bare bones computer for under $500?

[bhome83]

So I already got a good deal on a coolermaster HAF 932 case for $90, and already have 2 old school IDE hard drives (will upgrade later to good SATA drives) and my only request for the machine is that it play HD video (720 and 1080p) w/o a hiccup and be really quiet (I will splurge a little for a good cpu cooler; and hopefully those built in fans on the coolermaster are quiet)

What should I be looking for in terms of parts? I'm thinking an intel i3 processor (ok this is a little splurge but i suppose cpu splurge is reasonable), 4gb of ram, cheapo gpu (would prefer HDCP compliant and have an HDMI port), small power supply, and a mobo that still supports the old school IDE HDD's, while still have SATA connectors for my one SATA HDD. Ideally a mobo that supports IDE still and has at least one port for USB 3.0 would be nice. Do these exist or is IDE so old, USB 3.0 wouldn't be teamed on the same board?

already have all the peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse)

any ideas would be very helpful. thanks!

UPDATE:

ok, so playing around with newegg.com I have found some components I think are good so far for what I need:

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard--> $119.99 (after rebate)

Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3540 ---> $114.99

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long ... ---> $29.99

how does that look so far? I'll probably go over $500, but all I need now I think is memory, power supply, and and a budget video card. I'll use the onboard audio for now with this mobo I picked out.

[Nikon]

a good card for what you want would prolly be in the radeon 4xxx series, let glc go into depth, he knows a bit more about the HTPC area, and i will be folling him rediculously on this subject.

[uncleglenny]

just on a side note, where did you get the coolermaster HAF 932 for 90 bux?

[bhome83]

black friday, $109.99 $20 mail in rebate. Newegg though put it back up for $139 though now.

[David M]

$500 is going to be really tough if not impossible to do. Is your budget flexible?

Do you want this in a HTPC case or a tower case? Not all cards and quiet CPU coolers will fit in an HTPC case. The good thing is that HTPC cases have IR controllers, fit inside a stereo cabinet and are designed to be vewy, vewy quiet. (Elmer Fudd )

An i-3 processor is plenty for streaming video and audio.

You will want a hard drive designed for A/V use if you want quiet and something that is not going to generate a lot of heat which is important in a relatively small HTPC cabinet.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/internal/av/

You don't want a powerful graphics card in a HTPC cabinet for the same reason, heat. The card you choose will need to have an HDMI out that will connect either to your A/V receiver or to the back of your television.

More heat means you will need more or faster runnng fans. More fans means there will be more noise.

A sound card will be worth it if you have an audiophile level sound system. Otherwise the onboard sound is okay.

What are you using for an amplifier? Is it a A/V receiver with an HDMI input and output or is it a regular amp?

Does your television have an HDMI input? What does it have?

Do you have an external Bluray player or do you want to use a Bluray optical drive in your computer?

If you can get everything to work through an HDMI connection it is easier and simpler and the chances of there being no video or audio loss (degradation of signal) are better.

You kinda need to answer the questions before we can design you a system.

[bhome83]

David M, I think you might have misunderstood. This is gonna be a desktop pc.

[David M]

My mistake. It will not be an HTPC case then. Will it have any other functions or run any other software unrelated to playing movies? Most of the things I described and asked still apply.

[bhome83]

aside from HD movies, I just use the internet a lot, and multitask (play music, rip music, etc etc) Nothing too intense. As mentioned in oringinal post, already have a case, HDD's, optical drive, and the peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor).

[David M]

I will re-ask and re-state the relevant questions and statements then...

$500 is going to be really tough if not impossible to do. Is your budget flexible?

You will want a hard drive designed for A/V use if you want quiet.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/internal/av/

You will also want a quiet cabinet, something that is sealed up except for where the fans are. Foam dampening inside also helps.

You don't need a powerful graphics card. The card you choose will need to have an HDMI out that will connect either to your A/V receiver or to the back of your television.

A sound card will be worth it if you have an audiophile level sound system. Otherwise the onboard sound is okay.

What are you using for an amplifier? Is it a A/V receiver with an HDMI input and output or is it a regular amp?

Does your television have an HDMI input? What does it have?

Do you want to play Bluray at all? If so you will need to price in one of those which run $80-$100.

If you can get everything to work through an HDMI connection it is easier and simpler and the chances of there being no video or audio loss (degradation of signal) are better.

[glc]

Okay - I'm going to recommend onboard video with the option for a video card later. The H57 chipset with Clarkdale core i3/i5 is very capable and it has VGA. DVI, DisplayPort, and HDMI. It's capable of full 1080p. I'm also going to recommend an Gigabyte instead of an Asus board because Asus doesn't have a reasonably priced board that has both IDE and USB 3.0. Your FSP 350 will handle this setup, and you will have to get a SATA optical drive (only one IDE channel on boards these days). You don't need an aftermarket CPU cooler.

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-H57M-USB3 LGA 1156 Intel H57 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Newegg.com - Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz 4MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3540

Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - CD / DVD Burners

Newegg.com - A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH

[bhome83]

glc, the specs of this board says it doesn't have onboard video. Also, the board I listed seems to have a bit more in terms of features. While it doesn't have onboard video, can you recommend a good video card that will handle 1080p and have DVI, HDMI, and displayport that can go with the board I recommended? I may be going a little over $500 budget. Also, the reason I sprang for a good cpu cooler is because that one is rated really high and I want to make sure to keep this system cool and quiet. Not sure how cool and quiet the stock intel cooler is.

finally, is the only difference between an ATX and microATX board is the size? I imagine microATX boards have quite a bit less features because they are physically smaller?

thanks

ps - if i were to spring for a nice quiet power supply from newegg, what would you recommend? My current 350W power supply doesn't have great wiring. I imagine newer ones are cleaner with the wires....

[David M]

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

http://www.corsair.com/_images/charts/vx550w_noise.jpg
That's very quiet.

Stock Intel CPU coolers are not very quiet.
Amazon.com: Nexus Universal Quiet Copper CPU Cooler XiR-3500: Electronics
15-24 db. It's out of stock at Newegg.

[bhome83]

so as you increase the wattage on a PSU, they always increase in noise level? Wanna keep this machine whisper quiet, so looks like I might need to stick to a lower wattage power supply to keep the dbA's down.

[bhome83]

alright I think I got close to what I want for $500. Let me know what you think:

GIGABYTE GA-H57M-USB3 LGA 1156 Intel H57 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $120

Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9AD3K2/4G $40 after rebate

Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760 $205.00

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long ... $15 after rebate

CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ... $70 after rebate

How does this look? I went for the faster processor to futureproof this computer for a little bit at least.

Do you think this setup will keep my computer quiet? Remember I have a coolermaster HAF 932 (with case fans installed already). A little concerned the PSU is too many watts and therefore a little louder than needs to be...

comes out to approx. $450 after rebate.

ps - and it looks like that processor doesn't have onboard video. Can anyone suggest a good GPU for $50-100? Again, I dont play games, so don't need something powerful. Just HDMI, DVI ports

[rwest]

Originally Posted by bhome83 glc, the specs of this board says it doesn't have onboard video..

Graphics are embedded. The MB still has an HDMI, and DVI ouput. The MB doesn't need a chip on board with that proceesor. That's assuming I understand embedded graphics correctly.

[David M]

Originally Posted by bhome83 so as you increase the wattage on a PSU, they always increase in noise level? Wanna keep this machine whisper quiet, so looks like I might need to stick to a lower wattage power supply to keep the dbA's down.

The noise level is mostly related to the size of the fan and the speed it turns. The larger and slower, the quieter. There are plenty of low power PSU's out there that have small fans that turn at high speeds that are very noisy.

Many PSU's now have a fan speed controller that will run faster as they produce more power. The older or simpler PSU's just have a fan that runs at the same speed all the time regardless of how much heat and power they are producing. For a graphics card that is just powerful enough to run movies, it is not going to draw a lot of power. Therefore I don't think you need to worry about the Corsair 550 being noisy. It's pretty quiet compared to most all of the PSU's out there. It's also excellent quality with a 5 year warranty.

If you go to Corsairs website, you can pick a PSU, click on Resources and then you can see the different power vs noise curves.
http://www.corsair.com/products/power_supplies.aspx

[glc]

Right - you need the COMBINATION of a H55/H57 chipset AND a Clarkdale i3 or i5 to have onboard video. The video is actually embedded in the Clarkdale processor and the H55/H57 simply provides a conduit for it.

The i5-760 DOES NOT HAVE embedded graphics. If you want that processor, get an Asus P55 board and a video card.

Newegg.com - ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100291L Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 512MB 64-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

That motherboard has one IDE channel and USB 3.0. It's a full size board.

[bhome83]

that mobo you suggested glc is very similar to the one I had in my newegg cart. Should I just go with the cheaper one?

ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

or

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

[glc]

The LX USB 3.0 is not full speed from what I've been reading.

FYI, unless you are going to be overclocking, 1600 speed ram is a waste. It WILL work, but it won't run any faster than 1333.

[Nikon]

on that note, glc, i have not OC'd my system yet (in sig), but when doing ram settings in bios, it let me manually set it to 1600mhz. it defaulted to 1333. do you think its functioning at 1600, or it doesnt matter? either way just curious

[bhome83]

I might overclock in the future because I will have an aftermarket cooler that is rated pretty highly and the CPU is an overclockers dream (so I've heard).

here are the specs of my new system. After rebate will be just around $500.
Let me know what you think

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$140 after rebate

Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760 ---$205.00

Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory ----$40 after rebate

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long ...
$29.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ...
$60 after rebate

SAPPHIRE 100291L Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 512MB 64-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$25 after rebate

also, will I need thermal paste for the CPU? And how necessary are those anti-static wrist bands? There pretty expensive ($9) so wondering if it is really necessary.

ps - hopefully this computer stays quiet because it is next to my bed let me know if I can switch out any parts for quieter parts.


thanks guys!

[David M]

Sometimes aftermarket CPU heat sinks come with thermal paste and sometimes not. Their website will probably tell you this. Its cheap, I would buy some just to have it around.

I have never used a wristband but I do hold the hardware and touch the case before installing so if there is a potential difference, any static arcs through your finger to the case and not through the hardware.

[glc]

Notice I picked a video card with a passive cooler for you.

If you want to spend some considerable bucks, you can get a fanless power supply.........

Newegg.com - Seasonic SS-460FL Active PFC F3, 460W Fanless ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91, 80Plus Gold Certified, Modular Power Supply

[bhome83]

yeah, thanks for that suggestion glc. Is the PSU I have picked out relatively quiet? If not, do you have another suggestion? Also, will all these parts be compatible with one another? I'm pretty sure they will be, just want to be sure before I place my order. Also, what brand thermal paste should i shoot for? Thanks!

ps - How accurate are those machines that measure how loud your computer is? Been thinking of buying one, but not sure if they can really be that accurate.

[glc]

Read Dave's post - #16. Use Arctic Silver 5.

[bhome83]

a fanless power supply would be awesome, but a little too rich for my blood. So is there anything else I need to think of aside from arctic silver 5? I have the HDD's, optical drive, and case and will order what I mentioned in previous post.

ps - I only do builds every 5 yrs. or so, so is there a way to preserve the arctic silver 5? I imagine it will go bad after 5 years, so one squirt and I'm done I guess.

pss - I think this is a pretty solid build. $500 gets you a lot more than it used to that's for sure. The way technology goes, I should be good for about a month before my parts become obsolete

[glc]

The AS5 will keep a long time. Just make sure you put the cap back on tight and wrap it in a plastic bag.

[bhome83]

does the arctic silver 5 need to go in the refrigerator or anything? I thought last time I bought this stuff it said to put it in the refrigerator or cold area. I'm gonna go ahead and buy these components. Hopefully everything works out. thanks guys

[glc]

I think you are worried too much about a 9 buck tube of grease.........

[bhome83]

good pt. glc. So I'm hearing that it isn't smart to build a new computer right now because of the new technology coming in March (I don't keep up on this all that much but from reading maximum pc magazine it sounds like new chips are coming out in March). So my question is: Is my components for the new build gonna become that obsolete, or am I just hearing this from PC enthusiasts that think I can save $50-100 on my build in a few months because prices might shoot down (as they inevitably enventually do?)

also, since my 4gb of RAM will only run at 1333, any brand from newegg that you suggest to save money so I dont buy the kind I have now w/o seeing a performance difference?

thanks!