[Build Log] A PC for my brother

[Energycore]

 

 

I apologize in advance for drastic lighting changes in the pictures. I have been stubborn in using my camera in manual mode only and as such my inexperience shows.

 

My brother's laptop died.

 

That's gotta be one of the more common reasons why we PC builders end up making a custom PC for my family. Since the laptop was already quite old, with a Core 2 Duo and DDR2 RAM, I proposed a complete computer update that my brother could use for homework and some games for quite a while.

 

Then when I started planning for my brother's computer, @Comic_Sans_MS suggested that I give my brother my i3 and take the chance to upgrade my CPU. So I did, and after some frustrating price hunting for cheap LGA 1155 motherboards, I finally am able to call this log complete.

 

On to the parts list then.

 

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100. This CPU served me well for 5 years, and it shall serve my brother now.

Cooling: Arctic Freezer 11 LP. $15. I gotta say, I'm quite impressed by this little cooler. Keeps the i3 at 65C under AIDA64, at minimum fan speed.

Motherboard: Intel DZ68DB. $35 on Ebay. A steal to be honest, the BIOS is a bit meager but it does the job.

RAM: 4GB Samsung. Gifted by a friend. Should upgrade to 8GB soon but for now it will do.

GPU: GTX 650 Ti. Another hand-down, it should be enough for his games at 900p.

Storage: ADATA SP550 120GB. $45. Gotta snatch one before flash prices go up up up. Also his 500GB laptop drive.

PSU: Antec Basiq BP350 (The FSP one).  $28. The cheapest thing I could find on tier 5 or up. @STRMfrmXMN I think the reason why mine is pretty silent whereas yours was loud af, is maybe you got the CWT BP350, and I got the FSP one (mine has no PFC, ewww).

Case: Some cheap shit for $4. It actually didn't come with motherboard standoffs, so I had to engineer my way into a motherboard mounting mechanism. (cfr pictures)

TOTAL Spent: $127. Equivalent after currency exchange rates. Really not bad for the kind of computer that my brother got, but the hand-me-downs helped a looooot.

 

WARNING: Large pictures (5184x3888) Below.

 

The Arctic Freezer 11 LP really doesn't look that bad. The mounting mechanism is probably the cheapest thing, just two plastic bars with push pins.

Spoiler

Unfortunately I wasn't able to hide the double molex to 6-pin adapter. I know what I'm doing, I swear!

Spoiler

The 650 Ti actually still has the idle fan off feature that I gave it through a modded BIOS.

Spoiler

Some case pics. First, a look at it bare, then a look at the mounting mechanism for the motherboard, then a full build. Case steel was as thin as it gets, the motherboard is tougher than its tray and that concerns me, but I'll leave it be for now and maybe stamp a fragile sticker into the thing.

Spoiler

Obligatory PSU shot

Spoiler

The SSD says hi!

Spoiler

 

Thanks for giving this build log a read! I hope you liked it.

 

@deXxterlab97 Any time I work with blue PCB I feel like tagging you is mantadory.

[Energycore]

8 minutes ago, Kumaresh said:

@Energycore What kind of games does he play ? A GTX 650 Ti is about as strong as my old HD 7850, and it struggled with many modern games, requiring a drop to 720p and medium to low settings.....

Really light games, old stuff from 2010, World of Warships, for the most part. The computer will do more homework than gaming.

Also I think you mean 7750? 7850 competed with the 660 and 660 Ti.

[EurypteridX]

26 minutes ago, Energycore said:

 

 

I apologize in advance for drastic lighting changes in the pictures. I have been stubborn in using my camera in manual mode only and as such my inexperience shows.

 

My brother's laptop died.

 

That's gotta be one of the more common reasons why we PC builders end up making a custom PC for my family. Since the laptop was already quite old, with a Core 2 Duo and DDR2 RAM, I proposed a complete computer update that my brother could use for homework and some games for quite a while.

 

Then when I started planning for my brother's computer, @Comic_Sans_MS suggested that I give my brother my i3 and take the chance to upgrade my CPU. So I did, and after some frustrating price hunting for cheap LGA 1155 motherboards, I finally am able to call this log complete.

 

On to the parts list then.

 

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100. This CPU served me well for 5 years, and it shall serve my brother now.

Cooling: Arctic Freezer 11 LP. $15. I gotta say, I'm quite impressed by this little cooler. Keeps the i3 at 65C under AIDA64, at minimum fan speed.

Motherboard: Intel DZ68DB. $35 on Ebay. A steal to be honest, the BIOS is a bit meager but it does the job.

RAM: 4GB Samsung. Gifted by a friend. Should upgrade to 8GB soon but for now it will do.

GPU: GTX 650 Ti. Another hand-down, it should be enough for his games at 900p.

Storage: ADATA SP550 120GB. $45. Gotta snatch one before flash prices go up up up. Also his 500GB laptop drive.

PSU: Antec Basiq BP350 (The FSP one).  $28. The cheapest thing I could find on tier 5 or up. @STRMfrmXMN I think the reason why mine is pretty silent whereas yours was loud af, is maybe you got the CWT BP350, and I got the FSP one (mine has no PFC, ewww).

Case: Some cheap shit for $4. It actually didn't come with motherboard standoffs, so I had to engineer my way into a motherboard mounting mechanism. (cfr pictures)

TOTAL Spent: $127. Equivalent after currency exchange rates. Really not bad for the kind of computer that my brother got, but the hand-me-downs helped a looooot.

 

WARNING: Large pictures (5184x3888) Below.

 

The Arctic Freezer 11 LP really doesn't look that bad. The mounting mechanism is probably the cheapest thing, just two plastic bars with push pins.

  Reveal hidden contents

Unfortunately I wasn't able to hide the double molex to 6-pin adapter. I know what I'm doing, I swear!

  Reveal hidden contents

The 650 Ti actually still has the idle fan off feature that I gave it through a modded BIOS.

  Reveal hidden contents

Some case pics. First, a look at it bare, then a look at the mounting mechanism for the motherboard, then a full build. Case steel was as thin as it gets, the motherboard is tougher than its tray and that concerns me, but I'll leave it be for now and maybe stamp a fragile sticker into the thing.

  Reveal hidden contents

Obligatory PSU shot

  Reveal hidden contents

The SSD says hi!

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Thanks for giving this build log a read! I hope you liked it.

 

@deXxterlab97 Any time I work with blue PCB I feel like tagging you is mantadory.

instead of an i3, you could get a 6th gen Pentium, cheap and works well with games

[Energycore]

23 minutes ago, EurypteridX said:

instead of an i3, you could get a 6th gen Pentium, cheap and works well with games

Too late, already bought

 

Also it would have cost me more.

[Energycore]

16 minutes ago, Kumaresh said:

Ah, The AMD fine wine effect in play  When I originally purchased my HD 7850, it was more competitive with the 650 Ti and had to be overclocked to compare to the 660....... That might have changed with the incremental improvements from driver updates.....

Maybe you mean the 650 Ti Boost?

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_650_Ti_Boost_TF_Gaming/8.html

 

The normal 650 Ti scores below the 560 Ti, whereas the 650 Ti Boost is more like a cut-down 660.

[Droidbot]

24 minutes ago, Energycore said:

Maybe you mean the 650 Ti Boost?

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_650_Ti_Boost_TF_Gaming/8.html

 

The normal 650 Ti scores below the 560 Ti, whereas the 650 Ti Boost is more like a cut-down 660.

 

1 hour ago, Kumaresh said:

@Energycore What kind of games does he play ? A GTX 650 Ti is about as strong as my old HD 7850, and it struggled with many modern games, requiring a drop to 720p and medium to low settings.....

with a decent processor 650Ti really shines

my dad has a i7 870, 8GB RAM, and a 650Ti and it runs GTAV at around 70 FPS on lowest

[Energycore]

1 minute ago, Droidbot said:

 

with a decent processor 650Ti really shines

my dad has a i7 870, 8GB RAM, and a 650Ti and it runs GTAV at around 70 FPS on lowest

Ah I never tested it with this Xeon, but I can tell you that it consistently scored less in Unigine Heaven than the 560 Ti.

 

Also in Armored Warfare, it seemed to show higher CPU overhead, because it tanked performance if I turned the CPU-intensive settings up (like LOD / draw distance).

[Megah3rtz]

5 hours ago, EurypteridX said:

instead of an i3, you could get a 6th gen Pentium, cheap and works well with games

6 th gen? you don't mean 7th? 

[Azims]

what modded bios? can I do this to different graphic card too?