$1,400.00 Budget Build

Did I post this in the wrong Sub-Forum?  

Oh ***, I quoted my own post.... Don't judge me! I'm new.  

Why would you tear a working system in your budget range apart. If it has everything you want and need, just go with it. Stripping it down seems like a waste- even if you hate pre-built systems.

Well that's one of the reasons I came here first. I'm not a computer expert, far from it; I'm just following the advice of some friends of mine and I thought I'd come here for some second opinions. So these refurbished PCs are HPs, and I was told that if I do get one I should replace the motherboard, case and PSU? Maybe I should just build one from scratch I have no idea.  
I have nothing against prebuilt PC's by the way, I just want to get the most bang for my buck.

I don't think that any refurbished system is a good idea, as you can't control how it's been used or abused.

i7 975 is really for people with deep wallets that like to talk. 920 overclocks easily and any risk is outweighed by the low cost. If you were to burn it up you could still buy two more for the cost of the 975.

Besides, you really want to upgrade to the 6 core CPU coming next year.

Here's a start -

Win 7 and Gigabyte UD3R board
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

i7 920 and 6GB OCZ Platinum
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

First suggestion - dont do anything without a reason. What would be the reason to disassemble a working computer that does what you need it to?

Replacing the case and PSU might make sense if you were having heat problems or were going to add components and needed more room or power. Replacing the motherboard would only be if you decided you needed one with a slot for a second graphics card.

The system you describe above sounds like a pretty decent system with a mid-range graphics card. Most likely replacing that graphics card with a new 5850 if you are using a large LCD would be the only change you would want to make to have a high end gaming system.

The system is for rendering not gaming, and a 5850 would be a bad choice because ATI drivers don't play well with such programs. Nvidia is the safer choice in this context, perhaps a GTX 275 or even GTX 285.

Almost always building is better value wise. I'm not sure why your friends are saying to replace those parts. HP is the world leader in pc sales. I've gought a couple refurbs from Dell in my time. I have never had one single problem. It is well known that large builders like Dell and HP put cheaper PSU's in their products, but always enough power to run the hardware present. They also will lock the bios generally so you can't "mess things up". If you want to oc, you should build yourself or buy from a boutique builder. As they have more options to fit your needs. $1400 is a pretty big budget. If you've never built before it's kind of a high starting point. Getting experience with less expensive parts might be a good idea. I'm going to hit some of the sites I like for pre-builts and post them in a bit and see if you might find it less stressful this time around. I probably will get chewed out for steering you away from building in these forums, but I'll take the chance!

the main benefit I see from rebuilding an i7 system like you described would be to get rid of the awful HP BIOS, and allow you to overclock the system. If you plan at keeping it at stock speeds, there's little reason to be mucking around the BIOS much. The other thing to keep in mind is are you happy with the parts you will be getting in the system? Personally, I think WD velociraptors are the biggest ripoff in the storage market right now. High performance 7200RPM drives and lower cost SSD drives have pretty much made them irrelevant. As for Blu-Ray burners, unless they suddenly start selling them at prices comparable to DVD drives and media, they really won't have much luck in catching on as a widely accepted computer format.

I7-920/6gb of OCZ Ram (thanks Proximon) Price: $430.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard: $188.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Coolermaster HAF 932 Full tower (the reason for a full tower is for good air flow while allowing for large CPU heatsinks/fans- $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Windows 7 Pro 64 Bit/ 1Tb Samsung F3 7200 RPM Internal HDD- $209.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

Gigabyte GTX 275 (3% performance boost over standard GTX 285)- $299.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3- $114.95 ($20 mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

LG Black Bluray 8x Reader/16x Dvd Burner $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


It is over your budget by about $110-$120, but hey it isn't refurbished. I really am not happy with the motherboard, but you are on a tight budget, and require so much. Also this includes Windows 7 Professional 64 bit OEM. I know you also need a Monitor/Keyboard, but that's pushing it as far as getting an I7 system that is not going to castrate the CPU.

Total shipped~ $1,532.50 (and $45 off if you do the mail in rebates)

@Refurbished systems: I think it would be cheaper to use the refurbished system as it is, or atleast pull the parts as needed. The only issue is if they are willing to put warranty on them. Judging by the prices not sure how they could... Second the motherboard most likely is HP's "custom" motherboard (basically meaning it isnt a consumer part) which really puts me to thinking if it's up to par with handling a I7.. Second the memory might be a cheaper brand, or HP only ram which once again makes me thing if it's quality enough to last a long time and handle buffering/caching by video editing..

Conclusion: If it comes with a decent warranty *read the warranty* it might be a good idea to just use the prebuilt refurbished systems over building a new one..

$1,400 is a budget build, now? I need another job.

Lol no a budget build isnt $1,400. However when you want an I7 system it is, specially if you think you can fit peripherals in there.