I5-2500k micro atx under $500

[adrenaline435]

I'm trying to build a really good and somewhat upgradeable system for the absolute best value. I've been looking at parts and reading up for a little while now. I just saw a deal on a micro atx mobo that could put all the pieces together. I hadn't considered a micro atx until now.. and it makes alot of sense.


$40 Biostar H61MU3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16813138311

---reading the reviews someone mentions that the bios needs to be upgraded. Is that hard to do?

$30 Broadway Com Corp 1243MA-BLACK Glossy black Steel ATX Mini Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162059&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=fo9ug5cfcr5v

---alot of bad reviews on the included psu but one guy mentions that its because the default voltage is incorrect. Is that something that can be corrected?

$25 8GB Kingston blue RAM
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7162756&sku=K24-9918&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&AffiliateID=WxHRncoD05Y-dVvor6wuPxzmjOPtdspmcQ

$50 7200 rpm 500 gb HDD
$20 DVDR drive
$200 i5 2500k
$100 Windows 7

$465 total.


What do you think?

 

[roblaw42]

I would find a case that does not come with a PSU and buy your own. You do not want to go cheap on the PSU because a bad one will screw over your computer and potentially fry your motherboard.

 

[legendkiller]

MoBo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16813138311&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=17t77rlc3o0x6
(Note: You cant OC no point getting 2500k)

Case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133187
(Best one for the price!)

Memory:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7162756&SRCCODE=BIZRATE&cm_mmc_o=2mHCjCmtB5ObkkzCjCVqHCjCdwwp&cpncode=22-178289148-2

CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115093

Optical Drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031

HDD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

Windows:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

Total with Shipping and Rebate: is $524...

 

[samuelspark]

Don't go cheap on the PSU. The 2500k is useless with a h61 as the k makes it overclockable. Get a i5 2300. Basically same thing as stock 2500k. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115076
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104131 Micro ATX PSU. Just pick any MATX. Any will do. Oh yeah, what do you plan on using your computer for?
And upgrading the BIOS just means downloading a BIOS update from the biostar website. Not hard at all.

 

[samuelspark]

MoBo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16813138311&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=17t77rlc3o0x6
(Note: You cant OC no point getting 2500k)

Case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133187
(Best one for the price!)

Memory:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7162756&SRCCODE=BIZRATE&cm_mmc_o=2mHCjCmtB5ObkkzCjCVqHCjCdwwp&cpncode=22-178289148-2

CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115093

Optical Drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031

HDD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

Windows:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

Total with Shipping and Rebate: is $524...

You forgot PSU. Case is a overpriced piece of junk.

 

[inzone]

Upgrading the bios is easy to do if you are good at following directions. It is great to try and build a computer on a low budget but there is such a thing as too low and in the end you get what you pay for. The one thing I have a problem with in your build is the $30 case and power supply combo , really now $30 , that's ok for a case but a power supply too ??? I'm sorry what kind of psu is that!!! I wish you could get a better psu , what is your budget ? I don't see a video card selected do you have one in mind.

 

[legendkiller]

You forgot PSU. Case is a overpriced piece of junk.

LOL FAIL me... -1 me lol

 

[adrenaline435]

Don't go cheap on the PSU. The 2500k is useless with a h61 as the k makes it overclockable. Get a i5 2300. Basically same thing as stock 2500k. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115076
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817104131 Micro ATX PSU. Just pick any MATX. Any will do. Oh yeah, what do you plan on using your computer for?

I don't have any plans of overclocking so how does that make the 2500k useless? The 2500k scores a passmark cpu mark of 7420 while the 2300 gets a 5561. That's a pretty significant difference for $20. My goal is to save money but when the marginal cost of improvement is so low I'm going to take it. I suppose I would agree that it would be nice to have a mobo capable of overclocking if I were to ever go that route.

$60 for a psu? That's alot. How is it that prebuilts have super cheap psu's that work fine?

Upgrading the bios is easy to do if you are good at following directions. It is great to try and build a computer on a low budget but there is such a thing as too low and in the end you get what you pay for. The one thing I have a problem with in your build is the $30 case and power supply combo , really now $30 , that's ok for a case but a power supply too ??? I'm sorry what kind of psu is that!!! I wish you could get a better psu , what is your budget ? I don't see a video card selected do you have one in mind.

Yeah I'm not too comfortable with the case and psu either but that, along with the mobo, is what allows this build to happen at this price. It is pretty ridiculous.. a case and psu for $30. But how bad can it be? Could it be worse than prebuilt psu?

My budget is $500 although my real goal is in relationship to a prebuilt gateway Ive been watching. The gateway is an i5-2300 6gb ram 1.5tb 5400 rpm hdd for $400. I want to build a better computer for about the same price.

I don't know much about video cards. I was thinking about adding an xfx radeon hd 6670 at some point.



LegendKiller's build looks good but there are a few issues. As pointed out the psu is not included and the case is way too expensive. The harddrive says its part of a package deal. The optical drive is a DVD rom, not a DVDRW. The processor is interesting.. An i3 instead of i5 but it saves money and has better integrated graphics.


Anyone know if the stock voltage on that case can be changed? Apparently its set to european standards rather than american.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

get the 2500, not 2500K, if you want an H61 motherboard. No point paying the extra for 2500K, since you cant overclock the H61,


alternately, get the cheapest Z68 or P67 board you can find to overclock with,.

 

[cyberkuberiah]

get the 2500, not 2500K, if you want an H61 motherboard. No point paying the extra for 2500K, since you cant overclock the H61,


alternately, get the cheapest Z68 or P67 board you can find to overclock with,.

+1

 

[samuelspark]

Don't go cheap on the PSU. The 2500k is useless with a h61 as the k makes it overclockable. Get a i5 2300. Basically same thing as stock 2500k. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115076
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817104131 Micro ATX PSU. Just pick any MATX. Any will do. Oh yeah, what do you plan on using your computer for?

I don't have any plans of overclocking so how does that make the 2500k useless? The 2500k scores a passmark cpu mark of 7420 while the 2300 gets a 5561. That's a pretty significant difference for $20. My goal is to save money but when the marginal cost of improvement is so low I'm going to take it. I suppose I would agree that it would be nice to have a mobo capable of overclocking if I were to ever go that route.

$60 for a psu? That's alot. How is it that prebuilts have super cheap psu's that work fine?

Upgrading the bios is easy to do if you are good at following directions. It is great to try and build a computer on a low budget but there is such a thing as too low and in the end you get what you pay for. The one thing I have a problem with in your build is the $30 case and power supply combo , really now $30 , that's ok for a case but a power supply too ??? I'm sorry what kind of psu is that!!! I wish you could get a better psu , what is your budget ? I don't see a video card selected do you have one in mind.

Yeah I'm not too comfortable with the case and psu either but that, along with the mobo, is what allows this build to happen at this price. It is pretty ridiculous.. a case and psu for $30. But how bad can it be? Could it be worse than prebuilt psu?

My budget is $500 although my real goal is in relationship to a prebuilt gateway Ive been watching. The gateway is an i5-2300 6gb ram 1.5tb 5400 rpm hdd for $400. I want to build a better computer for about the same price.

I don't know much about video cards. I was thinking about adding an xfx radeon hd 6670 at some point.



LegendKiller's build looks good but there are a few issues. As pointed out the psu is not included and the case is way too expensive. The harddrive says its part of a package deal. The optical drive is a DVD rom, not a DVDRW. The processor is interesting.. An i3 instead of i5 but it saves money and has better integrated graphics.


Anyone know if the stock voltage on that case can be changed? Apparently its set to european standards rather than american.

The reason the Passmark scores are higher is because people OVERCLOCK. If they didn't overclock, they'd be about the same. Take the 6850 and 6870 on passmark for example. 6870 is obviously > than 6850 yet it's higher up. Why? Becuase people OVERCLOCK.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

The reason the Passmark scores are higher is because people OVERCLOCK. If they didn't overclock, they'd be about the same. Take the 6850 and 6870 on passmark for example. 6870 is obviously > than 6850 yet it's higher up. Why? Becuase people OVERCLOCK.

the 2300 is not the same as the 2500. the 2300 is 2.8 GHz, with a 3.1 GHz turbo. the 2500 is 3.3 GHz with a 3.7 GHz turbo. the 2500k is the 2500 with an unlocked multiplier.

 

[samuelspark]

It's similar. That's what I'm trying to get at.

 

[samuelspark]

Anyway, the OP hasn't told us why he's making this build. If it's casual internet browsing and such then he doesn't even need an i5.

 

[adrenaline435]

It's for general use. Plenty of internet browsing, some productivity, some media playing, possibly video editing, possibly gaming. I tend to have alot of stuff open at once and like to be able to go back and forth without issue.

 

[samuelspark]

An i5-2300 will be more than enough. Also, you also need a distrete GPU with a i3/i5/i7 build. Suggest you go for llano

 

[samuelspark]

I can make you a nice llano build if you want.