PC Build Generic Budget Breakdown

[mschult2]

Hi guys, I'm looking for a generic budget breakdown of a new PC build; like
percentage of the budget that should be spent on each hardware component.
So the components to be considered should be (I think):

-storage drives
-optical disk drives
-monitor
-memory
-CPU
-GPU
-power supply
-motherboard
-case
-keyboard/mouse (just to be thorough)
-sound card/interface
-coolant system (a fan, typically)

Speakers and OS/software not considered in this breakdown. Also, I'm not sure if network cards are considered a non-trivial component? Is there always a sufficient on-board network card?



I'll give you some info about my specific requirements, but you don't have to
consider them too much; I'll be happy with a generic budget breakdown.

My priorities are, in decreasing order:
1) Recording music / playing music
2) Viewing images and videos
3) Playing videogames (I'm not a hardcore gamer or anything, though)

My budget is roughly $1500-2000.

Thanks!

 

[ksham]

CPU: 8%
Motherboard: 10%
RAM: 4%
PSU: 8%
GPU: 12%
Monitor: 12%
HDD/SSD+HDD: 10/18%
Optical Drive: 2-5%
Case: 7-10%
Everything else: 13%

 

[g-unit1111]

Depends on what the actual usage priorities are. Is audio production your priority? If so you'll want to spend more on the motherboard and CPU than anything else. Is gaming the priority? Then spend more on the GPU and less on everything else. Is an NAS server your priority? If so spend more on storage and less on everything else.

 

[mschult2]

CPU: 8%
Motherboard: 10%
RAM: 4%
PSU: 8%
GPU: 12%
Monitor: 12%
HDD/SSD+HDD: 10/18%
Optical Drive: 2-5%
Case: 7-10%
Everything else: 13%

Wait a second. 8% of $2000 is $160. You're telling me the CPU of a $2000 machine should be $160? That's not even enough to get an i5!

 

[ksham]

AMD? I went with the lower budget of $1500. Though, it depends on what games you will be playing. Care to elaborate on exactly what you plan to use your computer for?

 

[g-unit1111]

CPU: 8%
Motherboard: 10%
RAM: 4%
PSU: 8%
GPU: 12%
Monitor: 12%
HDD/SSD+HDD: 10/18%
Optical Drive: 2-5%
Case: 7-10%
Everything else: 13%

Wait a second. 8% of $2000 is $160. You're telling me the CPU of a $2000 machine should be $160? That's not even enough to get an i5!

Yeah it is: http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=75435&vpn=BX80637I53350P&manufacture=Intel

 

[mschult2]

CPU: 8%
Motherboard: 10%
RAM: 4%
PSU: 8%
GPU: 12%
Monitor: 12%
HDD/SSD+HDD: 10/18%
Optical Drive: 2-5%
Case: 7-10%
Everything else: 13%

Wait a second. 8% of $2000 is $160. You're telling me the CPU of a $2000 machine should be $160? That's not even enough to get an i5!

Yeah it is: http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=75435&vpn=BX80637I53350P&manufacture=Intel

You might argue that a $160 CPU budget is close enough to $179, the price of the i5 you posted. The point I'm really trying to make, though, is if it isn't quite enough to get an i5 (or just barely enough, as you seem to think), then it's *really* not enough to get something like an i7, which is what I imagine a $1500-$2000 machine should have.

Not to mention ksham just said he was going with the lower bound of $1500, which doesn't really address my incredulity; in fact, it's even worse. %8 of $1500 is less than %8 of $2000; it is equal to $120 dollars. That puts you well in the range if i3's and the like. Do you think a $1500 dollar desktop should have an i3 under any circumstances?

In summary, I think that %8 may be too small of a fraction of the budget to allocate to the CPU.

Note: A couple have asked what I'll be using it for. I already stated that in the original post. Recording music, playing music, photos, videos, and occasionally gaming.

 

[ksham]

Sample.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 ATX FM2 Motherboard ($107.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($188.57 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar D1 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($88.85 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($38.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1137.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[mschult2]

Sample.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 ATX FM2 Motherboard ($107.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($188.57 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar D1 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($88.85 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 30W 2.1ch Speakers ($38.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1137.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Good example, thanks. I guess I don't know much about AMD processors, I was thinking of intel processors