Need Help Choosing Bare Bones Kit Computer

T

TWBryan

Joined
Jun 11, 2006
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Looking at some of the barebones kits at tiger direct,problem is my knowledge of hardware is about 8 years out of date. Can anyone recommend a kit that doesn't break the bank $300-$425 that will handle multi tasking well. I was looking at a kit with the intel i5 3570 processor. Can anyone advise me on this?

Thanks Much :)
 
Your question is too broad, so much left out.

What kind of multi-tasking? List your expectations.

If you base your design off of an entry level (aprox $50ish) dual core chip and supporting motherboard that's a good start.
 
If you can get a "kit" with a i5-3570 Intel chip for $300-425 and if is complete, then I would get it! I think that is a good price if it is complete with m/b, cpu, ram (8gigs), dvdrw, case and power supply.
 
The i5 is a decent processor. But if you're really trying to keep the budget down, look at AMD processors. :thumbup:

I've also noticed, this changed several years ago, that NewEgg has a better selection and better prices on almost every component category. It pays to shop around.

I've noticed with those bare-bones kits you do save money over buying the exact same items separately, but they aren't always the least expensive choices, and they're never the exact parts I'd choose. And many of those bare-bones kits are quite incomplete as far as having a ready-to-use working system - you may still have to add quite a bit. Of course you can salvage much of the additional necessities from your current computer.

It really would help if you'd list the primary functions you require from the computer. CAD? Internet? Office? Games? Photo editing? etc.
A computer just good enough for office work and internet use is light years away from a dedicated Autocad or Photoshop machine.
 
I've owned quite a few Shuttle XPC's and still have one running now. Some of them made awesome gaming machines. They are very compact, include a case, power supply, and motherboard with most including integrated graphics. All you need is a CPU, memory, hard disk and optical drive, and a graphics card if you want something better than the integrated graphics (think gaming). They make them for both amd and intel cpu's.

Newegg carries them and if you already have some hardware components such as drives or even a cpu or memory, they can be quite an inexpensive way to get a machine put together.
 
Thank you for your responses,mainly what I do is internet and email. Once in a while I'll play a game ,but most of mine are at least five years old.The most played one is coming up on 14 years (sigh). It seems the machine will sometimes run completely out of RAM and sit frozen as the hard drive grinds away. Currently I'm running an Athlon 64 2.41 ghz with 2 GBs of ram. It's an ok machine ,but getting very long in the tooth. I do like a great deal of storage space ,so I have multiple drives hooked up on this machine. Had to add in a SATA card to get everything hooked up.

Perhaps what I need is a machine that handles memory better? Got my eye on the bare bone set up I mentioned earlier. It is correct what you've said about bare bones,they never seem to pick all the components that you yourself would choose. I tried going just for motherboard,cpu and RAM,but that's almost as much as the barebones kit.
 
You may want to look at an operating system that handles memory better. I have a Windows 7 64 bit laptop with 8 gig of ram and a Ubuntu 13.10 desktop with 2 gig of ram. They appear to handle audio, video, software development and testing equalily well. The obvious difference is the hardware over head. You can set up a vrtual machine on your current pc using Virtual Box to try out some Linux Distros.
 
Dont go any less than 8gigs of ram on your new machine. I also would look for a cpu that has a low wattage. There are some AMD's and Intel's that will fit the bill and as someone mentioned, AMD's are generally less expensive than the Intel's.

Also, if you are going to do some gaming with it, I would suggest a seperate video card with 1gig of memory on it and you should be fine.
 
Thanks again,I tend to think of Linux like old mariners who looked at charts that stated "here be dragons". I've been mainly looking at the Intel i5 processors. What's a good AMD processor to consider? Not adverse to going bare bones or just motherboard,cpu,ram and video card.
 
I would also recommend Shuttle kits. I've built about 20 of them in the last 4 years for clients, friends, and family. Most of them ended up wanting to use Linux based OS, but I did get some put together with Win7 and they benchmarked pretty good.
 
One problem I'm having is that there doesn't seem to be that many full size kits.Everything has gone to micro atx size,heck if I wanted to use something small I have a 9 inch netbook. I need elbow room!(checking my mustache quickly. ;) ) I like the layout of the MSI mainboards and I understand they have some sort of military qualification? I was going to buy from tiger direct,but with the sales tax charged on it put things over my limit. Now looking at 3btech.net ,checked at newegg,but their barebones all appear to be the micro atx type. I can understand the appeal of a compact lan party unit,but it's not what I desire.
 
If your primary use is internet connectivity you might be able to spend less than $300.00, depends on factors. That requires very little processing power and ram. Any kit should be able to do that. Or, look for a used machine on craigslist. However, gaming is another story. It's processing and ram intensive. An entry level gaming graphics card is about $80 alone. A gaming rig that can handle the processing and memory needs of popular online games will start around $600.
 
Go to Newegg.com and prices some components out. You can also check out the reviews on them to see what folks are saying about them, both good/bad.

I personally dont like small form factor cases as I like to have two hard drives in mine and like to have some air flow to help keep cool. Sometimes I hook up three hard drives when I am testing or formatting one.
 
I'm a couple years out of date as well, but a few things I've learned. Faster is better than more. a faster dual core will beat a slower quad most times, at most things. The simple answer is that most programs can't make good use of the extra cores. Faster Ram is better, as with a 32 bit system (windows xp or 7) you can't use more than 4gig total (including video ram) With a 64 bit system, you can use more, but most third party programs are 32 bit, and so you waste resources trying to convert. Also trying to match your speeds and latencies will get you an even better system with low end parts, because they match up easier. And finally, upgrading anything but hard-drives is kind of a suckers game. the tech is moving too fast, so trying to future proof a PC is just a waste of time, unless you have very specific needs and goals. otherwise, buy cheap last gen parts and be happy.
 
My thanks again for the kind replies. As to software I have considered moving to Win 7 64 bit,I have heard that it handles memory better,but I worry that it will not run the 32 bit programs I have become accustomed to using. I'm pretty sure that I need more memory (RAM) from the way the hard drive gets accessed during peak demand(several programs running at once) .My current motherboard has the max memory allowed (2 GB) ,so there is no use in trying to upgrade it.

I've been advised by a friend to use a an intel processor (at least i5) ,from what I have read they out perform AMD on single core operations. At first I was willing to get an i3 system ,but my friend advised against that. I know nothing of the current crop of AMD processors,so I don't know what I could use among them.

I've tried cutting down costs by just pricing out the cpu,m board,RAM,and video.Most of the time I end up within about $20 of the bare bones cost. I'm just trying to upgrade enough to not have to deal with a computer running out of RAM and processing power.
 
Here are the most current CPU charts. As you can see, all of the top spots are Intel i7. But drop down a bit and there are the i5 and AMD processors, nearly as good but priced significantly lower.

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/cpu-charts-2013/-36-Total-Time,3179.html

Cross-referencing this chart with the availability and pricing at Newegg, there are several stong-performing and highly-rated quad core AMD processors for well under $100. Should be more than sufficient for your intended use.

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I think you'll be happy with Windows 7 64 bit. If you have real concerns about it running older programs, there is an "XP Mode" available with Windows 7 Professional.

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I have built many computers, including recently a higher-end machine dedicated for photo and video editing. Here's the basic shopping process I use. You aren't far off.
- Set a budget.
- Select processor.
- Select motherboard to match processor.
- Select RAM to match motherboard.
- Select graphic and sound cards (for a basic office/internet system, the onboard components will be good enough)
- Add hard drives, optical drives, and other components.
- Adjust as necessary to match budget.

Don't forget the potential savings from re-using your existing computer components. Case (if it's a standard ATX), monitor, keyboard and mouse, DVD drive, sound card, speakers.... Much of that stuff has not changed in years, and many new motherboards offer backward-compatible features. If you have older PS/2 keyboard, for example, there are still motherboards available with PS/2 plugs. Floppy drive slots are getting fewer and father between but they are out there. And many motherboards offer both the modern SATA plugs, and the older IDE slots for re-using your current drives.
 
I like the layout of the MSI mainboards and I understand they have some sort of military qualification?
Click to expand...

That's a bit of marketing, and you'll pay extra for it. They do look cool though. :)
IMO, if you stick with the brands that have a solid reputation you aren't likely to encounter any quality issues, even if keeping the machine for many years. MSI is excellent, including their lower-end boards. Ditto with Gigabyte and Asus.

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I've tried cutting down costs by just pricing out the cpu,m board,RAM,and video.
Click to expand...

You might be over-building considering your very basic needs. Even the most bottom-of-the-line modern build will be screaming fast for internet and office applications.
Here are the base numbers I'd start with if building your machine:
AMD Processor: $75
Motherboard: $75
8GB RAM: $75
Video: $0. (use the onboard)
========
Total: $225
 
Well,I ended up futzing about and going over my budget,but here's what I've ordered:

AMD FX 6300 Vishera
MSI 970-46 motherboard
8 gbs (4x2) crucial ballistix ram (dual channel)
WD Blue 1 TB
Power color Radeon 5450 1 gb PCI-e video card

Then realized I would need a case and power supply. :(

Chiefmax Hero (el cheapo) case
Thermal take 600 watt power supply.

How did I do?

Planning to use Win 7 64 bit o/s
 
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