=====Update 1=====
List 1 is updated. But price is a bit high. Anyone has suggestions for parts to lower the cost?
=====Original=====
Hello folks,
I'm hoping to build a HTPC/Gaming PC for my bedroom (which is a bit crowded). With the helps of some friends and nice people here and there, I have come up with two different designs. I'm hoping to get some opinions on them and see if anyone might be able to improve these designs.
=====Here are some backgrounds=====
Intended Uses for the Computer (Most Important to Least Important):
- Computer simulation (e.g. MATLab)
- Video streaming (e.g. Netflix, Youtube)
- Video editing (e.g. Sony Vegas Pro)
- Gaming (e.g. Minecraft, Starcraft, LOL, GTA, AC, etc)
Country
Canada
Budget
$500 ~ $750 (maximum $800)
Requirements
- Quiet PC
- Low power/nice cooling
- Flat and small
=====Here are the lists=====
Updated List 1: Intel-Based Build
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($195.99 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Asus H81I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($70.48 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7770 2GB Video Card ($145.00 @ Vuugo)
Case: Silverstone RVZ01B Mini ITX Desktop Case ($84.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Silverstone 450W 80+ Bronze Certified SFX Power Supply ($63.62 @ DirectCanada)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N13 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($19.73 @ DirectCanada)
Case Fan: Cooler Master R4-L2R-20AC-GP 69.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($6.34 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $797.14
List 2: AMD-based Build
Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD A8-6600K 3.9GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.49 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: Asus A55BM-K Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($60.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($70.48 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($65.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.97 @ DirectCanada)
Case: Rosewill Line-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($69.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: FSP Group 300W 80+ Certified Micro ATX Power Supply ($47.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N13 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($19.73 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $522.63
=====Additional Comments=====
- The only things different between the two are the CPU, CPU cooler, Case, and Power Supply.
- I'm not sure whether the graphic included in the intel-i5 is good enough, so I included an extra Video card just to be on the safe side.
Similarly, I'm not sure whether the graphic included in the AMD processor is fine, but this one did not include the video card.
- A friend suggested to get a power supply with 500W+, however I'm not 100% certain. I mean, the estimated wattage is well below it. Can anyone clarify that?
Thanks in advance for any input!