Final specs - i5-2500 build - OK?

[real world]

Hi guys. These are the final specs on an i5-2500 build. I'm trying to keep the budget as reasonable as possible. If all looks well, I'm going to order. Thanks for any opinions or advice.

CPU - i5-2500 - $185

Mobo - ASRock H61M-GE LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - $59
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157256

PSU - COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS500-PCARD3-US 500W - $30 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031

Case - XCLIO Godspeed 747 Fully Black Finish 0.5 mm SECC / ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103035&Tpk=xclio%20747

RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 - $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426

DVD/CD Drive - SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner 22X - $18

Hard Drive - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500G SATA3 7200rpm 16MB - $78
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=HD-W50AAKX

Video Card - Sapphire Radeon HD6770 1GB DDR5 DVI/ HDMI - $73 AR
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=AT-HD6770


Total is about $530 after $30 in rebates. I don't want to spend any more. Some of the prices reflect discounts I'll be getting using Chase Visa at Amazon. Do these components look ok?

The PC will be used by my parents for casual stuff for the most part, like net surfing, video watching, some photo editing, light gaming, etc. Maybe some occasional Battlefield when I visit.

 

[g-unit1111]

I'd definitely recommend way better fore $530. Xclio is a junk brand and you definitely don't want to skimp on the PSU or motherboard.

Try this - this build will only run you about $12 more but you won't sacrifice quality on any of the parts or have a PSU that won't explode on you. The CPU is still more than capable and will last you just as long.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233 - Cooler Master HAF 912 - $59.99
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013 - XFX Core Edition 550W - $69.99 ($15 rebate)
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 - Asrock Z68 Extreme 3 Gen 3 - $121.99
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078 - 3.30GHz Intel Core i3-2120 - $124.99
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226095 - Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB 1333Mhz - $41.99
Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244 - Samsung DVD Burner - $15.99
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121474 - Asus Radeon HD 6770 - $109.99 ($20 rebate)

Total: $542.70 - $507.70 after rebates

 

[quicksand10]

Looks good, but why do you need an i5-2500?

I would go with a cheaper i5 or i3, or even a mid-range AMD; boards and processors are cheaper and would suit your parents usage...

Did you consider those options?

 

[g-unit1111]

Looks good, but why do you need an i5-2500?

I would go with a cheaper i5 or i3, or even a mid-range AMD; boards and processors are cheaper and would suit your parents usage...

Did you consider those options?

I agree that the 2500 is a bit overkill for what the OP needs it to do - You get a blazing fast CPU but you sacrifice on all the other hardware needed to work. but I think I would go i3-2120 over a mid-range AMD CPU.

 

[real world]

So u guys think down shifting to an i3-2120 and saving about $70 would be worth it? The i3 isn't a true quad core though. No issues with that?

 

[g-unit1111]

So u guys think down shifting to an i3-2120 and saving about $70 would be worth it? The i3 isn't a true quad core though. No issues with that?

Not really especially for what you need it to do. I use this CPU in my work computer and I barely max above 80% CPU load on full use. Probably only playing, say, BF3 would you really notice a difference.

 

[quicksand10]

Absolutely none. Not for your intended usage.

And I would feel better about that H61 chipset with the i3

 

[g-unit1111]

Absolutely none. Not for your intended usage.

And I would feel better about that H61 chipset with the i3

No - go Z68 - better expandability options in the future - especially if you plan to add more RAM (supports 32GB, H61 supports 8 max), has support for SLI/Crossfire, support for 3TB+ hard drives, has the Smart SSD caching feature, and has overclocking features for i5-2500K should the OP decide to upgrade later on.

 

[quicksand10]

No - go Z68 - better expandability options in the future - especially if you plan to add more RAM (supports 32GB, H61 supports 8 max), has support for SLI/Crossfire, support for 3TB+ hard drives, has the Smart SSD caching feature, and has overclocking features for i5-2500K should the OP decide to upgrade later on.

Dude, the PC is for his parents. I will presume they aren't planning on overclocking or adding GPUs.
Z68 is a better chipset without a doubt, but for his usage and budget the H61 is very much adequate.
The OP doesn't wanna spend a lot. I checked: the cheapest Z68 boards are obviously more expensive than the H61 the OP selected.

However, if you are considering "downgrading" to an i3 processor, and want to give yourself a margin of maneuver for possible upgrades with the money you have saved, by all means, go for a Z68 motherboard (cheaper ones like the micro-atx ASUS P8Z68-M PRO and the like).

Then again, 70$ saved can almost go towards an SSD boot drive... Lots of options to consider!

 

[real world]

No - go Z68 - better expandability options in the future - especially if you plan to add more RAM (supports 32GB, H61 supports 8 max), has support for SLI/Crossfire, support for 3TB+ hard drives, has the Smart SSD caching feature, and has overclocking features for i5-2500K should the OP decide to upgrade later on.

Dude, the PC is for his parents. I will presume they aren't planning on overclocking or adding GPUs.
Z68 is a better chipset without a doubt, but for his usage and budget the H61 is very much adequate.
The OP doesn't wanna spend a lot. I checked: the cheapest Z68 boards are obviously more expensive than the H61 the OP selected.

However, if you are considering "downgrading" to an i3 processor, and want to give yourself a margin of maneuver for possible upgrades with the money you have saved, by all means, go for a Z68 motherboard (cheaper ones like the micro-atx ASUS P8Z68-M PRO and the like).

Then again, 70$ saved can almost go towards an SSD boot drive... Lots of options to consider!

Bingo. I won't be uprgrading, nor overclocking this PC. It's not for me. It's for my parents who live in another state. I'm visiting them this coming weekend, and they want me to build them a new PC. The only time this unit will sniff a Battlefield game is when I'm staying there a couple of times a year. So all I need is for BC2 or BF3 to playable on low to medium settings, on stock cooling. Were it for me, we'd be talking a completely different level of machinery.

I can pick up an i3-2100 for $99 at a local microcenter, and stick it in my luggage. Would you do that, or buy the i3-2120 online for about $15-20 more? IIRC, a lot of people prefer the 2120 > 2100.

What do you guys think of the Cooler Master PSU I chose? Good enough, or invest in something better? According to the calculators, with an i3-2120 the system specs would require 275 watts of power. Should I invest in this Antec instead?

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033

 

[quicksand10]

CoolerMaster's PSUs aren't known to be reliable...
Never heard of that specific PSU, but if the reviews on Newegg say it's good then I'm sure it's good! Besides, Antec makes good PSUs

For the processor, it's up to you really. Personally, I'd go with the i3-2130 because the price difference isn't that great...

 

[Outlander_04]

g-unit do you really think a HAF is a good case for your parents to use for surfing?

 

[g-unit1111]

What do you guys think of the Cooler Master PSU I chose? Good enough, or invest in something better? According to the calculators, with an i3-2120 the system specs would require 275 watts of power. Should I invest in this Antec instead?

Definitely invest in something better. The PSU is one area where I would *NOT* recommend going cheap in. You might want to read what happens if you get the wrong PSU: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/low-cost-psu-pc-power-supply,2862.html

Bingo. I won't be uprgrading, nor overclocking this PC. It's not for me. It's for my parents who live in another state. I'm visiting them this coming weekend, and they want me to build them a new PC. The only time this unit will sniff a Battlefield game is when I'm staying there a couple of times a year. So all I need is for BC2 or BF3 to playable on low to medium settings, on stock cooling. Were it for me, we'd be talking a completely different level of machinery.

But say they want to fill up a hard drive, and then add additional storage - Z68 will make it easier. H67 is still a viable option as well, I would not recommend getting H61 though.

Maybe try this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121508

I can pick up an i3-2100 for $99 at a local microcenter, and stick it in my luggage. Would you do that, or buy the i3-2120 online for about $15-20 more? IIRC, a lot of people prefer the 2120 > 2100.

It's pretty much the same CPU - take your pick. They're both excellent choices.

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

It's a good choice but 380W will be underpowered if you plan to run a dedicated GPU. Maybe try this for the price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

 

[real world]

What do you guys think of the Cooler Master PSU I chose? Good enough, or invest in something better? According to the calculators, with an i3-2120 the system specs would require 275 watts of power. Should I invest in this Antec instead?

Definitely invest in something better. The PSU is one area where I would *NOT* recommend going cheap in. You might want to read what happens if you get the wrong PSU: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/low-cost-psu-pc-power-supply,2862.html

Bingo. I won't be uprgrading, nor overclocking this PC. It's not for me. It's for my parents who live in another state. I'm visiting them this coming weekend, and they want me to build them a new PC. The only time this unit will sniff a Battlefield game is when I'm staying there a couple of times a year. So all I need is for BC2 or BF3 to playable on low to medium settings, on stock cooling. Were it for me, we'd be talking a completely different level of machinery.

But say they want to fill up a hard drive, and then add additional storage - Z68 will make it easier. H67 is still a viable option as well, I would not recommend getting H61 though.

Maybe try this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121508

I can pick up an i3-2100 for $99 at a local microcenter, and stick it in my luggage. Would you do that, or buy the i3-2120 online for about $15-20 more? IIRC, a lot of people prefer the 2120 > 2100.

It's pretty much the same CPU - take your pick. They're both excellent choices.

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

It's a good choice but 380W will be underpowered if you plan to run a dedicated GPU. Maybe try this for the price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

First, thanks for you help, and I hear you on the PSU. I went with a Corsair HX series in my i5 gaming rig. I worry about those CX Builders series units though. Lots of bad reviews about whining sounds, and DOA's. Maybe the 500 is built a little better than the 430, but from reviews the CX's don't seem to be as good as the Corsair name they carry. I read that they sub out the manufacturing of those models. Who knows.


I think I'm going to go with the i3-2100 and an H61 mobo. Likely that AsRock, or maybe the ASUS. I prefer Asus made mobo's but their H61 board gets mixed reviews.

So...


i3-2100
AsRocl H61 board
Gskill Ripjaws 8GB DDR3
Coolermaster Elite 311 Case
WD Caviar Blue 500GB HDD
Sapphire HD 6770
Samsung DVD/CD-RW

I just need to decide between these 3 PSU's:


Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus Series 500W

or

Corsair Builders Series CX500 V2

or

Antec Earthmwatts Green EA-380D

 

[Outlander_04]

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

It's a good choice but 380W will be underpowered if you plan to run a dedicated GPU. Maybe try this for the price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

The Tomshardware SMB $500 builds last year both used the Antec 380 green , with a quadcore Phenom and a 6870 Radeon ....a system that will draw an actual 250 - 270 watts .

The system suggested here will draw at least 70 watts less than that at full load so if the 380 watt will be fine

 

[real world]

Thanks for all the help fellas. I went with the i3-2100, ASRock H61M-GE mobo, and the antec Earthwatts 380 PSU. Oh, and the Cooler Master Elite 311 case. Thanks again for all your help!