Build for my Mum

spirit

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Staff member
It's not often I ask for help on here regarding desktop builds, just wanted to make sure this all looked good before I order.

OK so currently Mum has an old machine which needs replacing. Going to hopefully build her a new machine to replace her old one. Doesn't need to be powerful at all really, it's only going to be used for internet, email, remote access and that's probably about it. Needs to be mATX too preferably and the board must have SATA 6GB/s support.

Here's what I'm thinking of:

Pentium G2120 http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/...elceleronandpentiumdualcore/bx80637g2120.html

MSI Z77A-G43 http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/intel1155z77chipset/z77a-g43.html

4GB XMS3 http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/memory-pc/ddr3-pc3-12800/1600mhz/cmx4gx3m2a1600c9.html

Fractal Design Core 1000 http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/cases/cases/7350041080565.html

DVD-RW http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/opticaldrives/satadvdwriters/sh-s222bbbebe.html

ModXStream Pro 500W (just simply to cut down on cables) http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/powersupplies/ocz500mxsp-uk.html

SanDisk Extreme 120GB http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/...nal/solidstate/upto128gb/sdssdx-120g-g25.html

We have a copy of Windows 7 Pro x64 we can use for this build.

All sound good?
 
seeing as that processor can not OC, you might be able to save some money by going to a H77 board. Both will perform the same with that processor.

Otherwise looks good.
 
think I'd rather half the cost for the little performance difference and get a G550 which will be more than she needs really or spend the extra 20 for an i3-2120.

no need but the price for this seems nice, if nothing else could put it in your comp and yours in hers or weren't you running 16gb's or something?

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/...900/1866mhzplus/ble2cp4g3d1869de1tx0ceu..html

and for a few more would she like an mITX build?

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/cases/miniitxcases/rc-120a-kkn1.html

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/intel1155h61chipset/ga-h61n-d2v.html

just options.
 
Thanks for the advice. I was originally going to go with a G850 or whatever it was, but now Novatech seem to have dropped it.

The board Wolfe found looks good, but I forgot to mention that DVI needs to be on the board and mITX certainly does look interesting, definitely unique... worth considering I think (as I think it would be fun to build!) Only bad thing I see about mITX is that there no 6GB/s ports and as she's having an SSD, it'd be nice to use 6GB/s.

Looks to me like Dabs still stock the G850, so here's my new list:

G850 http://www.dabs.com/products/intel-pentium-dual-core-g850-2-9ghz-lga1155-3mb-7HYG.html?q=g850&src=16 (don't want to use a Celeron if possible)

Board http://www.dabs.com/products/asus-p...atx-81X1.html?refs=469740000-4294943312&src=3

XMS3 8GB 1600MHz http://www.dabs.com/products/corsai...600mhz-dimm-240-pin-cl9-1-65v-75H5.html?src=2

Fractal Design Core 1000 http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/cases/cases/7350041080565.html (Dabs don't have it :( )

PSU http://www.dabs.com/products/ocz-te...eam-pro--500w---uk-5D14.html?refs=50121&src=3

SSD http://www.dabs.com/products/samsun...-15-7SR9.html?refs=52750000&catid=15004&src=3

DVD-RW http://www.dabs.com/products/sony-o...rw-ram--with-black-bezel-bare-7N5W.html?src=2

Totals £280 + £33 for the case so it's £313.
 
if it was me, I'd drop the SSD to a normal mechanical, and get slower RAM to save a little money.
That is of course if money is such a big issue, it looks pretty cheap anyway.
 
Eh normal HDDs are still quite expensive over here and Dad is keen for her to have an SSD. She doesn't need masses of storage either, we all store our stuff on a 2TB network drive.

1333MHz RAM isn't much cheaper than 1600MHz, makes sense to go 1600MHz I think, especially when 8GB of that XMS3 1600MHz is only £26.
 
Excellent, thanks Jonny. Only problem I can see is that they are more expensive than the mATX ones, but ideally this PC does need to be as small as possible, so... yeah.

I don't mind buying ASUS.
 
10 more doesn't seem bad, if your dad is paying for it and doesn't mind then whatever, she gets a nice small computer instead of a nice not big computer (iirc the core 1000 is pretty small and thin for a tower)
 
Yeah I think I'll probably build her an mITX system. Just need to double check the spec of those boards and then we can see. I'll find that Cooler Master case on Dabs too. Would be nice to have a small little machine which she can put on her desk or something, it'd keep it cleaner and thus running cooler.
 
OK I'll look into that.

Don't really want an AMD system or a Celeron. Keen to use either a Pentium or an i3, and as the Pentium is cheaper, I'll probably go with that.
 
is there a point in spending 7 more for a z77 when i'm pretty sure the added features work off the ivy chip meaning it will run pci-e 2.0 not 3.0 and all, so you don't get anything out of the extra money.
 
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