I'm looking at replacing my current system and after not really being happy with the retail options I think I'm set to build my own. Hoping to get some advice.
Experience: I built three PCs in college and the aftermath (1996, 1999, and 2002), but have been buying retail PCs since. Only minimal experience with the internals of more recent systems, but it doesn't seem like too much has changed.
Old System The build will be replacing a mid-2010 model Mac Mini 2.4Ghz with 8 GB of ram and a GeForce 320m. System is 99% fine for work, but getting a bit sluggish and doesn't run the more recent games I want well enough (Dota 2 and EU4 both lag terribly, while CK2 is mostly playable and WoW still runs fine with moderate settings).
What I want: I quite like the space saving of the Mac Mini so I'm leaning strongly toward a smallish system, though it doesn't have to be as small. The system will be running Kubuntu instead of OSX, which is fine since all those games run on it, and also means I don't have to spend money on software.
Preliminary build (here's where I need advice)
So after a couple of weeks of lurking, reading threads, reading sample builds, playing with PC Parts Picker, etc, I have a sort-of idea, but I want to get some advice from people with more recent building experience before I pull the trigger.
Case: Xion XON-720P: Slightly bigger than the Mac Mini but still small. Supports Micro-Atx and Mini-Itx boards, and has front USB3 and front 5-in-1. 300-W PSU comes with it, and it's only $40.
Motherboard: Biostar B75MU3+: Ivy Bridge board with 4 memory slots, Micro-Atx, seems like all the necessary hookups for the case. $59.99
CPU: Intel Core i3-3220: $114.99
GPU: Zotac GeForce GTX-650 low profile ZT-61008-10M $109.99
RAM: 2x4GB DDR3-1333 of some sort, $50-$60
Hard Drive: I have a 1 TB WD10EARS (caviar green) lying around.
So I can cobble that together for somewhat under $400, and it should be miles ahead of the Mac Mini in terms of performance.
Other thoughts
1. The Ivy Bridge i3 only supports PCI-e 16 2.0, but the board and gpu both support 3.0. Is there are compelling reason to shell out extra for the i5 to get that 3.0 speed, or will 2.0 be essentially the same?
2. Is Ivy Bridge still the way to go for a low power system, or should I be thinking Haswell? A Haswell board with similar features would cost a bit more.
2(b). GPU or not? If I did bump up to the Haswell, would it still be worth buying a GTX-650 or would I be better served spending that $109 on the better board and a higher end CPU and just using the Intel HD 4600 that it comes with?
My laptop is a Lenovo with an i7-3612qm and an Intel HD 4000, and I'm super impressed with the performance. I'm assuming the HD 4600 that Haswells come with is a fair bit faster.
Experience: I built three PCs in college and the aftermath (1996, 1999, and 2002), but have been buying retail PCs since. Only minimal experience with the internals of more recent systems, but it doesn't seem like too much has changed.
Old System The build will be replacing a mid-2010 model Mac Mini 2.4Ghz with 8 GB of ram and a GeForce 320m. System is 99% fine for work, but getting a bit sluggish and doesn't run the more recent games I want well enough (Dota 2 and EU4 both lag terribly, while CK2 is mostly playable and WoW still runs fine with moderate settings).
What I want: I quite like the space saving of the Mac Mini so I'm leaning strongly toward a smallish system, though it doesn't have to be as small. The system will be running Kubuntu instead of OSX, which is fine since all those games run on it, and also means I don't have to spend money on software.
Preliminary build (here's where I need advice)
So after a couple of weeks of lurking, reading threads, reading sample builds, playing with PC Parts Picker, etc, I have a sort-of idea, but I want to get some advice from people with more recent building experience before I pull the trigger.
Case: Xion XON-720P: Slightly bigger than the Mac Mini but still small. Supports Micro-Atx and Mini-Itx boards, and has front USB3 and front 5-in-1. 300-W PSU comes with it, and it's only $40.
Motherboard: Biostar B75MU3+: Ivy Bridge board with 4 memory slots, Micro-Atx, seems like all the necessary hookups for the case. $59.99
CPU: Intel Core i3-3220: $114.99
GPU: Zotac GeForce GTX-650 low profile ZT-61008-10M $109.99
RAM: 2x4GB DDR3-1333 of some sort, $50-$60
Hard Drive: I have a 1 TB WD10EARS (caviar green) lying around.
So I can cobble that together for somewhat under $400, and it should be miles ahead of the Mac Mini in terms of performance.
Other thoughts
1. The Ivy Bridge i3 only supports PCI-e 16 2.0, but the board and gpu both support 3.0. Is there are compelling reason to shell out extra for the i5 to get that 3.0 speed, or will 2.0 be essentially the same?
2. Is Ivy Bridge still the way to go for a low power system, or should I be thinking Haswell? A Haswell board with similar features would cost a bit more.
2(b). GPU or not? If I did bump up to the Haswell, would it still be worth buying a GTX-650 or would I be better served spending that $109 on the better board and a higher end CPU and just using the Intel HD 4600 that it comes with?
My laptop is a Lenovo with an i7-3612qm and an Intel HD 4000, and I'm super impressed with the performance. I'm assuming the HD 4600 that Haswells come with is a fair bit faster.