Media & Multitasking $1,000 build

[icebeast00]

Looking to build a new home PC. I had posted for build advice on here back in August and got a lot of helpful suggestions. But a few things came up and I was delayed starting the build, but am now ready. 😀

I am looking to most likely run Windows 8. I have seen advertisements about certain motherboard companies (Asus and MSI mainly) being certified for Windows 8, and seem to find mixed reviews on whether this amounts to anything significant, like faster boot times. Also MSI advertises their motherboards as being "ruggedized", is this just marketing hype or are they pretty durable boards? Before seeing their add on Newegg I was pretty set with either Asus or Gigabyte.


Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: $1000 (Not including OS)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Multitasking i.e.- surfing the web (30-50 Google Chrome tabs) while burning/converting movies/music and running Spotify or watching videos. Would like to get into video, music and picture editing. Don’t do any gaming. Have been told by a few people that Apple would be perfect for what I want to do, but to get a tower with some decent processing and multitasking power from Apple looks to run close to $2,000 🙁


Parts Not Required: Mouse (Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX Wireless Laser Mouse), Keyboard (Logitech K250 Wireless Keyboard), Monitor (HP 2310M), Speakers (built into monitor, will upgrade later)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: I have no brand loyalty, just want the best parts for what I will use them for.

Pretty much settled on an Intel processor.

Tossing around MSI, Asus, or Gigabyte for motherboard. Want a motherboard that I can later add to and not max out all of its possibilities with this build (incase I want to upgrade it later). Not sure what brand of ram, I would like to get as much as I can afford, while keeping the rest of the build specs up (if I have to wait and add later that is fine). I would also prefer a motherboard that can RAID I (if that can be used as a verb) my hard disks. I want the back up security. In the future I plan to have a NAS or create a home network but don't have the fund right now (unless there is a way to turn a 500 gig external hard drive into a NAS...?)


Overclocking: Maybe, I have a friend that can set it up for me. I have never done it before and would not want to risk the durability of the CPU.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, don’t know that for my purposes I need either one (no gaming). Thinking I should atleast get a discrete graphics card.

Monitor Resolution: HP 2310M Native resolution 1920 x 1080. 23” diagonal. Has the following connection 1 VGA 1 DVI-D with HDCP 1 HDMI. Would also like to get a monitor arm mount to clear up space on my desk.

Additional Comments:I am looking to have the computer run as quietly as possible (it stays in my bedroom) and have it emit very little light. I also want a case that will not let in a lot of dust and has some USB 3.0 ports and possibly a media card reader for multiple formats.

This computer will connect to the internet solely with WIFI, should I have that build into the motherboard, or get a card? What about bluetooth capabilities?

I also would like to get atleast my OS on SSD if it's possible/worth it with this budget.


Thanks for your help and suggestions!!!

 

[icebeast00]

BUMP

 

[butremor]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($90.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($131.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($194.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Silencio 550 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $959.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-20 10:27 EST-0500)


Wifi card will be another 15$

 

[g-unit1111]

Have been told by a few people that Apple would be perfect for what I want to do, but to get a tower with some decent processing and multitasking power from Apple looks to run close to $2,000 🙁

With an Apple desktop you pay way too much money for last year's hardware.

The above build is decent but for your uses you most likely won't benefit from overclocking which the above build is for.

I'd suggest this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($247.86 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1012.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-20 12:38 EST-0500)

 

[icebeast00]

Any thoughts on the importance of getting a Windows 8 certified motherboard vs. Windows 8 compatible?

Assuming I only need the CPU cooler if I plan on over clocking? Do I still need the fan if I am just unlocking a multiplier on the K series processors? (Not saying I will get one, but would be handy to know if I happened to end up with one)


Lastly, both builds include 2GB video cards. If I am not gaming is that over kill? Or do they need to be that size/quality to work well with the setup? I am not very familiar with video cards at all.

Thanks guys!

 

[g-unit1111]

Any thoughts on the importance of getting a Windows 8 certified motherboard vs. Windows 8 compatible?

That's just marketing terminology. Any motherboard that can run Windows 7 will run any version of Windows.

Assuming I only need the CPU cooler if I plan on over clocking? Do I still need the fan if I am just unlocking a multiplier on the K series processors? (Not saying I will get one, but would be handy to know if I happened to end up with one)

If you're not overclocking you can just run off the stock fan and be fine.

Lastly, both builds include 2GB video cards. If I am not gaming is that over kill? Or do they need to be that size/quality to work well with the setup? I am not very familiar with video cards at all.

Even if you're not gaming the extra VRAM will help with higher resolutions and if you want to run a multiple display setup or not.

 

[icebeast00]

Will I still get the 2 second boot time and be able to use the new UEFI interface with a compatible motherboard?

 

[g-unit1111]

Will I still get the 2 second boot time and be able to use the new UEFI interface with a compatible motherboard?

Yeah the UEFI BIOS is not dependent on the operating system. It's its own separate entity. There's software applications that will allow you to access the BIOS in the operating system and most board manufacturers (save for Intel) will include that on the driver disc. As long as you have a good SSD you'll be able to get that quick boot time no problem.

 

[icebeast00]

Have heard greater thread numbers can really boost performance in photo/video editing. Worth it to go for an I5-3470T or i5--23290T with the hyper threading? Or stick with a higher clock speed?

Also thinking I may want more than 2 ram slots, to add more later. Would that be overkill?

 

[Aristotelian]

I don't think you need core i5 or a video card for this build since you do not mention gaming as a need. I would invest the extra money in storage and an SSD for your OS and storage, since you mention ripping movies. Since you mention movies and you have a high budget, I am giving you a Blu-Ray player, and a nice big 27" monitor. You still have $50 left over to spend on a WiFi card. Note that this build includes your monitor and Windows which the others on this thread so far do not but it comes in at the same price by giving up the video card. I think that is a good trade since you are not using this build for gaming.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tocf
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tocf/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tocf/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i3-3225 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($127.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($74.95 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($55.73 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Planar PX2710MW 27.0" Monitor ($248.89 @ CompUSA)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $948.06
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-20 15:00 EST-0500)

 

[g-unit1111]

I don't think you need core i5 or a video card for this build since you do not mention gaming as a need. I would invest the extra money in storage and an SSD for your OS and storage, since you mention ripping movies. Since you mention movies and you have a high budget, I am giving you a Blu-Ray player, and a nice big 27" monitor. You still have $50 left over to spend on a WiFi card. Note that this build includes your monitor and Windows which the others on this thread so far do not but it comes in at the same price by giving up the video card. I think that is a good trade since you are not using this build for gaming.

I think I would get an i5 and omit the SSD over getting a lesser CPU to sacrifice somewhere. That monitor may be big but it's not from a very reputable brand when it comes to monitors. This would be better and it's $50 more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001551

The problem with BD on a computer is that the software is really finicky when it comes to monitors and refresh rates. I include it only if specified by the OP. I didn't see a video card listed in your build either. The built in video is meant to handle basic functions only, it is not meant to be a substitute for a dedicated GPU, even a low end one will be better than nothing.

 

[Aristotelian]

Regarding the monitor, I can't vouch for it directly, but it gets great reviews. OP could get the more expensive monitor and go with DVD and sacrifice the Blue Ray.

The problem is the OP wants to get under $1000, including Windows and monitor. You have to make some sacrifices somewhere.

The good thing is the OP is not gaming. Core i3 will be slower than i5 but it should perform all the media functions the OP wants. I run my HTPC with a Celeron G540 and it is doing just fine.

 

[Aristotelian]

He could also get a smaller SSD and use it exclusively for core software. That could alsso trim another $50 or so.

 

[icebeast00]

Sorry for the confusion. I already have a monitor (HP 2310M) and am not including the cost of OS in the build price. I would really prefer to stick with i5 processor. Any thoughts whether I should opt for a 'T' model with hyper-threading?

 

[Aristotelian]

Can you post a link to CPU that you are talking about? I don't see any T models. I know for the celeron, pentium, and core i3 models the T models are the energy efficient line. They get the efficiency simply by limiting the clock. You can get the same effect by underclocking the normal model. The T model takes away the option of higher performance but costs more, so most folks say they are pointless.

 

[icebeast00]

Here is the Intel link:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processor-comparison/processor-specifications.html?proc=65703

But I read elsewhere that any i5 processor that has hyper threading has 2 real cores and hyper threads 4 cores. I'm guessing that essentially makes it worse since only 2 of the cores are real as opposed to all 4 being real on the other i5's.

 

[Aristotelian]

I see. Yes, in this case it looks like the T means you lose hyperthreading in addition to artificially lowering the clock speed. It seems to me that if you think you need i5 for performance you might as well get the regular model, if not go i3.

 

[icebeast00]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Since I normally am surfing atleast 30 tabs in Chrome while doing any type of music downloading, and video/picture editing I am really trying to fit an i7 into the build for the hyper threading. I am not willing to cut corners on the Mobo, but would be willing to hold off on say a graphics card to keep it in budget. Thoughts???

 

[Aristotelian]

That makes sense to me. If you already have the monitor and Windows and you drop the video card, you have some flexibility in the budget. I think you will find that the integrated graphics on the CPU will be enough for video streaming and playback.

By the way, for your purposes have you considered a Hackintosh build? What you are describing sounds pretty similar to this build, which comes out similar to your budget:

http://lifehacker.com/5672051/how-to-build-a-hackintosh-mac-and-install-os-x-in-eight-easy-steps

 

[icebeast00]

Had not heard of that. I was considering attempting to load both apple and windows OS's onto the machine so I could try out Mac (hard drive space willing obviously). I do like the build they proposed, thanks for the idea Aristo!!