Build based on Asus M5A78L-M LX3 mobo (for parents)

[sbi85]

Hey guys,

My brother have a spare Asus M5A78L-M LX3 motherboard with a case so I thought I would upgrade the current system my parents have. (which is like a 12 year old config)

I would like to put together a very cheap configuration based on that motherboard that my parents can use for video/web browsing, very light gaming (think of PopCap games).
I am happy to pick up used spare parts from eBay I would just want the parts to work with the given mobo.

So we are talking about CPU, PSU, Memory, (graphics card if even needed, but might be ok with integrated solutions)

Do you have any suggestions or places to look for complete configs I can take a look?
or any other ideas/help welcome.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[bob4933]

building a computer around that motherboard is a poor choice for many reasons. The cpu's you can use for them will be largely incompatible (fx series on that is a no go), or severely overpriced (phenom's are stupid expensive for what youre getting). Am3 integrated graphics are... poor at best.

Super recommend you get a pentium g3258 build.


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rhWfzy


since it comes with everything you need, and comes with an OS, I'd hop alllll over this honestly

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Comp...50GB-Win-10-/161807793658?hash=item25ac7efdfa

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

building a computer around that motherboard is a poor choice for many reasons. The cpu's you can use for them will be largely incompatible (fx series on that is a no go), or severely overpriced (phenom's are stupid expensive for what youre getting). Am3 integrated graphics are... poor at best.

Super recommend you get a pentium g3258 build.


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rhWfzy


since it comes with everything you need, and comes with an OS, I'd hop alllll over this honestly

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Comp...50GB-Win-10-/161807793658?hash=item25ac7efdfa

Get a Z97. Otherwise, it can get bricked. Windows bug and microcode update issue.

 

[bob4933]

Get a Z97. Otherwise, it can get bricked. Windows bug and microcode update issue.

first I've heard of this, what exactly happens? Patch issues?


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hn6NhM

30 extra bucks for some piece of mind then?

 

[Dlaw]

Get a Z97. Otherwise, it can get bricked. Windows bug and microcode update issue.

First I've heard of it too, can you site please?

I've updated 2 older Pentium builds to Win10 for clients of mine, and they have been going strong for 2 weeks now.

Honestly that system on Ebay is pretty good for $230.

 

[bob4933]

First I've heard of it too, can you site please?

I've updated 2 older Pentium builds to Win10 for clients of mine, and they have been going strong for 2 weeks now.

Honestly that system on Ebay is pretty good for $230.

I could see some bios crap happening with w10 perhaps? I'll look it up tonight

 

[sbi85]

building a computer around that motherboard is a poor choice for many reasons. The cpu's you can use for them will be largely incompatible (fx series on that is a no go), or severely overpriced (phenom's are stupid expensive for what youre getting). Am3 integrated graphics are... poor at best.

Super recommend you get a pentium g3258 build.


http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rhWfzy


since it comes with everything you need, and comes with an OS, I'd hop alllll over this honestly

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Comp...50GB-Win-10-/161807793658?hash=item25ac7efdfa

Thanks Bob for the reply and appreciate your help.
I kind of agree, but I can't really let the motherboard go to waste and my parents don't really need a spec from 2014 like the pentium you are suggesting.
What about just getting a Phenom II x2 550 BE like this one for £15 ($23) - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMD-Pheno...Z550WFK2DGI-/351228431627?hash=item51c6d88d0b

Would that be totally off the table? (or would that even work? or would that be a sane choice?)


ps. i was just wondering if the motherboard has a AM3+ CPU socket and the FX CPUs use AM3+ why is there an incompatibility? Sorry, I'm not that well versed in this area

 

[Dlaw]

If you can put together a parts list and post it, we can tell you whether or not it's worth the investment.

I still feel like that system bob posted from ebay looks like your best bet.

 

[bob4933]

I'm not pushing the newer stuff because it's "better", more of a reliability thing. That said, I've rarely seen someone charge an honest price for those chips. "It's old so it's valuable!" Seems to be the mentality quite frequently.

I'll check UK part picker later. Odds are suggestions for the remaining parts will be the same.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

First I've heard of it too, can you site please?

I've updated 2 older Pentium builds to Win10 for clients of mine, and they have been going strong for 2 weeks now.

Honestly that system on Ebay is pretty good for $230.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...rs-considering-upgrading-to-Windows-10-beware

And there's more! It's possible that with this bug, you can only use Windows with the second core disabled!

You may need to get an i3 4150.

If I owned a brick&motar store, I will ban non-Z Intel chipsets.

 

[Dlaw]

I see nothing in that thread about Win10 "bricking" the system, only that it wouldn't upgrade to Win10. If the system is already running Win10, I wouldn't worry at all about having issues with it.

Also, there's no documentation that I can find suggesting that you couldn't fresh install on those systems.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I see nothing in that thread about Win10 "bricking" the system, only that it wouldn't upgrade to Win10. If the system is already running Win10, I wouldn't worry at all about having issues with it.

Also, there's no documentation that I can find suggesting that you couldn't fresh install on those systems.

If it's not Windows 10, then it's a microcode update that bricks the system and makes the G3258 seem defective, behave like it was a counterfeit manufactured by an unknown Chinese company.

I honestly think all stores should ban H8xx and Bxx chipset motherboards!

 

[caddi daddi]

reading what the op says, this screams amd, apu rig.
it's just web browsing, youtube and concast games, right up the apu alley.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I honestly think all stores should ban H8xx and Bxx chipset motherboards!

Also all Hxxx motherboards should be banned from stores, because of incompetence. Because of the fiasco.

It seems that Intel wants to blame Microsoft and Microsoft wants to blame Intel..........

So, if you get a G3258 that acts like it was manufactured in a mouse-infested factory in Shanghai, that's probably why.....


Even today's AMD never got that low! So I would think about getting a Zen...

Or if not AMD, get a Skylake, if a less expensive version comes.

 

[Dlaw]

Firstly, I can personally vouch that it's not all G3258/H or B chipset systems. Secondly, this thread is about recommending a solid performing system for the OP, not to flame MS or Intel.

And as I said, there's no documentation that I can find that would suggest that you can't fresh install on these systems, only that some of them are having issues upgrading. Since the OP will be buying new, and you can find Win10 for cheaper than 7 or 8, I think it's a safe bet that it's the way he'll go.

And if it's a prebuilt system with these parts and Win10 preloaded, you've bypassed the issue entirely.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Here's another fix:

http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...te-kb3064209-causes-windows-7-not-boot-5.html