Building $400-500 Pc for a friend. Recommendations.

[vtphs]

I'm looking to build a good all around pc for $400-500.
Its not going to be a gaming rig but I think their may be some light (2d) autocad work. Overall it will be used for emailing, web browsing, and ms office work. Plz recommend some parts.
I was leaning towards something like a amd 955 with a 6670 or even a apu.

 

[Outlander_04]

I would go with the APU

A8 3850
FM1 mb [ probably m-ATX to save money ]
2 x2 gig of 1600 or 1866 MHz RAM at 1.5 volts [ option to use 2 x4 gig ]
4-500 watt psu
1 terabyte hard drive
cheapest dvd drive
m-atx case

 

[vtphs]

I can't find any good cheap harddrives. The prices have doubled any suggestions?

 

[Outlander_04]

look for a local supplier who has stock that they dont turn over quickly?

or wait for a couple of weeks

or reuse an old drive

 

[cutebeans]

I would go with a

Phenom II x4 955
Corsair CX430
AM3 Mobo
6770 or above

 

[jdwii]

Case: 39.99$ (COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227

Power Supply: 49.99$ (Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

Ram: 49.99$ (Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT51264BA160A)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148421

MotherBoard: 54.99$ (BIOSTAR A770E3 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138179

DVD-ROM: 18.99$ (ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Hard Drive: 39.99$ (HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299

Processor: 139.99$ (AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition Deneb 3.5GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDZ970FBGMBOX)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103894

Graphics Card: 179.99$ (SAPPHIRE 100314-3L Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948

Shipping: 30$

Total around 600$ !!




Well i just noticed its not a gaming build so i'd say get a A8 3850 and a big hard drive you will not be disappointed.

 

[rex000]

CPU: The A8-3850 should approve appropriate for the tasks you plan to use it with. This Processor is the BEST bang for buck, if you're comfortable with its performance. I strongly suggest this for your budget.

GPU: Do not buy a GPU with the APU, it takes away from the value. If you require a GPU, I would suggest something else entirely...

MOBO: Anything that has the features you're looking for. (I prefer ASUS, GIGABYTE or MSI for quality and reliability. They don't have to be expensive either.)

RAM: I know 1866Mhz is tempting, but LOW CAS LATENCY is key. For example, 1866Mhz @ CAS 8 or 9 won't perform as well as 1600Mhz@ CAS 7. That being said, 1866MHz @ CAS7 would 'theoretically' be the best O_O
(Try Corsair or Kingston, maybe G.skill or Patriot)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-a8-3850-llano,2975-6.html <<-- read the bottom section.

HDD: Anything that you like (think about speed / value); can't really recommend anything right now... prices are outrageous. (Western Digital Caviar BLUE)

ODD: Anything that's cheap. (Samsung?)

PSU: Any 80Plus certified PSU will do. I think 380W would be MORE than enough. (Antec, Corsair, Seasonic)

Case: Whatever you like best. There are a lot of decent cases for less than $50. (NZXT Gamma, Rosewill Challenger, Antec 300, Zalman Z9 Plus)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/antec-three-hundred-enermax-staray-cooler-master-elite-430,2707.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nzxt-gamma-rosewill-challenger-silverstone-precision,2723.html


You are good to go. I will post another build shortly which costs me less than $400. I think you'll be impressed.

 

[rex000]

EDIT:

Here is my $340 build for reference. Feel free to use this as a basis for your own build.
It's not an overclocking set-up, but I still find it adequate for moderate gaming so it will suit your needs.

ASUS M4A78LT-M LE MOTHERBOARD - $55 (after $10 rebate)
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM3/M4A78LTM_LE/


AMD PHENOM II X4 840 @ 3.2GHz QUAD-CORE CPU - $100
http://www.amd.com/us/products/pricing/Pages/desktop-phenom.aspx


XFX 9600 GSO 512MB DDR3 GPU - $15 (after $30 rebate)
http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/graphiccards/9series/9600GSO.aspx


CORSAIR XMS3 1600MHz DDR3 8GB RAM- $40 (after $40 rebate)
http://www.corsair.com/cmx8gx3m2a1600c9.html


CORSAIR CX430W V2 80PLUS POWER SUPPLY - $40
http://www.corsair.com/power-supply-units/builder-series/builder-series-cx430-v2-80plus-certified-power-supply.html


NZXT CLASSIC GAMMA CASE - $25 (after $10 rebate)
http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/classic_series/gamma


WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 750GB SATA 6 Gb/s HDD- $45
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=120

SAMSUNG 22x ODD - $20
http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/office/optical-disk-drives/optical-disk-drives/SH-222AB/BEBE/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&returnurl=


The graphics card that I have chosen is WAY old, you may not like it... but if you subtract the $15 (now totaling $325), you have a $75-$175 budget solely for a graphics card. (or you may choose to upgrade other parts).
Personally, I will upgrade to a AMD RADEON 6850 ($130) because I know it is compatible with this build. With a 6850, you should expect to be able to play almost any game or autocad work. (Final cost = $455)


Goodluck,

 

[Zero_]

Check my sig if it helps If gaming isn't a priority, getting the APU should be the way to go.

 

[NoobNeb]

I'm looking to build a good all around pc for $400-500.
Its not going to be a gaming rig but I think their may be some light (2d) autocad work. Overall it will be used for emailing, web browsing, and ms office work. Plz recommend some parts.
I was leaning towards something like a amd 955 with a 6670 or even a apu.

I just built an A8-3850 rig the other day and I used the Corsair CX-430. The hard drive hadn't arrived yet but I put everything else together because I wanted to check everything was working. Hooked everything up pressed the power button, fans spun for 2 seconds and then... nothing. So I checked all the connections and tried again but same story. I did a quick google and it appears that if "too little" power is being drawn the Corsair CX430 won't power the PC. So the moral of this story is STAY AWAY FROM THE CORSAIR CX 430 especially with Llano chips cause they're so efficient. Unfortunately the hard drive still hasn't arrived so I can't say if that would resolve the issue. I expected better from Corsair though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103942
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128518
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104261
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207018
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129098

Thats what I recommend,identical to my build except for the PSU of course . I just noticed on Newegg that the voltage for the RAM is a little high (the site I bought it from never mentioned the voltage). So maybe http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233141 instead.

 

[Outlander_04]

RAM: I know 1866Mhz is tempting, but LOW CAS LATENCY is key. For example, 1866Mhz @ CAS 8 or 9 won't perform as well as 1600Mhz@ CAS 7. That being said, 1866MHz @ CAS7 would 'theoretically' be the best O_O
(Try Corsair or Kingston, maybe G.skill or Patriot)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-a8-3850-llano,2975-6.html <<-- read the bottom section.

Unfortunately this advice is good for every cpu EXCEPT Llano .

With the graphics processor built in to the cpu , the graphics uses system RAM as vRAM .
Memory bandwidth is critical to good graphics performance
So Llano performs much better graphically with higher MHz memory .
For the OP's usage 1600MHz will do , but 1866 MHz is still preferred . Worry less about latency than MHz

Llano will give a light , low power consumption computer that will multitask well .

http://www.techspot.com/review/418-amd-a8-3850-apu/page1.html

 

[NoobNeb]

Also the Antec 100 is a fairly good case except the front panel connectors are a little short especially the audio connector and cable management could be better you will have to route the 8pin CPU power at the front and you might even have to route the 24pin cable at the front as well, I had trouble getting the right side panel on with the 24pin cable behind the motherboard.

 

[rex000]

Unfortunately this advice is good for every cpu EXCEPT Llano .

With the graphics processor built in to the cpu , the graphics uses system RAM as vRAM .
Memory bandwidth is critical to good graphics performance
So Llano performs much better graphically with higher MHz memory .
For the OP's usage 1600MHz will do , but 1866 MHz is still preferred . Worry less about latency than MHz

Llano will give a light , low power consumption computer that will multitask well .

http://www.techspot.com/review/418-amd-a8-3850-apu/page1.html

Are you sure?

Did you read the article, and specifically that section which I am referring to?

It goes like this:

"Buy Fast/Low-Latency Memory

Despite marginal gains in application performance, the bottom line here is simple: if you want to get the best horsepower out of a Llano-based APU, that graphics engine needs to breathe. Memory able to support a high data rate at low latencies is absolutely imperative for the best possible frame rates in games.

Don’t sweat DDR3-1866 if it means CAS 8 or 9 timings. Aggressively-tuned DDR3-1600 looks to be the sweet spot. We had luck getting our Kingston HyperX DDR3-2133 kit running at DDR3-1600 CAS 7 on a couple of boards, but not the ASRock board we eventually used for testing. Even at CAS 8, though, performance was superb."

I believe it's referring to CAS being a huge factor in conjuction with MHz. Logically, faster RAM is better, but what constitutes faster RAM?

I am not 100% sure, but I think 1600MHz CAS7 can be faster than 1866MHz CAS9.

 

[vitornob]

Since it's not gaming (toss away all configs with dedicated video cards), get a nice IGP

Option 1:
A8-3850 with 1600Mhz DDR3 Ram, u can't go wrong with that.

Option 2:
If u NEED intel, go for any SB with an IGP 3000, skip the 2000 versions. It should give u room to breath using some light 2d autocad. In this case 1333Mhz DDR3 Ram is enough

 

[Outlander_04]

Are you sure?

Did you read the article, and specifically that section which I am referring to?

It goes like this:

"Buy Fast/Low-Latency Memory

Despite marginal gains in application performance, the bottom line here is simple: if you want to get the best horsepower out of a Llano-based APU, that graphics engine needs to breathe. Memory able to support a high data rate at low latencies is absolutely imperative for the best possible frame rates in games.

Don’t sweat DDR3-1866 if it means CAS 8 or 9 timings. Aggressively-tuned DDR3-1600 looks to be the sweet spot. We had luck getting our Kingston HyperX DDR3-2133 kit running at DDR3-1600 CAS 7 on a couple of boards, but not the ASRock board we eventually used for testing. Even at CAS 8, though, performance was superb."

I believe it's referring to CAS being a huge factor in conjuction with MHz. Logically, faster RAM is better, but what constitutes faster RAM?

I am not 100% sure, but I think 1600MHz CAS7 can be faster than 1866MHz CAS9.

If you had read the article I linked you would KNOW that I am sure

 

[rex000]

If you had read the article I linked you would KNOW that I am sure

Yep, I read the article that you have linked above. As I indicated, it compares only faster clocked RAM by Mhz (1866 vs 1333).

Obviously 1866Mhz beats 1600Mhz which 1333Mhz (etc.), assuming all other variables are constant (ie. CAS Latency).

It mentions nothing about the effect that 'CAS Latency' has on overall performance, which is why I linked the other article into the discussion to address this point.

 

[Outlander_04]

Memory bandwidth is the issue . Latency is not

"Before wrapping up, we should note that Llano users should definitely spring for the faster DDR3-1866 RAM as it dramatically improved both game and general system performance."

 

[vtphs]

so lano requires 1866 basically? can any one recommend a good cheap hdd with atleast 250gb but not over $100

 

[rex000]

Western Digital Caviar Blue = 500GB
^
Used to cost $40, which I thought was the best for a budget build.... prices have increased atm so I think the price has doubled, if not more.

 

[Zero_]

Western Digital Caviar Blue = 500GB
^
Used to cost $40, which I thought was the best for a budget build.... prices have increased atm so I think the price has doubled, if not more.

Costs around $90 now IIRC.

 

[NoobNeb]

hard drive prices are ridiculous atm

 

[Raiddinn]

You can get 500 GB DVR hard drives on ebay for like $15.

The PC may not be in love with it, but you should be able to make it work.

I have one in my PC and it works fine enough.

 

[Zero_]

Here's one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IZN3YI?tag=banforbucga08-20&camp=213761&creative=393545&linkCode=bpl&creativeASIN=B004IZN3YI&adid=0WWTPEGBXEWR6XBJ6A6M&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fgamingrig.blogspot.com%2F

Seagate Barracuda 1TB for $74.95