New inexpensive build - how did I do?

[Will Rickards]

So a computer motherboard died. No video, some bad looking caps but everything seems to get power. Maybe bad video card.
Anyway it was old and time to replace.
And they wanted an inexpensive replacement but with the SSD.
So I picked out these parts.
Let me know the good / bad.
Also what case/psu is good? I was going to reuse the Antec P160 / Antec 380W that was in it but that case seems huge compared to the new micro ATX board.

• $109.99 SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD120KW 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
• $59.99 MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 FM2 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
• $54.99 AMD A4-5300 Trinity 3.4GHz (3.6GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 65W Dual-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD 7480D AD5300OKHJBOX
• $54.99 Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT51264BA1339
• $17.99 LG 24X DVD Burner - Bare Drive 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS95 - OEM

 

[ddrueding]

That looks pretty good to me. But I don't know the current state of AMD stuff. Using a larger case if it still fits the location is always preferable. It can be quieter and run cooler than smaller cases. If this machine has a lower power draw, you may be able to dial down the fans a bit. Not having components in the bottom ~2" of the chassis (where all the dust settles) makes me comfortable putting the chassis on the floor. Otherwise I prop it up with bricks or something.

 

[LunarMist]

I'd use the same case and put any extra money into a better CPU.

 

[jtr1962]

Trinity benefits greatly from greater memory bandwidth, so I would probably go with DDR3 1600. It's only a few dollars more than DDR3 1333. Since you picked Crucial, there are two offerings to choose from:

2x4GB:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148662

1x8GB:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148661

The single 8GB stick might be a better choice because it leaves one of the memory slots open for future expansion. Other than that, everything else seems reasonable given that it's a budget build.

 

[CougTek]

At that price, you did well. I would have spent 30$ and go for a Pentium G2120 and a cheap LGA1155 motherboard, but that's me. I know sometimes, people don't have that 30$ more.

Regarding the enclosure, Fractal Design has a nice small enclosure with the Core 1000. You could also opt for the InWin BL631T with a 300W 80Plus-certified PSU.

 

[Mercutio]

The choices for budget AMD A75 motherboards are kind of ugly. MSI boards have never been good to me but I'm not sure I'd want the Asrock equivalent.

My typical choice for a decent-looking budget case is Compucase.

 

[Will Rickards]

So this board has usb3 headers. But I've got nothing to attach to them.
They sell ones that take an expansion slot like I had with the previous motherboard?

And the real question, the old usb2 headers won't work on the usb3 headers, correct?

 

[Mercutio]

Yup. Probaby not worth putzing around with, but you'll pay about the same amount to get a USB 3 hub of any sort.

 

[sdbardwick]

Maybe this front or rear adapter? Link

 

[mubs]

If you buy one of those thingies, check the wiring carefully. On one of my previous builds, a Silverstone USB2 front bay thingy almost fried my then new motherboard when I turned on the power after plugging it in. There was a wisp of smoke, a burning smell. I had the presence of mind to yank it off in a flash. Fortunately my motherboard lived for 5 years after that. I achieved the end result my installing a PCI USB-2 card with 3 ports that were accessible in the back.

If you read reviews, there is often a piece or two that is shipped with improper wiring. Seems t plague most of these things.

 

[Will Rickards]

Maybe this front or rear adapter? Link

Yes that is exactly what I meant. My previous motherboard included a couple of these with it.
I did find that the motherboard has a couple usb2 headers and I hooked those older ones up.
But there seemed to be no support for them in the case on the tab side so I took them out.

Honestly in using the PC it is pretty decent. Not bad for $300.

I was going to try and get the front panel audio working but I couldn't figure out which pin went where when compared to the motherboard pinout.
Maybe I'll get him one of those that occupies a 5.25 drive bay that has audio and a card reader.

 

[Mercutio]

Front audio should have one pin filled in for identification purposes.

 

[Will Rickards]

It is all just a bunch of individual wires, not a block with a pin filled in. It's a P160 which has a firewire and then individual front audio connectors.
I didn't connect them, not a big deal.

 

[Will Rickards]

Nevermind, just read the manual again and it is the audio block and then individual wires.
Which leads to the question of where the firewire connector is?
And if plugging it into a usb header was a bad thing.

 

[Will Rickards]

Found the firewire, unplugged it.

 

[Mercutio]

A philosophical question: An i3 3220 + Radeon 7850 ($300-ish) or i5 3570 + Radeon 7750 (also $300-ish).
I suppose the issue here is whether or not a typical gamer-type is going to notice the extra real cores on an i5 and whether they will be more of a benefit than the extra graphics horsepower. I know most PC games don't execute four threads, but I understand that some titles will.

 

[CougTek]

I'd take the quad-core. First, it's easier to change a graphic card afterward than swapping a CPU (thermal paste, heatsink installation, often cramped location to connect the CPU fan cable). Secondly, an i5 3570+HD7750 needs less electrical juice than an i3-3220+HD7850. Not much less, but a little less anyway. It's therefore easier to cool and to silence. You can also use a weaker PSU because the HD 7750 doesn't need the 6-pin power cable (although it's always a good idea to get a power supply with one of those).

Of course, if the goal of the system is to become a gaming ox, then opt for the weaker CPU with the higher-end graphic card. Otherwise, quad-core please.

 

[Mercutio]

I'm leaning toward the i5 myself. Expensive graphics cards increasingly seem like a waste of money to me, since almost every mainstream high-profile title still has to run on crappy console systems.

 

[time]

While I very much prefer an i5 to an i3, that's a secondary issue after ensuring a gamer has a decent graphics card. The 7750 could only be considered a gamer's card if they were running a resolution of 1024x768. Back in the real world of 1920x1080, the 7850 is AMD's entry-level gaming card, and that's the minimum I would consider for anyone who plays PC games. GTX650Ti is cheaper and theoretically viable, but below that is daylight and then toy cards with massively compromised performance.

 

[Mercutio]

I was just looking at reviews for the newest $1000 video cards on a couple sites when I noticed that they're testing performance across three 1920x1080 screens since that's the only way to get meaningfully distinct results out of top-end hardware.

Which I think says a lot for the present value of high end graphics cards.

And because it's a quiet day and this is on-topic, I'm building four of these tomorrow to replace seven year old socket 939 hardware:
$90 120GB Samsung 840
$110 i3 2120 CPU
$50 MI-008 Chassis
$50 Foxconn H61 ITX motherboard
$30 4GB DDR3

= $335-ish

I'm never all that impressed by an expensive, powerful rig, but I am always excited to see downright inexpensive computers become ever more capable.

 

[P5-133XL]

I agree, that is a really good price considering it is including a 120GB SSD.

 

[CougTek]

Foxconn brand motherboards, yeurk! Those will give you trouble and they will fail sooner than you expect. You've been warned. Although for 50$, nothing great is available.

 

[Mercutio]

Foxconn also manufactures Intel's motherboards, albeit to what I'm sure are somewhat higher specifications. This is something of an audition. I don't think I've ever used a Foxconn-branded board before.

 

[CougTek]

Well, my opinion about them comes from personal experience over a few years back when I sold several of their boards to my customers. 2006 to 2008. After that, I knew better.

 

[Mercutio]

The AMD 5350 APU looks relatively credible for a budget consumer system. Looks like you could build a low-power/low noise rig with a 120GB SSD for maybe $250.

 

[Mercutio]

Does anyone know where to get the full-range internal speakers that show up in inexpensive business desktop machines? I've heard them in HP and Dell machines. I'm not talking about drive bay speakers; the machines I'd like to outfit don't have a free 5.25" bay.

 

[ddrueding]

The minis I buy now (Lenovo M series tiny) don't have one, but I know what you are talking about. Is there a part number you can Google? Is it more than just a 3.5" speaker with the right cable connector?

 

[Clocker]

If you want to add a case, the Fractal Design Define R4 can be had for $79 shipped free. Great deal IMO!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352020

 

[Will Rickards]

I did end up swapping out the P160. Mostly because of the power button issue that caused weird power problems. Eventually the switch failed altogether.
I forget what case it was but whatever was cheapish at microcenter. Put a new antec power supply in there too to rule out any power supply issues.

 

[Mercutio]

The minis I buy now (Lenovo M series tiny) don't have one, but I know what you are talking about. Is there a part number you can Google? Is it more than just a 3.5" speaker with the right cable connector?

I suppose it's mostly the cable connector, though I haven't seen a real PC speaker in years. I suppose it would have to connect through the AC97 audio header?
What's happening (and I can't believe this is THAT MUCH of a problem but everyone bitches about it), is that in my classrooms, people are stealing the audio cables for our monitors. I can't imagine why.

Maybe I'll see how much actual work it takes to make one myself.

 

[Howell]

I guess full-range is relative:

http://www.dreamhardware.com/access...PEAKER-0-5W-8OHM-4-Prong-Connector-15408.html

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/eaf8/

 

[ddrueding]

What's happening (and I can't believe this is THAT MUCH of a problem but everyone bitches about it), is that in my classrooms, people are stealing the audio cables for our monitors.

I'd consider moving the computer end of the cable into the chassis using a grommet and internal header. Make it look integrated.

 

[CougTek]

People in your neck of the woods are poor enough to steal 4$ audio cables? Really?

You know that with your skills, you could earn a decent salary in some place that doesn't look like a third-world country?

 

[Stereodude]

$4? They're less than $1.

 

[Mercutio]

People in your neck of the woods are poor enough to steal 4$ audio cables? Really?

It's even better knowing that the people who take them mostly make about double what I do. They take my screwdrivers, too.

 

[LunarMist]

$4? They're less than $1.

That's not as convenient for the miscreants. I've seen the cables for $10 in stores.

 

[CougTek]

It's even better knowing that the people who take them mostly make about double what I do. They take my screwdrivers, too.

Most of your students make in the six figures? For manual labor jobs? Do they work in the mining industry?

 

[fb]

Perhaps you could buy a bunch of cables for $1 and offer them to the students for $2?

 

[Howell]

Welders can make 6 figures with overtime. Surely there are other steel worker jobs with similar pay.

 

[time]

Use a cable tie mount on the back of each monitor with a cable tie looped around the cable. Probably stop 90% of opportunistic theft?