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Hey people, i'm building a PC for my mom and since you guys were so helpful with the first two PC's i built, i figure i check the build with you guys again 
The idea is building a quick snappy office-home pc for general office work/internet activities.
The budget for the whole PC setup is about 650-700 Euro.
I'll be buying from multiple dutch stores such as Azerty, Alternate, Komplett, SIcomputer (i'm use a site that helps minimizing the transport costs)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rpiCLFq.png)
As you can see, no HDD nor dedicated GPU.
Since my mother doesn't need 1 or 2 TB since she doesn't download/create huge files, 265 GB is more than she will ever use.
Since SDD's are pretty affordable nowadays and make the pc feel a lot snappier, i decided to include one.
Since my mother won't play the newest games or use any programs that are graphically taxing, a dedicated gpu doesn't seem very useful for her. I decided to opt for a i3 ivybridge cpu with HD-4000 gpu since that will not completely stifle the graphical power of the build. She might want to do some light photoshop stuff as a hobby later on, and a HD-4000 gpu seems to enable her to do that.
I'm quite clueless about motherboards, so feel free to suggest better choices. I just included one that seemed good, but i have no idea about chipsets quite frankly. The same goes for powersupplies. I picked a 350 w 80+ psu, but if there are better suggestions at this pricerange, please suggest
Last, i picked 2x2 GB ram, since my ram usage keeps under 3 GB unless i'm playing a really taxing game + having alot of tabs open. Therefore, 4gb should be more than enough for my mother. However, i heard something about the integrated GPU using RAM as VRAM. Is it therefore a better choice to just go for 2x4 ram? (Also because the price difference is marginal and more vram gives better photoshop performance?)
Thanks for helping
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@ Skyr, Thanks for the awesome build.
One more question. I realized that I will need a wireless card, so would it be better to grab a simple USB dongle or get a dedicated pcie card slot? I've read mixed reviews online so I'm not entirely sure.
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On August 07 2013 06:06 Supramanax wrote:
@ Skyr, Thanks for the awesome build.
One more question. I realized that I will need a wireless card, so would it be better to grab a simple USB dongle or get a dedicated pcie card slot? I've read mixed reviews online so I'm not entirely sure.
I might help you with that.
USB dongles are easy to use, since you can just plug it in any pc that needs wireless access. However, these dongles don't come with such big antenna's as PCI-e network cards have. Therefore it's a question of what you value more. Easy plug and play wireless access with a dongle, or having a better signal/ able to be further away from router with a pcie card.
from this article
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On August 07 2013 06:15 1ManArmy wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2013 06:06 Supramanax wrote:
@ Skyr, Thanks for the awesome build.
One more question. I realized that I will need a wireless card, so would it be better to grab a simple USB dongle or get a dedicated pcie card slot? I've read mixed reviews online so I'm not entirely sure. I might help you with that. USB dongles are easy to use, since you can just plug it in any pc that needs wireless access. However, these dongles don't come with such big antenna's as PCI-e network cards have. Therefore it's a question of what you value more. Easy plug and play wireless access with a dongle, or having a better signal/ able to be further away from router with a pcie card. from this article
Ooooo, thanks for the article. I think I'm going to go with a pcie card, the router I have at home is kinda far and since I won't be switching machines anytime soon I believe it will work well. Thank you very much!
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On August 07 2013 05:49 1ManArmy wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey people, i'm building a PC for my mom and since you guys were so helpful with the first two PC's i built, i figure i check the build with you guys again The idea is building a quick snappy office-home pc for general office work/internet activities. The budget for the whole PC setup is about 650-700 Euro. I'll be buying from multiple dutch stores such as Azerty, Alternate, Komplett, SIcomputer (i'm use a site that helps minimizing the transport costs) As you can see, no HDD nor dedicated GPU. Since my mother doesn't need 1 or 2 TB since she doesn't download/create huge files, 265 GB is more than she will ever use. Since SDD's are pretty affordable nowadays and make the pc feel a lot snappier, i decided to include one. Since my mother won't play the newest games or use any programs that are graphically taxing, a dedicated gpu doesn't seem very useful for her. I decided to opt for a i3 ivybridge cpu with HD-4000 gpu since that will not completely stifle the graphical power of the build. She might want to do some light photoshop stuff as a hobby later on, and a HD-4000 gpu seems to enable her to do that. I'm quite clueless about motherboards, so feel free to suggest better choices. I just included one that seemed good, but i have no idea about chipsets quite frankly. The same goes for powersupplies. I picked a 350 w 80+ psu, but if there are better suggestions at this pricerange, please suggest Last, i picked 2x2 GB ram, since my ram usage keeps under 3 GB unless i'm playing a really taxing game + having alot of tabs open. Therefore, 4gb should be more than enough for my mother. However, i heard something about the integrated GPU using RAM as VRAM. Is it therefore a better choice to just go for 2x4 ram? (Also because the price difference is marginal and more vram gives better photoshop performance?) Thanks for helping
VP450P is sort of old, I'd go with a CX430 for probably not much more instead.
I'd get a Fractal Design Arc Mini for not much more: http://www.alternate.de/Fractal_Design/Fractal_Design Arc_Mini,_Gehaeuse/html/product/898150/? Of course you would need to switch to an mATX board. Maybe your mom doesn't like these ugly mesh cases so in that case, you can just stick to the Shinobi. But you wouldn't need five fans.. unless that picture isn't accurate or all of it isn't for this computer. You don't need to add so many fans.
Samsung 840 would be less expensive than the Crucial m4 and perform better.
Yes, the IGP would be using system RAM but CPU and RAM matter much more so than the GPU for Photoshop.
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On August 07 2013 10:11 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On August 07 2013 05:49 1ManArmy wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey people, i'm building a PC for my mom and since you guys were so helpful with the first two PC's i built, i figure i check the build with you guys again The idea is building a quick snappy office-home pc for general office work/internet activities. The budget for the whole PC setup is about 650-700 Euro. I'll be buying from multiple dutch stores such as Azerty, Alternate, Komplett, SIcomputer (i'm use a site that helps minimizing the transport costs) As you can see, no HDD nor dedicated GPU. Since my mother doesn't need 1 or 2 TB since she doesn't download/create huge files, 265 GB is more than she will ever use. Since SDD's are pretty affordable nowadays and make the pc feel a lot snappier, i decided to include one. Since my mother won't play the newest games or use any programs that are graphically taxing, a dedicated gpu doesn't seem very useful for her. I decided to opt for a i3 ivybridge cpu with HD-4000 gpu since that will not completely stifle the graphical power of the build. She might want to do some light photoshop stuff as a hobby later on, and a HD-4000 gpu seems to enable her to do that. I'm quite clueless about motherboards, so feel free to suggest better choices. I just included one that seemed good, but i have no idea about chipsets quite frankly. The same goes for powersupplies. I picked a 350 w 80+ psu, but if there are better suggestions at this pricerange, please suggest Last, i picked 2x2 GB ram, since my ram usage keeps under 3 GB unless i'm playing a really taxing game + having alot of tabs open. Therefore, 4gb should be more than enough for my mother. However, i heard something about the integrated GPU using RAM as VRAM. Is it therefore a better choice to just go for 2x4 ram? (Also because the price difference is marginal and more vram gives better photoshop performance?) Thanks for helping VP450P is sort of old, I'd go with a CX430 for probably not much more instead. I'd get a Fractal Design Arc Mini for not much more: http://www.alternate.de/Fractal_Design/Fractal_Design Arc_Mini,_Gehaeuse/html/product/898150/? Of course you would need to switch to an mATX board. Maybe your mom doesn't like these ugly mesh cases so in that case, you can just stick to the Shinobi. But you wouldn't need five fans.. unless that picture isn't accurate or all of it isn't for this computer. You don't need to add so many fans. Samsung 840 would be less expensive than the Crucial m4 and perform better. Yes, the IGP would be using system RAM but CPU and RAM matter much more so than the GPU for Photoshop.
Ah okay, I'll get 8 gb RAM.
Wasn't there some sort of problem with the CX430? I put a CX430 V2 in my own pc after someone told me there were problems with the CX430. Too bad the CX 430 V2 isn't available in the dutch shops anymore. The CX430 is available though, so if its okay i'll swap it.
I did some reading on the topic of M4 vs 840, and it kinda said that the Samsung 840 is the better/faster SSD, but that it lacks the reliability of the M4 ( it has power-safe capacitors).
Would it be wise to go for the 840, for it's superior performance, or does this performance advantage doesn't mean much in real life, due to the fast speeds of SSD's (mb it's 20 ms faster, but you won't notice? ) I'd like your thoughts about this
About the fans, yeah its a weird picture, but it's only 1 fan. I figured the shinobi needs one extra, since it only comes with 1 fan.
I could go with the Fractal Design Mini, although i kinda picked the Shinobi for it's many great recommendations/looks and the fact that it comes with a 2,5 SSD adapter. I'll try to find out the benefits of a Fractal Mini though . In the meantime, what kind of Mobo chipset would be best for me?
Appreciate the response
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Crucial M4 doesn't have power-safe caps. The only consumer grade SSDs with this are the Intel 320 and M5 afaik. The difference between the two isn't as small as 20ms, more like a few seconds but this difference wouldn't be noticeable for the typical user.
The CX430 is commonly known for coil whine so if you don't want to deal with potential RMAs than a different power supply could be selected.
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On August 07 2013 10:45 skyR wrote:
Crucial M4 doesn't have power-safe caps. The only consumer grade SSDs with this are the Intel 320 and M5 afaik. The difference between the two isn't as small as 20ms, more like a few seconds but this difference wouldn't be noticeable for the typical user.
The CX430 is commonly known for coil whine so if you don't want to deal with potential RMAs than a different power supply could be selected.
omg you're right. it's the m5. i'll take the 840.
And apparently there is a Corsair CX430 V3, so i will get that one
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The V3 is an unofficial name. The ones marked regular CX these days (of 430W, 500W, and 600W) are the CX V3.
There are some parts upgrades and tweaks from V1 to V3, but it's the same base design. V3 isn't much different.
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On August 07 2013 05:49 1ManArmy wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey people, i'm building a PC for my mom and since you guys were so helpful with the first two PC's i built, i figure i check the build with you guys again The idea is building a quick snappy office-home pc for general office work/internet activities. The budget for the whole PC setup is about 650-700 Euro. I'll be buying from multiple dutch stores such as Azerty, Alternate, Komplett, SIcomputer (i'm use a site that helps minimizing the transport costs) As you can see, no HDD nor dedicated GPU. Since my mother doesn't need 1 or 2 TB since she doesn't download/create huge files, 265 GB is more than she will ever use. Since SDD's are pretty affordable nowadays and make the pc feel a lot snappier, i decided to include one. Since my mother won't play the newest games or use any programs that are graphically taxing, a dedicated gpu doesn't seem very useful for her. I decided to opt for a i3 ivybridge cpu with HD-4000 gpu since that will not completely stifle the graphical power of the build. She might want to do some light photoshop stuff as a hobby later on, and a HD-4000 gpu seems to enable her to do that. I'm quite clueless about motherboards, so feel free to suggest better choices. I just included one that seemed good, but i have no idea about chipsets quite frankly. The same goes for powersupplies. I picked a 350 w 80+ psu, but if there are better suggestions at this pricerange, please suggest Last, i picked 2x2 GB ram, since my ram usage keeps under 3 GB unless i'm playing a really taxing game + having alot of tabs open. Therefore, 4gb should be more than enough for my mother. However, i heard something about the integrated GPU using RAM as VRAM. Is it therefore a better choice to just go for 2x4 ram? (Also because the price difference is marginal and more vram gives better photoshop performance?) Thanks for helping
Looks good, adding to what others have said, you probably dont need the extra case fan but no big deal.
Also might be worth getting a more expensive dual band wireless card, I built an office computer with a super cheap TP link card and it would drop out often, but I think that was just because it was a few walls away from the wireless.
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Getting 680's makes no sense atm, the 770 is a slightly higher clocked 680 and comes for a bit cheaper
The corsair AX760i is an excellent unit and will provide more then enough power for such a configuration
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United Kingdom20294 Posts
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Getting a laptop for my gf and she's a casual non-gamer. Can't seem to find a single laptop that has an SSD without a dedicated graphics card. Was wondering if it's simple to simply buy a cheap entry level laptop and pop in the SSD myself. Have 0 experience with laptop tinkering.
I would assume the process would be something like:
1. Back up original harddrive
2. Unscrew and replace drive
3. Restore?
Any advice or stuff I should keep my eye out for? Also, what's a good but not overpriced SSD to get for her? Was thinking about a Samsung 830.
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United Kingdom20294 Posts
Should be simple, samsung 840 basic is good, cheap and pretty common but 830/840/840pro doesn't really matter at all, why back up and restore though? I'd just have a blank windows slate maybe with some drivers, cause you have an ssd now you can drop that on in like 10 or 15 minutes
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United Kingdom20294 Posts
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What is your budget?
It's about $1700.
What is your resolution?
1920x1080+1280x1024
What are you using it for?
I'm planning on using my computer for gaming and later on coding when I start school. I will want to stream as well.
What is your upgrade cycle?
I plan on going with a new computer all together, just using the same case and DVD-writer.
When do you plan on building it?
Within the next two months.
Do you plan on overclocking?
Yes, I plan on overclocking both my CPU and GPU.
Do you need an Operating System?
No, I don't need an OS.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
I will upgrade with another GPU later on, so yes.
Where are you buying your parts from?
Anywhere from Sweden.
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On August 07 2013 16:10 Cyro wrote:
Should be simple, samsung 840 basic is good, cheap and pretty common but 830/840/840pro doesn't really matter at all, why back up and restore though? I'd just have a blank windows slate maybe with some drivers, cause you have an ssd now you can drop that on in like 10 or 15 minutes
Had a really bad experience where a clean install left me with a clean windows with no drivers, including USB and wifi, so I couldn't even download them. Lost the discs while moving house and the laptop was bought a few years back heh. My bad, but I agree that would be the better option.
Thankfully, after an hour of digging, I found a hard drive with a system image of my old laptop.
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EPT
