Basic Reliable build

[nns]

Thanks a lot guys..

 

I am trying to process all the information here...

 

A special thanks to MercuryDoun for the detailed analysis...

 

Apologies for the lack of information..

I would be requiring a monitor for the setup and also cabinet and PSU..

I could recycle the cabinet and PSU but the ones I have are pretty old and some cheap brands which are likely to die soon...

 

Now I have a basic idea as to what I want..

 

Athlon II x2 would be an overkill for the stuff the PC is gonna be used but I'd go for that or a similar Intel processor to futureproof the build...

 

As for the HDD I am looking at a 500GB (since that's the new 160GB) to load the OS and an SSD for backup... (Since SSDs are likely to wear out as a result of loading the OS, right?)

 

RAM 2-4GB is sufficient.. Do the heat-spreaders prolong its life? If so I'd like to go for a set with those..

 

An 18-22 inch monitor would suffice so I think I'll go for the ASUS one suggested..

 

I am not so inclined towards the idea of nettops...

 

So, I need to know which processor: Athlon x2 or Intel Dual Core and which motherboards for the processors..

To me Athlon seems like the way to go...

However, I can't seem to decide on the mobo.. Is the ASRock reliable enough to last a few years (5+)? Is the ASUS good enough to run Windows 7 (w/ Aero) without any issues and is it reliable?

 

EDIT: I'll just recycle my DVDRW drive.. And I don't need to use up all the $500..

EDIT2: As for the PSU, I am considering a Corsair 400CX, since the 430W Corsair is relatively new and no real reviews are available.. A quick Google got me to believe it doesn't match the Corsair standards and 400CX is more efficient and probably more reliable.. Please verify this..

Edited November 18, 2010 by nns

[MercuryDoun]

Thanks a lot guys..

 

I am trying to process all the information here...

 

A special thanks to MercuryDoun for the detailed analysis...

 

Apologies for the lack of information..

I would be requiring a monitor for the setup and also cabinet and PSU..

I could recycle the cabinet and PSU but the ones I have are pretty old and some cheap brands which are likely to die soon...

 

Now I have a basic idea as to what I want..

 

Athlon II x2 would be an overkill for the stuff the PC is gonna be used but I'd go for that or a similar Intel processor to futureproof the build...

 

As for the HDD I am looking at a 500GB (since that's the new 160GB) to load the OS and an SSD for backup... (Since SSDs are likely to wear out as a result of loading the OS, right?)

 

RAM 2-4GB is sufficient.. Do the heat-spreaders prolong its life? If so I'd like to go for a set with those..

 

An 18-22 inch monitor would suffice so I think I'll go for the ASUS one suggested..

 

I am not so inclined towards the idea of nettops...

 

So, I need to know which processor: Athlon x2 or Intel Dual Core and which motherboards for the processors..

To me Athlon seems like the way to go...

However, I can't seem to decide on the mobo.. Is the ASRock reliable enough to last a few years (5+)? Is the ASUS good enough to run Windows 7 (w/ Aero) without any issues and is it reliable?

 

EDIT: I'll just recycle my DVDRW drive.. And I don't need to use up all the $500..

EDIT2: As for the PSU, I am considering a Corsair 400CX, since the 430W Corsair is relatively new and no real reviews are available.. A quick Google got me to believe it doesn't match the Corsair standards and 400CX is more efficient and probably more reliable.. Please verify this..

 

Sounds good on your PSU choice, but it looks like newegg doesnt sell it anymore. But if you can find it somewhere else for cheap, then i dont see why not.

 

Yeah The Athlon II dual-core would be more than you need realistically. The only way you could get an equivalent Intel Dual-core would be going into the dead LGA 775 socket. Its roughly the same price, for the same performance CPU wise, but unless you dropped decent money on a new~ish 775 board with DDR3 you'd be 'stuck' with DDR2 and a socket with little to no upgrade options. Going AM3 with a board that natively supports upto a hex-core is about as sweet as it gets. If two years from now, you decide you want to turn this into a gaming machine, for your son/daughter(dont know how old you are, or if you even have kids, but you know, example is an example) or a friend or whatever. You have many upgrade options available to you.

 

Asus = one of the best manufacturing companies of computer parts in general. Everything from MoBo's to Monitors you really cant go wrong with Asus.

ASRock = Subsidiary company of Asus.... ASRock = Asus!

 

I was very specific in picking an 880g chipset AMD MoBo as it has the ATI 4250 onboard graphics. Which is one of the best onboard graphics solutions currently available. This is actually important, it improves windows 7 awesomeness with Aero, and soon when the GPU accelerated web browers start coming out(IE9 is looking to be the first) it will even more useful.

 

As far as the SSD thing goes, you got it backwards. Putting an OS on an SSD along with some basic programs like firefox and office will not nearly be enough to harm an SSD. If you will have a 2nd data drive(HDD) its even better, because you will need to disable the pagefile on the SSD and move your OS pagefile to the HDD. SSD's only fail quickly from massive amounts of continuous writes. Im not talking like saving your spreadsheet or downloading a buincha songs, i mean hosting a 100GB SQL Database on it... If you buy a good SSD, and only use it for basic office tasks, it will last a very long time, and be very fast. So go ahead and put that OS on the SSD and reap the benefits of its awesome speed!

 

DDR3 ram runs at much lower voltage and with much less heat than DDR2 ram did. If you are running the ram i suggested at stock speeds(1333mhz) it will not require any form of heat spreaders to improve its life span. Heat spreaders are for high clocks mostly.

 

Price/Performance goes to AMD here, so i wouldnt worry about any old LGA 775 socket cpu's or MoBo's. Id like to tell you everything listed on this forum will last a decade or longer, but i cant tell you that. Its technology, It dies for seemingly no reason, But these parts are from quality company's. They give you the lowest price, and the best chance to have a long-life build.

Edited November 18, 2010 by MercuryDoun

[nns]

thanks!