Questions about first mATX i3 build (home computer)

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machiavelliangaming

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Jan 10, 2013
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Hello Forum,
I’m building a home computer for a family member in a mATX format. Since my only experience is with gaming rigs and I haven’t built anything in a while I figured I’d get some extra advice before buying everything. The computer will be used as a home workstation. It will not be used for gaming, but mainly for internet browsing, word processing, and storing/managing pictures. It is intended to last for quite a few years, with a moderate workload, thus why it is not the cheapest possible build. Budget should preferably come out to between $600 and $800, and I will be purchasing the components by the end of the week. These are the parts I have selected for the build at this time:

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($125.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H170M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($30.98 @ Newegg)
SSD: Mushkin Reactor 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
HDD: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($122.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($36.88 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N15 PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $668.75

My questions are the following:
1) Are all of the parts compatible electronically? (Number of MoBo slots for storage, PCIE compatibility, CPU socket type, etc.)
2) Are all of the components compatible with the case in terms of size, especially the power supply and MoBo?
3) Is the i3-6100 good for this type of computer?
4) Is the stock fan for the i3 sufficient, or do I need a 3rd party CPU cooler?
5) Do I need extra fans for the case for sufficient cooling? (it comes with a front and rear fan)
6) Are there any other considerations I need to take into account when building a small form-factor PC, especially cooling?
7) What suggestions do you have for part changes?

Thanks in advance for any responses.
 
Solution
geofelt
1. Yes.
2. ok.
3. Perfect.
4. stock is sufficient, but I might spend $30 on a cryorig H7 cooler which will have a quieter 120mm fan.
5. No extra cooling is required.
6. Your cooling requirements are minimal.
But, I do like cases with filtered intakes that will keep your parts cleaner.
It is not clear to me if the N200 has filters or how easy they are to clean.
I can recommend the Silverstone PS-07 which I have used a couple of times before:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163186

7. Corsair CX is not considered a reliable psu.
I might suggest a tier 1 or 2 unit from a list like this. Your actual needs are about 300w.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
Seasonic is always good...
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Swordkd

Swordkd

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Oct 3, 2012
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Honestly, for that type of build I'd use an AMD setup. A8 or A10 setup would cost less money and do just as well for those tasks.

This would work just fine for quite a bit less money:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A8-7670K 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus A68HM-K Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($47.55 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($30.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Mushkin ECO3 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N15 PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($17.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $519.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-08 17:26 EDT-0400
 
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G

Guest

Guest
1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes. You should add another 120mm fan for the lower front intake so your drives will stay well cooled. A 140mm fan for the top wouldn't hurt either.
6. Enough expansion slots for your needs, modular cabling for the power supply and adequate cooling.
7. I'd get a Seasonic power supply, instead of Corsair. It's overkill, but the SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze is a great choice. I wouldn't pay $122.99 for that 2TB hard drive. I would get the Seagate ST2000DM001 instead.
 
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G

gondo

Distinguished
Apr 20, 2004
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($57.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.69 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1300 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($59.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($83.89 @ OutletPC)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus PCE-N15 PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter ($17.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $612.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-08 17:45 EDT-0400

I went with an I3 for a modern system with DDR4. Choose an Asus for reliability with an HDMI and 4k output. 16GB of RAM since you want it to last many years, you'll never have the itch to swap RAM. With only 2 slots you can't add more, and you don't want to hav to swap, so get the RAM now.

Went with a bit better Samsung SSD. Kept the Hitachi since they are good. PSU, DVD, i left alone just not to get too picky. I upgraded the Case to a bit nicer Fractal one.

Overall I stuck with the I3 concept to give DDR4 and bit more modern system, but upped the quality on a few parts.

The OEM heatsink and FAN is fine with that Intel.
 
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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Oct 30, 2004
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1. Id drop the SSD ... if the user is not PC savvy managing what goes on where will be an issue at some point. This is 50% faster than the WD Black and boot time wise is almost indistinguishable from an SSD. Also puts $110 back in your budget for a better case or other upgrade.

SSD Boot Time = 15.6 seconds
SSHD Boot Time = 16.5 seconds

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tR2kcf/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st2000dx001


2. Run away fast and hard from the CX series PSU .. Seasonic S12 520 is affordable alternative

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fZyFf7/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii520bronze


3. Id use 2 x 8GB for +$20

4. Out of that $110 ya saved on storage, I spent $20 on the PSU and $20 for RAM, leaving you $70 ... I'd dress it up a bit with a nicer case.... something around $105 to maintain same budget

Enthoo Evolv is gorgeous but no optical, do you really need it ? external better for occasional usage ?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854009
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854011

Very well built SIilverstone
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163182

Fractal Mini is R2 nice
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352034

Corsair 350D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139021

Corsair Carbide
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139045

Bitfenix prodigy
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4M53XU0737
 
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geofelt

geofelt

Titan
Oct 9, 2006
54,374
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174,240
1. Yes.
2. ok.
3. Perfect.
4. stock is sufficient, but I might spend $30 on a cryorig H7 cooler which will have a quieter 120mm fan.
5. No extra cooling is required.
6. Your cooling requirements are minimal.
But, I do like cases with filtered intakes that will keep your parts cleaner.
It is not clear to me if the N200 has filters or how easy they are to clean.
I can recommend the Silverstone PS-07 which I have used a couple of times before:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163186

7. Corsair CX is not considered a reliable psu.
I might suggest a tier 1 or 2 unit from a list like this. Your actual needs are about 300w.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
Seasonic is always good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151074

I think Samsung makes the more reliable ssd devices with better quality nand chips.
A ssd makes everything faster. Files open instantly.
Use the hard drive only for large file storage such as videos.
You could even consider omitting the hard drive.
Most similar builds do not even need a hard drive.

On the hard drive, you might consider wd red.
Here is a nice article on the wd rainbow:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Understanding-the-WD-Rainbow-674/

You said nothing about monitors.

I would look for two; the productivity is much better.
Preferably ips panels which give better images.

 
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Solution
why_wolf

why_wolf

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Aug 28, 2015
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I'd check out refurb builds as well, something like a HP Elite 8100/8200 series. Can pick those up for like $300ish slap in another hard drive for more storage and you have all the computer you need.

For a DIY you could do this.
[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/NLKZLD) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/list/NLKZLD/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/hV7CmG/intel-cpu-bx80662i36100) | $110.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Motherboard** | [ASRock H110M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/x2mxFT/asrock-motherboard-h110mitxac) | $67.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Memory** | [G.Skill Aegis 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/6NcMnQ/gskill-memory-f42133c15d8gis) | $32.98 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/Ktzv6h/kingston-internal-hard-drive-sv300s37a240g) | $64.89 @ OutletPC
**Storage** | [Hitachi Ultrastar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/WxMFf7/hitachi-internal-hard-drive-0f10452) | $59.00 @ Amazon
**Case** | [Silverstone ML05B HTPC Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/J7mLrH/silverstone-case-ml05b) | $40.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Power Supply** | [Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/tfw323/silverstone-power-supply-st45sfg) | $87.99 @ SuperBiiz
**Operating System** | [Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit](http://pcpartpicker.com/product/wtgPxr/microsoft-os-kw900140) | $84.99 @ NCIX US
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$549.82**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2016-06-08 18:02 EDT-0400 |
 
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G

gondo

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Apr 20, 2004
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I own 4 Western Digital Reds in my NAS. Rock solid going on 3 years now with very heavy use. I'm not sure how they would perform in a PC however.

I always choose PC hard drives based on warranty. That means a western digital black with 5 years or the seagate hybrids which are also 5 years. Both companies offer excellent RMA processes as well. Samsung EVO SSD is also 5 years but I never dealt with Samsung for RMA on a hard drive.

I'm more of a Crucial fan when it comes to SSD for reliability, and their new ballistix SSD will put them in line with Samsung as far as speed goes. I currently use the Crucial MX200 in 3 systems and they never had a problem in 3 years. Also Crucial released a firmware way back to fix an issue with their SSDs and I installed the firmware which solved the issue and they are working great. I always like a company who releases good drivers and firmware to support legacy and current products, hense my liking Crucial and hesitant on Samsung.

Personally I'd buy a Crucial SSD, but if I recommended them on the forums people laugh me out and automatically suggest the Samsung Evo.
 
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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You can find reliability data here based upon how ,many drives were returned under warranty between 6 and 12 months of operation. This is actual return data, not a misapplication of consumer drivers in a server environment.

May 2016 http://www.hardware.fr/articles/947-6/disques-durs.html
Worse Drives:
4,32% WD Black 4 To WD4003FZEX
3,59% Toshiba DT01ACA300 3 To
2,88% Toshiba DT01ACA200 2 To
2,39% Toshiba PA4291E-1HJ0 1 To
WD Blue Mobile 1 To WD10SPCX

Septermber 2015 http://www.hardware.fr/articles/944-6/disques-durs.html
Worse Drives:
- 4,90% Toshiba 3 To DT01ACA300
- 2,86% WD RE 4 To WD4000FYYZ
- 2,33% WD Blue 250 Go WD2500AAKX
- 2,23% WD Black 4 To WD4003FZEX
- 2,20% WD Red 750 Go WD7500BFCX

May 2015 : http://www.hardware.fr/articles/934-1/taux-retour-composants-12.html
Worse drives
- 4,58% WD Red WD60EFRX
- 3,40% Toshiba 3 To DT01ACA300
- 2,93% WD Green 4 To WD40EZRX
- 2,78% WD SE 3 To WD3000F9YZ
- 2,14% Hitachi Ultrastar A7K2000 1 To

June 2014 http://www.hardware.fr/articles/927-6/disques-durs.html
Worse drives
- 4,76% WD Black WD4001FAEX
- 4,24% WD Black WD3001FAEX
- 3,83% WD SE WD3000F9YZ
- 2,56% HGST Travelstar 7K1000
- 2,39% Toshiba DT01ACA300

As indicated in previous post, 3 and 4 TB drives lead the failures .
 
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