Choosing a processor for my first build

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paigerbipbip

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Jun 25, 2013
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Hi All,

I'm building my first computer and I'm trying to choose a processor to start. I really don't do gaming some I'm not looking to overclock or anything, but I am interested in playing video (mostly streaming video) and some moderate multitasking. I don't want to break the bank but I'd like something that will be decent and not become outdated really quickly.

Right now I'm considering:
i5-4570S
i5-3470S
i3-3245

I like the idea of a lower-power processor. Any thoughts on these and any feedback you can give me for choosing a motherboard and graphics card? Thank you much!
 
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daswilhelm

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Jan 28, 2012
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if you don't game, and just stream video's, you can get away with a pentium G series. something like the G2120 will be fine. leaves you with some extra money for other parts.
i have a system at home running that cpu, and i game a bunch, works great and can be had for very cheap. you can always drop in an i5 in the future.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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May 27, 2010
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Not to devalue the advice on this excellent website, but, at that level, unless you want the fun of building yourself, you can often get better deals on pre-built OEM systems. Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Hp, Acer, Compaq, can really surprise you with a mid-high end processor, cheap memory, and a cheap power supply. All for about $50 under what you could assemble it for, and it comes with an OS and warranty.

Can even get some decent gaming systems from them by replacing the powersupply and video card.
 
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daswilhelm

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Jan 28, 2012
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$50 of savings disappear once you decide to change the junk psu you get, and then a decent gpu. besides the fact that pre builts come with locked up bios's and less fancies on the motherboard. also the enclosures are much less versatile. and dont forget the oem windows are locked to that system.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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Changing the power supply and addding a video card is only necessary if you are planning a discrete GPU for gaming. The low end intel chips consume so little power that those tiny power supplies will last 3-5 years.

I agree that the motherboards are often not the best, just depends on the overall budget and goal.
 
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paigerbipbip

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Jun 25, 2013
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Does that mean that the only reason it makes sense to build a computer from scratch is if you'll be gaming or doing something like heavy video editing/rendering?

I probably could get a box pc that would meet my needs for not a whole lot of money, but I do want to try building something myself. I don't want to waste money, but I'd like to invest in something that will be nice and flexible and will also give me the ability to experiment with extra drives, etc.

As far as budget goes, I don't have a great idea yet how much this will cost but I could probably afford up to $1000 (though of course I don't want to spend more than is beneficial for me).

 
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Eximo

Eximo

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1000 is quite a bit to throw into a PC for non gaming, here is what I came up with (which could still game at mid-high settings on most games). You can look into other computer cases as your tastes dictate. Added the CPU cooler if you want a hand at installing one, should also make the computer a little quieter. Blu-Ray player and Wireless added.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1affy
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1affy/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1affy/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.98 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Expansys US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N53 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($35.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $913.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-25 18:39 EDT-0400)
 
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paigerbipbip

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Jun 25, 2013
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Thanks for the input. I'll have to look into these options. Quieter and lower power is good as this machine will probably be running most of the time as sort of a media station.

I certainly don't need to spend as much as $1000, but that's about how much I *could* comfortably spend. I also need to start saving for a new laptop, which is probably more of a priority for me...
 
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