Hi all,
this is my first build, and i need something quite specific. I have chosen all of the components already, but would like an external point of view.
First, the vital questions :
- any obvious mistake? (it's my first build, i might have forgotten something vital)
- will all my components work fine together ?
And then the extra ones :
- is this build well balanced? (it's a waste to have a very expensive powerful component, along with a cheap crappy component that will slow everything down)
- will it do what i need?
- are there better/cheaper components that i could have chosen?
Let me start with the exciting part : the components that i have chosen
Then, i will answer a few questions about what my needs are.
My choice now :
What | my choice | price (£)
CPU : i5-2500S (65W) - 130.00
Mobo : Gigabyte GA-H77N-WiFi - 80.00
PSU : picoPSU-160-XT + Univ 192W AC Adapter - 103.00
Case : M350 enclosure - 55
Fans (x 5) : Fractal D. 40mm Silent Series - 5 x 5.5 = 27.5
2nd Hard Drive/Fan Bracket for M350 - 3.50
CPU cooler : Akasa 7106 HP - 10
SSD : Vertex 3 (120GB) - 90
RAM (x 2) : Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 2x8GB - 60
TOTAL COST : £537.00 (+ shipping)
And now, i answer a few questions to explain you what my needs are :
1. What will you be doing with this PC?
=> i don't play games at all, i don't use Photoshop.
I want to run 4 Virtual Machines (VMs) simultaneously, each of them running Windows XP or Debian. And each of them using Firefox to go on internet and do basic things, like using spreadsheets. One of the machines (or maybe the 4 of them) will also run a program that i'm making. It doesn't do much though, so i don't need something very powerful.
So, the main thing i want to be able to do is to run 4 VMs simultaneously, and i don't want to be slowed down when i do basic things.
From what i read, to get fast VMs i need lots of RAM, and fast a fast hard drive. That is why i chose 16GB RAM (1600MHz), and a fast SSD drive.
Also, i don't need much storage space : no music, no game, no pictures, no videos, etc.
And i need the Wifi !
2. Will you be overclocking?
=> no.
3. What's your budget?
=> not more than £700
4. Where do you live? (Are there computer shops around?)
=> London.
5. What exact parts do you need for that budget?
=> I don't need a GPU. I think that i need :
Processor, Mobo, PSU, Case (mITX thin), CPU cooler, SSD 60GB x 2, RAM, Case fans
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard?
=> I want SATA 6Gb/s x 2, and USB 3.0 (required)
8. What resolution output do you need?
=> i want to use two monitors. If possible with DVI or HDMI
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space?
=> i want it very small and lightweight, as i will need to move it every few months (to use it at a friend's)
10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have.
=> not very comfortable but i can learn. I don't have tools.
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem?
=> i want it as quiet as possible. I work in a shared office, so i don't want to annoy other people with noise. And noise gives me headaches, too.
12. How mobile does this system need to be?
=> see question 9.
13. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
=> yes, 3 x WinXP
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
=> within a couple of weeks, as soon as i feel confident enough that i have made good choices.
this is my first build, and i need something quite specific. I have chosen all of the components already, but would like an external point of view.
First, the vital questions :
- any obvious mistake? (it's my first build, i might have forgotten something vital)
- will all my components work fine together ?
And then the extra ones :
- is this build well balanced? (it's a waste to have a very expensive powerful component, along with a cheap crappy component that will slow everything down)
- will it do what i need?
- are there better/cheaper components that i could have chosen?
Let me start with the exciting part : the components that i have chosen
Then, i will answer a few questions about what my needs are.
My choice now :
What | my choice | price (£)
CPU : i5-2500S (65W) - 130.00
Mobo : Gigabyte GA-H77N-WiFi - 80.00
PSU : picoPSU-160-XT + Univ 192W AC Adapter - 103.00
Case : M350 enclosure - 55
Fans (x 5) : Fractal D. 40mm Silent Series - 5 x 5.5 = 27.5
2nd Hard Drive/Fan Bracket for M350 - 3.50
CPU cooler : Akasa 7106 HP - 10
SSD : Vertex 3 (120GB) - 90
RAM (x 2) : Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 2x8GB - 60
TOTAL COST : £537.00 (+ shipping)
And now, i answer a few questions to explain you what my needs are :
1. What will you be doing with this PC?
=> i don't play games at all, i don't use Photoshop.
I want to run 4 Virtual Machines (VMs) simultaneously, each of them running Windows XP or Debian. And each of them using Firefox to go on internet and do basic things, like using spreadsheets. One of the machines (or maybe the 4 of them) will also run a program that i'm making. It doesn't do much though, so i don't need something very powerful.
So, the main thing i want to be able to do is to run 4 VMs simultaneously, and i don't want to be slowed down when i do basic things.
From what i read, to get fast VMs i need lots of RAM, and fast a fast hard drive. That is why i chose 16GB RAM (1600MHz), and a fast SSD drive.
Also, i don't need much storage space : no music, no game, no pictures, no videos, etc.
And i need the Wifi !
2. Will you be overclocking?
=> no.
3. What's your budget?
=> not more than £700
4. Where do you live? (Are there computer shops around?)
=> London.
5. What exact parts do you need for that budget?
=> I don't need a GPU. I think that i need :
Processor, Mobo, PSU, Case (mITX thin), CPU cooler, SSD 60GB x 2, RAM, Case fans
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard?
=> I want SATA 6Gb/s x 2, and USB 3.0 (required)
8. What resolution output do you need?
=> i want to use two monitors. If possible with DVI or HDMI
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space?
=> i want it very small and lightweight, as i will need to move it every few months (to use it at a friend's)
10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have.
=> not very comfortable but i can learn. I don't have tools.
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem?
=> i want it as quiet as possible. I work in a shared office, so i don't want to annoy other people with noise. And noise gives me headaches, too.
12. How mobile does this system need to be?
=> see question 9.
13. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
=> yes, 3 x WinXP
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
=> within a couple of weeks, as soon as i feel confident enough that i have made good choices.
Last edited:
