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Hey LTT Forum! I'm excited to be able to start my first build (it's for a family member), but I would like some opinions before we "pull the trigger".
 
Budget and Location: As far away from $900 we can get, while still completing the tasks we need, we would be happy with! We live in the US.
Aim: Workstation PC. Starting a business, and would like to do basic web browsing, video watching, and some photo editing. I also want room to expand or upgrade in the future.
Monitors: Only planning on running one monitor, at 1080p (I believe).
Peripherals: We're all set with the keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, and OS, and we don't need to purchase them.
Why are you upgrading?: The previous computer was old and broke, so it's time for an upgrade!
Do you plan on overclocking?: Nope
 
Here's what I have so far:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.93 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.89 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $633.54
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 11:11 EST-0500
 
Some of the concerns I have:
GPU: The lack of GPU is mostly in the interest of budget. I think the integrated graphics of the CPU may be enough for the light-ish usage we're planning. I'd love a second opinion on this, though. Will the lack of GPU impact my CPU's lifespan? Is it worth the investment for, say, a GTX 750 ti?
Case: We like the simplistic design of this case, its built-in cable management, and its seemingly good airflow (and price!). However, is there a Micro ATX case that anyone would recommend, to conserve on space? Another thing to note is that we don't like the windowed, LED cases, and much prefer simplistic design. Sacrificing some expandability would be alright.
Motherboard: I wasn't sure if this was a good motherboard. Again, we're not planning on overclocking, but I don't know if a Z97 or Z87 would be the better decision anyway. Is this good enough, and if not, does anyone have recommendations?
CPU Cooling: Are we okay with the stock cooler, if we're not planning on overclocking? Or is it worth throwing something like a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (or Plus) in there?
 
It seems that with the specific usage and preferences, picking every part individually is the way to go (as opposed to combo deals on Newegg or something). Since this is my first build, I may be forgetting something, so please let me know if I am! Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

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I would get a graphics card if you plan on doing some photo work, as that will help. I do not believe a z97 is necessary if no gaming or extreme overclocking is being done. I would get a 256 GB ssd to fit more programs on. If you do decide you want a graphics card I would up to 500w/600w.

Current Desktop Build | 2200G | RX 580 4GB | 8GB RAM | CTRL | Logitech G Pro Wireless

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It is a good build, the iGPU will do the job if 0 gaming is involved. If the image editing work is scarce, you will not need one for that either. The thing is, if you are not planning to overclock,  you don't need a Z97 board or an unlocked processor (i5XXXXk).

 

 
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $630.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 11:19 EST-0500
 
the CPU cooler comes with thermal paste, its not the great but you don't need an aftermarket one for a non OC CPU.

Planning on trying StarCitizen (Highly recommended)? STAR-NR5P-CJFR is my referal link 

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If you do want a dedicated GPU (if you do image editing more often), you may want to get something like this: THe xeon has no iGPU but it has the performance of an i7.

 

 
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 250 2GB Video Card  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $728.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 11:22 EST-0500
 
This build is superior to the other one, but of course is 100USD more expensive. It is also "more likely of malfunction" as it has more components, but don't worry about it, its very unlikely, but keep it in mind.

Planning on trying StarCitizen (Highly recommended)? STAR-NR5P-CJFR is my referal link 

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Thank you both for the wonderful suggestions!

 

 

I would get a graphics card if you plan on doing some photo work, as that will help. I do not believe a z97 is necessary if no gaming or extreme overclocking is being done. I would get a 256 GB ssd to fit more programs on. If you do decide you want a graphics card I would up to 500w/600w.

 

I think it couldn't really hurt to get a lower end GPU, to take some of the weight off the CPU. And a larger SSD may be good, but we were only planning on putting the OS, office suite, and photo editor on the SSD, so I think it should fit. By the way we're going to use Linux Mint at least for the first part, and the reason I said $900 was the budget instead of $1000, is that we want that $100 cushion, in case we change our mind, to go for a Windows license in the future. If I go with an Nvidia card, I think the PSU should be alright, but I wasn't too much of a fan of this PSU anyway. It seems good, but it only has 2 SATA power connectors, so I'd have to get a splitter, which isn't ideal. Other than that, I do like the semi-modular capabilities of it though.

 

 

 

It is a good build, the iGPU will do the job if 0 gaming is involved. If the image editing work is scarce, you will not need one for that either. The thing is, if you are not planning to overclock,  you don't need a Z97 board or an unlocked processor (i5XXXXk).

 

 
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $630.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 11:19 EST-0500
 
the CPU cooler comes with thermal paste, its not the great but you don't need an aftermarket one for a non OC CPU.

 

 

That's a nicer build, and you bring up some good points. The reason I had the K series CPU on it was that when I first made the build, I guess they were on sale, so they were actually cheaper than the 4690 at the time. But I definitely won't be getting the K if it's cheaper to get the 4690. I like the motherboard better than the one I selected, so I'll probably go with that. A question I have in regards to the motherboard is: Will any motherboard have a Firewire port (and is that technology worth getting at this point anyway)? Also, I'm a bit concerned about the motherboard's reliability. A lot of the reviews from other motherboards say that it didn't work on the first boot. I didn't know that the default CPU cooler comes with thermal paste at all, so I think we'll save a couple bucks there, since we're not OCing.

 

 

 

If you do want a dedicated GPU (if you do image editing more often), you may want to get something like this: THe xeon has no iGPU but it has the performance of an i7.

 

 
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($59.95 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R7 250 2GB Video Card  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $728.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 11:22 EST-0500
 
This build is superior to the other one, but of course is 100USD more expensive. It is also "more likely of malfunction" as it has more components, but don't worry about it, its very unlikely, but keep it in mind.

 

 

I really like this build as well, and I've heard good things about the Xeon E3-1230 V3. I like that it has hyperthreading, in particular. How is its single-core performance, though? One change I may make to this build is swapping out the GPU for a GTX 750 ti (or maybe a GTX 730/740, on the lower end). I like the CUDA acceleration it would give to some photo editing applications, and it shouldn't use too much extra power as well. Of course, that would increase the build to around $760. Both video cards should do the job, though. However, if we go with this build, I don't think adding the extra SSD space would be ideal, with the added cost.

 

Again, thanks for the suggestions! I really appreciate it! I'll talk it over with the family member I'm building it for, and get back to everyone (if you're both ok with it, I'll quote you in any responses, so you get the notification).

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You'll very soon discover that a 128GB is pretty small. I highly recommend at least 250GB.

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You'll very soon discover that a 128GB is pretty small. I highly recommend at least 250GB.

I've been with 128gb for 4 months. I'm yet to realize that.

Want to help researchers improve the lives on millions of people with just your computer? Then join World Community Grid distributed computing, and start helping the world to solve it's most difficult problems!

 

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You'll very soon discover that a 128GB is pretty small. I highly recommend at least 250GB.

 

I've been with 128gb for 4 months. I'm yet to realize that.

 

 

I believe we're going to try Linux Mint at first, which is pretty small and should fit itself, along with all major applications (Gimp, Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird) on the SSD (I'd estimate Linux Mint with the applications wouldn't use more than 60GB). I guess the 128GB becomes too little if we change our mind and decide to go with Windows, Microsoft Office, and/or Photoshop. If she does end up changing her mind about the OS, would I be able to install Windows (not a dual boot) on the entire 128GB? Or would it only be able to use the space that Linux Mint didn't use? If that's the case, maybe a smaller HDD, and using that money towards a larger SSD is a good option. Or even cutting out the SSD for now, and waiting until the prices go down per GB, if the prices go down at all.

 

I still haven't quite had the chance to talk with her, and I'll be sure to mention a larger SSD as an option. Thanks again for the advice!

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CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($237.99 @ SuperBiiz) 


Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($66.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: Team Elite Plus 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($114.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($104.99 @ SuperBiiz) 


Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card  ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case: Cooler Master N400 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ Micro Center) 

Total: $804.78

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-07 14:34 EST-0500

 

Edit: The N400 is a terrible case don't use it

Specs: 4790k | Asus Z-97 Pro Wifi | MX100 512GB SSD | NZXT H440 Plastidipped Black | Dark Rock 3 CPU Cooler | MSI 290x Lightning | EVGA 850 G2 | 3x Noctua Industrial NF-F12's

Bought a powermac G5, expect a mod log sometime in 2015

Corsair is overrated, and Anime is ruined by the people who watch it

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I believe we're going to try Linux Mint at first, which is pretty small and should fit itself, along with all major applications (Gimp, Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird) on the SSD (I'd estimate Linux Mint with the applications wouldn't use more than 60GB). I guess the 128GB becomes too little if we change our mind and decide to go with Windows, Microsoft Office, and/or Photoshop. If she does end up changing her mind about the OS, would I be able to install Windows (not a dual boot) on the entire 128GB? Or would it only be able to use the space that Linux Mint didn't use? If that's the case, maybe a smaller HDD, and using that money towards a larger SSD is a good option. Or even cutting out the SSD for now, and waiting until the prices go down per GB, if the prices go down at all.

 

I still haven't quite had the chance to talk with her, and I'll be sure to mention a larger SSD as an option. Thanks again for the advice!

I've got windows, office, a game, 2~3 8gb files, and a crapton of programs, and I still have 22gbs left.

 

You'll be fine. 128gb is enough, so long as you have a 1TB hd to store all the other stuff.

Want to help researchers improve the lives on millions of people with just your computer? Then join World Community Grid distributed computing, and start helping the world to solve it's most difficult problems!

 

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I haven't talked to her yet, but I think we can get together later this week to make a decision. So in my efforts to be as prepared as possible, I made 3 builds with what everyone said in mind, at $650, $750, and $850 price points, with a goal of making three different "tier" lists. Any further thoughts?

$650 Range:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($109.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card ($99.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($56.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $651.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-11 09:33 EST-0500
 
Notes: I cut down on the case and HDD, to make enough room for an r7 260X without going too far over budget. I still like this motherboard, after researching it further, even though it's Micro ATX. I'm still concerned about the single-core performance of this CPU, though. It seems to blow the i5 4690 out of the water in terms of multi-threaded, heavy workloads, but I think the simpler stuff may be more prevalent in this case.

$750(-ish) Range:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($237.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.93 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($56.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $763.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-11 09:36 EST-0500
 
Notes: Key differences between this and the $650 range build are the CPU, GPU, SSD, and HDD. I went with the Samsung 850 EVO 250GB for better performance and more headroom in terms of capacity. The CPU is a Xeon mentioned earlier in this thread. I went with the E3-1231, over the E3-1230, simply based on performance/cost. The GPU seems to be one of the better ones in that price range, and it has the CUDA acceleration that some applications can use. Runs cooler and uses less power than the R7 260X as well, and should be slightly better in terms of performance.

$850 Range:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($237.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.93 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $846.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-11 09:41 EST-0500
 
Notes: Key differences between this and the $750 list are the Case, and RAM. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go with a aftermarket CPU cooler or a noise-reduction case like the Fractal Design Define R4. In this case, I went with the upgraded case, but I'd love to hear everyone's opinions! I also upgraded the RAM, going with the 16GB set from Crucial. I think it's good value for the money.
 
I know I may be asking for a lot, or too much, but I'd love to hear any feedback on the quality vs price of these builds. I tried to keep everyone's previous suggestions in mind when making these lists. Of course, any revisions (or complete overhaul) of these lists would be welcomed! My goal here was to give three options to her, so she can make a more educated decision. So as long as there are three unique tiers, regardless of what price they are all at, I'd be ecstatic! I just chose $650, $750, and $850 as the three tiers, as they seemed to show the most noticeable price/performance ratios. As long as I have 3 different "tier" builds, I think she'll have the information to make a final decision, which I'll post here as well!

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