First build, looking for some advice

Theo820 · Oct 10, 2014

Just another build question...I currently own an eMachines T-5088. I have been considering building my own versus buying another Best Buy box (or other brand). I feel I know enough to accomplish the build, but I am not up on my tech like I used to be. I do some gaming, as well as the usual pics/music/video. I'm trying to build a pc that is balanced for everyday use, but is a little more than what I need - so upgrade/expansion is key.

Here's what I have so far:

Intel i3 4150
Gigabyte GA-H87M-D3H motherboard
8gb G.skill sniper series ram
1TB WD Caviar Blue
Gigabyte GZ-ZIF338R case
Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)

I currently have a Rosewill power supply in my T-5088, and Geforce GT 520 graphics card which I was planning on putting on this build.

My question(s) are:
Is this a good build?
I've heard some bad things about Rosewill power supplies (it is also more than the 5088 needs). Should i get a new power supply for this build?

I appreciate any advice/suggestions you guys can offer. Thanks.

Dat_Robot · Oct 10, 2014

Antec PSU are more reliable and offers stable power. Get an g3258 and a hyper 212 EVO . Overclock it and you will get decent performance.

lightcloud · Oct 10, 2014

I recommend the H97 to skip the BIOS update.

You could move to a Pentium and overclock it. It is a gaming beast but doens't offer hyper threading like what the i3 does. So in terms of editing, the i3 will perform better. But in gaming, the Pentium will perform better if you overclock it. You also wouldn't require a CPU cooler for the Pentium.

For power supplies I recommend one from tier 1-2. Here's the list to assist your out.
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html

Theo820 · Oct 10, 2014

lightcloud :

I am not up to date on overclocking, and not entirely sure if it would really be of use to me. I have been satified with this old 5088 and its performance, so I'm not really looking to make a major leap into modifying the system that way. How would its performance be with the i3 and no overclocking? And thanks for the posts.

lightcloud · Oct 10, 2014

Didn't quite understand the last sentence. Whose perfromance? You also wouldn't be upgrading from the T-5088 right? (You will start from scratch, am I right to say that?)

Dat_Robot · Oct 10, 2014

Even not overclocked the G3 258 offers better performance:
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-G3258-vs-Intel-Core-i3-4130

Theo820 · Oct 10, 2014

lightcloud :

Ok, didn't quite word that right. Yes, it will be from scratch. What I meant was that I have done everything I will be doing on the new build on this old 5088; its performance has been somewhat lacking at times, but fine for what I do. I'm just not looking to do modifications to what I'm buying for the build. In short, I am basically looking to build my own "box" brand PC; with plenty of room for growth (and I assume, at least a moderate increase in performance from a similar box brand).

lightcloud · Oct 10, 2014

That make more sense. So you basically want to build a better PC than the one you currently have.

And it will be helpful if you could also post the specs of the T-5088 (with the latest modifications you have done). Then we are able to gauge from there.

Theo820 · Oct 10, 2014

eMachines T-5088: Intel Pentium 4 641 (3.2 Ghz); not sure about motherboard, Intel chipset is 945GC express;
160Gb HDD, 512Mb Ram (added PNY 1Gb stick)
added Nvidia GeForce GT 520
came with 300w power supply, the Rosewill was a freebie from a rebuild of an even older XP pc
not sure on its usage, threw it just to see if it worked, but not sure of continued use based
on reviews.

I want to build a little beast, I guess. Somewhat low cost - but good quality, performance balanced with longevity/expandability. Or something closely resembling that...

Revised parts list

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wvPzHx
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wvPzHx/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master DP6-9EDSA-0L-GP CPU Cooler ($16.98 @ PCM)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.75 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Gigabyte GZ-ZIF338R (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Keyboard: Gigabyte KM7600 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($33.24 @ Amazon)
Total: $534.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-10 21:02 EDT-0400

lightcloud · Oct 10, 2014

Yours will be better any time.

Just remove the CPU cooler as you wouldn't require one.

Get two sticks of RAM for dual channel. Basically 2x4GB.

Bad choice of PSU. I recommend one from tier 1-2. But if money is still an issue, then get some other tier 203, but not the CX series.

Here's the list to assist you out.
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html

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