Help with new partial build for my dad

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aholeinthewor1d

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May 15, 2012
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I'm trying to pick out new components to build my dad a new PC. There are a few things I'm going to use from his current computer put most of the computer will be new. It took a long time to convince him to get new stuff but he is finally getting sick of how slow his computer is. He is a very basic user. He uses a computer for web browsing, entering his card collection into a card collector program and organizing pictures. I know he doesn't need anything high end but I'd like to get him the best stuff available right now within his budget. Knowing him it will be a long time until he upgrades again...if ever.

I'm trying to keep everything under $350. He needs a motherboard, CPU, RAM, and case (micro atx). I can use his existing power supply and DVD drive and he doesn't need a dedicated GPU. I was going to go with 8gb of RAM. Since he doesn't do much the only thing he cares about is having at least 4 USB ports on the front of the case and I was hoping for at least 2 of them to be 3.0.

Looking for some suggestions because it's been a while since I picked out parts for my own build. I was thinking maybe an Intel i5 or maybe even a similar/better AMD? Open to any suggestions and even if it's over kill for his needs I want to make it as fast as possible for him. From the little searching I've done it looks like I can build a pretty nice computer for $350 since he has some existing parts. Thanks!!

 
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Yes it is possible to install Windows 7 on the skylake ASRock motherboard. They have a feature to enable the "PS/2 Simulator" option in UEFI SETUP UTILITY. So you can connect your keyboard and mouse to the USB 3.0 ports and they will be detected by Windows 7. I don't know if any other brand has a feature like this. You can go here for more information.

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/Win7Install/
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WildCard999

WildCard999

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The i3 should be more then enough power for his uses, plus with the savings you could get him a SSD.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($111.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B150M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($66.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.88 @ OutletPC)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($33.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $337.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-04-22 11:37 EDT-0400

Do you have Windows for this build? If not and you need to add it into the price then just replace it with the SSD as the SSD can just be added on later (if needed).
 
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aholeinthewor1d

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Sorry didn't mean to downvote your post! Thanks for the response. The only reason I was thinking of the i5 or similar AMD was to try and future proof it as much as possible for him. That and he purchased a 1tb HDD a while back so I figured we might as well us it.
 
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WildCard999

WildCard999

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Np, the i3 even though its a dual core actually has 4 threads which makes it almost act like a quad core with multi-threaded apps which should be well over what he needs for a CPU. IMO a i5 would be pointless as he wouldn't be utilizing all 4 cores and the money could be better spent somewhere else.
 
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CPU: Intel Core i5-6400T Quad-core (4 Core) 2.20 GHz Processor Socket 1151 ($149.99 @ Amazon)

Heatsink and Fan: Cooler Master Hyper T2 - Compact CPU Cooler with Dual Looped Direct Contact Heatpipes ($16.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: ASRock H170M Pro4S LGA 1151 Intel H170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX ($84.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.SKILL NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 ($54.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Cooler Master N200 - Mini Tower Computer Case Micro ATX ($43.99 @ Amazon)

Sub-Total: $350.95

Prices do not include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

All items have free shipping at the moment (except the case). Right now there is a 10% off w/ promo code for the Memory. So it should come to right about $350. With this build you get a 35W energy efficient CPU with four real cores and 16GB of RAM. It should last quite a while.
 
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aholeinthewor1d

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So I am finally sitting down to pick everything out for my dad's build and I came across something I am not sure about. Am I going to be able to install Windows 7 if I got with an intel skylake processor? Thanks!
 
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aholeinthewor1d

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I have not picked one out yet. I am trying to figure everything out by the end of today but it's getting pretty overwhelming. The only thing I know is whatever case I get will have two USB 2 and two USB 3 ports on the front. So whatever MB I pick needs to have USB 3 which it seems all of them do so it's hard to know what else to look for

I was going to go with Windows 7 for two reason. My dad already has it so it's one less thing he has to buy and he also hates change so I highly doubt I could talk him into windows 10.

So will it even be possible to install windows 7 from USB on skylake?

If not do you have any other suggestions for this build. Thank you!
 
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WildCard999

WildCard999

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You should be able to install Win7 on a Skylake system via USB I would just suggest looking at the manufacturers website to ensure compatibility with a older OS (listed under specs). Most motherboards should be fine.

If for some reason Win7 and the motherboard is not working correctly (glitches, BSOD) then try updating the BIOS.
 
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Yes it is possible to install Windows 7 on the skylake ASRock motherboard. They have a feature to enable the "PS/2 Simulator" option in UEFI SETUP UTILITY. So you can connect your keyboard and mouse to the USB 3.0 ports and they will be detected by Windows 7. I don't know if any other brand has a feature like this. You can go here for more information.

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/Win7Install/
 
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