Quote: (12-01-2013 01:54 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:
Thanks acute!
If you got basic specs to guide me through, that would help immensely.
Thanks
Motherboard: Intel H61 or Z77 chipset. Socket 1155. Takes 2nd or 3rd generation CPU's. Check CPU compatibility - many boards will take up to Intel i7 3770K which is a beast and total overkill for what you want to do, but it's nice to know you have an upgrade path. People will try to sell you 4th gen Haswell, but it's only about 3% faster than 3rd gen Ivy Bridge, though uses less power admittedly.
CPU: I have a modest G1610 2.6GHz dual core Celeron with integrated GPU. Retail boxed version (not OEM) comes with a perfectly adequate fan (my CPU temp is around 35 C on 80% load).
Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM is fine - I picked up some 1600MHz cheap but the CPU can only use 1333 so it's underclocked. A faster CPU will be able to make use of it's full speed.
HDD: I have Samsung. Hitachi not so good. SSD's are coming down in price all the time. 60GB is perfectly adequate for Win7 OS and programs. Store the data on a cheap, big conventional drive cos if an SSD goes phut you can't recover your data.
OS: Download a Win7 ISO from digitalriver, install it via Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool and activate with Windows Loader I mentioned before.
DVD drive? Cheap as chips, but who uses DVDs much these days?
PSU: 400W should do it.
Case: Pretty much any micro or mini ATX, but double check your MB will fit. Case fans unnecessary.
As covered in previous posts, you may as well buy one off the shelf, and those are the sort of specs that will be more than adequate for a few years' general use. Make sure it has USB 3. That $300 I quoted would be without an HDD/SSD drive and OS, though.
Have fun!