5 years away from PC's, want a new build, please help.

The Gangrel · Post by **The Gangrel** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:38 am

OK, my current PC is a 754 Athlon. Not only is it getting long in the tooth, but bits are starting to die and replacement parts are as expensive as new fangled computer bits, hence the want to upgrade.

Firstly, I'd like to keep the build as cheap as possible, say around Â£50 each for MB/CPU/RAM. I have absolutely no idea regarding components, thus I turn to you, the good people of SPCR.

I'd like to use it to do the usual web surfing (usually have 10+ tabs open at once), maybe some music production. Would like to run several applications (browser, explorer) without experiencing slowdown. Would like to try my hand at running a few different OS's in VMware or somesuch.

So...should I bother with more than dual core?. I'd like to stick with XP, if Windows 7 provides no real benefits over XP (I've used Vista and it seemed to be XP with bells and whistles, benefits for me = improved performance). Would like CPU to be relatively energy efficient, whole build not drawing more than about 60-70w at idle. AMD or Intel?.

I'd like the motherboard to be able to speed up and slow down the fans with Speedfan and alert me when a fan has stopped spinning (not alert at 600rpm, like some do!). Not much of a gamer, so would prefer to use onbaord graphics. Can any of the IGP's deal with HD stuff these days?.

Memory, 4GB?, Dual channel?, do the different FSB speeds make much difference?.

In the past I've just fan swapped PSU fan for a Nexus and run it pretty slow, usually on whatever cheap and crappy PSU came to hand. Thinking about using the Nexus Value 430 unit, but is there anything cheaper you can recommend(yet bet quality than ultra-cheap units) that I can just perform fan swap on and run from MB header?.

Lastly, SSD's, worth the purchase price?. Should I get a small one just for the OS?.

I've not averse to reading up, but there's a lot of ground to cover (though if you have some helpful links to reading materials...), hence I'd like a whirlwind tour of the last 5 years

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psyopper · Post by **psyopper** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:56 am

I've recently become a fanboy of Intel's i3 series of processors for their mix of price/performance/power. "Faster" AMD processors can be had for less. Essentially all modern processors, in the usage you describe, will do just fine and so will all modern on-board video. I can't speak to AMD systems, but if you opt for the i3-530 or 540 you will be fine with a 350W power supply if you use the on board graphics. My i3-530 idled at 40w and peaked at 65-70w at the wall with onboard video.

I'm a Windows hater, been using Ubuntu for 3 years solid now. I installed Win7 Home Premium x64 so I could catch up on some old games - it's a definite upgrade over XP and worth it if you can get one of the OEM copies at a reasonable (non-sticker) price.

High end 2GB memory and moderate grade 4GB memory are about the same price right now. Go for the 4GB option if you can for future proofing.

SSD vs HDD - unless you *need* the extra speed, save your money. You'll still have a spinning drive in your system making the racket they do, and in comparison to your old system, if you go with a modern HDD and Win7 you will already see enough of a speed boost to be pleasantly surprised.

The Gangrel · Post by **The Gangrel** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:58 am

OK, given their prices SSD & quad core cpu are out of contention.

Also wondering about usefulness of tri-core AMD cpu...

speedkar9 · Post by **speedkar9** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:30 am

The Gangrel wrote:OK, given their prices SSD & quad core cpu are out of contention.Also wondering about usefulness of tri-core AMD cpu...

How about AMD Athlon II X4 6xx series of QC cpus?

Since you may be doing processor intensive tasks however (VMware, etc), consider a CPU with more L3 cache (Phenom II X2, X3 or X4).

For the rest of the system (as your on a budget):
-WD green or blue 7200 RPM hard drive,
-4GB of DDR2/DDR3 RAM,
-an ATI 785G based Gigabyte or Asus motherboard (with decent HD4200 graphics)
-Scythe Katana 3/ AC Freezer 64 CPU cooler
-Win7 X64 to read the 3GB+ of memory

If your looking for a new case and PSU, some NSK series of Antec cases are paired with decent Earthwatts PSUs that can be made quiet with a fan swap.

The Gangrel · Post by **The Gangrel** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 3:30 am

The X4 6x series looks very interesting. Will a quad-core trump a dual core in programs like VMware (can't imagine running more than 2 OS's in VMware at once, at least not intensively) and whilst multitasking.

As I'm likely to run this computer much like the last, for another 5 years or more, do you think that a quad core is a better investment than a dual core in the long term. Will programs start the take better advantage of multiple cores in the near future?. How significant is the lack of L3 cache in the quads?.

I'd like to cap spending on processor at about Â£70, so choice comes down to a higher end AMD dual core vs budget AMD quad.

speedkar9 · Post by **speedkar9** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:04 am

The Gangrel wrote:I'd like to cap spending on processor at about Â£70, so choice comes down to a higher end AMD dual core vs budget AMD quad.

In that case, get a Phenom II X2 or X3 with 6MB L3 Cache; bonus points if it unlocks to a quad core

.

Read this recent review on many AMD chips in your price range.