Build delayed by Sandy Bridge issues, now what?

[exr09]

I'm in the process of doing a $500 budget computer for my aunt. I planned to use a Sandy Bridge CPU but obviously now that's out the window.

Is it worth it to wait until motherboards with the new chipset are released or should I go with AMD's current offerings? I'm thinking along the lines of an AMD Phenom II X4 970.

 

[saaiello]

Wait you will be wasting your money or your aunts money in this case. SB performance is far better then the Phenom and you will be kicking yourself in the ass if you don't just wait for the 1 to 2 months that they say it is gonna take to start shipping out the new boards.

 

[saaiello]

You can still build Sandy Bridge

2500K

http://www.provantage.com/intel-bx80623i52500k~7ITEP3CP.htm

Go on ebay and buy any board you want.

Lack of warranty from a reputable retailer scares me when there is an already know fault with the chipset. I think I will wait.

 

[exr09]

You can still build Sandy Bridge

2500K

http://www.provantage.com/intel-bx80623i52500k~7ITEP3CP.htm

Go on ebay and buy any board you want.

I (we?) aren't particularly interested in spending over $200 on the CPU.

How about AMD's thuban line?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Sandy Bridge is worth the wait IMO.

 

[exr09]

I'm either going to wait for updated SB mobos or build with AMD now. Not interested in building intel now.

 

[saaiello]

What will your aunt be using this system for?

 

[exr09]

What will your aunt be using this system for?

Basic computer use. Office software, email, web, etc.

Operating system and other software aren't to be included in the budget.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

You should just burn your money instead because Amd isn't worth it.

LOL. They are not THAT bad. Especially on the low/budget end.

 

[saaiello]

Basic computer use. Office software, email, web, etc.

Operating system and other software aren't to be included in the budget.

For just that just build what fits in your budget. The speed of those needs would be better spent on a fast SSD and just pair it with a cheap quad core like the Phenom II that just went down to $135.

 

[jj463rd]

I'm in the process of doing a $500 budget computer for my aunt. I planned to use a Sandy Bridge CPU but obviously now that's out the window.

Is it worth it to wait until motherboards with the new chipset are released or should I go with AMD's current offerings? I'm thinking along the lines of an AMD Phenom II X4 970.

I think a $500 Sandy Bridge build would be impractical (for the i5 and i7 models) unless you leave out the hard drive,operating system,other components etc.
Intel will be releasing 2- i3 Sandy Bridge CPU's (the i3-2100 and i3-2120) that will be under $150 though unless you pick up their entry level Pentium series (Sandy Bridge) under $100.

 

[exr09]

For just that just build what fits in your budget. The speed of those needs would be better spent on a fast SSD and just pair it with a cheap quad core like the Phenom II that just went down to $135.

I want it to last. An SSD seems a bit overkill, but the systems (AMD or Intel) that I've planned out both support SATA III, which has shown to be significantly faster than the previous spec.

 

[exr09]

I think a $500 Sandy Bridge build would be impractical (for the i5 and i7 models) unless you leave out the hard drive,operating system,other components etc.
Intel will be releasing 2- i3 Sandy Bridge CPU's (the i3-2100 and i3-2120) that will be under $150 though unless you pick up their entry level Pentium series (Sandy Bridge) under $100.

CPU, $180 (entry level Core i5)
Case/PSU, $50 (Rosewill, 400w)
Memory, $50 (4GB DDR3)
Hard drive, $60 (500gb SATA 3)
Motherboard, $100 (ASUS mATX)
DVD burner, $20
Memory card reader, 15

 

[jj463rd]

So you're considering using a $50 Case/Power supply for that build?
It's quite risky.At least choose a reliable Antec Power Supply and what about the heatsink? Are you going to use the stock one?

 

[exr09]

I missed the HSF on the list. Freezer 7 Pro, $30.

Based on reviews the Rosewill PSU/case seemed sufficient.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147099

 

[Bigmac80]

You can get a i5 2500k 3.3ghz quad for $179.99 at microcenter.

 

[exr09]

Much better PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017&cm_re=Corsair_Builder-_-17-139-017-_-Product

And the stock cooler is fine for SB. Doesn't put out a lot of heat at all

Reviews don't look so good on the corsair.

If I'm going to spend more it'll probably look like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129065

 

[exr09]

Best answer selected by exr09.

 

[exr09]

I think, getting back to the original question, that I'm going to wait for SB. As for case/other hardware, I'll reevaluate when I buy parts.

 

[roscolo]

I'm in the same boat. I would absolutely wait. Since Intel laid this massive goose egg (the bridge turned out to be sandy indeed) and I have to wait until April or May anyway, it may very well make sense to just wait a little longer for socket 2011, Ivy Bridge, Bulldozer, etc.