Newbie Building a Linux Desktop

[Rbpatrick]

Hi everyone!

 

When it comes to the physical build of a desktop I'm a newbie. Which is why I have turned to all of you for advice on my build.

 

My Goal

  Build a desktop so that a have a central location for work purposes. (web development, programming, network configuration, etc.)

  I would like to keep the idea of expansion in mind just in case.

 

My Biggest Questions for an Arch Linux Build

• Which is "better": Intel & Nvidia or AMD
• Should I even worry about buying a dedicated graphics card right now (would the headache of finding good drivers in Arch Linux be worth it)

Future Proofing Questions

• Should I buy a motherboard that supports DDR4 RAM now so when I go to upgrade later on the RAM will be cheaper, or will I be okay with DDR3

 

I'm sure there is a plethora of questions I should find the answers to, but these are the most immediate questions that come to mind when looking around.

 

Budget

• Between $400 and $500 US

 

Things to Know

• I don't need much storage because I have a Raspberry Pi I use as a NAS. Storage wise, I need to put more money towards two external drives (Primary & backup) for my NAS rather than storage for my desktop

 

What I have

• Case - Mid tower - Unknown brand (see pictures)
• 550W BFG Tech Power supply - fan needs to be replaced - https://www.amazon.com/BFG-Tech-BFGR550WGSPSU-550-Watt-Supply/dp/B001AO1T1E

 

Parts I Have Been Watching

• Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128930
• Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117563
• Memory - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104673

 

 

Thanks to everyone in advance for your input!

[007agentHP]

we need a budget

what psu is that

what case is that

[Rbpatrick]

@007agentHP I'll update the topic for the case and psu once I get back home. I don't remember off the top of my head.

[007agentHP]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI H170M ECO Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($76.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($32.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.49 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 360 2GB Video Card  ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($45.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $494.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-29 11:46 EDT-0400

 

 

this for 2 core 4 thread cpu, but with great single core performance

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 880K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A88M PRO3+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($30.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.49 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($187.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($45.99 @ Directron) 
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($45.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $496.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-29 11:48 EDT-0400

 

 

 

 

a quad core cpu, with a far better graphics card (you could swap it out for a rx480)

 

 

 

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-5675C 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($290.98 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($66.33 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($30.98 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($47.49 @ OutletPC) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($45.99 @ Directron) 
Power Supply: EVGA 600B 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($45.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $527.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-29 11:50 EDT-0400

 

 

a awesome quadcore with the fastest onboard graphics 

[Foxface918]

This is what i started with i then i upgraded but it is good for starting

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/vwcmgL 

 

$663.28

[Rbpatrick]

@007agentHP, Thanks for putting that list together! I looked through it a bit when I got home. I've updated my topic, hopefully it's a little more informative this time.

 

@Foxface918, Thanks for your input as well!