New Computer for Dad

[Colomon84]

So a few years ago I built my dad a super budget $400 computer to replace his old Dell Dimension with a Pentium 4.  Recently he has been complaining to me that it's loud and it's very slow. I figured it's probably about time I upgrade his system so I was thinking about doing a mini itx build about the size of a shoebox to give him some desk space.  He only uses the computer for web browsing and some minor software applications for invoicing/accounting since he has his own business.

 

What do you guys think of this build for my dad?  Any suggestions or changes would be greatly appreciated!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tdfgD3
 

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($49.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.34 @ Newegg) 
Thermal Compound: Gelid Solutions GC-Extreme 3.5g Thermal Paste  (Purchased For $12.99) 
Motherboard: Asus H97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($99.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($44.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  (Purchased For $19.99) 

 

Total: $439.27
 

[Bajantechnician]

1 minute ago, Colomon84 said:

So a few years ago I built my dad a super budget $400 computer to replace his old Dell Dimension with a Pentium 4.  Recently he has been complaining to me that it's loud and it's very slow. I figured it's probably about time I upgrade his system so I was thinking about doing a mini itx build about the size of a shoebox to give him some desk space.  He only uses the computer for web browsing and some minor software applications for invoicing/accounting since he has his own business.

 

What do you guys think of this build for my dad?  Any suggestions or changes would be greatly appreciated!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tdfgD3
 

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($49.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.34 @ Newegg) 
Thermal Compound: Gelid Solutions GC-Extreme 3.5g Thermal Paste  (Purchased For $12.99) 
Motherboard: Asus H97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($99.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($44.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  (Purchased For $19.99) 

 

Total: $439.27
 

dont need such a good cooler.

stock is fine

mobo doesnt have to be that expensive

ram id suggest 1x8, not 2x4

120gb ssd is not enough.

go for 240, + 1tb hdd,

ELSE, get 1tb hdd by iteself

psu just get a $60 from evga

[Hydraxiler32]

you could go for a cheaper PSU, like one with 80+ Bronze instead of gold. and you don't really need a CPU cooler unless you are gonna overclock, and you can't because its not a z97. 

 

[Djole123]

Before you buy, check the old PC.

1) Clean off the cooler. It is probably very dusty and P4's are known for being hot, which is not cool (see what I did there?)

2) Reinstall the OS. It is probably full of junk.

3) Get an SSD if nothing above helps.

 

And if really nothing helps, buy a new PC then. And BTW that is pretty OK

[Colomon84]

1 minute ago, Bajantechnician said:

dont need such a good cooler.

stock is fine

mobo doesnt have to be that expensive

ram id suggest 1x8, not 2x4

120gb ssd is not enough.

go for 240, + 1tb hdd,

ELSE, get 1tb hdd by iteself

psu just get a $60 from evga

The reason for the stand alone SSD is that AT MOST he uses windows, firefox, quicken, and an invoice creating program I forget the name of.  He does not have photos nor videos on his computer so there is no need for a 1tb HDD and the PSU I chose because Silverstone sells a flat cable set for their SFX PSUs that will make it much easier on me and cleaner in the end to build.

[Colomon84]

1 minute ago, Djole123 said:

Before you buy, check the old PC.

1) Clean off the cooler. It is probably very dusty and P4's are known for being hot, which is not cool (see what I did there?)

2) Reinstall the OS. It is probably full of junk.

3) Get an SSD if nothing above helps.

 

And if really nothing helps, buy a new PC then. And BTW that is pretty OK

The old computer is running an AMD FX-4100... that was supposed to be the upgrade from his old Dell which ran a P4

 

The OS is a good tip, I will try this along with a new SSD and see if he minds the noise first!

[Colomon84]

8 minutes ago, Bajantechnician said:

dont need such a good cooler.

stock is fine

mobo doesnt have to be that expensive

ram id suggest 1x8, not 2x4

120gb ssd is not enough.

go for 240, + 1tb hdd,

ELSE, get 1tb hdd by iteself

psu just get a $60 from evga

BTW what is your reasoning behind RAM at 1x8 and not 2x4??

[Aytex]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock A68M-ITX Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  (Purchased For $0.00)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  (Purchased For $19.99)
Total: $384.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 12:53 EDT-0400

 

Changed cpu, more preformance

[Hman1250]

3 hours ago, Colomon84 said:

BTW what is your reasoning behind RAM at 1x8 and not 2x4??

The motherboard only has 2 DIMM Slots, not 4. So if you upgrade your RAM to 16GB, you'll have to buy a 16GB (2x8GB) sticks to upgrade, where doing 1x8 will save you money later on as you only have to add in one stick.

[Colomon84]

1 minute ago, Aytex said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock A68M-ITX Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  (Purchased For $0.00)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  (Purchased For $19.99)
Total: $384.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 12:53 EDT-0400

 

Changed cpu, more preformance

I like this idea, is the integrated GPU in that AMD processor good? I really haven't heard very many things about it

[Aytex]

Just now, Colomon84 said:

I like this idea, is the integrated GPU in that AMD processor good? I really haven't heard very many things about it

good enough for gaming, good enough for every day work.

Look up benchmarks, better than the 860k too

[Bajantechnician]

14 minutes ago, Colomon84 said:

The reason for the stand alone SSD is that AT MOST he uses windows, firefox, quicken, and an invoice creating program I forget the name of.  He does not have photos nor videos on his computer so there is no need for a 1tb HDD and the PSU I chose because Silverstone sells a flat cable set for their SFX PSUs that will make it much easier on me and cleaner in the end to build.

psu doesnt have to be so expensive

also, still 120gb will not be enough in the long run

[Bajantechnician]

10 minutes ago, Colomon84 said:

BTW what is your reasoning behind RAM at 1x8 and not 2x4??

better upgradiability in the future

[Nacho Marco Segui]

The noctua cooler comes with excellent thermal paste, no need for buying

[Guest]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($59.38 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($10.90 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($10.90 @ Newegg)
Total: $441.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 13:04 EDT-0400

 

EDIT: The reason for my suggested build above is because I think MiniITX will be more loud and hot then you need it to be unless desk space in a serious concern. There also can be unncessary costs involved. I suggested going with a MicroATX mini tower which will still be compact but offer for more flexibility and promote better and quieter airflow. Also you can see I opted for better quad core CPU and an SSD with some more space. You could always cut out the extra fans and go with a $50-$60 case if you want a little more quality there.

[Bajantechnician]

3 minutes ago, Nacho Marco Segui said:

The noctua cooler comes with excellent thermal paste, no need for buying

already owned

[Djole123]

1 hour ago, Colomon84 said:

The old computer is running an AMD FX-4100... that was supposed to be the upgrade from his old Dell which ran a P4

 

The OS is a good tip, I will try this along with a new SSD and see if he minds the noise first!

Oh sorry, I'm now officially blind

 

Well you can clean the cooler anyway.

[tataklee]

2 hours ago, Colomon84 said:

So a few years ago I built my dad a super budget $400 computer to replace his old Dell Dimension with a Pentium 4.  Recently he has been complaining to me that it's loud and it's very slow. I figured it's probably about time I upgrade his system so I was thinking about doing a mini itx build about the size of a shoebox to give him some desk space.  He only uses the computer for web browsing and some minor software applications for invoicing/accounting since he has his own business.

 

What do you guys think of this build for my dad?  Any suggestions or changes would be greatly appreciated!

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tdfgD3
 

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($49.99 @ Micro Center) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.34 @ Newegg) 
Thermal Compound: Gelid Solutions GC-Extreme 3.5g Thermal Paste  (Purchased For $12.99) 
Motherboard: Asus H97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($99.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($44.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: OCZ Trion 100 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  ($88.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  (Purchased For $19.99) 

 

Total: $439.27
 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($69.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Avexir Budget Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($26.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: OCZ TRION 150 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($61.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Silverstone Sugo SG13B-Q Mini ITX Tower Case  ($40.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($62.00 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  (Purchased For $0.00) 
Case Fan: Fractal Design HP12-PWM 61.4 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($16.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $391.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 15:09 EDT-0400

[Colomon84]

3 hours ago, adamjp said:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($59.38 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($54.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($10.90 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: be quiet! Pure Wings 2 51.4 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($10.90 @ Newegg)
Total: $441.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 13:04 EDT-0400

 

EDIT: The reason for my suggested build above is because I think MiniITX will be more loud and hot then you need it to be unless desk space in a serious concern. There also can be unncessary costs involved. I suggested going with a MicroATX mini tower which will still be compact but offer for more flexibility and promote better and quieter airflow. Also you can see I opted for better quad core CPU and an SSD with some more space. You could always cut out the extra fans and go with a $50-$60 case if you want a little more quality there.

I like your thinking here!