Computer build questions - uh oh

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Great -- thanks for the help.  And just to make sure I'm understanding (someone let me know if these questions are too basic for the thread) any of these mbs when combined with the i5 cpu will support decent resolution on a monitor without a separate video card?

 

[Couperin47]

Great -- thanks for the help.  And just to make sure I'm understanding (someone let me know if these questions are too basic for the thread) any of these mbs when combined with the i5 cpu will support decent resolution on a monitor without a separate video card?

 
Yes. Your cpu has Intel 4600 video built in. Here are the specs:
http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/guides/performance-xeon-e3-1200-hd-graphics-p4000-guide.pdf

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

 
Yes. Your cpu has Intel 4600 video built in. Here are the specs:
http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/guides/performance-xeon-e3-1200-hd-graphics-p4000-guide.pdf

 
Thanks couper -- anything in particular you would look for in a mini-itx mb to pair with this cpu.  They seem to range in price from $60 to $200 without too many obvious differences in features except for things like HDMI and various reviews about number of fan head connections and placement of various inputs. 

 

[Nick Kaufman]

careful, mini is different from micro, smaller.

 

[Couperin47]

 
Thanks couper -- anything in particular you would look for in a mini-itx mb to pair with this cpu.  They seem to range in price from $60 to $200 without too many obvious differences in features except for things like HDMI and various reviews about number of fan head connections and placement of various inputs. 

 
For future use, you want a mb that has 2 useful video outputs (and vga is obsolete and doesn't count) so look for one with DVI and HDMI. I'm not aware of any mb in microATX that includes all three: if one of the 2 provided is Displayport, just be aware your current monitor (probably) and many low end monitors don't have a Displayport input. The H97 chipset is excellent, current and fine since you're not overclocking. Virtually any should have one USB 3.0 front panel header which is what you need. I'm no fan of mini boards, going that small unless there's a real need (do you live in a phonebooth ?) seems pointless. When you see a mb you like post it here and we'll pick it apart for you.....

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

careful, mini is different from micro, smaller.

 
Right.  Whoops.
 
 

 
For future use, you want a mb that has 2 useful video outputs (and vga is obsolete and doesn't count) so look for one with DVI and HDMI. I'm not aware of any mb in microATX that includes all three: if one of the 2 provided is Displayport, just be aware your current monitor (probably) and many low end monitors don't have a Displayport input. The H97 chipset is excellent, current and fine since you're not overclocking. Virtually any should have one USB 3.0 front panel header which is what you need. I'm no fan of mini boards, going that small unless there's a real need (do you live in a phonebooth ?) seems pointless. When you see a mb you like post it here and we'll pick it apart for you.....

 
Ok.  Thanks again.  I'm still in the drawing board.  Moving to a mid-tower will mean moving where the computer sits, but I guess for a first build it probably makes some sense to give myself the extra room.  When I have the components picked out, I'll post and you all can rip apart.  I bought the SSD that you posted today in the tech bargains, figuring that $55 was pretty good and I'm going to need one no matter what.  So, I'm up and running, and will probably grab a power supply and HD next when a bargain comes along.

 

[Couperin47]

 
Right.  Whoops.
 
 
 
Ok.  Thanks again.  I'm still in the drawing board.  Moving to a mid-tower will mean moving where the computer sits, but I guess for a first build it probably makes some sense to give myself the extra room.  When I have the components picked out, I'll post and you all can rip apart.  I bought the SSD that you posted today in the tech bargains, figuring that $55 was pretty good and I'm going to need one no matter what.  So, I'm up and running, and will probably grab a power supply and HD next when a bargain comes along.

 
I profoundly apologize for having guided you into the hell that is the world of computer rebates...I do try whenever possible to mention sales that do not include this abomination. Anything outside the mainstream of atx mb/midtower cases tends to cost more and rarely goes on sale...which is unfortunate. Also note that Jayhoz above showed you a mb that has built-in wifi...if you go the micro route and that's not built in, you may use up your one slot instantly. I freely admit I'm rather insensitive to case size and thru the years the extra slots and room to add extra drives has allowed me to keep builds relevant and useful, all small formfactors corner you to some extent like any laptop and lead to earlier obsolescence. In midtowers it's possible to spend no more than $35 and have a more than decent case, in smaller sizes you usually start out close to double that.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

FWIW, I bought a corsair PSU with a rebate in November. I sent everything in order. Corsair came back to me on Christmas day or so ( I think strategically, so I miss the email) telling me I hadn't sent they torn out sku #. Only problem is that I had and they had either lost it or lying to me. Since I didn't have a copy, they didn't honor the rebate, even though I was vigilant and pressed my case. So yeah, rebates are a huge hassle.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

Also, I am pretty confident the Asus mobo I recommended is if not best in its class, among the top 5 best. And you won't get it cheaper. When I was looking for it, there was a shortage in the market and you barely could find it in a store, let alone on sale.Pay the $90 and go on your merry way.

 

[Couperin47]

Speaking of Corsair, I've always gotten the rebates because I tape everything to the form, follow the rules scrupulously and keep a copy of what I send in. I mention this because right now:
 
http://www.newegg.com/special/shellshocker.aspx?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=GD032515&nm_mc=EMC-GD032515&cm_mmc=EMC-GD032515-_-index-_-bottomBanner-_-ShellShocker-EB3
 
This 450W modular is perfect for your build, it's their very high quality GOLD version and...sigh.. after the $30 rebate it's $30 which is about as good as it's going to ever get for a PS of this quality....

 

[Nick Kaufman]

Yeah, that's the one I got.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

That is a pretty good deal.  I have a pretty good track record with rebates, but I think there's a reason why the do them -- I'm sure they end up never having to honor half of them. whether because of compliance difficulties, apathy, or making it difficult.
 
I bought the power supply.  I was looking at the non-modular 430 bronze for $32.  This seems even better, assuming the refund comes through.
 
Ok, great -- two pieces of the puzzle down.  And it looks like when I reach consensus (and finish negotiating with the Mrs.) the Asus mb is a good choice if I go small and the ASrock is a good one if I go mid-tower.  

 

[tonyandpals]

Okay, I'm in the need for a new desktop. I used to build my own 15 years ago, but I don't think I am up for the challenge today. If that's the case, where should I be shopping? I have a $125 gift card for Dell, so I am leaning that direction.  But honestly, I have no idea what to even look for...
 
Based on this thread, it seems clear that a SSD is a must. Storage size is not a huge concern as I'll be archiving a lot of the historical data to an external.
 
The machine will primarily be used for heavy (multiple browsers with multiple tabs) web browsing activities, a POS system (custom application) and the MS Office suite (large excel files, One Note and Outlook). It will connect to some other machines on the home LAN for sharing purposes as well. I need at least 2 displays (what I have today) but would really like to move to 3.
 
So what are some of the specs I should be looking at, minimum processor, HD, ram wise? Would like to keep it around 2k.  I already have a 24" and 27" display, with another 22" on deck that I'd likely upgrade to 24 or 27 if I can go w/ 3 displays.
 
Guide me smart people of SoSH...

 

[Couperin47]

Okay, I'm in the need for a new desktop. I used to build my own 15 years ago, but I don't think I am up for the challenge today. If that's the case, where should I be shopping? I have a $125 gift card for Dell, so I am leaning that direction.  But honestly, I have no idea what to even look for...
 
Based on this thread, it seems clear that a SSD is a must. Storage size is not a huge concern as I'll be archiving a lot of the historical data to an external.
 
The machine will primarily be used for heavy (multiple browsers with multiple tabs) web browsing activities, a POS system (custom application) and the MS Office suite (large excel files, One Note and Outlook). It will connect to some other machines on the home LAN for sharing purposes as well. I need at least 2 displays (what I have today) but would really like to move to 3.
 
So what are some of the specs I should be looking at, minimum processor, HD, ram wise? Would like to keep it around 2k.  I already have a 24" and 27" display, with another 22" on deck that I'd likely upgrade to 24 or 27 if I can go w/ 3 displays.
 
Guide me smart people of SoSH...

 
I'm going to start by focusing on one issue that will take some thought and investigation: You want to drive 3 monitors, all running at least 1900x1200 (and some probably considerably higher). Built in Intel graphics claim you can handle 3 monitors at higher frequencies...except I see no motherboards that have 3 video outputs (well some do, but one is vga...ludicrous in your situation). Even better, many/most motherboards have Bioses that turn off the Intel graphics the minute you install any other video card and make them useless the minute you do so. You need to thoroughly investigate if any particular mb will allow you to actually run both the inbuilt Intel video AND a separate graphics card.  There are some graphics cards that make running 3 monitors rather easy, but keep in mind for high end video resolutions (which your 27 may want) only DVI-D and Displayport will offer the bandwidth you probably need. In theory Displayport makes it easier to daisychain several monitors, but I'm not sure if they allow such a chain to set different resolutions for each and your monitors don't match in size...I suspect not. The good news is Windows 8.1 and up now allow you to set the display resolutions for each monitor attached separately...so you have that going for you...

 

[SumnerH]

 
Built in Intel graphics claim you can handle 3 monitors at higher frequencies...except I see no motherboards that have 3 video outputs (well some do, but one is vga...ludicrous in your situation).

 
In descending order of resolution:
1. For triple 4k,  the ASUS Z87-Deluxe supports three different 4096x2160 digital outputs (Displayport, mini Displayport, HDMI), which all work at once.
2. The cheaper Z87 Pro has Displayport (4096x2160), HDMI (4096x2160), and DVI (1900x1200), which all work at once.
3. It's not quite 1900x1200, but  DisplayPort 1.2 lets you do display chaining which lets you run three 1920x1080 displays off of a single port.  In theory you could also chain 2x 2560x1600 displays off of one port and run a third monitor off of HDMI, but the configuration there could get hairy (I've never tried it).
 
I'm sure there are other mobos out there that do so, but I know those ASUS boards are good boards and support 3 displays at once.
 
If you need to use adapters (displayport->hdmi or whatever), make sure you get decent active ones when you're running multiple displays.

 

[Couperin47]

I stand corrected, turns out I have not been watching recent Z97 chipset offerings, in fact 3 of the big four (Asus, Gigabyte & ASRock) all now have motherboards in the $160-190 range that offer HDMI, Displayport and DVI ports (I even see some that have DVI-D), which greatly simplifies things, especially since it's going to be rather easy to make sure your 3rd monitor has Displayport, you can easily avoid bottom end stuff that omits it.

 

[tonyandpals]

Thanks for the advice.  To do the 3 displays, would I be looking at building it myself.  Or is it possible for me to ship for a machine from a big box store that contains these motherboards?

 

[Couperin47]

Thanks for the advice.  To do the 3 displays, would I be looking at building it myself.  Or is it possible for me to ship for a machine from a big box store that contains these motherboards?

 
No mainstream computer maker uses medium to high end motherboards of this sort. No big box store sells anything but low end bargain desktops. Even custom/semi-custom makers like Alienware (now owned by Dell) are unlikely to use such motherboards because most of this market for higher end boxes of this sort are oriented to gamers who want boxes with very high end separate video cards, the last thing they care about or would use is the inbuilt Intel graphics of their cpus. If you want to do this using that sort of motherboard (and no reason not to, as long as you're not gaming the Intel graphics are more than good enough for general business uses), yes, you're going to have to build yourself.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

I don't have Microcenter nearby but I read on line that staples has a pretty decent pricematch and you can sometimes get them to match microcenter in store pick up prices if they show up online. I was going to get the i5 4460 for $179 online but saw that Microcenter has the 4590 online for in store pick up for $159.99 and Staples also sells that cpu online. I tried getting a pricematch by calling in to staples and it didn't go very well, because the microcenter web page doesn't have the full model number. So I tried in-store this morning and got them to match. They don't carry cpus but ordered it at a kiosk for delivery directly to my house. It was a bit touch and go because the staples web site shows the turbo speed (3.7) and the microcenter web site says 3.3, but the guy was pretty knowledgeable and did some research to confirm it was the same cpu. They also balked a little when they saw the nearest microcenter was 350 miles away, but they ultimately let me have it. Had to pay sales tax so got it for $173.27 all in. Almost the same price as the 4460 online, and I probably won't be doing anything where the difference between the 4460 and 4590 would matter much, but it seemed like a pretty good deal for this cpu and I guess having a brick and mortar store to deal with if there are problems is worth a little.

Something to look into if you don't happen to have a microcenter in driving distance. The 4590 was the only i5 I saw that was carried both by staples and also shows up on the microcenter web site, but this should work for any i3 or i7 too that is on both web sites.

 

[Couperin47]

I don't have Microcenter nearby but I read on line that staples has a pretty decent pricematch and you can sometimes get them to match microcenter in store pick up prices if they show up online. I was going to get the i5 4460 for $179 online but saw that Microcenter has the 4590 online for in store pick up for $159.99 and Staples also sells that cpu online. I tried getting a pricematch by calling in to staples and it didn't go very well, because the microcenter web page doesn't have the full model number. So I tried in-store this morning and got them to match. They don't carry cpus but ordered it at a kiosk for delivery directly to my house. It was a bit touch and go because the staples web site shows the turbo speed (3.7) and the microcenter web site says 3.3, but the guy was pretty knowledgeable and did some research to confirm it was the same cpu. They also balked a little when they saw the nearest microcenter was 350 miles away, but they ultimately let me have it. Had to pay sales tax so got it for $173.27 all in. Almost the same price as the 4460 online, and I probably won't be doing anything where the difference between the 4460 and 4590 would matter much, but it seemed like a pretty good deal for this cpu and I guess having a brick and mortar store to deal with if there are problems is worth a little.

Something to look into if you don't happen to have a microcenter in driving distance. The 4590 was the only i5 I saw that was carried both by staples and also shows up on the microcenter web site, but this should work for any i3 or i7 too that is on both web sites.

 
You have worked a minor miracle, at most Staples this could not be accomplished.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

 
You have worked a minor miracle, at most Staples this could not be accomplished.

We'll, cool then! I also get 5x chase points at office supply stores so it worked out well. Actually, I don't know if I should be happy or sad that I got them to price match. I've blown my budget On this build by about $70. I told myself this morning that either I would get staples to price match the i5 or I would downgraded and buy the i3 to get within my budget. I guess I got lucky on the price match, but it cost me an extra 60 bucks. Who knows if I have a really would've known the difference between the i3 and the i5.

Sorry for typos. On my phone

 

[Couperin47]

We'll, cool then! I also get 5x chase points at office supply stores so it worked out well. Actually, I don't know if I should be happy or sad that I got them to price match. I've blown my budget On this build by about $70. I told myself this morning that either I would get staples to price match the i5 or I would downgraded and buy the i3 to get within my budget. I guess I got lucky on the price match, but it cost me an extra 60 bucks. Who knows if I have a really would've known the difference between the i3 and the i5.

Sorry for typos. On my phone

 
The cpu is NOT where you want to downgrade...really.

 

[tonyandpals]

 
No mainstream computer maker uses medium to high end motherboards of this sort. No big box store sells anything but low end bargain desktops. Even custom/semi-custom makers like Alienware (now owned by Dell) are unlikely to use such motherboards because most of this market for higher end boxes of this sort are oriented to gamers who want boxes with very high end separate video cards, the last thing they care about or would use is the inbuilt Intel graphics of their cpus. If you want to do this using that sort of motherboard (and no reason not to, as long as you're not gaming the Intel graphics are more than good enough for general business uses), yes, you're going to have to build yourself.

 
On that note, is building it yourself ever a relative term? Like can I got to a mom+pop shop and say build me this...

 

[Couperin47]

 
On that note, is building it yourself ever a relative term? Like can I got to a mom+pop shop and say build me this...

 
There aren't many mom and pop shops left and the problem with them is that they all have stock on hand. It's all more than slightly out-of-date and cheap 2nd tier brands and they have an overwhelming need to move that crap. Good luck finding one that will special order exactly what you want and build...and if they do...chances are they will charge list for the stuff and then add $200-300 for the build...not a great deal.
 
Better off trying to find some local HS nerd and have him help you put it together if you're that disinclined to spend a day, wield a screwdriver and read through this thread. It's really not that hard.

 

[tonyandpals]

 
There aren't many mom and pop shops left and the problem with them is that they all have stock on hand. It's all more than slightly out-of-date and cheap 2nd tier brands and they have an overwhelming need to move that crap. Good luck finding one that will special order exactly what you want and build...and if they do...chances are they will charge list for the stuff and then add $200-300 for the build...not a great deal.
 
Better off trying to find some local HS nerd and have him help you put it together if you're that disinclined to spend a day, wield a screwdriver and read through this thread. It's really not that hard.

Maybe I am just psyching myself out since I haven't been keeping up with the tech. I think I can do this under advisement.

Let's build this rig.

I guess I'll need a checklist.

Case/power supply
Motherboard
Ram
CDrom
Hard drive

 

[SumnerH]

Maybe I am just psyching myself out since I haven't been keeping up with the tech. I think I can do this under advisement.

Let's build this rig.

I guess I'll need a checklist.

Case/power supply
Motherboard
Ram
CDrom
Hard drive

 
CPU.  And a CD-ROM drive is pretty optional these days.  You almost certainly want an SSD instead of a hard drive (or in addition).
 
On top of that you probably need (but may already have): Keyboard, mouse, monitor.  
 
Gamers will want graphics cards, but the built-in graphics is fine these days for most non-gamers.

 

[Couperin47]

Maybe I am just psyching myself out since I haven't been keeping up with the tech. I think I can do this under advisement.

Let's build this rig.

I guess I'll need a checklist.

Case/power supply
Motherboard
Ram
CDrom
Hard drive

 
We will help you vet this, easily done way under your budget:
 
One of the motherboards already discussed...say $185 tops
An i5 cpu which will be between $185 - $220 tops
In your case 16 Gb ram can be useful, right now on sales $100-$110
Probably not even running a video card so a 500w PS at most, after rebate (all the PS sales have damn rebates) $40 tops
Decent midtower case to make build easier will be $50 tops
We'll splurge on a 240 Gig SSD, on sale around $100
A 2 or 3Tb hard drive $90 tops
A DVD burner all of $15 and it's handy to have considering what they cost.
 
beyond that ? you need/want wifi on your box ?
 
That's around $810 with minimal searching for sales. With patience you could shave another $50 or more off this.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

I am pretty sure there are stores on the net that build costom state of the art rigs.

 

[SumnerH]

 
One of the motherboards already discussed...say $185 tops
...
beyond that ? you need/want wifi on your box ?
 

 
ASUS Z87 PRO and the like include gigabit Ethernet, Wifi (802.11 a/b/g/n dual band 2.4/5), BlueTooth 4.0 and 3.0+HS, on board 8-channel surround sound, SATA 6GB/s, RAID 0/1/5/10.
 
The PRO is like $140 now on Amazon (probably around that on newegg and elsewhere, too).

 

[Couperin47]

I am pretty sure there are stores on the net that build costom state of the art rigs.

 
Back in the day you simply leafed thru any 600 page copy of that month's Computer Shopper and found places near bye...like I said, most of those left who do higher end stuff are gamer oriented now. What's out there ?

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Finished my shopping today, much earlier than I thought I would. My goal was to build a solid, nongaming family computer with room to grow a little for $500 not including monitor, mouse, keyboard and OS. I blew my budget pretty signicantly, mostly by splurging on the case. I was going to wait for a sale on the GX500, but found a case I liked a bit better although it was much more expensive. And we decided to add some color fans. Total is $567 all in with shipping and tax, assuming $60 in mail in rebates, plus I used a cashback portal for newegg, for a few more bucks back.

CPU: Core i5 4590 ($173 microcenter price match)
Mother Board: ASRock H97 chipset, pro4 ($71 new egg)
HD: WD Blue 7200 1TB ($55 newegg)
SSD: OCZ 120GB ($55 new egg, $10 MIR)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB ($61 new egg)
PSU: Corsair CS450 semi-modular 80+G ($30 new egg, $30 MIR)
Case: Thermaltake core V31 ATX mid ($65 Fry's, $10 MIR)
DVD/CD: Asus DRW-24B1ST ($20 new egg)
Two 120mm LED fans, color master ($15 new egg)
Belkin F9L1001 USB network adapter ($5 new egg)
Kingwin FPX-001 Fan Controller ($19 Fry's)

Waiting for the major components. Probably will start the build in earnest in a couple of weeks. I was able to get the fan controller installed in one of the optical drive bays with a 3.5 cutout using the adapter brackets included with the case. It was actually a bit challenging but looks pretty good. Tested the PSU with a couple of fans hooked to the controller and so far so good.

Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[Couperin47]

Finished my shopping today, much earlier than I thought I would. My goal was to build a solid, nongaming family computer with room to grow a little for $500 not including monitor, mouse, keyboard and OS. I blew my budget pretty signicantly, mostly by splurging on the case. I was going to wait for a sale on the GX500, but found a case I liked a bit better although it was much more expensive. And we decided to add some color fans. Total is $567 all in with shipping and tax, assuming $60 in mail in rebates, plus I used a cashback portal for newegg, for a few more bucks back.

CPU: Core i5 4590 ($173 microcenter price match)
Mother Board: ASRock H97 chipset, pro4 ($71 new egg)
HD: WD Blue 7200 1TB ($55 newegg)
SSD: OCZ 120GB ($55 new egg, $10 MIR)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB ($61 new egg)
PSU: Corsair CS450 semi-modular 80+G ($30 new egg, $30 MIR)
Case: Thermaltake core V31 ATX mid ($65 Fry's, $10 MIR)
DVD/CD: Asus DRW-24B1ST ($20 new egg)
Two 120mm LED fans, color master ($15 new egg)
Belkin F9L1001 USB network adapter ($5 new egg)
Kingwin FPX-001 Fan Controller ($19 Fry's)

Waiting for the major components. Probably will start the build in earnest in a couple of weeks. I was able to get the fan controller installed in one of the optical drive bays with a 3.5 cutout using the adapter brackets included with the case. It was actually a bit challenging but looks pretty good. Tested the PSU with a couple of fans hooked to the controller and so far so good.

Thanks for all the help so far.

 
The fact that I live on the wrong side of the country to get near a Fry's has saved me a fortune...it would be the equivalent of a discount gourmet crack emporium for me....

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

The fact that I live on the wrong side of the country to get near a Fry's has saved me a fortune...it would be the equivalent of a discount gourmet crack emporium for me....

Yeah, it takes some discipline. I went just to "get a feel" for what makes a good case, and ended up leaving with one, plus an overpriced fan controller. Fortunately, I left behind the $35 USB network adapter and bought one on line for $5 instead

 

[tonyandpals]

 
ASUS Z87 PRO and the like include gigabit Ethernet, Wifi (802.11 a/b/g/n dual band 2.4/5), BlueTooth 4.0 and 3.0+HS, on board 8-channel surround sound, SATA 6GB/s, RAID 0/1/5/10.
 
The PRO is like $140 now on Amazon (probably around that on newegg and elsewhere, too).

 
If I decide to output to a large display, should I just go w/ the ASUS Z87-Deluxe?
 

 
We will help you vet this, easily done way under your budget:
 
One of the motherboards already discussed...say $185 tops
An i5 cpu which will be between $185 - $220 tops
In your case 16 Gb ram can be useful, right now on sales $100-$110
Probably not even running a video card so a 500w PS at most, after rebate (all the PS sales have damn rebates) $40 tops
Decent midtower case to make build easier will be $50 tops
We'll splurge on a 240 Gig SSD, on sale around $100
A 2 or 3Tb hard drive $90 tops
A DVD burner all of $15 and it's handy to have considering what they cost.
 
beyond that ? you need/want wifi on your box ?
 
That's around $810 with minimal searching for sales. With patience you could shave another $50 or more off this.

 
Wow, this is a lot cheaper than I expected, and it seems a whole lot better than something off the shelf.  I'll need wifi, but as Sumner mentioned, it's built into the MB.
 
I'm going to just pull some links here, mostly from Amazon for ease of use, but I will price shop them.
 
 

Asus Z87 PRO LGA 1150 Motherboard 
I think I'll go pro on the MB as I don't really need all of the displays at that high res. That seems to be the bigges
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-Z87-PRO-1150-Motherboard/dp/B00CRJSXR4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427632176&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+z87-pro+lga+1150
 

Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
I have no idea how what to look for, other than getting at least i5. This seems to be the top seller on amazon.  Not sure if it's worth the upgrade to an i7?
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i5-4690K-Processor-BX80646I54690K/dp/B00KPRWB9G/ref=pd_sim_pc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CSP76MPR4WFHZ4V8J6B
 
 

Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Desktop-Memory-CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10/dp/B006EWUO22/ref=pd_sim_pc_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CSP76MPR4WFHZ4V8J6B
 
 

EVGA 500W 80PLUS Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632619&sr=1-1&keywords=power+supply

 

Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E250B/AM)
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OAJ412U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632719&sr=1-2&keywords=ssd+240gb
 

Seagate 3TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST3000DM001)
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST3000DM001/dp/B005T3GRLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632771&sr=1-1&keywords=3tb+internal+hard+drive
 

Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s Optical Drive, Black SH-224DB/BEBE
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Optical-Drive-SH-224DB-BEBE/dp/B00CE58ZYC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632838&sr=1-2&keywords=dvd+burner
 
That leaves the case. Is there anything I should be looking for, specifically? Do I need to get additional case fans or anything?

 

[Couperin47]

 
If I decide to output to a large display, should I just go w/ the ASUS Z87-Deluxe?
 
 
Wow, this is a lot cheaper than I expected, and it seems a whole lot better than something off the shelf.  I'll need wifi, but as Sumner mentioned, it's built into the MB.
 
I'm going to just pull some links here, mostly from Amazon for ease of use, but I will price shop them.
 
 
Asus Z87 PRO LGA 1150 Motherboard 
I think I'll go pro on the MB as I don't really need all of the displays at that high res. That seems to be the bigges
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-Z87-PRO-1150-Motherboard/dp/B00CRJSXR4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427632176&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+z87-pro+lga+1150
 
Intel Core i5-4690K Processor 3.5 GHz LGA 1150 BX80646I54690K
I have no idea how what to look for, other than getting at least i5. This seems to be the top seller on amazon.  Not sure if it's worth the upgrade to an i7?
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i5-4690K-Processor-BX80646I54690K/dp/B00KPRWB9G/ref=pd_sim_pc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CSP76MPR4WFHZ4V8J6B
 
 
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Desktop-Memory-CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10/dp/B006EWUO22/ref=pd_sim_pc_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CSP76MPR4WFHZ4V8J6B
 
 
EVGA 500W 80PLUS Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-80PLUS-Certified-ATX12V-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632619&sr=1-1&keywords=power+supply
  Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E250B/AM)
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-Inch-Internal-MZ-75E250B-AM/dp/B00OAJ412U/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632719&sr=1-2&keywords=ssd+240gb
 
Seagate 3TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive (ST3000DM001)
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST3000DM001/dp/B005T3GRLY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632771&sr=1-1&keywords=3tb+internal+hard+drive
 
Samsung SATA 1.5 Gb-s Optical Drive, Black SH-224DB/BEBE
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Optical-Drive-SH-224DB-BEBE/dp/B00CE58ZYC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1427632838&sr=1-2&keywords=dvd+burner
 
That leaves the case. Is there anything I should be looking for, specifically? Do I need to get additional case fans or anything?

 
There is nothing 'wrong' with any of this, just a few comnments:
 
1. I happen to prefer WD or Toshiba/HGSAT Hard drives these days, others may have a different opinion.
 
2. Newegg regularly, each week has someone's 16 Gig memory set for $100.  This today: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231847&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=EXPRESS032815&nm_mc=EMC-EXPRESS032815&cm_mmc=EMC-EXPRESS032815-_-EMC-032815-Index-_-DesktopMemory-_-20231847-L01D
   btw, big cooling fins on memory are as useful as tail fins were on cars back in the day.....
 
3. 2 case suggestions which already have adequate fans installed:
 
   Antec GX500  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129204
     Amazon wants more for this atm and Newegg has had it on sale twice this month, once for $25, once for $30
 
   Rosewill  either Challenger-U3   http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147060or Redbone U3   http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147160
       Rosewill is Newegg's house brand, Amazon sells these too, generally at same price, but since cases are the thing most likely to arrive broken in shipping, best to buy from Newegg who can give better prompt service if damaged in transit.  Redbone is $50, Challenger is $60   sales on cases come and go every week.
 
4. SSD sales are insane atm, one of the top brands WILL be on sale for $10-15 less sometime in next week or 2, Newegg had this exact SSD on sale for $96...yesterday....

 

[tonyandpals]

Really appreciate all the insight C47. You are making my life a lot easier at the moment.

 

[SumnerH]

 
If I decide to output to a large display, should I just go w/ the ASUS Z87-Deluxe?
...
 
Asus Z87 PRO LGA 1150 Motherboard 
I think I'll go pro on the MB as I don't really need all of the displays at that high res. That seems to be the bigges

 
I assume "...t difference between the PRO and Deluxe" got cut off here.
 
Yeah, it is.  The Deluxe also has:
* 16-phase instead of 12-phase CPU power, which makes no difference whatsoever unless you're not just overclocking but pushing your overclocking to the extreme
* Deluxe has 4 USB 2.0 ports on front and 4 on back (as opposed to all on front); both of them have 6 USB 3.0 ports on back and 2 on front.  This is a pretty negligible difference, unless you're going to use up all 6 of the rear USB 3.0 ports and want more stuff hidden at the back on the slower ports.
* Deluxe has 10 SATA ports instead of 8, so if you're planning on running a crapload of drives that'd matter.
 
That's about it.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

So, I made a significant error.  We don't have any home user licenses left for win7 at work.  We only get 25 a year, apparently, and I need to buy the OS, or wait until August when we get our new batch.  This should have been the first thing I checked, and it really makes the cost over a pre-packaged system fairly significant.  I'm still glad for the experience, but holy crap is windows expensive.  (I need windows for work.)  The best I can find is Win7 pro for $139 and Win8.1 pro for $119.  There are a ton of companies purporting to sell win 7 for less -- as low as $65 or $70 purporting to be "OEM" licenses, but this is so much less than newegg and stuff that I assume it's a scam.  Any advice here?

 

[Nick Kaufman]

It's already been discussed. It's supposedly a license for refurbished systems, but it will work. Get it.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

It's already been discussed. It's supposedly a license for refurbished systems, but it will work. Get it.

 
Thanks.  I don't seem to be able to find the discussion, but I went ahead and bought one on ebay.  The guy has sold like 100 of them, and he has really good feeback, so hopefully it will be ok.  The stuff on the internet on understanding OEM licenses is pretty convoluted.  

 

[jayhoz]

Random question.  Is there a way to set up a workstation away from the PC without running a bunch of monitor and USB cables?  Could I use something like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi at the workstation and then Remote Desktop in to the main PC?  Is there another solution?

 

[Couperin47]

 
Thanks.  I don't seem to be able to find the discussion, but I went ahead and bought one on ebay.  The guy has sold like 100 of them, and he has really good feeback, so hopefully it will be ok.  The stuff on the internet on understanding OEM licenses is pretty convoluted.  

 
Look at the Tech Bargain thread starting at post 806 thru 827

 

[tonyandpals]

Alright. I ordered pretty much everything noted. Let's hope I remember how to put this stuff together. Should all be here by mid-nextweek.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Ok, CPU came in the mail today. Installed it and the RAM, plugged essential leads into the mb, and we're up and running. Memtest86+ is through its first pass and no errors so far.

I had a bit of trouble initially. The CPU went in fine, but the cooler fan wouldn't spin -- same problem others have noted and I think Yaz had a bad board with the same problem. I plugged a different fan into the cpu fan header and it worked, and then plugged the cooler fan into a different fan header and it still wouldn't work, so I assumed a broken fan. I removed it and then plugged it in to a working header and it didn't work. Finally I took the wires out of the clips around the fan and it did start to spin. Re-installed and all is good.

I am a bit confused how to get into BIOS. If I just turn the computer on, it goes to a black screen with a propmt, but no key that I push -- del, F2 -- seems to take me to BIOS. The only way I got in was to put the ASRock driver disc in. When I do that, a screen comes up momentarily where I can press f2 and get in. Is that how it's supposed to be or is there another way in?

It took me a long time to figure out how to boot from the memtest thumb drive. I finally learned I had to insert the drive for it to come up in the list for boot priority.

I won't get my OS for a few days, so nothing to do for a while. I will change BIOS to AHCI and change the boot order. Anything else I need to do before installing win7? I need to install the OS before the ASRock drivers, right?

 

[Nick Kaufman]

No, that's not how you re supposed to get in. Try all f keys. Try f8, f9 and f12 in particular. I am also assuming you only have one monitor plugged in correct? Because if you have two, the bios might appear on the other one you re not paying attention to.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

As far as the os is concerned, you can copy an old drive or install a pirated version; save for a couple of notifications, it will work the same, you will just need to enter the serial number when you get the OS disk.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Thanks. F2 worked today. I think I didn't realize how quickly I had to hit it.

 

[Couperin47]

Ok, CPU came in the mail today. Installed it and the RAM, plugged essential leads into the mb, and we're up and running. Memtest86+ is through its first pass and no errors so far.

I had a bit of trouble initially. The CPU went in fine, but the cooler fan wouldn't spin -- same problem others have noted and I think Yaz had a bad board with the same problem. I plugged a different fan into the cpu fan header and it worked, and then plugged the cooler fan into a different fan header and it still wouldn't work, so I assumed a broken fan. I removed it and then plugged it in to a working header and it didn't work. Finally I took the wires out of the clips around the fan and it did start to spin. Re-installed and all is good.

I am a bit confused how to get into BIOS. If I just turn the computer on, it goes to a black screen with a propmt, but no key that I push -- del, F2 -- seems to take me to BIOS. The only way I got in was to put the ASRock driver disc in. When I do that, a screen comes up momentarily where I can press f2 and get in. Is that how it's supposed to be or is there another way in?

It took me a long time to figure out how to boot from the memtest thumb drive. I finally learned I had to insert the drive for it to come up in the list for boot priority.

I won't get my OS for a few days, so nothing to do for a while. I will change BIOS to AHCI and change the boot order. Anything else I need to do before installing win7? I need to install the OS before the ASRock drivers, right?

 
1. Intel's QC for their HS/Fan doesn't seem to be up to their standards for the cpus...I've been avoiding the problem by, admittedly overbuilding, and using CoolerMaster Hyper 212 all the time, even when overclocking isn't contemplated.
 
2. DEL or F2 should get you into the BIOS, a) try holding down the button even before you start to boot  b) try scaring up a ps2 keyboard , instead of usb. If that works when you get into the BIOS make sure the usb settings are set to allow legacy, which helps.
 
3. Go here: http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H97M%20Pro4/?cat=Download
You want to grab the latest bios, the drivers for whatever OS etc. Almost guaranteed you don't have the latest BIOS, once inside the BIOS updating is now absurdly easy, there's an option, it will scan anything attached, find it on your memory stick and update from there easily. Virtually all the drivers on the CD are going to be old, use the ones you download and yes, you add them right after you install an OS.
 
4. There are options on how you boot, if you select fast boot that skips all the opening screens and memory tests, using an SSD the average modern mb boots so rapidly you will again have problems getting into the BIOS, so either learn to have F2/DEL depressed before you boot or use the options that add the splashscreen & memory tests to slow the process down.

 

[JerBear]

Ok, CPU came in the mail today. Installed it and the RAM, plugged essential leads into the mb, and we're up and running. Memtest86+ is through its first pass and no errors so far.

I had a bit of trouble initially. The CPU went in fine, but the cooler fan wouldn't spin -- same problem others have noted and I think Yaz had a bad board with the same problem. I plugged a different fan into the cpu fan header and it worked, and then plugged the cooler fan into a different fan header and it still wouldn't work, so I assumed a broken fan. I removed it and then plugged it in to a working header and it didn't work. Finally I took the wires out of the clips around the fan and it did start to spin. Re-installed and all is good.

I am a bit confused how to get into BIOS. If I just turn the computer on, it goes to a black screen with a propmt, but no key that I push -- del, F2 -- seems to take me to BIOS. The only way I got in was to put the ASRock driver disc in. When I do that, a screen comes up momentarily where I can press f2 and get in. Is that how it's supposed to be or is there another way in?

It took me a long time to figure out how to boot from the memtest thumb drive. I finally learned I had to insert the drive for it to come up in the list for boot priority.

I won't get my OS for a few days, so nothing to do for a while. I will change BIOS to AHCI and change the boot order. Anything else I need to do before installing win7? I need to install the OS before the ASRock drivers, right?

 
3 of the last 4 PCs I've built using the stock Intel heatsink had the wires pulled taut against the fan preventing it from spinning. In each case I just had to unclip the wires from one of the retainers and adjust the path to allow clear movement.  It doesn't take much resistance for those fans to stop moving.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

 
3. Go here: http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H97M%20Pro4/?cat=Download
You want to grab the latest bios, the drivers for whatever OS etc. Almost guaranteed you don't have the latest BIOS, once inside the BIOS updating is now absurdly easy, there's an option, it will scan anything attached, find it on your memory stick and update from there easily. Virtually all the drivers on the CD are going to be old, use the ones you download and yes, you add them right after you install an OS.

 
Copup and others -- thanks so much for the help here.  Coup, do you think you could walk me through this process just a little bit more.  I'm kind of confused about how the bio updating works.  Are you saying that once my OS is running, I should use an internet browser to navigate to that link and download everything on the page instead of using the CD?  Or am I downloading that stuff to a thumb drive or something and then accessing it through BIOS?  Sorry for such a basic question.
 
Second, my motherboard manual says that in order to optimize win7, I need to download a "hotfix" from the microsoft website.  I can see it online, but again, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.  Do I just navigate there and download it?  And do I do this before or after I install the new BIOS and MB drivers?