Help with new non-gaming build w/ some reused parts ($1000 w/o GPU)
1. What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games (ex: resolution, FPS, settings) or programs you will be using.
- This is primarily for work use, where I often hoard like 50 tabs across two instances of Brave, Teams is always running and often presenting my screen, lots of work in SQL, occasional Photoshop, some programming, and so on. Fairly heavy CPU and RAM use in general. Gaming isn't really a concern.
2. What is your maximum PRE-TAX budget before rebates and shipping?
- Hard cap at $1000, although if performance increases aren't all that significant, then I'm cool with lowering specs to save more.
3. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.
- If I found the right build, I wouldn't mind throwing it into my shopping cart an hour later.
4. What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ex: tower/OS/monitor/keyboard/mouse/etc)
- No peripherals or software, only the tower is needed. I'm cool with reusing parts, so probably just CPU (+ cooler?), mobo, RAM, a new bigger SSD, and a new case.
5. If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? How old are they? Brands and models are appreciated.
- See part 12 for my current PC. I want to reuse the GPU for sure and will consider an upgrade down the road. I imagine the PSU can be reused as well, and the existing HDD will probably get tossed in as secondary storage just because.
6. Will you be overclocking (ex: CPU/GPU/RAM)? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line?
- I am comfortable with overclocking but largely impartial and would follow recommendations.
7. Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, VR, VirtualLink, tensor cores, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)
- Roughly 1TB SSD for sure, and Wi-Fi + Bluetooth are certainly nice to have but not deal breakers.
8. Do you have any specific case preferences (ex: mITX/mATX/mid-tower/full-tower sizes, styles, colours, window or not, LED lighting, etc.), or a particular color theme preference for the components?
- I would really like to have a nice looking build w/ a window. No real preference on size. No particular themes in mind, but I do really like white builds and I'm a sucker for RGB.
9. Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? Note: some post-secondary students can get Windows 10 for free.
- Nope
10. Will you be upgrading this PC in the future (ie: will you swap out better parts later on or will you build an entirely new tower later)? If so, when?
- I'll probably upgrade the GPU eventually, although I'm in no rush. My current use-case isn't GPU-intensive, and they're pretty pricey these days.
11. Do you have a brand preference? (ex: AMD/Intel for CPUs, AMD/NVIDIA for video cards, etc)
- Nope.
12. What are the specs of your old PC / laptop? Do you want to see if it can be upgraded instead? If so, paste its build from PCPartPicker here.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $235.09 @ Amazon Canada |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler Master GeminII M4 58.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | - |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard | - |
| Memory | G.Skill Sniper 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3-1600 CL9 Memory | $97.39 @ Amazon Canada |
| Storage | Intel 330 Series 180 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | - |
| Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 640 GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $77.05 @ Amazon Canada |
| Video Card | Asus Radeon R9 280X 3 GB DirectCU II Video Card | - |
| Power Supply | Rosewill Capstone 650 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply | - |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $409.53 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-01-20 18:01 EST-0500 |
13. Extra info or particulars:
- I haven't been paying attention to PC parts for the better part of a decade, but I was thinking an i5-11400, 2x8 GB of whatever RAM, 1TB SSD, a nice looking case/cooler/mobo, and reusing my existing PSU and GPU. Does that seem reasonable?
Posted Jan 20, 2022, 11:48 PM UTC
PCPartPicker Part List
This should be good for you.
Let me know what you think :)
Looks good. Perhaps switch out that Cooler Master case for a white case with RGB, something like the Corsair iCue 220T RGB Airflow since OP mentioned they liked that style. For a CPU cooler, they could also use something like the Vetroo V5 in white for more RGB (and yes, Vetroo V5 is LGA 1700 compatible).
Must've skimmed over that part, nice catch.
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/BCZRsL - $999 at time of creation.
Just on budget. Nice to see Vetroo updated their Amazon page to include LGA1700 support. I couldn't find a good value white RGB kit so plain white will have to do. The TD500 Mesh is the same price as the 220T and isn't Corsair, so it's easier to sync the RGB. It also comes with a controller. Extra fan for rear exhaust.
u/Toast- thoughts?
Sorry for the slow reply, I've been stuck in the rabbit hole that is PC part picker just tinkering with your initial build before replying, and I ended up swapping to that same case lol (the Corsair 4000 lineup is actually my favorite, but the airflow model is a bit more money and the one with the flat front seems a little sketchy for temperatures).
The build is looking great, and I really appreciate the part-by-part breakdown. Really my only concern at this point is the mobo, since that one is OOS. Mobos are the one component I've never felt all that comfortable with. Is there an alternate you'd recommend? Seems like bad timing w/ the supply shortages on top of this being a new chip.
About the RGB kit - after scrolling through a bunch of completed builds I'm finding that I love white w/ white lighting (eg. https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/b/LNZfrH), so I'm thinking plain white is totally fine in my books.
Oh sorry, I forgot to link the mobo.
https://www.newegg.ca/p/N82E16813144522