my sister asked me to build her a new system, so I have been looking through the usual tech sites to get up to date, in order to select the right components.
The new system would have the following requirements:
- Acceptably silent (i.e. silent enough as not to to annoy while idle or running low performance programs. Silent enough to sleep within the same room is not needed, but a nice bonus, since the computer would be in the room where any visitor sleeps, me included
).- Able to run at decent fps and decent detail most recent games.
- Cost around 800-900 euros (Google tells me 1 Euro = 1.4347 U.S. dollars, so using a more conservative 1.40 rate, we are talking about 1100-1250$).
- No monitor since she has an old 21" crt. In a few months she will replace it with a new widescreen LCD, she just does not have the budget for it right now.
Since it would be an all new rig, it would need to include the following components:
- CPU
- CPU cooler
- Motherboard (with integrated and acceptable audio interface)
- RAM (branded, not oem)
- Video card (nVidia, yes I do not trust ATI after a lot of bad experiences)
- DVD reader/writer
- Single 7200 rpm HDD with a capacity of 1TB
- PSU
- Case
- Mouse + Keyboard (standard ones, nothing too fancy)
Since I am a bit rusty, I roved around looking for hints about wich components I would need to build such a system. I came up with this preliminary setup:
- INTEL based, dual core CPU (maybe an e8500 3.16 Ghz ?) Budget around 150 euros (215$). Quad core looks expensive, not needed and quite noisy due to increased wattage. Am I wrong?
- CPU cooler: anything under 50 euros (70$) with good performance. Better if it comes with its own silent fan to cut some $$$. Xigmatek HDT-S1283 looks good, provided I can find it.
- Motherboard: I really have no idea, there is a gazillion models wich differ in some obscure ways... some suggestions will be greatly appreciated. In the past I have always favored ASUS, is it still a good choice, provided I can select the right model in the middle of a thousand quasi-clones?
- Memory: 3 x 1 gb kit from Corsair or equivalent good brand (depends on availability). Is 3 x 2gb overkill? 3gb would cost about 60e (85$), for 6gb I am looking at doubling the price. Is it worth it?
- Video card: GTS250 based card? Or 9800GT? I would say the budget would be about 100-130 euros (140-190$). There are many models with proprietary dissipation devices, any one that stands out in this price range?
- DVD reader/writer: don't really care, it would not be used often. Just a cheap unit that would give the option of burning some DVDs every now and then. Cost is about 50 euros (70$).
- HDD: a black 7200 WD model? I would suspend it if needed to reduce noise. Cost is about 85 euros (120$).
- Case: P183. I have a P182 and I am very happy with it. Cost is about 130 euros (190$).
- PSU: Antec CP-850. She would probably never need such power output, but after reading the review here an SPCR and since it costs less than what I paid my enermax modu 82+ 625W over 1 year ago... Cost is about 110 euros (160$).
So, I have already budgeted about 800 euros (1150$) with 3gb ram, 120 euros (170$) video card, and still no motherboard. That would leave 100$ for the MoBo and the other accessories. Given that price guidelines can be bent a little, that should be ok. I know the PSU is overkill, but is there any way to spend under 100 euros (140$) and still get a reliable, low noise PSU?
Any hint, tip, trick, snip, advice, comment, constructive critique will be higly apreciated. Please forgive any grammar mistakes, English is not my native language.
Thanks for reading, I wish your system a long and silent future.
