new build, swap parts maybe?(budget 500-800)

[bcollins87]

I've been looking to build my parents a computer heavily based off the econobox minus the graphics card because they do not game.
My budget is between 500-800$ which includes a monitor.
I wanted to get the AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz $104.99 with the Asus M5A88-V EVO $129.99 which has integrated graphics.. but that CPU is deactivated.
Will the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T BE 3.2GHz $189.99 work with the Asus M5A88-V EVO $129.99?


Am I building them a better computer then what I currently own? Should I give them my old parts and take these for my own? (specs listed in my signature)

Give me your thoughts people Cheers ^_^
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I32100
$124.99 $124.99

ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$139.99 $139.99

CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMV8GX3M2A1333C9
$48.99 $48.99

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power
$59.99 -$15.00 Instant $44.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$64.99 -$5.00 Instant $59.99

LG Black Super Multi SATA WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM

$79.99 -$10.00 Instant $69.99

ASUS VS Series VS247H-P Black 23.6" 2ms LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor
$219.99 -$30.00 Instant $189.99




P.S. I'm purchasing this solid state drive for myself, unless you have a better recommendation?
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

$249.99 -$52.00 Instant $197.99

[JustAnEngineer]

I've been looking to build my parents a computer.... they do not game. My budget is between 500-800$ which includes a monitor.

Am I building them a better computer then what I currently own? (specs listed in my signature)
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66 Ghz LGA
GIGABYTE P55-UD3R LGA ATX mobo
XFX HD 5770 1 GB PCI Express 2.1x16 crossfire support
G.SKILL Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 1600
Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms LCD monitor
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Should I give them my old parts and take these for my own?
Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz processor
ASUS P8Z68-V LE motherboard
CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB hard-drive
LG WH12LS30 BD-ROM/DVD-RW
ASUS VS Series VS247H-P 23.6" 2ms Monitor

I'm purchasing this solid state drive for myself...
128GB Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2

I am a big believer in the "trickle-down" theory of computer upgrades.

Have you picked out a case? Do you need keyboard, mouse, speakers or UPS?

If you're building a new system for your parents, the Intel Core i3-2105 or the AMD A8-3850 would be plenty of processor, including integrated graphics. If you're building a new system for yourself, you're probably going to want to spend 20-30% of your budget on a new gaming graphics card like a Radeon HD6870 or a GeForce GTX560.

I'd definitely get an IPS or PVA/MVA LCD monitor rather than a TN LCD monitor.

[bcollins87]

I am passing down my Antec 300 and getting a
NZXT Guardian 921 RB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146070
As well as getting the Crucial M3 solid state drive listed (which is NOT included in the 500-800 budget listed, I'm paying for that myself).

Both of myself and my parents are happy with keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc. Everything that was listed is what they need.

I know nothing about monitors except that lower ms speed is better. I picked out this monitor weeks ago because it was the size screen they wanted and was the cheapest, while staying within brand names I trust. If you have any suggestions that do not stretch the budget that FIT their humble needs, I am all ears.

On a side note. These alternatives caught my eye. What do you think?

AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103809
with
ASUS M4A88T-M AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131657

[JustAnEngineer]

Choose socket-AM3+ rather than socket-AM3 for compatibility with Bulldozer if you're not going to go with socket-FM1 (Llano) or LGA1155 (Sandy Bridge).

There are a number of inexpensive e-IPS LCD monitors on the market now. I'd check on the Dell UltraSharp U2311H as an example.

[bcollins87]

That monitor was 260$, educate me. Why is it better?

I chose this mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813131733 with the same CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103809
Built in video card is what I'm looking for. They don't need a pricey graphics card, they are not gamers.
Your thoughts?

[JustAnEngineer]

The really obvious benefit of IPS or PVA LCD monitors versus TN LCD monitors is that they maintain the same color and brightness regardless of viewing angle. This glaring flaw in TN LCD technology is especially horrible if you happen to look up or down at the screen instead of straight on.

8-bit IPS LCD monitors have much more accurate color reproduction than TN LCD monitors. The inexpensive e-IPS LCD monitors are mostly 6-bit, but Dell and others have done a good job with the dithering algorithms.

Here's a list of models to consider:
http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/s-ips-lcd-list.php
The hp ZR22w is a popular choice. It's $232 from Amazon or $249 at Newegg.

[Sunburn74]

If your parents do not game, why are you building them a PC? Whats wrong with a nice prebuilt from dell, hp, gateway, etc?

[JustAnEngineer]

Socket-FM1:
$120 AMD A6-3650 quad-core 2.6 GHz socket-FM1 processor with IGP
$110 -18 combo Asus F1A75-M Pro micro-ATX socket-FM1 motherboard

or LGA-1155:
$135 Intel Core i3-2105 dual-core 3.1 GHz LGA1155 processor with IGP
$122½ -20 combo Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 micro-ATX LGA1155 motherboard

or Socket-AM3+:
$80 -11 combo AMD Athlon II X3 455 triple-core 3.3 GHz socket-AM3 processor
$120 Asus M5A88-V Evo ATX socket-AM3+ motherboard with IGP

Common components:
$26 CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus processor cooler
or $38½ CoolerMaster GeminII S
or $0 stock HSF

$50 2x4 GiB PC3-12800 G.Skill Sniper F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 (DDR3-1600, CAS 9, 1.25 V) memory
or $50 2x4 GiB PC3-12800 Corsair Vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B (DDR3-1600, CAS 9, 1.5 V)

$0 Integrated graphics
$0 Integrated audio

$60 1 TB Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 hard-drive
$66 Samsung SH-B123L BD-ROM/DVD-RW with PowerDVD

$45 -4½ code "CorsairPSU1" -20MIR Corsair CX430 ATX power supply
or $50 -10 code "EMCJKJG28" -5MIR Antec Neo Eco 520C
or $47 Antec EarthWatts EA-380D Green
$0 Existing Antec Three Hundred ATX case

$100 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM

$240 LG IPS231P-BN 23" 1920x1080 IPS LCD monitor
or $232 HP ZR22w 21½"
or $190 Asus ML239H 23"
or $267 Dell UltraSharp U2312HM 23"
=======
$796½ -20MIR

[JustAnEngineer]

What's wrong with a nice pre-built from Dell?

$600 +tax Dell Inspiron 620s

PROCESSOR Intel® Core™ i3-2120 processor(3MB Cache, 3.30GHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English
MONITOR: ST2320L 23-inch Full HD Widescreen Monitor
MEMORY: 6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz- 2 DIMMs
HARD DRIVE: 1TB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
VIDEO CARD: Intel® HD Graphics
SYSTEM COLOR: Peacock Blue
OPTICAL DRIVE: 16X DVD+/-RW Drive
KEYBOARD: Dell USB Entry Keyboard
MOUSE: Dell USB Optical Mouse
SPEAKERS: Dell AX210 Stereo Speakers
Inspiron 620 ST: Inspiron 620 Slimtower, No Bezel
MEDIA READER: Integrated 8 in 1 Media Card Reader
Network Card: Standard USB 2.0 + 10/100/1000 Ethernet
SOUND CARD: Integrated 5.1

[DPete27]

Yeah, that pre-built dell looks to be a good option. On the other hand, I also support the "trickle-down" computer upgrade path. Your current computer seems to be in decent shape yet, but a 2500k would be better even if it means selling your parents your motherboard and cpu only and constructing the rest of their computer from "new" parts. In the end, your parents wind up with a better computer (albeit overkill) for the same money, and you get some cash to spend on an upgrade for yourself = win-win in my book.

I wouldnt worry about the IPS display for them, a new TN screen is probably going to wow them enough (depending on what they currently have) unless they're graphic designers.

[JustAnEngineer]

The problem is that if he gives his current processor and motherboard to his parents, he's got to come up with funds for another graphics card (e.g.: $170 for a Radeon HD6870). It'll also take another $50-$75 to get a Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor that's a worthwhile upgrade from his Core i5-750 Lynnfield.

[DPete27]

Nobody said the OP had to give up his 5770. He can drop that into his "new" rig.

Obviously, my suggestions are given if the OP is wanting to upgrade. It works well to have somewhere to "dispose of" your old computer parts when you're planning to upgrade and actually get some money for them. (especially with the opportunity for the "parental upcharge", support your children!!) I would imagine the OP could charge at least $200-250 for his MOBO and CPU without much strain on his concience. That pays for your 2500k and maybe a little toward a new MOBO, and the parents are still saving money. On the other hand, like I said previously, the i5 760 still has some miles left on it, whether those miles are used by the parents or the OP? thats up to the OP. Thats why I backed up the Dell pre-built rig as well.

[JustAnEngineer]

Nobody said the OP had to give up his 5770. He can drop that into his "new" rig.

1. His existing P55 (LGA755) motherboard lacks integrated video. If he were to keep the Radeon HD5770, he would have to buy some other new PCIe graphics card for his parents (unless he's got an old PCIe graphics just lying in his parts box like that X1950 Pro that I have).
2. The Radeon HD5770 is a bit long in the tooth for current gaming. If he has to buy a new graphics card anyway, he might as well step up to something like the $170 Radeon HD6870 or $190 GeForce GTX560 that can handle modern games well.
3. Either way, the cost of the graphics card is over and above the cost of a Z68 (LGA1155), A75 (FM1) or 880G (AM3+) motherboard that would include integrated graphics.

[DPete27]

1. His existing P55 (LGA755) motherboard lacks integrated video. If he were to keep the Radeon HD5770, he would have to buy some other new PCIe graphics card for his parents (unless he's got an old PCIe graphics just lying in his parts box like that X1950 Pro that I have).
2. The Radeon HD5770 is a bit long in the tooth for current gaming. If he has to buy a new graphics card anyway, he might as well step up to something like the $170 Radeon HD6870 or $190 GeForce GTX560 that can handle modern games well.
3. Either way, the cost of the graphics card is over and above the cost of a Z68 (LGA1155), A75 (FM1) or 880G (AM3+) motherboard that would include integrated graphics.

1/2) Yes, a 5770 is no longer a "high end" card but its cost/performance is still very respectable. I would definetly recommend a 6870 or equivalent as a graphics upgrade to the OP's system. (Might want to wait a couple months until the 7000 series come out though, at the very least the prices on the 6000 series should drop at that time) However, if the swap were to take place, and the OP is not interested in a graphics card upgrade at this time, the parents would really be better suited with a $50 HD5570 (Sapphire 5570 is my recommendation).

3) Yes, the integrated graphics solutions are cheaper, but only by the cost of a discrete graphics card. An A6-3650 or i3 2105 with mobo are going to cost about $190 (give or take). But they are also less computer than an i5 760 & HD5570 rig.

To the OP, your i5 760 is more processor than what your parents need, but that also means it will stay relevant for them for a longer time than any integrated solution. At the end of the day, if you charge your parents $200 for your CPU/MOBO, they're getting more computer compared to an integrated solution, and, with a $50 discrete graphics card, the price is the same as the system in your original post.

If your funds aren't there to finish your purchase of a new CPU/MOBO for yourself, then all of this is irrelevant and I would suggest the A6-3650 or the i3-2105 (the 3650 will have better graphics performance, and the i3 will have better processor performance). Notice I did not include the AM3/AM3+ option as I feel the FM1 or H67 systems produce a much better rounded system if integrated graphics are to be used.

[bcollins87]

Sorry I haven't kept current with the posts, I'm a full time student
This is what I ended up going with:

-For me
+NZXT Guardian 921 RB enclosure
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146070
+CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345
+Crucial m4 128 GB SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442
+1TB Samsung Spinpoint HD 7200RPM, similar to my WD 1 TB that is a year old. What the hell, why not give my parents the old WD hard drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
+LG blu ray player
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136226

-For parents
+My yr. old Antec 300 enclosure in prime condition; a little dusty but nonetheless a fine case.
+My yr. old 1 TB Wester Digital HD 7200RPM
+My yr. old DVD+RW
+My yr. old G.SKILL Ripjaws 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
+AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz Socket AM3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103911
+ASUS M5A88-V EVO AM3+ AMD 880G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131733
+Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033
+ASUS ML239H Black 23" IPS Panel Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236122


Things I still plan to get for myself:
+Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VAGXWK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
+Still in desire of a good wireless mouse that is around $25-30


Closing thoughts- I wasn't aware that my video card was that out of date already. Maybe I should start looking at the newer models when I have the extra cash lying around.
This is my first SSD and I'm excited but also very nervous for how to install it, perform anywhere firmware updates, and possibly deal with BSOD's in the future.


Thanks for listening

Cheers ^_^

[bcollins87]

1/2) Yes, a 5770 is no longer a "high end" card but its cost/performance is still very respectable. I would definetly recommend a 6870 or equivalent as a graphics upgrade to the OP's system. (Might want to wait a couple months until the 7000 series come out though, at the very least the prices on the 6000 series should drop at that time).

http://news.softpedia.com/news/AMD-Postpones-the-Radeon-HD-7000-launch-to-2012-Says-Rumor-Mill-226811.shtml

[JustAnEngineer]

Did you choose socket-AM3+ over socket-FM1 strictly because of cost?

[bcollins87]

To be honest, I've never heard of FM1 sockets. I chose AM3+ socket over AM3 socket so that I could possibly use the mobo in the future with a newer CPU.

The criteria I used when purchasing this mobo were:
+integrated video
+AM3+ socket
+low cost
+well known manufacturer with great reviews on the mobo

[JustAnEngineer]

Socket FM1 is the home for AMD's Llano A-series of Fusion processors.

These include by far the best integrated GPUs of any processor yet made. Llano's CPU processing power is on par with the Athlon II X4 processors. Because Llano is manufactured with smaller lithography, it has lower idle power consumption than previous AMD desktop processors. The integrated Radeon HD6550D graphics are suitable for all video tasks and for moderate gaming at 1080p.

[DPete27]

"JustAnEngineer" is right about Llano, that would have been my choice as well. I will say that your AM3+ choice was still a decent one in terms of expandability so dont feel bad about it. FM1 socket looks to be retired/replaced as soon as AMD Trinity APU's come out.

Your choice on SSD for yourself was a good one. I was planning on grabbing an M4 after 3+ months of research and price-watching, but got sidetracked (against my better judgement) to a vertex 3 max IOPS after the 2.15 firmware and a good deal (price). I hope 2.15 firmware has fixed the sandforce BSOD problem. (off topic)

About your 5770, if you aren't currently realizing any restrictions from your graphics card, hold onto it. Save up for something when the 7000 series comes out, by that time you should notice a noticeably large performance jump. There's nothing better than justifying a purchase by a night and day difference in gaming performance. We "gerbils" sometimes forget that available funds often take precedence over increases in performance. Generally, each new generation of any computer hardware offers greater performance for the same price compared to the previous generation. If you can skip a generation, the performance increases will be much more noticeable, and in turn much more rewardable.

Happy trails.

[bcollins87]

Yeah, the m4 seemed much more reliable (at the moment) than the more high performance ones. I'm sure I'll notice a difference in speed from going from 7200 rpm HD to a SSD lol.
I need help though, I transferred my internals to the new case and installed the new goodies for myself. Tomorrow night I need to reformat my old HD because it has a virus + I need to install Windows 7 OS onto my new SSD. I just booted the computer up right now and it loads from the old hard drive- doesn't even see the SSD.
I'm assuming I need to hit any key during BIOS but from there I'm in new terrirtory when it comes to installing SSD's. Any help?

Cheers.

[JustAnEngineer]

For your installation, the simplest method is to connect only the SSD and the optical drive to the motherboard. Ensure that your motherboard's BIOS/UEFI has your SATA ports set to "AHCI". Boot from the Windows DVD and the Windows installer will take you through partitioning and formatting the SSD automatically.

Install Microsoft Security Essentials and Malware Bytes Anti-Malware.

Once you've got the system up and running on the SSD, you can shut down and connect your other hard-drives.

[bcollins87]

Thanks for your replies.
I have installed Win 7 on the SSD, updated the firmware. It's fast.
Currently only the SSD is connected. I disconnected the 1TB platter drive before installing the OS on the 128GB SSD
I have 97GB left on the SSD after OS installation.

Now, I don't want to just plug the platter drive back in because it has several viruses and trojans. I want to reformat the platter, I have everything I need off of it. Preferably, I'd like to reinstall the OS on the platter too when I reformat. Whats the best way to do this? Can you give me step by step directions or a tutorial?

My end goal is to have the boot order be the SSD then the platter- which i know how to do in BIOS. Both connected, both working fine. With the platter wiped, only the OS installed on it.

Final question, what should get installed on the platter and what should be installed on the SSD. Should antivirus programs be put on the SSD or on the platter?

Cheers

[DPete27]

Programs that you want to load fast go on your SSD (including anti-virus). Everything else (or as much as you can) goes on the HDD. You can move your "my documents" and similar location targets to folders located on the HDD so you can still use the start menu icons and such.

I'm not 100% certain but as long as you're not booting off your HDD you should be able to just plug it in and reformat it without causing any harm. Installing windows on it would be a good idea as far as installing future firmware updates to the SSD (I believe firmware updates still need to be done when you're not booting off the SSD). In that case, unplug the SSD and plug in only the HDD, then I would just make a small (maybe 20GB) partition for windows and leave the rest of the drive open so you can store your things on it when booting from the SSD.

This are how I understand the process, but I dont have first hand experience with SSD startup, it would be nice for someone else to jump in and confirm. I will be going through this same process when my Vertex 3 Max IOPS shows up tomorrow. So I'd like to piggy-back the OP and get some help/confidence on the process before I begin.