Please help this Dummy

[fogbound]

I’m going to try to get a new system one piece at the time, starting with the tower.
I need someone to tell me whether to install Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on the new tower until the free upgrade clock to Windows 10 runs out. Will there be any issues regarding lost files or compatibility that will make the upgrade to Windows 10 go more smoothly from 8.1 than from 7? I’m even thinking of installing and using Windows 7 Pro until MS stops issuing security updates for it, because I dread giving up the traditional Desktop and Windows Start Menu, and also I don’t want to have to buy, and learn to use, a touch screen monitor until necessary. Any advice on this will be GREATLY appreciated

 

[CaedenV]

For you I would suggest sticking with win7. Win8 has a lot of advantages over win7, but if you really like the start menu and you aren't a fan of installing 3rd party software to get it back, then sticking with win7 is going to be the simplest way to go.

The other option is to try the win10 beta for now (which is free) and spend your money on hardware. There will be an option to upgrade to win10 final build when it is finally released, and I can't imagine it being any more expensive than win7pro or win8pro. If you don't like win10 then you still have some time to purchase win7pro before it goes away.

As for data loss there are a few different options. If you do a fresh clean install (which is generally a good idea, and is required if you start with a newer version and 'downgrade' to an older one) then you will loose everything and have to start over from scratch. If moving from an older version (assuming win7 or newer) then you can very successfully upgrade without needing to worry about loosing things, and typically without needing to reinstall any applications. If moving from the win10 beta to final then you *shouldn't* need to reinstall anything... granted nobody will know for sure until it comes out.
That said, you should always keep a backup of documents, and keep your install media (for those few things that are not downloadable) so that you can always reinstall or re-copy things. Because lets face it, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with a new build outside of changing the OS, so you always want a backup.

There is no need for a touch screen monitor on a desktop. I mean, I like touch on my win8 (now win10) laptop, but I have not missed it at all on my desktop. With any luck win10 will come with good Kinect support which would replace the need for touch on big screen devices anyways.


Out of curiosity, are you building a new system? purchasing a pre-built one? what did you have in mind for parts?

 

[fogbound]

For you I would suggest sticking with win7. Win8 has a lot of advantages over win7, but if you really like the start menu and you aren't a fan of installing 3rd party software to get it back, then sticking with win7 is going to be the simplest way to go.

The other option is to try the win10 beta for now (which is free) and spend your money on hardware. There will be an option to upgrade to win10 final build when it is finally released, and I can't imagine it being any more expensive than win7pro or win8pro. If you don't like win10 then you still have some time to purchase win7pro before it goes away.

As for data loss there are a few different options. If you do a fresh clean install (which is generally a good idea, and is required if you start with a newer version and 'downgrade' to an older one) then you will loose everything and have to start over from scratch. If moving from an older version (assuming win7 or newer) then you can very successfully upgrade without needing to worry about loosing things, and typically without needing to reinstall any applications. If moving from the win10 beta to final then you *shouldn't* need to reinstall anything... granted nobody will know for sure until it comes out.
That said, you should always keep a backup of documents, and keep your install media (for those few things that are not downloadable) so that you can always reinstall or re-copy things. Because lets face it, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with a new build outside of changing the OS, so you always want a backup.

There is no need for a touch screen monitor on a desktop. I mean, I like touch on my win8 (now win10) laptop, but I have not missed it at all on my desktop. With any luck win10 will come with good Kinect support which would replace the need for touch on big screen devices anyways.


Out of curiosity, are you building a new system? purchasing a pre-built one? what did you have in mind for parts?

 

[fogbound]

Thanks a lot for your reply -- it helped me.
.
“For you I would suggest sticking with win7.”
I don’t have Windows 7 at present. I’m still running a totally unsupported Windows XP. My present pc is so old, weak, and slow that I wouldn’t upgrade on it even if it was possible.
And thanks to your post, I’ve decided to install Windows 7 Pro on my new one and using it until MS stops issuing security updates for it.

“If you do a fresh clean install…..”
That’s what I’m planning to do. I’ll copy my files to a flash drive and put them on my new pc -- along with a couple of programs that I still have the original CDs for. I’m not even going let this old dog of a pc see the box my new stuff comes in -- much less interact with it.

“With any luck win10 will come with good Kinect support which would replace the need for touch on big screen devices anyways.”
One can but hope. But what would be even better is that MS comes to it’s senses and continues to sell and support Windows 7. Believe me, there are A LOT of old geezers out here who don’t want to spend ANY of the time they may have left adapting to a new format.

“Out of curiosity, are you building a new system? purchasing a pre-built one? what did you have in mind for parts?”
I have a friend who assures me that he can build my pc for me.
I just need to price the components I need, and then see whether I can save enough money to make up for the warranties and support I’d get with a pre-built.

Either way, the new pc will have to support my old Dell E177FP monitor, but be able to change to a new monitor (with webcam) when I can afford one…..without having to buy extra stuff. Same thing with my X5340 Lexmark All-In-One printer/scanner/fax, until I can replace it with separate components.

If I get a pre-built, I want some software, pre-installed, along with the OS, that will do what MS Word does…..I need to be able to work back and forth between my word processor, e-mail, fax and scanner. Maybe that ability will come with Windows 7 Pro but if I also have to buy MS Home/Office/Student also so be it, but maybe I’ll find a cheaper way -- and I don’t want any trial version, I want it licensed.
I don’t want any additional security installed beyond what Windows provides, not even those free trials from Norton and McAfee.
I don‘t do any gaming, other than online Poker,
I occasionally do live streaming of sporting events, movies and music videos, and I’d like those to play without skipping or freezing,
At some point I may want to connect my pc to my TV.
I have to be able to have several programs, and sometimes several websites, open at the same time.
I want a CD and DVD R/W.
I’d like to be able to run some basic PhotoShop and CAD software, just at the hobby level.
My budget is around $900.

If my friend builds it for me, here’s some of the hardware I think I need:
Intel Core i3 4160 3.6Ghz CPU
ASROCK H81M-HDS Motherboard
2TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
16GB Ram (with enough room to upgrade)
6 USB 2/0 ports, 4 USB 3/0 ports (2 of the 2/0s, and 2 of the 3/0s, along with a headphone jack and a microphone jack on the front).
A power supply that easily supports those things
All the other essentials (case, fans, heat sinks, etc)
.
Yes, No, Maybe?
Again, Thanks.

 

[CaedenV]

That is a standard VGA monitor, a simple $5 HDMI to VGA or DVI to VGA adapter will keep that thing working until the cows come home. Depending on your eye sight and ability to see super small pixels I would suggest moving to a good quality 1080p or 4K TV rather than a traditional computer monitor. New computer monitors are getting great when it comes to pixel density, but more often than not a larger screen is more important than pixel density.

For the printer I typically suggest people move to black and white laser printers. On that rare occasion that you REALLY need color you can send out to your local copy and print center; But day-to-day you can have much better quality prints and much lower cost of ownership with a cheap B&W laser printer. Heck, even the color laser printers are getting pretty cheap these days. The up front cost is a little higher, but spending $80 every 2-3 years on a set of toner is much MUCH cheaper than the $50-200 people spend every year on ink.

Office 365 may be a bit expensive for you ($60-100/year), but there is a free version of Office Online that may do what you want, or you can use Google Docs, or even transfer/install your current copy of Office to your new machine. Check out Thurrott.com as he just had an interesting article about all of this a few days ago.

I agree that security software is a ripoff. Microsoft Security Essentials (or defender on newer systems) is more than adequate when combined with a decent router that has firewall capabilities (ie, not the one provided by your ISP).

Do be careful with online gambling sites. They can be fun, but more often than not they can really be a pain in how they sell user data, and I have seen lots of people burned by them.

Overall your build should be adequate. I would spring for a SSD as the system drive as that is what will make your system feel as fast as it really is... HDDs as system drives just make things feel slow even when they are not. 8GB of ram is already overkill for what you are describing, but leave room to upgrade to 16GB if you ever need it. Really 4-6GB would be adequate.

Don't get a monitor with built in web camera. Web cameras are on the verge of a minor revolution, so it is best to keep it separate from your display so that do you not need to replace 1 expensive device with 2 built-in components when it is really just the one piece that needs the upgrade.

Everything else about that build looks great.

 

[gferrin2012]

I apologize, wrong thread!

 

[James Mason]

Just a more clarified build based on whats been discussed in the thread already:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4330 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.92 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($58.94 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($67.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($32.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.79 @ OutletPC)
Total: $580.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-21 12:52 EDT-0400

1. Everything you hate about W8 is fixed with: http://www.classicshell.net/ (Install the OS, open IE, go there. download, install, continue the rest of your life normally)
2. It seems like AutoCAD doesn't have problems running on even first gen i3s, but those systems have a dedicated graphics card. I didn't include one here, because you may not need one as the integrated graphics seem to be able to run most of AutoCAD just fine, but if you try something like SolidWorks apparently it turns to garbage. If you DO find out you need a GPU, you can probably get a $110-120 GTX 750.
3. The motherboard has 4x USB 3.0 and 4x usb 2.0, so you should be covered, and the Case has 2 USB 3.0 ports on the front as well as headset and mic audio jacks.
4. An SSD will make the computer "feel" fast, install the OS to it and a few APPs and everything else to the 1TB HDD. You may even skip the HDD if you don't actually have that much stuff, but autocad files can get pretty big, so I can understand you wanting 2 TBs in your original post.
5. This is a pretty low heat system, so you don't need any extra fans besides the ones that come stock with the CPU and case.
6. The motherboard also has a VGA out so you can still connect it to your old monitor. If you get a new monitor, the motherboard also has HDMI and DVI out so you can connect it to those more modern connections as well. If you find you need a GPU like a GTX 750, it doesn't have VGA, but like Caeden said, you can easily get a DVI to VGA adapter, some GPUs and monitors even come with them.
7. Antivirus software isn't always a ripoff, the problem is ones like AVG, Norton, McAffee ARE ripoffs. A free one like Avast is pretty good, and you can set it to "gaming mode" and it basically never bugs you. MSE is actually fairly bad at protecting you from viruses/malware, http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588-5.html