New PC Build

Takaharu · Jul 11, 2011, 08:43 PM

Worried? Fret not, it's not for me.

I'm going to build a PC for my Fiancée's sister. It needs to be as modern as possible (1155 or FM1) and perform to a mediocre level of gaming (think - it can play any game under the sun but we don't care about full whack).

So far:
Coolermaster Elite 335 Case
Gigabyte GA-A75M-D2H (Socket FM1)
AMD Llano A6-3650 2.60GHz (Socket FM1)
Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 (9-9-9-24)
WD 1.5TB SATA-III 6Gb/s Caviar Black (needs plenty of storage space)
Corsair 600W CX Series V2
Comes to £361.09, max budget £400. I will also need to add a bog-standard keyboard and entry-level laser mouse.

Should I go down this route or 1155?

Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 (9-9-9-24)
WD 1.5TB SATA-III 6Gb/s Caviar Black (needs plenty of storage space)
Corsair 600W CX Series V2
Coolermaster Elite 335 Case
ASRock P67 Pro
Core i3 2100
£363.62

Tipstaff · Jul 11, 2011, 09:08 PM

Edit: I'll have to come back to this tomorrow with something with a lower price.

OldBuzzard · Jul 12, 2011, 12:44 AM

I'd think that the FM1 platform would be the way to go. From the reviews I've seen, it will do exactly what you want. Plus, IF she should need a bit more GPU power in the future, it scales very well if you add another ATI card.

If adding a 2nd GPU is never going to happen, you could probably go with the CX500 V2 PSU to save a few £.

I'd think hard about using one big HDD though. I might be better to use two. A small one for the OS, and applications, and a larger one for data storage.

blibbax · Jul 12, 2011, 08:28 AM

Is it just me or does your 1155 build have no display adaptor?

High-end FM1 is probably where you want to be, though.

I'd go for the cheapest good quality PSU you can find - probably a CX430 - as there's no way you're going to use more than 200W really.

If you can squeeze it in under budget, perhaps by dropping to a less expensive storage drive as well, a low end SSD as the boot drive would earn you a lot of browny points with the ultra fast application loading times. Most uneducated users don't know the difference between a fast computer and fast storage :P

Takaharu · Jul 12, 2011, 10:59 AM

Yeah, I did think that the FM1 had potential. I'd imagine it'll have plenty of room to expand in the future, being a brand-new socket and all.
Another GPU I'd say is more than likely to be added sometime further down the line. I can acquire a 8800GS on the cheap from a friend of mine if the onboard doesn't suffice or, by the looks of (very few?) benchmarks, adding a 6000 series could be the way to go. A 6670 or something along those lines.
I chose a 600W PSU as it was about £8 more than a 500W and £18 less than a 600W GS series. It leaves plenty of room for expansion so I thought "why not".
Well the user's 8 years old so I don't think that an SSD is on the shopping list quite yet.
Two HDDs... come to think of it, that's a great idea. I spent a weekend recovering two harddrives for her father recently (don't ask, I really don't know what happned + it's a long story).
blibbax - It's a valid point about the graphics card. I'd forgotten to add in the post that I can get a 8800GS for about £30.
As for the SSD, she's 8. I don't think she's that bothered about speed.

Oh, I also haven't mentioned that I have a spare DVD-ROM drive. I'm pretty sure no burning will be done on that PC but I'll ask anyway. They're only about £16 for the dog's bananas version now anyway.

Redux:
Coolermaster Elite 335 Case
Gigabyte GA-A75M-UD2H A75 (Socket FM1)
AMD Llano A6-3650 2.60GHz (Socket FM1)
Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 (9-9-9-24)
Corsair 600W CX Series V2
WD 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Caviar Black
Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB SATAII
Logitech Deluxe 250 Black Keyboard - PS2 - OEM
Logitech LS1 Pink LASER MOUSE - USB
£393.07

I changed to the UD2H as it has 4 slots for RAM, rather than 2.

**synthesis204** · Jul 13, 2011, 02:21 PM

Go with the FM1, and before you give it to her test it out and tell us how it is

Also, a 6670 would suffice plenty, I think -- can run most modern games on medium, and older/less serious games (ala Sims 3, etc.) run beautifully.

Jul 11, 2011, 08:43 PM	#1
Takaharu I can fart in 7 languages Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: England, UK Posts: 1,850 Rep Power: 113 System Specs	New PC Build Worried? Fret not, it's not for me. I'm going to build a PC for my Fiancée's sister. It needs to be as modern as possible (1155 or FM1) and perform to a mediocre level of gaming (think - it can play any game under the sun but we don't care about full whack). So far: Coolermaster Elite 335 Case Gigabyte GA-A75M-D2H (Socket FM1) AMD Llano A6-3650 2.60GHz (Socket FM1) Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 (9-9-9-24) WD 1.5TB SATA-III 6Gb/s Caviar Black (needs plenty of storage space) Corsair 600W CX Series V2 Comes to £361.09, max budget £400. I will also need to add a bog-standard keyboard and entry-level laser mouse. Should I go down this route or 1155? Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 (9-9-9-24) WD 1.5TB SATA-III 6Gb/s Caviar Black (needs plenty of storage space) Corsair 600W CX Series V2 Coolermaster Elite 335 Case ASRock P67 Pro Core i3 2100 £363.62 __________________ I don't get paid to know the answer, therefore I'm far more likely to give you a straight and honest answer. Mods Rig, Box Mods Rig, Folding details Last edited by Takaharu; Jul 11, 2011 at 10:33 PM.

Jul 11, 2011, 09:08 PM	#2
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 190 System Specs	Re: New PC Build Edit: I'll have to come back to this tomorrow with something with a lower price. __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick.

Jul 12, 2011, 12:44 AM	#3
OldBuzzard DH's oldest Geek Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oberlin, OH Posts: 2,783 Rep Power: 145 System Specs	Re: New PC Build I'd think that the FM1 platform would be the way to go. From the reviews I've seen, it will do exactly what you want. Plus, IF she should need a bit more GPU power in the future, it scales very well if you add another ATI card. If adding a 2nd GPU is never going to happen, you could probably go with the CX500 V2 PSU to save a few £. I'd think hard about using one big HDD though. I might be better to use two. A small one for the OS, and applications, and a larger one for data storage. __________________ When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

Jul 12, 2011, 08:28 AM	#4
blibbax What does this do? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 4,231 Rep Power: 254 System Specs	Re: New PC Build Is it just me or does your 1155 build have no display adaptor? High-end FM1 is probably where you want to be, though. I'd go for the cheapest good quality PSU you can find - probably a CX430 - as there's no way you're going to use more than 200W really. If you can squeeze it in under budget, perhaps by dropping to a less expensive storage drive as well, a low end SSD as the boot drive would earn you a lot of browny points with the ultra fast application loading times. Most uneducated users don't know the difference between a fast computer and fast storage :P __________________ Donate the spare computing power of your PC to help to cure Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease and cancer: Fold for HH!

Jul 12, 2011, 10:59 AM	Thread Starter #5
Takaharu I can fart in 7 languages Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: England, UK Posts: 1,850 Rep Power: 113 System Specs	Re: New PC Build Yeah, I did think that the FM1 had potential. I'd imagine it'll have plenty of room to expand in the future, being a brand-new socket and all. Another GPU I'd say is more than likely to be added sometime further down the line. I can acquire a 8800GS on the cheap from a friend of mine if the onboard doesn't suffice or, by the looks of (very few?) benchmarks, adding a 6000 series could be the way to go. A 6670 or something along those lines. I chose a 600W PSU as it was about £8 more than a 500W and £18 less than a 600W GS series. It leaves plenty of room for expansion so I thought "why not". Well the user's 8 years old so I don't think that an SSD is on the shopping list quite yet. Two HDDs... come to think of it, that's a great idea. I spent a weekend recovering two harddrives for her father recently (don't ask, I really don't know what happned + it's a long story). blibbax - It's a valid point about the graphics card. I'd forgotten to add in the post that I can get a 8800GS for about £30. As for the SSD, she's 8. I don't think she's that bothered about speed. Oh, I also haven't mentioned that I have a spare DVD-ROM drive. I'm pretty sure no burning will be done on that PC but I'll ask anyway. They're only about £16 for the dog's bananas version now anyway. Redux: Coolermaster Elite 335 Case Gigabyte GA-A75M-UD2H A75 (Socket FM1) AMD Llano A6-3650 2.60GHz (Socket FM1) Corsair 4GB DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 (9-9-9-24) Corsair 600W CX Series V2 WD 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Caviar Black Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB SATAII Logitech Deluxe 250 Black Keyboard - PS2 - OEM Logitech LS1 Pink LASER MOUSE - USB £393.07 I changed to the UD2H as it has 4 slots for RAM, rather than 2. __________________ I don't get paid to know the answer, therefore I'm far more likely to give you a straight and honest answer. Mods Rig, Box Mods Rig, Folding details

Jul 13, 2011, 02:21 PM	#6
synthesis204 Dragonborn Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,175 Rep Power: 97 System Specs	Re: New PC Build Go with the FM1, and before you give it to her test it out and tell us how it is Also, a 6670 would suffice plenty, I think -- can run most modern games on medium, and older/less serious games (ala Sims 3, etc.) run beautifully. __________________ Donate the spare computing power of your PC to help to cure alzheimers, ALS, huntington's, parkinson's disease and cancer: Fold for HH!