First family PC build, thoughts?

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matthewisch

Reputable
Feb 6, 2015
2
0
4,510
My first crack at a PC build. Looking for input form more experienced builders. :)

Approximate Purchase Date: Feb 2015

Budget Range: < $1K

System Usage from Most to Least Important: It's a PC for family use. I'll do light SQL & Excel, Wordpress development, possibly Ableton). Wife will do browsing, light Word word. Kids will do Khan Academy? This is not a gaming rig.

Are you buying a monitor: No, but would like to upgrade to dual 22's or one 30ish at some point.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Location: Simi Valley, CA

Overclocking: Maybe, doubtful?

Your Monitor Resolution: Dual 19" monitors, both at 1280x1024.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Current PC is 7yrs old, basic apps like Excel, YNAB and Chrome lag just enough to mentally pull you out of your task.


System Build: $720.77
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CFKqQ7

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor $209.99
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54690

Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard $132.99
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97a

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $62.99
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl9d8gbxl

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $131.88
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te250bw

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case $74.99
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcadefr4bl

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply $59.98
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx600m

Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer $47.95
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-wh14ns40
 
Solution
quilciri
My humble suggestion with a more powerful CPU. The haswell 1230+ Xeon chips are I7's for much cheaper.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($242.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($131.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 5450 1GB Video Card ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)...
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quilciri

quilciri

Splendid
Mar 16, 2012
4,104
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My humble suggestion with a more powerful CPU. The haswell 1230+ Xeon chips are I7's for much cheaper.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($242.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($63.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($131.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 5450 1GB Video Card ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($52.89 @ OutletPC)

Total: $687.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-12 14:56 EST-0500

Cheers!
 
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Solution
geofelt

geofelt

Titan
Oct 9, 2006
54,298
4,146
174,240
Your build will work as is.
I particularly like it based on the ssd.

One item I would change would be the psu.
Your build requires less than 300w, but 550-600w is a good idea to account for the future possibility that you might want to install a discrete graphics card.
Corsair CX is only middling quality.
https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware/f/135081/t/45344.aspx?Redirected=true
Look for a tier 1 or 2 unit in the 550-620w range.
Seasonic 620 would be my pick the price is similar.
Modular is of little value in a large case.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii620bronze

Consider buying a $30 tower type cooler like the cm hyper212.
The main value would be quieter operation, particularly under load.
The Intel stock cooler works, but can get noisy.

For your use, consider the merits of a more highly clocked I3 like the i3-4370@3.8.
It has the same 4 threads, but two are faster and two are slower than the 4690.
The value of 4 full cores comes into play only when all the cores are loaded, and I expect that will not happen much with your use. Costs less too.

I like the Z97 chipset. It offers cpu upgrades to overclockable chips and even 14nm broadwell in the future.

As a tip... buy a #2 magnetic tip Phillips head screwdriver for assembly.

 
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quilciri

quilciri

Splendid
Mar 16, 2012
4,104
4
23,965


Thanks!

The CX line is built by CWT, and most are mediocre (but still decent). the 430, however is very good.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=214

The system uses 164w under full load. Using a PSU with a capacity much higher than 300w puts you out of the optimal efficiency range for power draw (50-75% load).

The user simply needs a solid PSU. He will not be overclocking, he will not be adding a heavy video card. He does not need a 500w PSU with extremely low ripple and a massive 12v rail.
 
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quilciri

quilciri

Splendid
Mar 16, 2012
4,104
4
23,965
Oh, I almost forgot. Part of the reason I chose the cx430 is because Corsair has a great reputation with mail in rebates, and that particular PSU has a big one every other month - it's a $20 MIR right now.

I bought a CX430 about a year and a half ago for my HTPC and corsair had the rebate back to me in under two weeks.
 
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