Will my build be adequate?
- Thread starter tbnz
- Start date
Hi there,
I am building a PC for use for university work and some light gaming. I use software like; revit, autocad, 3dsmax, sketchup, photoshop, etc. I occasionally play games like; MW3, sleeping dogs, crysis, dead island, mass effect 3, counter strike, etc.
The build I have put together:
2x2GB crucial ddr3 RAM 1333mhz
Gigabyte H61M-S2PV LGA 1155 motherboard
Galaxy GTX 750 slim gpu
Seagate baracuda 500GB sata 3.5"
TP-link 150mbs wireless PCI - adaptor b/g/n
500W FSP hexa series psu (haswell compatible)
Deepcool HTPC-11 low profile 1155 cpu fan
Deepcool blue led fan 80mm x 25mm
Deepcool Z3 thermal paste
Intel Pentium G2030 dual core 3.0ghz
All in a Gigabyte GZ-M5 miniATX tower
So my questions are these:
Will this set-up be good enough for my requirements?
Are there any incompatibilities in the components I have chosen?
Any recommendations for improvements? (nothing overly expensive - im on a budget!)
I am building a PC for use for university work and some light gaming. I use software like; revit, autocad, 3dsmax, sketchup, photoshop, etc. I occasionally play games like; MW3, sleeping dogs, crysis, dead island, mass effect 3, counter strike, etc.
The build I have put together:
2x2GB crucial ddr3 RAM 1333mhz
Gigabyte H61M-S2PV LGA 1155 motherboard
Galaxy GTX 750 slim gpu
Seagate baracuda 500GB sata 3.5"
TP-link 150mbs wireless PCI - adaptor b/g/n
500W FSP hexa series psu (haswell compatible)
Deepcool HTPC-11 low profile 1155 cpu fan
Deepcool blue led fan 80mm x 25mm
Deepcool Z3 thermal paste
Intel Pentium G2030 dual core 3.0ghz
All in a Gigabyte GZ-M5 miniATX tower
So my questions are these:
Will this set-up be good enough for my requirements?
Are there any incompatibilities in the components I have chosen?
Any recommendations for improvements? (nothing overly expensive - im on a budget!)
NBSN
Admirable
- Jun 2, 2014
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Your proposed build is not sufficient. For those programs to run well you should be using at least 8 GB RAM, preferably 16 GB minimum and at 1600-1866 MHz preferred. The processor is not good for what you want either. A quad core processor would be the minimum for those programs. Preferably 6 cores or more with Intel or AMD being a better choice in my opinion. Other than that as long as the other components match up for your current and future needs then they would be fine. Since you did not give a budget it makes component or build recommendations pointless. Once you have updated/replied I am sure someone will be able to assist you with it.
NBSN
Admirable
- Jun 2, 2014
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Depending on the motherboard that you select for your build I would suggest a few different options to allow you to upgrade your build to a more powerful and better suited one when you finish school and start working at a more professional level where a better system is more important.
If you get a motherboard that only supports two RAM modules, then I would suggest you get one 8 GB RAM module for use now, and later on purchase another 8 GB RAM module. That way you can have the same 8 GB, but can upgrade to more later on.
If you purchase a motherboard that supports four RAM modules, then you can go ahead with the two 4 GB modules, since you can add two more 4 GB modules later on.
If your budget is very small right now and you can't swing a six core or quad core with hyperthreading Intel CPU. Then I would suggest going for either a 6-8 core AMD CPU if you like AMD, or a i5-4670k Intel CPU that will allow you to overclock it later on if you want. Those CPUs will not be optimal for your programs, but should work decent enough while keeping costs down. Just know that those programs require a lot of power to run effectively so you will probably experience some lag in the program when under heavy loads.
If you need any help picking out a build or anything else, just let me know or post a forum question.
If you get a motherboard that only supports two RAM modules, then I would suggest you get one 8 GB RAM module for use now, and later on purchase another 8 GB RAM module. That way you can have the same 8 GB, but can upgrade to more later on.
If you purchase a motherboard that supports four RAM modules, then you can go ahead with the two 4 GB modules, since you can add two more 4 GB modules later on.
If your budget is very small right now and you can't swing a six core or quad core with hyperthreading Intel CPU. Then I would suggest going for either a 6-8 core AMD CPU if you like AMD, or a i5-4670k Intel CPU that will allow you to overclock it later on if you want. Those CPUs will not be optimal for your programs, but should work decent enough while keeping costs down. Just know that those programs require a lot of power to run effectively so you will probably experience some lag in the program when under heavy loads.
If you need any help picking out a build or anything else, just let me know or post a forum question.
Regarding the ram - that is genius. I hadn't even considered upgradability to be honest. Very narrow-sighted of me. Thanks for pointing that out. I will likely only have two RAM slots due to the necessity of the mATX motherboard. I forgot to mention that my friend gave me the the Gigabyte GZ-M5 miniATX case (I already own this piece) so any potential build would have to have a reasonably small form factor.
I have no preference in terms of AMD vs. Intel, however I'm not very familiar with AMD systems, so I feel a bit over my head but I am willing to learn if it will benefit my build. In terms of pricing, AMD and Intel cost roughly the same in my country (I live in New Zealand, I'm not sure how I got on the UK forum) with AMD CPUs being slightly cheaper. A friend of mine recommended the "AMD FX-6300 Six-Core Black Editon" as it is reasonably inexpensive. In terms of motherboard and PSU I'm lost when it comes to AMD so some help would be highly appreciated.
I'm on a budget of around $1K NZD and I have to set aside around $200 for any half decent screen. I already the necessary peripherals and as I said, the case, so that leaves around $800 for my build. Keeping in mind that parts are likely more expensive here, what is an AMD build that you would recommend? And will this be better in the long run?
(800NZD is about 400GBP or 500EURO.) Tight, I know.
I have no preference in terms of AMD vs. Intel, however I'm not very familiar with AMD systems, so I feel a bit over my head but I am willing to learn if it will benefit my build. In terms of pricing, AMD and Intel cost roughly the same in my country (I live in New Zealand, I'm not sure how I got on the UK forum) with AMD CPUs being slightly cheaper. A friend of mine recommended the "AMD FX-6300 Six-Core Black Editon" as it is reasonably inexpensive. In terms of motherboard and PSU I'm lost when it comes to AMD so some help would be highly appreciated.
I'm on a budget of around $1K NZD and I have to set aside around $200 for any half decent screen. I already the necessary peripherals and as I said, the case, so that leaves around $800 for my build. Keeping in mind that parts are likely more expensive here, what is an AMD build that you would recommend? And will this be better in the long run?
(800NZD is about 400GBP or 500EURO.) Tight, I know.
Neither, SSDs are just too expensive right now. And I am not going to require any CD/DVD/BLURAY drive in my build, most games a downloadable now and I can just install windows off a bootable USB.
I was slightly worried about overheating... I was thinking of a suction fan on the front grill pushing air toward the rear where it will fan-ejected. Coupling that with a CPU and GPU fan. Will this not be sufficient?
I was slightly worried about overheating... I was thinking of a suction fan on the front grill pushing air toward the rear where it will fan-ejected. Coupling that with a CPU and GPU fan. Will this not be sufficient?
NBSN
Admirable
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Components can put off a lot of heat, that is why most gaming PCs are larger cases and/or liquid cooling. I am working on a liquid cooling CPU build to keep the CPU cooled while allowing the GPU to rely on all the air cooling rather than splitting it between the two. That way the case and components should stay cooler.
NBSN
Admirable
- Jun 2, 2014
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I had to check pcpartpicker.com for compatibility because the after downloading manufacturer manuals and reading them they did not show the compatibility well enough. So hopefully pcpartpicker.com is accurate. Also I did not get a chance to see if the CPU cooler came with thermal paste, they typically do though.
Preferred Build for around $870
CPU $300 USD
i7-4770
I went with this CPU because it is a quad core with hyper-threading which is very good for autocad programs.
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-4770-Quad-Core-Processor-BX80646I74770/dp/B00CO8TBNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402197932&sr=8-1&keywords=i7+4770
http://ark.intel.com/products/75122/Intel-Core-i7-4770-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz
Liquid Cooling for CPU $55 USD
Corsair Hydro Series H55 Quiet Edition
Due to the size of the case this part needs to be checked that it actually fits well enough. People in forums say it does, but you might have to do a little work to get it to fit. Your CPU should have this for best cooling considering the size of the case and so that your GPU can be the component getting the most of the air cooling the case will provide.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Series-Edition-Liquid-CW-9060010-WW/dp/B009VV56TY/ref=pd_cp_e_0
PSU $43 USD
EVGA 500 watt 80 plus certified PSU
This power supply is little enough and is 500watts at a decent price.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402201471&sr=1-1
GPU $150 USD
EVGA GeForce GTX 750 2GB FTW with EVGA ACX Cooling
I really wanted to put a better GPU in this build, and for another $100 you could get a much better one, but for light gaming this should be okay. It would be better if you could spare the $100 or so for a GTX 760 or 770.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2758-KR/dp/B00J3ZNB04/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200981&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+GeForce+GTX+750+Ti+w%2F+EVGA+ACX+Cooling
Motherboard $56 USD
I just wanted to find a mATX motherboard so it would fit your case and one that actually supported what you needed it for. This motherboard supports one GPU and two RAM modules, and comes with some USB 3.0 functionality. It is basic but cheap enough.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81ME33.html#hero-specification
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-MicroATX-Motherboard-H81M-E33/dp/B00F42W70A/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402198178&sr=1-2
RAM $83 USD
Corsair 8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
This is a single 8 GB RAM module so you can add another one down the road to get to 16 GM total. I had to use pcpartpicker.com to check the compatibility because the motherboard manual did not have a RAM support list.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-1600MHz-Desktop-Memory-CMV8GX3M1A1600C11/dp/B009M0TEXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402199630&sr=1-1&keywords=CMV8GX3M1A1600C11
Hard Drive $50 USD
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB SATA III 7200 rpm
I chose this hard drive because it fit your budget and is 1 TB so it will hold a decent amount.
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=lp_1254762011_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200649&sr=1-3
Operating System $136 USD
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
I opted for this version for the amount of RAM supported as well as most programs working better with Windows 7 than 8.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Professional-System-Builder-Packaging/dp/B00H09BOXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402198402&sr=8-1&keywords=windows+7+professional+64+bit
Second preferred Build for $738
Leaves room for any little part you might need or want such as dvd drive later on. As well as shipping and any taxes.
CPU $220 USD
i5-4670
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-4670-Quad-Core-Processor-BX80646I54670/dp/B00CO8TBR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402201780&sr=1-1&keywords=i5+4670
PSU $43 USD
EVGA 500 watt 80 plus certified PSU
This power supply is little enough and is 500watts at a decent price.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402201471&sr=1-1
GPU $150 USD
EVGA GeForce GTX 750 2GB FTW with EVGA ACX Cooling
I really wanted to put a better GPU in this build, and for another $100 you could get a much better one, but for light gaming this should be okay. It would be better if you could spare the $100 or so for a GTX 760 or 770.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2758-KR/dp/B00J3ZNB04/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200981&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+GeForce+GTX+750+Ti+w%2F+EVGA+ACX+Cooling
Motherboard $56 USD
I just wanted to find a mATX motherboard so it would fit your case and one that actually supported what you needed it for. This motherboard supports one GPU and two RAM modules, and comes with some USB 3.0 functionality. It is basic but cheap enough.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81ME33.html#hero-specification
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-MicroATX-Motherboard-H81M-E33/dp/B00F42W70A/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402198178&sr=1-2
RAM $83 USD
Corsair 8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
This is a single 8 GB RAM module so you can add another one down the road to get to 16 GM total. I had to use pcpartpicker.com to check the compatibility because the motherboard manual did not have a RAM support list.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-1600MHz-Desktop-Memory-CMV8GX3M1A1600C11/dp/B009M0TEXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402199630&sr=1-1&keywords=CMV8GX3M1A1600C11
Hard Drive $50 USD
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB SATA III 7200 rpm
I chose this hard drive because it fit your budget and is 1 TB so it will hold a decent amount.
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=lp_1254762011_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200649&sr=1-3
Operating System $136 USD
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
I opted for this version for the amount of RAM supported as well as most programs working better with Windows 7 than 8.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Professional-System-Builder-Packaging/dp/B00H09BOXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402198402&sr=8-1&keywords=windows+7+professional+64+bit
Preferred Build for around $870
CPU $300 USD
i7-4770
I went with this CPU because it is a quad core with hyper-threading which is very good for autocad programs.
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-4770-Quad-Core-Processor-BX80646I74770/dp/B00CO8TBNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402197932&sr=8-1&keywords=i7+4770
http://ark.intel.com/products/75122/Intel-Core-i7-4770-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz
Liquid Cooling for CPU $55 USD
Corsair Hydro Series H55 Quiet Edition
Due to the size of the case this part needs to be checked that it actually fits well enough. People in forums say it does, but you might have to do a little work to get it to fit. Your CPU should have this for best cooling considering the size of the case and so that your GPU can be the component getting the most of the air cooling the case will provide.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Series-Edition-Liquid-CW-9060010-WW/dp/B009VV56TY/ref=pd_cp_e_0
PSU $43 USD
EVGA 500 watt 80 plus certified PSU
This power supply is little enough and is 500watts at a decent price.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402201471&sr=1-1
GPU $150 USD
EVGA GeForce GTX 750 2GB FTW with EVGA ACX Cooling
I really wanted to put a better GPU in this build, and for another $100 you could get a much better one, but for light gaming this should be okay. It would be better if you could spare the $100 or so for a GTX 760 or 770.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2758-KR/dp/B00J3ZNB04/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200981&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+GeForce+GTX+750+Ti+w%2F+EVGA+ACX+Cooling
Motherboard $56 USD
I just wanted to find a mATX motherboard so it would fit your case and one that actually supported what you needed it for. This motherboard supports one GPU and two RAM modules, and comes with some USB 3.0 functionality. It is basic but cheap enough.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81ME33.html#hero-specification
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-MicroATX-Motherboard-H81M-E33/dp/B00F42W70A/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402198178&sr=1-2
RAM $83 USD
Corsair 8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
This is a single 8 GB RAM module so you can add another one down the road to get to 16 GM total. I had to use pcpartpicker.com to check the compatibility because the motherboard manual did not have a RAM support list.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-1600MHz-Desktop-Memory-CMV8GX3M1A1600C11/dp/B009M0TEXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402199630&sr=1-1&keywords=CMV8GX3M1A1600C11
Hard Drive $50 USD
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB SATA III 7200 rpm
I chose this hard drive because it fit your budget and is 1 TB so it will hold a decent amount.
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=lp_1254762011_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200649&sr=1-3
Operating System $136 USD
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
I opted for this version for the amount of RAM supported as well as most programs working better with Windows 7 than 8.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Professional-System-Builder-Packaging/dp/B00H09BOXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402198402&sr=8-1&keywords=windows+7+professional+64+bit
Second preferred Build for $738
Leaves room for any little part you might need or want such as dvd drive later on. As well as shipping and any taxes.
CPU $220 USD
i5-4670
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-4670-Quad-Core-Processor-BX80646I54670/dp/B00CO8TBR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402201780&sr=1-1&keywords=i5+4670
PSU $43 USD
EVGA 500 watt 80 plus certified PSU
This power supply is little enough and is 500watts at a decent price.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402201471&sr=1-1
GPU $150 USD
EVGA GeForce GTX 750 2GB FTW with EVGA ACX Cooling
I really wanted to put a better GPU in this build, and for another $100 you could get a much better one, but for light gaming this should be okay. It would be better if you could spare the $100 or so for a GTX 760 or 770.
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2758-KR/dp/B00J3ZNB04/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200981&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+GeForce+GTX+750+Ti+w%2F+EVGA+ACX+Cooling
Motherboard $56 USD
I just wanted to find a mATX motherboard so it would fit your case and one that actually supported what you needed it for. This motherboard supports one GPU and two RAM modules, and comes with some USB 3.0 functionality. It is basic but cheap enough.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H81ME33.html#hero-specification
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-MicroATX-Motherboard-H81M-E33/dp/B00F42W70A/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402198178&sr=1-2
RAM $83 USD
Corsair 8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
This is a single 8 GB RAM module so you can add another one down the road to get to 16 GM total. I had to use pcpartpicker.com to check the compatibility because the motherboard manual did not have a RAM support list.
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-1600MHz-Desktop-Memory-CMV8GX3M1A1600C11/dp/B009M0TEXS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1402199630&sr=1-1&keywords=CMV8GX3M1A1600C11
Hard Drive $50 USD
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB SATA III 7200 rpm
I chose this hard drive because it fit your budget and is 1 TB so it will hold a decent amount.
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=lp_1254762011_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402200649&sr=1-3
Operating System $136 USD
Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
I opted for this version for the amount of RAM supported as well as most programs working better with Windows 7 than 8.
http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Professional-System-Builder-Packaging/dp/B00H09BOXQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402198402&sr=8-1&keywords=windows+7+professional+64+bit
Wow! Thanks for the incredible detail in your reply, I really appreciate it.
Parts seem to be considerably cheaper from Amazon even with postage - I will have to see if they will ship to NZ and try to avoid tariff.
I will do some extra research and get back to you soon with a build so you can let me know what you think. Thanks again.
Parts seem to be considerably cheaper from Amazon even with postage - I will have to see if they will ship to NZ and try to avoid tariff.
I will do some extra research and get back to you soon with a build so you can let me know what you think. Thanks again.
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