Check my proposed build

[mattatcomputer]

Hey guys, trying to build a low budget computer like 250 pounds - wanted to run it through the forum to check compatibility and to listen to suggestions. Meant for an upgrade to my ancient Dell Dimension 3000 and will add a GPU to play games ( mid intensity) later, when I have more money.


SPEC LIST:

Mobo: 36 pounds
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+H61+%28B3%29/ASROCK+H61+H61M-VS+Intel+H61+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Micro-ATX+Motherboard+?productId=48563

Case + PSU: 50 pounds
http://www.ebuyer.com/220863-coolermaster-elite-330-case-with-coolermaster-extreme-power-500w-psu-rc-330-kkpl-gp

RAM: 20 pounds
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucial-PC3-10600-Desktop-Upgrade-240-pin/dp/B001R4BT1M/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1329660921&sr=1-2

Processor: 56 pounds
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-LGA1155-Pentium-G840-Processor/dp/B004XSJS1M/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1329661365&sr=1-1-spell

Windows 7: 70 pounds

Optical Drive: 10 pounds BTW can I recycle the one from my Dell dimension 3000?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-GH22NS-SATA-DVDRW-Drive/dp/B002IST634/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1329661394&sr=1-3

Hard drive: Again could I recycle from my Dell? If not Ill go for this: 58 pounds
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SEAGATE-Barracuda-Internal-Hard-Drive/dp/B005F306RY/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1329661459&sr=1-2

Anything I have missed?

Thanks in advance

 

[catatafish]

Man, that's a heavy computer....I think mine weighs like 35 pounds total

Seriously though.... nice economy build. The mobo supports a nicer chip...the case gets some good reviews for bang for the buck....and the mobo even has old timey PS2 connections in case you want to reuse your old timey mouse/keyboard.

Your optical and HDD look fine for reusing. Make sure your big box store Dell has a removable optical drive. I've had store bought PCs before where it seemed like nothing was removable because they were so heavily integrated in to the case.

 

[mattatcomputer]

Ok thanks for the input mate and just wanted to check is the Crucial RAM OK or should I switch to Corsair or Kingston?

 

[SingingThroughTheStorm]

Ok thanks for the input mate and just wanted to check is the Crucial RAM OK or should I switch to Corsair or Kingston?

A lot of people swear by Crucial ram. I have Corsair, but I think I have heard more positive things about Crucial then Corsair.

 

[mattatcomputer]

Ah ok thanks for the reply.

I think I will stick with Crucial then , and can I just check will Windows 7 run on this processor? I don't know where the GPU power is going to come from to run Windows 7? =S

 

[hellfire24]

i am a corsair guy but crucial and kingston are good too.

 

[catatafish]

Windows 7 64bit is fine for that rig. I don't know what you mean about GPU/power/Win7 though.

+1 on the crucial, perfectly adequate for what you're doing.

 

[elbert]

When building a PC you should never skimp on the power supply and motherboard. The Cooler Master Power supplys are ok but that motherboard has neither SATA 3, USB 3, or PCIE 3. I suggest you get the motherboard in your CPU link the frequently bought together. The Asus P8H61-M PRO REV 3.0 has SATA 6GB and USB 3.0.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-LGA1155-Pentium-G840-Processor/dp/B004XSJS1M/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1329661365&sr=1-1-spell&tag=vglnk-uk-c83-21

 

[mattatcomputer]

Well ran a Windows 7 tool to find out whether my Dell could run it. The results indicated that I had to upgrade my GPU otherwise I would not be able to run Windows 7. I am worried for this build because I can not see any graphics, unless there is an onboard GPU on the processor/motherboard?

 

[mattatcomputer]

When building a PC you should never skimp on the power supply and motherboard. The Cooler Master Power supplys are ok but that motherboard has neither SATA 3, USB 3, or PCIE 3. I suggest you get the motherboard in your CPU link the frequently bought together. The Asus P8H61-M PRO REV 3.0 has SATA 6GB and USB 3.0.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-LGA1155-Pentium-G840-Processor/dp/B004XSJS1M/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1329661365&sr=1-1-spell&tag=vglnk-uk-c83-21

Thanks for replying

It is a 34 pound price jump , how crucial is the SATA 3, USB 3, or PCIE 3 - what would you use them for? Would I need these for my purposes ( midrange gaming - Diablo 3 + GW2 on high that sort of thing )

 

[SingingThroughTheStorm]

Thanks for replying

It is a 34 pound price jump , how crucial is the SATA 3, USB 3, or PCIE 3 - what would you use them for? Would I need these for my purposes ( midrange gaming - Diablo 3 + GW2 on high that sort of thing )

You wouldn't NEED these things. USB 3 is only good if you have USB 3 devices. Sata 3
is only good if you are using an amazing SSD, and PCIE 3 is pretty much just future proofing
for the next video cards.

 

[mattatcomputer]

Since this is budget I think I can live without having those things. However, the PCI-E 3 is a concern, do you mean by 'next video cards': the Kepler cards? Would I still be able to install a Kepler card onto my motherboard?

Thanks

 

[elbert]

Thanks for replying

It is a 34 pound price jump , how crucial is the SATA 3, USB 3, or PCIE 3 - what would you use them for? Would I need these for my purposes ( midrange gaming - Diablo 3 + GW2 on high that sort of thing )

SATA 3.0 is double the through put of SATA 2.0. If you upgrade to a SSD down the line you will cut its performance in half with the ASRock. The USB 3.0 will effect future portal devices you buy. The Asus P8H61-M PRO REV 3.0 has a much higher rating on newegg than the ASRock H61 H61M-VS Intel H61 (REV B3). By newegg the ASRock has a 15% chance of being DOA or incomparable with parts that should work.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-157-241&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

IF this system is for gaming do you have a video card? The Intel integrated graphics will not produce playable frame rates on high. You may want to look at AMD's A6-3650 as its got a much more powerful integrated graphic.

Your 840 will fall below the i3's in this test.

 

[SingingThroughTheStorm]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sata-6gbps-performance-sata-3gbps,3110.html

The real world difference isn't huge between Sata 2 and Sata 3 even when using SSD drives.

 

[elbert]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sata-6gbps-performance-sata-3gbps,3110.html

The real world difference isn't huge between Sata 2 and Sata 3 even when using SSD drives.

Gaming is about read performance on SSD's and in that it cuts their performance in half.

Write performance your correct as most SSD's dont push write speeds very high but that isn't important to games. Loading the game into memory is the important task.

 

[mattatcomputer]

SATA 3.0 is double the through put of SATA 2.0. If you upgrade to a SSD down the line you will cut its performance in half with the ASRock. The USB 3.0 will effect future portal devices you buy. The Asus P8H61-M PRO REV 3.0 has a much higher rating on newegg than the ASRock H61 H61M-VS Intel H61 (REV B3). By newegg the ASRock has a 15% chance of being DOA or incomparable with parts that should work.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-157-241&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

IF this system is for gaming do you have a video card? The Intel integrated graphics will not produce playable frame rates on high. You may want to look at AMD's A6-3650 as its got a much more powerful integrated graphic.
http://www.legitreviews.com/images/reviews/1655/stalker.jpg

I will probably not be ordering the new SSD hard drives. So I am safe there. Same with the portable devices, I do not use them , and do not really see when I will use them in the future. So the motherboard I have chosen is unreliable? What about this one instead: http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+H61+%28B3%29/Gigabyte+GA-H61M-DS2+Intel+H61+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=47452

The processor is about 20 pounds more expensive and I am not an AMD lover by any means. I will purchase a graphics card such as the GTX 460 or Radeon 7770 later on, as long as it is suitable for running Windows 7 at the moment then that is fine. When GW2 comes out , then I will probably get a new GPU. The AMD is also weaker in comparison to the Pentinum (according to Anandtech), when it comes to playing games on a separate GPU ( which is what I will be doing.)
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph4524/40747.png
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph4524/40757.png
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph4524/40751.png

 

[SingingThroughTheStorm]

Gaming is about read performance on SSD's and in that it cuts their performance in half.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/D/E/323186/original/compresread.png

Write performance your correct as most SSD's dont push write speeds very high but that isn't important to games. Loading the game into memory is the important task.

The drives that are going that fast are higher end ones though.
Look at the Intel that stayed the same with Sata 2 and Sata 3.

With a budget build as tight as his, I think processor, and GPU would be upgraded and added before an SSD.

 

[elbert]

I will probably not be ordering the new SSD hard drives. So I am safe there. Same with the portable devices, I do not use them , and do not really see when I will use them in the future. So the motherboard I have chosen is unreliable? What about this one instead: http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+H61+%28B3%29/Gigabyte+GA-H61M-DS2+Intel+H61+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=47452

The processor is about 20 pounds more expensive and I am not an AMD lover by any means. I will purchase a graphics card such as the GTX 460 or Radeon 7770 later on, as long as it is suitable for running Windows 7 at the moment then that is fine. When GW2 comes out , then I will probably get a new GPU. The AMD is also weaker in comparison to the Pentinum (according to Anandtech), when it comes to playing games on a separate GPU ( which is what I will be doing.)
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph4524/40747.png
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph4524/40757.png
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph4524/40751.png

That sounds much better as the Intel CPU's work great with video cards. You may want to look at GTX550 leaks which should be out this summer.

On the Gigabyte motherboard its not good either as it has a worse rating that the ASRock.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-128-527&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

 

[elbert]

The drives that are going that fast are higher end ones though.
Look at the Intel that stayed the same with Sata 2 and Sata 3.

With a budget build as tight as his, I think processor, and GPU would be upgraded and added before an SSD.

That is because the Intel 320 is only a SATA 2 SSD. This will occur with even an OCZ Agility 3 60GB which cost $90.

Intel SSD 320 300 GB SATA 3Gb/s, Firmware: 1.92

Samsung 830 256 GB SATA 6Gb/s, Firmware: CXMO

Crucial m4 256 GB SATA 6Gb/s, Firmware: 0009

OCZ Vertex 3 240 GB SATA 6Gb/s, Firmware: 2.15

Only the 6GB/s are SATA 3. Intels 520 Cherrville's are SATA 3 SSD's. The Intel 320 costs $530 and only SATA 2.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167056

 

[elbert]

Here is a good motherboard for only a few pounds more.
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+H61+%28B3%29/Gigabyte+GA-H61MA-D3V+GEN3+Intel+H61+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=48248

 

[mattatcomputer]

Here is a good motherboard for only a few pounds more.
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+H61+%28B3%29/Gigabyte+GA-H61MA-D3V+GEN3+Intel+H61+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=48248

Ok thanks I'll go for that Motherboard instead.

 

[mattatcomputer]

That sounds much better as the Intel CPU's work great with video cards. You may want to look at GTX550 leaks which should be out this summer.

On the Gigabyte motherboard its not good either as it has a worse rating that the ASRock.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-128-527&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

Wait, I thought the GTX 550 was already out? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004S5CCP4/ref=asc_df_B004S5CCP46636512?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004S5CCP4

 

[elbert]

Ok thanks I'll go for that Motherboard instead.

Good build and have a good time gaming.

 

[elbert]

Wait, I thought the GTX 550 was already out? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004S5CCP4/ref=asc_df_B004S5CCP46636512?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B004S5CCP4

Sorry the GTX650 your 460 throw me out of numbering.
http://www.gpureview.com/GeForce-GTX-650-Ti-card-672.html

 

[catatafish]

The gigabyte mobo is a good recommendation. Other than that, you've got a good build and you've done your homework. It's important to define your mission, and then build to suit that mission and I think you've done that. Don't worry about SSD and having a graphics card that will launch a space shuttle.