• Hi there and welcome to PC Help Forum (PCHF), a more effective way to get the Tech Support you need!
    We have Experts in all areas of Tech, including Malware Removal, Crash Fixing and BSOD's , Microsoft Windows, Computer DIY and PC Hardware, Networking, Gaming, Tablets and iPads, General and Specific Software Support and so much more.

    Why not Click Here To Sign Up and start enjoying great FREE Tech Support.

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Build questions, please help!

Status
Not open for further replies.
O

OK Sparky 93

PCHF Member
Apr 11, 2021
10
0
56
#1
Good afternoon all!
I have been without my PC for maybe we’ll over a year now. I figured I could make do with my phone for a bit.

Now I am on the hunt. The more I look the more I think I could build my own and have better for the same cost. Give or take.

I have been doing a little research and believe that I am going with the intel I5-10600k.
I am not gaming! And would like foolproof at least for a while. I would like WiFi capability and believe that or understand that a WiFi card would be best.
I want ssd and believe that 512 would suffice.
The motherboard that seems to stand out is Asus rog strix z490e.
PSU Evga br 500w.

since I am not gaming are these items overkill? Can a build a quality machine for less?
I started another thread about troubleshooting my old pc. With the possibility of reviving it for even less, but don’t know. I suspect cpu. But I am an electrician not a computer repair tech.
Thanks for your time and consideration of my woes!
Mike
 
#2
the RoG motherboard, personally, I feel is overkill since you aren't in games.
something from Gigabyte for example would suffice and be a lot cheaper.

and the PSU I would like to see beefed up, something around 700w Gold certified 80+ or better.

depending on what you want stored, consider a 2 or 4TB HDD as a secondary drive.

and yes, mobo's with built-in wifi tend to be priced accordingly. getting a USB wifi adapter I feel is better as it can be updated as new wifi generations are released, but always go ethernet if possible.
wifi setup is convenient but tends to be high maintenance in my books.
ethernet is 'connect it and forget it'.
 
#3
Bruce said:
the RoG motherboard, personally, I feel is overkill since you aren't in games.
something from Gigabyte for example would suffice and be a lot cheaper.

and the PSU I would like to see beefed up, something around 700w Gold certified 80+ or better.

depending on what you want stored, consider a 2 or 4TB HDD as a secondary drive.

and yes, mobo's with built-in wifi tend to be priced accordingly. getting a USB wifi adapter I feel is better as it can be updated as new wifi generations are released, but always go ethernet if possible.
wifi setup is convenient but tends to be high maintenance in my books.
ethernet is 'connect it and forget it'.
Click to expand...
Anything in particular on that MOBO? A brick and mortar tried to sell me an MSI.
I only considered the ASUS line, based on the warranty.
If those with more experience than me have experience and vouch for others then I will heed that advice.
Is the CPU satisfactory?Do boards have more than one M.2 slot?
What if increase the main ssd to a 1 or 2 TB?
Any thoughts on the manufacturer of ssd?
 
#4
with the ASUS mobo, their RoG line is geared towards gaming, so you'll have stuff that you probably won't need, like dual PCI slots for graphics cards that support Crossfire and SLI, more than usual memory slots, extra USB ports, stuff like that.

All I'm saying is look at the same chipsets offered by Gigabyte or MSI etc to get a feel for the price differences.

Yes,I've seen mobo's with dual m.2 slots, but of course you pay for the feature as those boards are geared to the higher end of the market, therefore you get more options.

your i5 10th gen CPU I think is fine, as you say, no games, so it'll be fine for ma & pa normal stuff.

as to SSD, you could go one big one, say 1TB, as their price point has really made them affordable.
typically anything you want sped up: Windows, Office, Photoshop etc you'd put on a SSD and anything where speed is not the issue or you simply want things stored like photo & music libraries, you'd keep on the tried and true and cheap HDD.
for all things solid state, I typically only look at the Samsung range, never been dissapointed but yes, they tend to cost more.
 
#5
Can I ask what budget you are looking at ?
You have not mentioned RAM
As Bruce pointed out DO NOT skimp on power supply.
Take a look through here or other good help sites and you will be amazed at how many issues are caused by bad power supply choice.
The 1TB ssd for windows and programs makes the most sense. Win 10 will only get bigger.
Same with the HDD for photos etc + you will need an external drive for BACKUP - read Bruce's signature.
 
#6
PeterOz said:
Can I ask what budget you are looking at ?
You have not mentioned RAM
As Bruce pointed out DO NOT skimp on power supply.
Take a look through here or other good help sites and you will be amazed at how many issues are caused by bad power supply choice.
The 1TB ssd for windows and programs makes the most sense. Win 10 will only get bigger.
Same with the HDD for photos etc + you will need an external drive for BACKUP - read Bruce's signature.
Click to expand...
My son in law says go big or go home!
I might need the most now or never, however if I need it I want it to be there.
I figured 128gb ram.
if I was going to buy from Best Buy or anywhere I was looking in the $800’s
 
#12
The point was to make you aware that you need to back up
The signature is not important - Pic of one attached
 

Attachments

  • Bruce.PNG
    Bruce.PNG
    5.9 KB · Views: 6
  • Like
Reactions: OK Sparky 93
#13
just to be honest here - 128GB of memory is simply overkill, and that's not even factoring in that you have stated it won't be for gaming.
I'll also assume it won't be for AutoCAD or Photoshop or any massive demanding software.
if your vision is a simple work horse of a PC, with the usual Office, printing, webbing, sort of usage, I would argue 32GB would be all you'd ever need. I'd certainly get it with 16GB from the offset.

if your overall PC budget is around $US800, your wish for 128GB of memory would blow that in this one component.
and you may even want to increase that budget expectation also, as $800, with a ASUS RoG mobo, and now potentially a 1TB (or more) SSD, and applying a modest dose of 'go big or go home', may prove a limitation.

when building a rig, I like to go above and beyond (as much as budget allows) on the PSU and mobo and CPU. these things are good to go bigger than your current needs from the get-go as they form the foundations of all things to come. drives, memory, cards, ports can all be added or upgraded fairly easily but changing a mobo for example in 3 years may require replacement of other components.
 
#14
Bruce said:
just to be honest here - 128GB of memory is simply overkill, and that's not even factoring in that you have stated it won't be for gaming.
I'll also assume it won't be for AutoCAD or Photoshop or any massive demanding software.
if your vision is a simple work horse of a PC, with the usual Office, printing, webbing, sort of usage, I would argue 32GB would be all you'd ever need. I'd certainly get it with 16GB from the offset.

if your overall PC budget is around $US800, your wish for 128GB of memory would blow that in this one component.
and you may even want to increase that budget expectation also, as $800, with a ASUS RoG mobo, and now potentially a 1TB (or more) SSD, and applying a modest dose of 'go big or go home', may prove a limitation.

when building a rig, I like to go above and beyond (as much as budget allows) on the PSU and mobo and CPU. these things are good to go bigger than your current needs from the get-go as they form the foundations of all things to come. drives, memory, cards, ports can all be added or upgraded fairly easily but changing a mobo for example in 3 years may require replacement of other components.
Click to expand...
As far as the ram goes when where and why would one need more?

My dead pc had 32, and 500hdd.
As an electrician I have to build/ design with future expansion in mind, whether it happens or not.
As far as building a PC, that I am not schooled in.

What exactly makes one mobo good for gaming vs one that could tackle anything that might be thrown at it?
A mobo might be such that it will lift up the case and fans and I don’t even know what else. That does really mean anything to me. However it may have what is needed for that future expansion whether it is needed or not.
I few days ago I found that Asus board for $284. I’ve seen others that with what I could read some seemed to have less for the same or more and some for less.
If you were building this for yourself not for gaming what would it look like?
 
#15
sounds like you are odds with yourself. :)
you talk about a budget and also future proofing - the two are very bad bedfellows.
I always spec up a rig to the components I need right now, then throw in a small sprinkle of unicorn dust and tweak a component or two to get the rig just that bit better than expectations.
building to a budget ALWAYS means sacrifice, and that typically shows itself as an overall lack of system performance - the last thing you want from a new PC!

crystal balling and future proofing never works out - what you think may happen doesn't and what you never thought you'd do, you will.
in three years time when you need x and y - get a new rig accordingly, or upgrade this rig to the components you require.

if I was building a new PC tomorrow, I'd go for; (all prices in Australian dollars)
CPU - Intel Core i5 10600K 6 Core LGA 1200 4.10GHz CPU Processor - $329​
PSU - Corsair 650W RM650x Fully Modular 80+ Gold 10 year warranty - $165​
Motherboard - Gigabyte Z490 UD LGA 1200 ATX Motherboard (dual m.2 slots)- $239​
RAM - Kingston 32GB (2x16GB) HX426C16FB4K2/32 HyperX Fury 2666MHz DDR4 RAM - $195​
SSD - Samsung 500GB 970 EVO Plus M.2 NVMe SSD - $109​
HDD - Western Digital WD40EZRZ 4TB Blue 3.5 inch SATA 6Gbs - $125​
DVD - when is the last time you used one of these, but if you need to $20 will get you an internal one, or $60 for an external USB device.​
case - too personal, let you decide there​
GPU - not gaming, shouldn't be required, unless specific ports are needed to connect to existing monitors that aren't on the mobo​
Speakers - up to you​
Security - no need, Win10 is excellent on that front​
Monitor - up to you, motherboard has a HDMI port​
OS - Windows 10 Home 64bit - $148​
​
Brings it to $1,310 or about $US1,700
So more than double your budget and that's not even including a GPU which can easily start at $200 and a case which will be around $100 for basic and $150 if you want clear side panel and RBG lighting.

the 'unicorn dust' tweak upgrades were;
  • the CPU, went for the highest GHz so you could shave off $100 going to a lower frequency
  • the RAM - 32GB is actually currently good bang for buck, but 16GB is still cheaper
  • HDD - do you need one, if not, get a bigger (or two) m.2's
 
  • Like
Reactions: phillpower2
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back
Forums
Resources
Menu