Hi, long time lurker, first time poster here. I'm building for the first time to replace my inherited 10 years old Pentium 4.
Approximate Purchase Date: Feb-Mar 2013
Budget Range: $500-$600 (cheaper is always better though)
System Usage from Most to Least Important:
1. File logging
2. Watching some home made 1080p video and YouTube's HD videos
3. Web surfing
Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Speakers, OS, Optical Drive
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, pcpartpicker.com
Parts Preferences: None
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: No
Monitor Resolution: 1024x768 at the moment, 1920x1200 in the coming months
Additional Comments:
1. As stated in the title, I want a low power PC since it will be running almost 24/7. The lower the better.
2. I want a long lasting PC (at least 5 years). In the past, overheating has been my main problem. So I hope my PC can run cooler this time.
3. It will run Ubuntu or Linux Mint. But I might change it to Windows 7 or 8 in the future.
4. I'm willing to break my budget as long as it can give me a reasonably lower power consumption compared to the budget increase.
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I have tried to gather up the parts that might work for me. Don't hesitate to change anything that I have listed here, even if I have to change the whole thing.
Processor: Intel i3-3220 3.3GHz $130
I'm also open to AMD, but from what I've read, theirs are more power hungry.
Motherboard: MSI B75MA-E33 LGA 1155 Intel B75 (MicroATX) $60
I want USB 3.0 to be natively supported by my motherboard, with at least either HDMI or DisplayPort present. I've considered some Mini-ITX too, but can't find a good match.
Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $30
I have two concerns here. First, whether I should go low voltage like the Kingston LoVo series. Second, should I go higher with 8GB of memory? I'm thinking for my current needs, 4GB should be sufficient. But in the coming 5 years it might be not. Some may say just get 4GB now and add another 4GB later. But my mobo almost certainly will only support 2 slot.
Video Card: None
My overheating problem in the past had always struck the video card. So I'm a bit concerned whether the integrated Intel HD 2500 Graphics will go under early because of running 24/7 and viewing 1080p videos. Is this possible? Should I just get a cheap video card so it'll be easier to replace in case it died?
HDD: Western Digital Green 1TB SATA 6.0Gbps $80
I'm avoiding SSD at the moment because it's still too pricey. I don't really need a huge amount of space, but I like that this drive has SATA3 and big cache. On another note, would 2.5 inch drive be better for my build?
Case: Corsair Carbide 200R ATX Mid Tower $50
I was trying to find a MicroATX case since my mobo is MicroATX, but can't find any that's cheap and nice. Basically, I want the case to have USB 3.0 and audio jack on the front panel. Tool-less, cable management, and card reader would be nice too, but not necessary.
PSU: Cooler Master GX 450W 80 Plus Bronze $60
TOTAL: $410
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Any help and suggestion will be very well appreciated. Thanks
Approximate Purchase Date: Feb-Mar 2013
Budget Range: $500-$600 (cheaper is always better though)
System Usage from Most to Least Important:
1. File logging
2. Watching some home made 1080p video and YouTube's HD videos
3. Web surfing
Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Speakers, OS, Optical Drive
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, pcpartpicker.com
Parts Preferences: None
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: No
Monitor Resolution: 1024x768 at the moment, 1920x1200 in the coming months
Additional Comments:
1. As stated in the title, I want a low power PC since it will be running almost 24/7. The lower the better.
2. I want a long lasting PC (at least 5 years). In the past, overheating has been my main problem. So I hope my PC can run cooler this time.
3. It will run Ubuntu or Linux Mint. But I might change it to Windows 7 or 8 in the future.
4. I'm willing to break my budget as long as it can give me a reasonably lower power consumption compared to the budget increase.
---
I have tried to gather up the parts that might work for me. Don't hesitate to change anything that I have listed here, even if I have to change the whole thing.
Processor: Intel i3-3220 3.3GHz $130
I'm also open to AMD, but from what I've read, theirs are more power hungry.
Motherboard: MSI B75MA-E33 LGA 1155 Intel B75 (MicroATX) $60
I want USB 3.0 to be natively supported by my motherboard, with at least either HDMI or DisplayPort present. I've considered some Mini-ITX too, but can't find a good match.
Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $30
I have two concerns here. First, whether I should go low voltage like the Kingston LoVo series. Second, should I go higher with 8GB of memory? I'm thinking for my current needs, 4GB should be sufficient. But in the coming 5 years it might be not. Some may say just get 4GB now and add another 4GB later. But my mobo almost certainly will only support 2 slot.
Video Card: None
My overheating problem in the past had always struck the video card. So I'm a bit concerned whether the integrated Intel HD 2500 Graphics will go under early because of running 24/7 and viewing 1080p videos. Is this possible? Should I just get a cheap video card so it'll be easier to replace in case it died?
HDD: Western Digital Green 1TB SATA 6.0Gbps $80
I'm avoiding SSD at the moment because it's still too pricey. I don't really need a huge amount of space, but I like that this drive has SATA3 and big cache. On another note, would 2.5 inch drive be better for my build?
Case: Corsair Carbide 200R ATX Mid Tower $50
I was trying to find a MicroATX case since my mobo is MicroATX, but can't find any that's cheap and nice. Basically, I want the case to have USB 3.0 and audio jack on the front panel. Tool-less, cable management, and card reader would be nice too, but not necessary.
PSU: Cooler Master GX 450W 80 Plus Bronze $60
TOTAL: $410
---
Any help and suggestion will be very well appreciated. Thanks