2nd Build -- Could use some help

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Jim_99_68

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I am building a new desktop computer and would welcome comments and criticisms. I do a lot of multi-tasking using MS Office 2013 and Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition. I built my first and only system about 5 years ago with a Q6600 and it has worked very well. But I am rusty and use some new help on this one. Here are the details:

I am building a new desktop computer and would welcome comments and criticisms. I do a lot of multi-tasking using MS Office 2013 and Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition. I built my first and only system about 5 years ago with a Q6600 and it has worked very well. But I am rusty and use some new help on this one.

Here are the details:

Approximate Purchase Date: this week.

Budget Range: approx. $1,000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Heavy word-processing; heavy speech recognition (Dragon/Nuance); multi-tasking; Note Bene bibliographic work; research on the web; ABBYY Fine Reader doc scanning/OCR; movies. No games.

Are you buying a monitor: No – will continue with HP w2007 for the moment

Parts to Upgrade: Entirely new system

Do you need to buy OS: No – have WIN 7 Prof.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Amazon and Newegg

Location: City, State/Region, Country – Southeast Ohio (45 min. from Pittsburgh)

Parts Preferences: Intel and my previous Gigabyte MB has worked flawlessly

Overclocking: No – straight home office work

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1440x900

Additional Comments: I especially want hyperthreading for multi-tasking. Here are the basic programs are runnin: WIN 7; MS Word 2013; Dragon 12.0; NoteBene 9.0; Abbyy FineReader 11; Laplink 12.0; VLC Media Player; Quicken. . .

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: my 5 year old Q6600 Gigabyte is slowing down and getting buggy. Needs a clean install. But mostly I want to speed up everything.


Intel Core i7-4770K Quad-Core Desktop Processor (3.5 GHz, 8 MB Cache, Intel HD graphics, BX80646I74770K)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO8TBQ0/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=I3F9YUWKU4NMG7

ASUS GRYPHON Z87 DDR3 1600 LGA 1150 Motherboard
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CRJS6OY/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=I11DT10M9TOVR2


Patriot 16GB(2x8GB) Viper III DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) CL11 Desktop Memory With Black Mamba Heatsink - PV316G213C1K
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008T457SE/ref=wl_it_dp_v_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=I3MW14ZZKDZ4B3


Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Single Unit Version Internal Solid State Drive MZ-7TE250BW
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W1726/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=I21RMTKA23BH72&psc=1


Antec High Current Gamer HCG-520M, 80 PLUS BRONZE, 520 Watt Modular Power Supply
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006TVQTAY/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=IFWIMLPOLBOMI&psc=1


Corsair Carbide Series Black 300R Mid-Tower Computer Case (CC-9011014-WW)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006I2H0YS/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=I3V9LWWTI5JUE&psc=1


LG Electronics 14x Internal BDXL Blu-Ray Burner Rewriter WH14NS40 - Bulk Drive - Black
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007YWMCA8/ref=wl_it_dp_v_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=IJK3BN9JK9976


ASUS Xonar DGX PCI-E GX2.5 Audio Engine Sound Cards
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TMZ1BK/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2BB1RHTMYSG8I&coliid=I2TBWT9M7MGP3A


 
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EasyLover

EasyLover

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Speech recognition is the only task out of your stated tasks which would consume more resources. you don't need i7 here. Stick with i5 along with its built-in GPU. You would also need HDD along with SSD. check this build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair 330R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($61.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $836.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-28 13:05 EDT-0400

And if you still want build with i7 then here it goes:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Corsair 330R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($61.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $916.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-28 13:09 EDT-0400
 
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J

Jim_99_68

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You comment about the sound card and I7 4790 are noted. Can you explain why an h97 mb and could you suggest one?

Thanks.
 
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Jim_99_68

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Thanks for the recommendations. Why not the I7? I'm thinking long run. Are you suggesting the price/performance increase is not warranted? Also, I was going to run the Gigabyte by "tiny voices" but you've confirmed that for me. Lastly, why do I "need" an HDD? The rest of your suggestions look good.

Thanks much for the help.
 
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SamiSC

SamiSC

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($50.40 @ Amazon)
Case: Thermaltake Commander MS-I ID ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($61.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Creative Labs ZXR 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($189.99 @ Micro Center)
Total: $971.31
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-28 13:35 EDT-0400

with one of the best sound card plus you can add a fan or two for better cooling.
 
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Solution
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Jim_99_68

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Thanks for the suggestions. I researching all of these suggestions.

 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

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Sep 6, 2012
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This computer won't even boot. The motherboard requires a BIOS update before you can use that CPU. You NEED an h97 motherboard.
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

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You are missing the point. He CANNOT update the BIOS without a non-haswell-refresh CPU. When he puts that 4790 in there, the computer won;t even boot up. you NEED a compatible CPU to even do the update.
 
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T

TheLastof Me

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From what I read, I would just go with an i5 with integrated graphics like someone said. The programs you run are not "demanding." The i5 will be more than enough.

Technically speaking, you could go with an even cheaper AMD processor. An A10 APU will serve your needs well. The iGPU is also way more powerful than the i5 iGPU, so you could do some "light" gaming if the opportunity presented itself.

Seems like you are packing a tank for a pistol fight! LOL
 
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Jim_99_68

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You are missing the point. He CANNOT update the BIOS without a non-haswell-refresh CPU. When he puts that 4790 in there, the computer won;t even boot up. you NEED a compatible CPU to even do the update. [/quotemsg]

Tiny Voices --

1. You are the pro in this discussion, not me. But I like to learn something along the way. How did you know that the I74790 required an H97 chipset for the initial boot? I went to the Intel webpage and it lists all kinds of chipsets that are compatible with the 4790 -- though the updates were of different kinds that were difficult to discern and/or categorize. Also, I apologize for the lag in conversation and some amount of confusion: I've been interrupted a couple of times. . . . .

2. I somewhat misspoke -- I meant how did you know the MB needed the H97 for an intial bios update? I also went to the Gigabite page and various CPU's will function with it. . . . Frankly, I take it the issue applies to both the MB and the CPU. . . . .

3. By the way, when I go to pcpartpicker and plug in the I7-4790, and then choose compatible MBs, it generates a whole list of MBs supposedly compatible, though you can sort them by chipset preference. Could you clarify?

Thanks again.
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

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1. You have to go to the motherboard page. It will tell you what BIOS is needed to run the Haswell-Refresh CPUs. Generally motherboards ship with the oldest BIOS installed. Pretty much ZERO boards that are not Z97 or H97 work right out of the box with Haswell-Refresh CPUs. http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H87M%20Pro4/?cat=Download&os=BIOS It is shown here that you need BIOS version 2.0 or newer to use Haswell-Refresh CPUs. I promise it does not ship with that new of a BIOS installed.

2. No, it is the motherboard only. The CPU fits in the socket just fine, but is not recognized by the board.

3. PCpartpicker is almost NEVER correct with its compatibility factor. NEVER trust it. EVER. ANY H87, Z87, H81, B85 motherboard NEEDS a BIOS update to use a Haswell-Refresh CPU.
 
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Jim_99_68

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TV --

Thank you for that clarification. That was great. I take it the unique issue here is the Haswell-Refresh issue. Otherwise, all things being equal, any other appropriate MB/CPU combination would boot and allow the ensuing BIOS update if desired. Correct? Then, if one wanted to upgrade to an Haswell, they would update the BIOS and install the Haswell CPU. Have I got it?
 
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Jim_99_68

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Thanks. I will mull over all of this and report back. Thank you everyone for you help.
 
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EasyLover

EasyLover

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sorry for late reply. In regard with my build above, answer to your queries are as under: -

1. You don't i7 because your stated requirements even in long run could very easily be met with i5. Still, I've given you an option for i7 in the second build on the same post.

2. Because you are not overclocking and neither are you gaming, so you don't need to buy expensive mobo (In General). Asus, gigabyte can be of good choice here. Just buy a decent mobo for your requirement.

3. 250GB SSD is not that too much of a capacity here. Put your OS (Windows) and Applications on the SSD while keep your data/games/movies etc on your HDD. WD Blue drive is effective not only in terms of performance but cost wise as well. If you choose not to buy HDD, soon you will find out that you need to have more storage than 250GB.

4. Someone has mentioned about CPU, mobo and BIOS update. BIOS update is not a piece of cake. sometimes it can give you a rally teasing pain :) Using haswell refresh on 87 chipset! For that BIOS on mobo of 87 chipset needs to be updated before you can use i5/i7 from haswel refresh. Pl note that not every 87 chipset mobo supports haswell refresh. so be warned :)
Where to check all this information? Use the website of the mobo's manufacturer and see what socket is supported on that particular mobo and that if you would require an update for that CPU or not. you can find that information of Supported CPU List on the manufacturer's website.

Hopefully, it would serve the purpose.
 
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J

Jim_99_68

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EasyLover and Tiny Voices --

Thanks for your suggestions. I've reviewed stuff here is my assessment:

1. I7-4790 -- I'm going to go with this because the I5 does not have hyper-threading which, as I understand it, is fairly important to a multi-tasker such as my self. Plus I'll go for the speed increase.

2. Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H -- seems an excellent choice.

3. Corsair 330R Case -- totally missed this in my research. Looks very good.

4. Other part suggestions -- all look good and I agree with them.

5. XFX 450W PSU -- seems to be out of stock. Can you recommend an alternative? Why were you not initially favorable to the Antec 520 (price & wattage?)? Both are Tier 1 and closely priced.

So, thanks for all of your comments and suggestions. If you could offer me a PSU options that would be great. Then I'll order the parts and see if I can make it boot. I'll report back at that time.

Thanks, again, for your time and expertise.
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

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Hyperthreading won't really do anything in terms of multi-tasking. Hyper threading matters in applications that actually support it like 3d modeling and rendering software.

The XFX is more suited to the system. You have no need for more wattage. Honestly a 350w unit would be perfectly fine here.
 
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Jim_99_68

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But I was thinking that I could use a "buffer" if the native MB gpu was insufficient.
 
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EasyLover

EasyLover

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I've recommended XFX 450W ProSeries PSU which is excellent choice given the price and performance. Stick with it please. 450 is still a plenty for your requirement though and I agree with tiny voices that 350W would do the job as well.

Your stated requirements - though multitasking - but not heavy multi tasking. You really don't need i7 for your stated requirements. Anyhow, this is your call to make, we can only suggest.

Good luck with your build.
 
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Jim_99_68

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Thanks for your comments. Two quick points:

1. What I meant about the "buffer" was leaving enough PSU wattage in case I later concluded I needed to add a separate GPU (finding the on-board not sufficient for my needs).

2. The SFX 450 is out of stock (at least at the standard locations I know to search). Can you recommend an alternative?

 
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