New computer build need some help

Hello everybody. I'm new here and have been lurking around a bit getting some info. My laptop of the past 6 years is on its way out and in the light of that I'm looking to get a new computer but hey why buy one when you can build it! I love to build things so I figured I'd try my hand at this. I just have some questions that maybe some of you can help me with.

First of this is a rough build sheet of what I have been planning to use so fat

CPU- Intel Pentium g3258
MOBO- asrock z97 anniversary LGA (the one made for the g3258) or possibly a MSI h81m p33 if I went micro atx
PSU- cosair CX 600w modular
CASE - for atx thermaltake core v31 for matx thermaltake core x2
STORAGE- Seagate berracuda 1tb and possibly a ssd for the os boot drive
OS- Microsoft 10
GPU- looking at a few things here was looking to a gtx 960 either the giggabyte N960G1 gaming or the gigabyte N9600c both in 4gb cram set ups.or a much cheaper 750ti

Now my main questions are this

1. I see that the Intel g3258 has been having issues with Microsoft 10 but most of that seems to be on the non zboards. Will I be ok with this cpu to run Microsoft 10?

2. I do mostly web surfing some video editing (looking at possibly more of this for my ATV trips) and some gaming. Nothing real hard core as I have a ps4 also but some lol spin tires and really want to play ark survival evolved. So is a gtx 960 overkill or is the 750ti just a bit to low I have seen it both ways. I don't need ultra settings but medium to high would bw nice.

3. What's the best/cleanest way to get WiFi to my PC. I was looking at a PCI card but I noticed in the micro atx boards most of them put that hook up below the GPU slot and in a case like the core x2 that the mobo lays flat in its gonna be front and center in the window and won't look very clean. I have seen the USB donggles and was wondering how effective they were. The computer will be about 20ish ft away from the router and up 1 floor.

Any help will bw greatly appreciated ! Thanks again and glad to be part of this forum

One_Nasty_PC said:

CPU- Intel Pentium g3258
MOBO- asrock z97 anniversary LGA (the one made for the g3258) or possibly a MSI h81m p33 if I went micro atx
PSU- cosair CX 600w modular
CASE - for atx thermaltake core v31 for matx thermaltake core x2
STORAGE- Seagate berracuda 1tb and possibly a ssd for the os boot drive
OS- Microsoft 10
GPU- looking at a few things here was looking to a gtx 960 either the giggabyte N960G1 gaming or the gigabyte N9600c both in 4gb cram set ups.or a much cheaper 750ti

Click to expand...

1. What's your budget (and what parts do you already have)?

2. DEFINITELY GET AN SSD

3. The Z97 Anniversary isn't "made for" the G3258. It was just a cheap, moderately capable board released alongside the chip and targeted at the same budget. Any Z97 board should be fine.

4. You can't overclock on the H81 chipset and you won't be happy with the G3258 without overclocking it. If you stick with that chip, I would use to a Z97 (or Z87 with the bios update) board.

One_Nasty_PC said:

Now my main questions are this

1. I see that the Intel g3258 has been having issues with Microsoft 10 but most of that seems to be on the non zboards. Will I be ok with this cpu to run Microsoft 10?

2. I do mostly web surfing some video editing (looking at possibly more of this for my ATV trips) and some gaming. Nothing real hard core as I have a ps4 also but some lol spin tires and really want to play ark survival evolved. So is a gtx 960 overkill or is the 750ti just a bit to low I have seen it both ways. I don't need ultra settings but medium to high would bw nice.

3. What's the best/cleanest way to get WiFi to my PC. I was looking at a PCI card but I noticed in the micro atx boards most of them put that hook up below the GPU slot and in a case like the core x2 that the mobo lays flat in its gonna be front and center in the window and won't look very clean. I have seen the USB donggles and was wondering how effective they were. The computer will be about 20ish ft away from the router and up 1 floor.

Click to expand...

1. Looks like most of that Windows 10 stuff was back in July. I don't know if MS fixed it yet (an incompatibility between some windows updates and the chip's microcode), but it seems like something that would be a top priority for them. Certainly something to verify before you buy.

2. Are you at 1080P? I'd probably go for the 960 over the 750Ti. The latter will probably get you medium settings in the games you mentioned, but the 960 would allow you to continue trying new games that come out over the next year or so. Probably a $50 difference as well.

3. Have you looked into homeplugs (ethernet through electrical wiring in your house)? That'd be one of the "cleaner" options. The only USB dongle wife adapters I've used which were any good were the cabled type with huge antennae.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...57528&cm_re=Asrock_z97-_-13-157-528-_-Product

That's the mobo I was talking about. Says its pretty much made for the g3258 even has a nice clocking program which is what I really like to help simplify the oc process for a guy who's new to it.

I don't currently have any parts I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row first. Price wise if I can get it up and running for 600-800 with os I'd be happy. Kinda the draw to the g3258 to begin with is it seems to be a great bang for the buck card. Might upgrade to a devils canyon at some point but currently trying to keep it simple for this first build.

I'm hoping someone here has some experience with the windows 10 and this chip issue so we shall see and yes 1080p would most likely be what I was shooting for. Again saving on the CPU like I'm trying to due is what is opening up for a much better GPU like the 960 but if I'm thinking wrong and a mid grade GPU like a i5 with a 750ti would work better I'm all ears

It's just marketing. If you want easy OC software (which I don't recommend using - OC is very easy on Haswell, increase multi until crash, increase voltage...), all boards have the same.

Anniversary is a low-budget board. There are better options for same money.

I'll post back later with recommendations if someone doesn't beat me to the punch

Alright thanks! I'm a bit new to this stuff been researching a lot and working on trying to figure out who to trust brand wise as in my other hobbies I've never felt with these brands.

Honestly brands only matter with power supplies nowadays. Everything else is pretty solid across the board.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...sewill_network_adapter-_-33-166-117-_-Product

As far as your wireless goes this is the same adapter I have been using for over a year and it has never given me an issue. Great connection for all the games i play and it's never dropped my signal.

Also what is the budget for your build.

One_Nasty_PC said:

600-800 with os I'd be happy.

Click to expand...

Still haven't had a chance to look up some stuff. I'm assuming that budget includes monitor and peripherals, so really, $600 max. With some searching, I would imagine an i5/750Ti would be doable. Or a GTX 960 and a lesser CPU.

Yeah I'd like to try and get it all in there if I can. I have a 32 inch HD TV I use for my ps4 now that I could use for a monitor if need be. I just want to make sure that my money is spent properly and gets me the beat bang for the buck

- - - Updated - - -

rayraysfunhouse said:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...sewill_network_adapter-_-33-166-117-_-Product

As far as your wireless goes this is the same adapter I have been using for over a year and it has never given me an issue. Great connection for all the games i play and it's never dropped my signal.

Also what is the budget for your build.

Click to expand...

Yeah something like that is what I was planning to use if I go atx micro atx it always seems to put the PCI port where it would block the GPU in the build with the core x2 but its looking like the core x31 is a better bet anyways so might be the way I go. I appreciate the suggestion!

What's your guys opinion on the Intel i3 4160 clocks in at a solid 3.6 GHz doesn't seem to shabby and for 125 seems pretty decent don't think its over clock able though

This is probably the build I would go with (if I were buying only new parts, which I wouldn't - I would look used ) :

4690k - $235
matx - Z97MX-gaming5 | atx - z97 extreme4 - $100
2x4GB - $40
250GB 850 EVO - $85
430W Corsair - $30
750Ti - $105

Right at ~$600. Add $50 for a case, $150 for monitor/KB/mouse, and you're at $800ish.

This will allow you to overclock the CPU a bit down the road when it becomes necessary (it won't for a while), adding only a decent cooler. The power supply isn't top of the line by any means, but it's fine on a budget and would also support a GTX 960 or similar wattage card were you to swap that in later.


Other parts to consider instead:
i3-4170 - $120
matx H97 - $60 | atx H97 - $75

Going with an i3 (locked) and a non-overclocking board would limit you down the road, but gaming performance should be roughly the same as the i5 for now. It would likely feel slower in other tasks, however, or in games which take advantage or 4 "real" cores (i3 is hyperthreaded 2-core). I don't necessarily like this option more, but it does allow you more room in the budget (frees up ~$150) for a better GPU, power supply, or whatever.

GTX960 - $155

I haven't used an AMD CPU in a while, so I'm a little out of my depth here, but perhaps a better alternative to the i3 would be:

FX 8320 - $140
990FX mobo - $80

You're getting 8 "cores" (realistically, something similar to 4 cores with HT), ability to overclock, and cheaper price. Trade-off is increased power consumption and decreased single core performance, clock-for-clock compared to an i5. I also am not seeing any mATX motherboard options in the 990FX chipset. I like smaller builds, personally, but it's up to you entirely. If you went this route, I would bump up to at least the following PSU:

520W Seasonic - $55

I didn't shop around too much, so make sure you do that once you decide on parts.

Seems like you can easily hit your $600-800 target. Just need to decide if you want a better CPU or a better GPU.

Thanks for all the advice ninjacore! I prefer to stick with Intel as I'm not a big fan of amd. All of this info is very helpful as I tend to be one of those people who will way overkill a build for my real needs. Gaming wise all I'll play is a few steam games (mainly want to play ark survival evolved as it looks awesome and I can't wait till next June when it hits the ps4) and a little lol which ran on my old HP laptop so would have no issues on a modern day CPU with built in graphics. Otherwise I just sure the web and am looking to increase a little on my video editing from a go pro but nothing crazy. So do you guys think a 750ti will cut it then? The extra money to get to that evega isn't to hatefull if the 960 is really that much better?

Ark Survival Evolved is kinda the opposite of LoL in terms of which component it stresses the most (GPU for ark, CPU - well, not really anything haha - for league of legends). Full disclosure, I've never played it, but from what I've read, it's also fairly unoptimized at the moment, so even good hardware is going to choke a bit.

If you're at 1080P (and I suggest it at your budget), then a 750Ti will likely land you in the lowest settings range on Ark. It might be playable, but if you really want to see the game looking nice, a 960 is probably the minimum (maybe even a GTX 970 or R9 290/390).

Basically, if Ark is definitely a game you want to try out on PC, then I would try to fit a 960 into your budget. The only way to do so, is likely with an i3 or AMD FX build. I understand you'd prefer to go Intel, but while the i5 trounces the FX 8320 in games, the latter will do the same to an i3.

My advice, with a $600 budget and a desire to play Ark, would be to go:

FX 8320 + 990FX mobo - $220ish
8GB DDR3 - $40
250GB 850 EVO - $85
Seasonic (or other solid) 500W+ PSU - $50-70

and then either a GTX 960 new or (better yet) a used R9 290 (30%+ better than the 960 and probably $30 more, used)

Is the fx8320 that much better then the i3? I heard they aren't as good at multitasking and I do a lot of that I'm a tabber on the internet lol. It needs to function just as well if not better as a normal comp too. And the operating system isn't in the price is the biggest issue as that 100 right there. And is a 250gb sad enough?

You can't just grab any 990FX board for an 8 core FX. The M5A99FX is literally the bottom board for those chips. That's for running stock, not overclocking. If you want to push it, a Sabertooth is as low as you can go, and if you want to bench (AKA, put it under LN2/DICE), the CHV-Z is it. For budget builds, generally speaking, the FX 6XXX series chips are recommended, because they don't stress the board as hard and don't heat up as much.

One_Nasty_PC said:

Is the fx8320 that much better then the i3? I heard they aren't as good at multitasking and I do a lot of that I'm a tabber on the internet lol. It needs to function just as well if not better as a normal comp too. And the operating system isn't in the price is the biggest issue as that 100 right there. And is a 250gb sad enough?

Click to expand...

They're going to be just about even in every game. GPU is going to matter more. Single-core-heavy apps will prefer the i3, multi-core apps, the FX. The 8-core FX would help your video editing a bit. 250GB is more than enough for OS and several games. File storage, use an external.

Dlaw said:

You can't just grab any 990FX board for an 8 core FX. The M5A99FX is literally the bottom board for those chips. That's for running stock, not overclocking. If you want to push it, a Sabertooth is as low as you can go, and if you want to bench (AKA, put it under LN2/DICE), the CHV-Z is it. For budget builds, generally speaking, the FX 6XXX series chips are recommended, because they don't stress the board as hard and don't heat up as much.

Click to expand...

How would an MSI 990FXA-GD65 (the one I linked above...) not support an 8320?




How about this:

i5 4590 - $180
matx H97 - $60 | atx H97 - $75
2x4GB - $40
250GB 850 EVO - $85
430W Corsair - $30
GTX960 - $155
That's $565. Still leaving the case to you. You can find something for $35. I've looked recently. They're not the highest quality, but they'll do.

OS, just grab a copy of Windows 7 Pro on eBay or from this thread for $40-50. You can upgrade to Windows 10 for free from 7.

Still leaves you $150 for peripherals, which will be close, but do-able.

The only thing I might suggest is to go used on the GPU and grab an r9 290 for ~$175 (reasons given in earlier post).

Alternatives, if you want some wiggle room:

i3-4170 - $120 (just swap it in for the i5 and save $60 - I would stay with the i5, personally)

Here's the AMD option. It's going to be the same price as the locked i5, as you'll need a beefier PSU, so I'd definitely just stick with i5.
FX 8320 - $140
990FX mobo - $80
520W Seasonic - $55

ninjacore said:

They're going to be just about even in every game. GPU is going to matter more. Single-core-heavy apps will prefer the i3, multi-core apps, the FX. The 8-core FX would help your video editing a bit. 250GB is more than enough for OS and several games. File storage, use an external.



How would an MSI 990FXA-GD65 (the one I linked above...) not support an 8320?




How about this:

i5 4590 - $180
matx H97 - $60 | atx H97 - $75
2x4GB - $40
250GB 850 EVO - $85
430W Corsair - $30
GTX960 - $155
That's $565. Still leaving the case to you. You can find something for $35. I've looked recently. They're not the highest quality, but they'll do.

OS, just grab a copy of Windows 7 Pro on eBay or from this thread for $40-50. You can upgrade to Windows 10 for free from 7.

Still leaves you $150 for peripherals, which will be close, but do-able.

The only thing I might suggest is to go used on the GPU and grab an r9 290 for ~$175 (reasons given in earlier post).

Alternatives, if you want some wiggle room:

i3-4170 - $120 (just swap it in for the i5 and save $60 - I would stay with the i5, personally)

Here's the AMD option. It's going to be the same price as the locked i5, as you'll need a beefier PSU, so I'd definitely just stick with i5.
FX 8320 - $140
990FX mobo - $80
520W Seasonic - $55

Click to expand...

MSI boards in general are a bad bet for the AMD camp. Do a quick search in the AMD section here for 'MSI', and let the horror stories begin. Trust me, you don't want to be messing with anything less than an M5A99FX. Ask the experts in the AMD section if you don't believe me, Trents is one of the ones who used to frequent there, as was RGone and Mandrake if I'm not mistaken. Caddydaddy also. Ask any of them, or the other AMD pros in the section.

I stress this point because it's very important: Don't cheap out on a motherboard for an 8 core FX, because you WILL have nothing but problems. I believe with that particular board, if it doesn't fail spectacularly, it won't run the 8 cores under any load without throttling due to poor VRM section.

Dlaw said:

MSI boards in general are a bad bet for the AMD camp. Do a quick search in the AMD section here for 'MSI', and let the horror stories begin. Trust me, you don't want to be messing with anything less than an M5A99FX. Ask the experts in the AMD section if you don't believe me, Trents is one of the ones who used to frequent there, as was RGone and Mandrake if I'm not mistaken. Caddydaddy also. Ask any of them, or the other AMD pros in the section.

I stress this point because it's very important: Don't cheap out on a motherboard for an 8 core FX, because you WILL have nothing but problems. I believe with that particular board, if it doesn't fail spectacularly, it won't run the 8 cores under any load without throttling due to poor VRM section.

Click to expand...

Sounds good. I'll take your word for it. It's a moot point, however, as the i5 build above is the same price and far superior.



EDIT: Also, OP, I keep forgetting to ask. Do you live near a microcenter?

So my current thoughts

Cpu- 13 4160 $125
Psu- corsair CX 600w $70 with a $20 mail in rebate.
Mobo- as rock h97 pro4 matx $80
Ram- corsair vengeance ddr3 1600 2x4gb $50
Storage- Seagate berracuda 1tb HDD $50
Optical drive- Asus DVD burner $20
Os- windows 10 $100
Case- thermaltake core v31 $60

That comes in at $555 before the rebate with an is but no GPU. This would give me a good running PC then I could save for a nice gtx 960 or maybe even 970. For 50 more I can get a Kingston's 128gb sad for a primary boot drive for my windows 10

Like that i5 build ninja that's making me really think on that on . And is that thread with the windows 7 stuff legit? He sells the keys would I need a disk? And what do you mean by micro center?