or a xeon but stuck with the I5, I'll upgrade in the future

Well, if you want an i7 but dont want to spend that much money and dont want to overclock, take the xeon
Its like 30$ more than the i5 to spend but you get the performance of an i7 3770/4770

 

[William Norberg]

If you do more graphic design than gaming, consider changing your cpu/gpu. Take the r9 270 (without x) and take the saved money to get a xeon e3 1231 v3. I guess you will benefit from its hyperthreading feature and since you dont want to overclock you will be just fine. Also you can keep the rest of your build

I was originally going to go with an I7 or a xeon but stuck with the I5, I'll upgrade in the future

Well, if you want an i7 but dont want to spend that much money and dont want to overclock, take the xeon
Its like 30$ more than the i5 to spend but you get the performance of an i7 3770/4770

If I'm correct the Xeon is pretty much like a cheaper i7. But without integrated graphics (not needed for gaming) and more able to handle 24/7 computing.

 

[RazerZ]

Yes that's correct, but some versions of the Xeon 12xx do not have hyperthreading which make it worse than a locked i5.

The budget ones which are cheaper than the i7 and which include hyperthreading are the Xeon 1230 V3 and 1231 V3. They go for around $250.

Not really needed for gaming though.

 

[William Norberg]

Yes that's correct, but some versions of the Xeon 12xx do not have hyperthreading which make it worse than a locked i5.

The budget ones which are cheaper than the i7 and which include hyperthreading are the Xeon 1230 V3 and 1231 V3. They go for around $250.

Not really needed for gaming though.

"not really needed for gaming though", what do you mean? You need a processor for gaming, and the xeon seems to be a worthy processor for MS minesweeper and other hardcore games.

 

[RazerZ]

The minimal performance gain you may or may not get with using a Xeon for gaming is nothing compared to the increase in fps you would see if you used an i5 + a more powerful graphics card for the same price.

 

[logainofhades]

Made some changes, and got you a better graphics card.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.00 @ CPL Online)
Memory: Kingston Fury Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($95.00 @ CPL Online)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($77.00 @ Centre Com)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.00 @ Centre Com)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280 3GB Black Edition Double Dissipation Video Card ($269.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Corsair SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case ($75.00 @ CPL Online)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.21 @ Mwave Australia)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($19.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-S2S-124K-GP 44.7 CFM 120mm Fans ($19.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1175.21
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-06 02:54 EST+1100