Six Years Later - Need help with a new build for a non gamer enthusiast


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Hi

 

My last PC was quite a few years ago, a time when I had just had my MB die on me and I needed to get something built quickly.  .

 

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/762212-new-build-are-these-parts-ok/

 

Neowin's thoughts were very much appreciated and I write this post from the same PC, although the RAM, GPU and HD have been updated along the way. 

 

I'm now at a stage in my life where I have a small family and getting our first family home.  I want a PC thats going to be good for home working and the occasional MMO that I download (but never really get into).  My current PC has always suffered with over heating, Ive never been that good at applying thermal paste, maybe it's time to stop building and just buy something that's ready to go.

 

Id like something that will last me for about 5 years, I'm no gamer but want a good MB, the processor I get wont be changed but id like to think I can adapt in the future to other things if possible.  The biggest let down of my current build has been that it didn't support virtualisation as I love VMs as a way to configure an OS without actually touching my main install.

 

Main things:

 

Space is not a problem, it can be big if it's able to cool better
Supports virtual machines in VMware at a good rate
Able to play the occasional game at mediaum settings (appreciate GPU would need to be updated along the way)
Is good at handling all my files - photos, videos and documents

 

I'm thinking a good i5 and a decent MB - the MB is mainly where I need your help as with the processor, it's not something I will be able to easily change in the future.  Budget wise, well this is something that will hopefully last years, I'm prepared to add a bit more in order to get a decent bit of hardware

 

Thanks

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Can you be more specific with budget?

 

here is a pretty good midrange build that wont break the bank, but that is my opinion this could be an expensive build for some. Z97 series boards will be your best bet unless you want to spend the extra dough on x99+ddr4

 

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Crucial MX100 250GB SSD
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290X 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case 
Power Supply: Rosewill HIVE 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer
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Any $500 - 800 special at any of the major manufacturers will do nicely and you will have a decent warranty 

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Rosewill PSU? Really...

Before you knock it, do a little bit of reading regarding that model. It actually uses the same platform as the OCZ ZS series 650W. It provides terrific price/performance for a casual system. OP never listed a budget number, so I went out on a limb and created something quick and cheap. Roswell isn't bad if you know which models to look for.

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Before you knock it, do a little bit of reading regarding that model. It actually uses the same platform as the OCZ ZS series 650W. It provides terrific price/performance for a casual system. OP never listed a budget number, so I went out on a limb and created something quick and cheap. Roswell isn't bad if you know which models to look for.

 

Not that I'm complaining, I'm just a Corsair guy... ;)

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Rosewill PSU? Really...

Not sure of that particular model, but some of their PSUs are supplied by Seasonic.

 

As for the rest of his recommendation, OP doesn't sound like an overclocker so the K seems like a waste.

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Can you be more specific with budget?

 

here is a pretty good midrange build that wont break the bank, but that is my opinion this could be an expensive build for some. Z97 series boards will be your best bet unless you want to spend the extra dough on x99+ddr4

 

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Crucial MX100 250GB SSD
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290X 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case 
Power Supply: Rosewill HIVE 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer

 

 

Thanks, I came to the same conclusion with the processor, decided to go without the K though - I will look into the motherboard as this is really what I want to make sure I get right this time.

 

 

Logical Increments is a good place to check for suggested builds. I also recommend PC Part Picker to get the best prices. I've made a basic build here for 

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