Recommendations for BUDGET HOME PC

[pilot1994]

Hello everybody,
I am in 1st year computer engineering
I want to build a BUDGET HOME PC

NO Gaming
NO Overclocking
NO Dedicated Graphics

I want only FUTURE-PROOF, RELIABLE, DECENT Performance

MY Budget

CPU - 150$ (Preferably With Integrated Graphics)
Motherboard - 100$ (Preferably Z68 or Z77)
RAM - 50$

Please Give your valuable recommendations
Thanks in advance

 

[rolli59]

Based on your plan you should go for an FM2 system. With your CPU budget a Z68 or 77 board would be a waste.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[swifty_morgan]

Based on your plan you should go for an FM2 system. With your CPU budget a Z68 or 77 board would be a waste.

agree.

 

[bodeen2012]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HlaV
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HlaV/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HlaV/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75 Pro4-M Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.30 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case: Zalman Z5 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $476.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-03 20:06 EST-0500)

 

[pilot1994]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HlaV
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HlaV/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HlaV/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD Radeon HD 7560D Quad-Core Processor ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75 Pro4-M Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.30 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case: Zalman Z5 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $476.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-03 20:06 EST-0500)

AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz has two physical cores only (two logical per physical makes it quad core)
Similarly Intel i3-3225 has two physical cores (two logical per physical makes it quad core)
Same specifications (only lacks turbo boost)

AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz has Average CPU Mark 4217
on the other side Intel i3-3225 has Average CPU Mark 4360

Both have integrated graphics

I dont mind spending 20-30$ more if i am getting an intel CPU (they are more relliable arnt they ?)

So is there any better alternative to intel i3 3225 in the price range upto 150$

FOR MOTHERBOARD
I have heard good for asrock z77 pro3 (NO integrated graphics NO overclocking)
What do you recommend ? (budget upto 100$)

FOR PSU
I am not going to use dedicated graphics or overclocking
I was recommended corsair cx430 (80 plus bronze certified)
Is there any better option upto 50$

Memory
I was recommended corsair vengenance 1x8GB (it has heat spreaders)
Is there any better option

As i am not going to OVERCLOCK the stock CPU Cooler would be fine right ?
Or should i buy a new Cooler master hyper 212 evo

 

[pilot1994]

AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz has two physical cores only (two logical per physical makes it quad core)
Similarly Intel i3-3225 has two physical cores (two logical per physical makes it quad core)
Same specifications (only lacks turbo boost)

AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz has Average CPU Mark 4217
on the other side Intel i3-3225 has Average CPU Mark 4360

Both have integrated graphics

I dont mind spending 20-30$ more if i am getting an intel CPU (they are more relliable arnt they ?)

So is there any better alternative to intel i3 3225 in the price range upto 150$

FOR MOTHERBOARD
I have heard good for asrock z77 pro3 (NO integrated graphics NO overclocking)
What do you recommend ? (budget upto 100$)

FOR PSU
I am not going to use dedicated graphics or overclocking
I was recommended corsair cx430 (80 plus bronze certified)
Is there any better option upto 50$

Memory
I was recommended corsair vengenance 1x8GB (it has heat spreaders)
Is there any better option

As i am not going to OVERCLOCK the stock CPU Cooler would be fine right ?
Or should i buy a new Cooler master hyper 212 evo

 

[tiny voices]

Heat spreaders make no difference on modern (ddr3) RAM. They don't get hot. Its for looks.

Get 2x4gb RAM
You don't need an aftermarket cooler.
You have no need for a z77 board. They are meant for overclocking high end CPU's. Get a b75 or h77 board.
Get the corsair cx430.
Get an i3 3225

 

[pilot1994]

Heat spreaders make no difference on modern (ddr3) RAM. They don't get hot. Its for looks.

Get 2x4gb RAM
You don't need an aftermarket cooler.
You have no need for a z77 board. They are meant for overclocking high end CPU's. Get a b75 or h77 board.
Get the corsair cx430.
Get an i3 3225

What is the benifit in getiin 2x4gb Ram instead of 1x8GB
Which one should i prefer (transcend Jet RAM, Kingston Hyper X, Corsair Vengenance, Corsair XMS)

What is the difference between h77 and z77 if i am not going to overclock it

Is h77 futureproof ?

Can you recommend a specific good motherboard for a budget upto 100$

USB 3.0 and SATA III (6GB/s) are necessary

 

[tiny voices]

Any ram will do. 2 sticks are always faster than 1.
There is no such thing as future proof. The h77 boards are perfectly fine. No worse than a z77 board for your needs. Hell, you could even use a b75 board and be perfectly fine.
The reason to get an h77 over a z77 is price. The are the same boards essentially but you cannot overclock on an h77. They are less expensive.

 

[pilot1994]

Any ram will do. 2 sticks are always faster than 1.
There is no such thing as future proof. The h77 boards are perfectly fine. No worse than a z77 board for your needs. Hell, you could even use a b75 board and be perfectly fine.
The reason to get an h77 over a z77 is price. The are the same boards essentially but you cannot overclock on an h77. They are less expensive.

I am getting a z77 motherboard at 90$ (Asrock z77 pro3)

I there any cheaper and better alternative

support for integrated graphics required

4xDDR3 RAM 1600Mhz (4 RAM slots with 1600Mhz support is welcomed)

 

[tiny voices]

The only reason to EVER get a z77 board is to overclock.

You could get a b75 board for $55 that does everything you want it to. You are over spending for a feature you don't even want.

Get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157303
Its a great board that will do everything you need.

 

[pilot1994]

The only reason to EVER get a z77 board is to overclock.

You could get a b75 board for $55 that does everything you want it to. You are over spending for a feature you don't even want.

Get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157303
Its a great board that will do everything you need.

I my parents agree and if i could increase my budget

Should i consider intel i5 3570K (215$) and Asrock z77 pro 3 (90$)

I repeat again
I am not a gamer
I will NOT overclock it
I will NOT used dedicated GRAPHICS

I if buy intel i5 3570 K do i need a cooler master hyper 212 evo
or the stock cooler will be fine

 

[tiny voices]

Don't get a k series CPU if you will not overclock. Nor a z77 board.

Get an i5 3470 and an h77 motherboard.
The stock cooler will be fine because you are not overclocking.

 

[davec80]

AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz has two physical cores only (two logical per physical makes it quad core)
Similarly Intel i3-3225 has two physical cores (two logical per physical makes it quad core)
Same specifications (only lacks turbo boost)

AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz has Average CPU Mark 4217
on the other side Intel i3-3225 has Average CPU Mark 4360

Both have integrated graphics

I dont mind spending 20-30$ more if i am getting an intel CPU (they are more relliable arnt they ?)

So is there any better alternative to intel i3 3225 in the price range upto 150$

FOR MOTHERBOARD
I have heard good for asrock z77 pro3 (NO integrated graphics NO overclocking)
What do you recommend ? (budget upto 100$)

FOR PSU
I am not going to use dedicated graphics or overclocking
I was recommended corsair cx430 (80 plus bronze certified)
Is there any better option upto 50$

Memory
I was recommended corsair vengenance 1x8GB (it has heat spreaders)
Is there any better option

As i am not going to OVERCLOCK the stock CPU Cooler would be fine right ?
Or should i buy a new Cooler master hyper 212 evo

CPU Mark only tells part of the story. For gaming, Intel chips around the same price point perform better. But interestingly enough, if you are NOT gaming...you get better CPU performance (like on everyday tasks) from AMD at a similar price point. Also, the built-in video of a AMD CPU will wipe the floor with any similar solution from Intel...at any price.

Or put another way...you would need to up your budget another ~100 bucks to build an intel system with the same performance...as that would require a dedicated graphics card (which the A8 system would not need) plus a slightly beefier power supply (to support dedicated graphics). BUT, that would be the route to go if you had any interest in gaming at all...

Intel is NOT more reliable. You have fallen for the hype of the intel shills...

The CX series of Corsair is the only models I would not recommend in the Corsair line. If you are looking for a bargain basement price power supply that isn't crap, try a Antec VP 450.

Corsair makes good memory, but 1 X 8GB makes no sense...for two reasons. 1st, you are highly unlikely to ever use more than 4GB of RAM. In fact, you will find it tough to use TWO GB of RAM. But even if you think you somehow need 4 times as much RAM as you will ever use...
a 2 X 4GB kit would offer better performance.

Stock CPU coolers are fine...even for overclocking. Cooler manufacturers like Cooler Master really do NOT want you to know that, though. (!)

 

[pilot1994]

Don't get a k series CPU if you will not overclock. Nor a z77 board.

Get an i5 3470 and an h77 motherboard.
The stock cooler will be fine because you are not overclocking.

For a budget of 120$ CPU should I consider AMD FX 6300 or AMD A8-5500 APU and why

What are its advantages and disadvantages
Is it relliable as INTEL

I repeat i am not a gamer
But i am persuing computer science engineering, so i may require a little better performance later while computing

Recommend the best and most relliable CPU (AMD vs INTEL)

If yes recommend a good motherboard under 100$ for it

 

[tiny voices]

Get an fx-6300. ALL CPU's are the same reliability.

Get this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157305

 

[pilot1994]

CPU Mark only tells part of the story. For gaming, Intel chips around the same price point perform better. But interestingly enough, if you are NOT gaming...you get better CPU performance (like on everyday tasks) from AMD at a similar price point. Also, the built-in video of a AMD CPU will wipe the floor with any similar solution from Intel...at any price.

Or put another way...you would need to up your budget another ~100 bucks to build an intel system with the same performance...as that would require a dedicated graphics card (which the A8 system would not need) plus a slightly beefier power supply (to support dedicated graphics). BUT, that would be the route to go if you had any interest in gaming at all...

Intel is NOT more reliable. You have fallen for the hype of the intel shills...

The CX series of Corsair is the only models I would not recommend in the Corsair line. If you are looking for a bargain basement price power supply that isn't crap, try a Antec VP 450.

Corsair makes good memory, but 1 X 8GB makes no sense...for two reasons. 1st, you are highly unlikely to ever use more than 4GB of RAM. In fact, you will find it tough to use TWO GB of RAM. But even if you think you somehow need 4 times as much RAM as you will ever use...
a 2 X 4GB kit would offer better performance.

Stock CPU coolers are fine...even for overclocking. Cooler manufacturers like Cooler Master really do NOT want you to know that, though. (!)

Thanks Dude you are a treasure of Knowledge

For a budget of 120$ CPU should I consider AMD FX 6300 or AMD A8-5500 APU and why

What are its advantages and disadvantages
Is it relliable as INTEL

I repeat i am not a gamer
But i am persuing computer science engineering, so i may require a little better performance later while computing

Recommend the best and most relliable CPU (AMD vs INTEL)

If yes recommend a good motherboard under 100$ for it

AMD fx 6300 has 6mb L2 and 8mb L3 cache which is far more than intel's 1mb L2 and 6mb L3 cache

Does having more L2 and L3 cache make your system perform better, How is it beneficial

 

[tiny voices]

It doesn't mean anything. The chips are too different to compare like that. Jet get the CPU and motherboard I just linked.

 

[pilot1994]

It doesn't mean anything. The chips are too different to compare like that. Jet get the CPU and motherboard I just linked.

The Motherboard you recommended supports 1600Mhz RAM only in OC (Overclocking) condition

I want 1600 Mhz support without OC (overclocking)

Why is Amd FX 6300 (no graphics) better than AMD A8-5500 APU (integrated graphics)

 

[pilot1994]

Get an fx-6300. ALL CPU's are the same reliability.

Get this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157305

AMD FX 6300 has no integrated graphics

Recommend a good cheap Graphic Card under 50$

And motherboard with 1600Mhz support without Overclocking under 100$

 

[Someone Somewhere]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75 Pro4-M Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Silverstone SST-RL01B-USB 3.0 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $480.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-04 04:07 EST-0500)

If you ever want to OC, this will be OK (with the possible addition of aftermarket cooler. Stock is fine otherwise). The 2 bulldozer modules are faster than two hyperthreaded cores, but slower than four plain cores. iGPU is great.