First thing’s first: I promise I have researched building a PC vs. buying a Mac for months (Google, Reddit, the FAQs, Tonymac, PC-building friends, and many, many more). Only yesterday did I finally decide I simply could not buy a Mac.
I know you all hate people who’ve never heard of Google. I am not here for self-validation, or the circle jerk, or to ask questions I haven’t put countless hours trying to answer.
Despite all of this, I severely lack experience actually using any of the parts I have read about, as I have scraped by with the same unaltered PC for 6 years (thus why I’m learning to build).
I am here to get your opinions on balancing two things so I don’t learn a costly lesson:
- Money
- Noise
Most builds I find are bare bones and noisy, or pricey and overkill. Much of the info I’ve read is possibly outdated. If Google has the answers, they are buried in pages and pages of advertisements claiming that “Yes, it’s only $5 AND stays cool and quiet, even during intense usage!”
My PC would run Yosemite and be used entirely for music – but MAYBE also video editing if price allows for it.
Here’s what I have so far. You’ll almost certainly find problems. You should know every part was part of at least one music setup I found:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
Type | Item | Price |
---|---|---|
CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor | $224.99 @ SuperBiiz |
Motherboard | ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard | $83.99 @ SuperBiiz |
Memory | Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $109.79 @ Amazon |
Storage | Sandisk Ultra II 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $101.99 @ Amazon |
Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $44.99 @ Best Buy |
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GT 740 2GB Superclocked Video Card | $83.77 @ Amazon |
Case | NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case | $45.99 @ SuperBiiz |
Power Supply | Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $29.99 @ Newegg |
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
Total (before mail-in rebates) | $745.50 | |
Mail-in rebates | -$20.00 | |
Total | $725.50 | |
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-20 04:04 EDT-0400 |
I’m doing cooling and sound card options next. I figured I’d add a wifi card and disk drive later if needed.
The SSD is for OS and programs, the HD for everything else. I may also install Windows 8 or 10 later, possibly by splitting one or both drives, or adding another later (maybe external) to keep it simple.
I’ve been led to believe the difference between RAM, SSD, and hard drive brands/models are miniscule enough that I should just pick the most cost efficient option (if the company is reputable). But is a Samsung 840 or 850 SSD worth it?
I picked the cheapest graphics card I saw. I can’t tell if I can go cheaper if it’s just for music. If it makes sense, I may bump it up for occasional video editing (or upgrade it later).
I am most skeptical of the case, the power supply, and the motherboard. I took all these from other music setups, but the better ones used Fractal Design Define R4’s, 600-750W power supply (overkill?), and Z97’s (anywhere from the $100 MSI Z97 Mate to the $190 Gigabyte z97x-ud5h). BIG price differences. Is there a way to determine if there is a middle ground? (And has anyone personally used both an H97 and Z97 for music?)
It’s hard for me to predict how many ports I will need for music equipment.
Also, I will compile a TON of prices before I make any big moves, but I should note I’m eligible for BestBuy’s mover discount and student discount, and that Amazon’s temporary 6-12 month 0% financing is a perk to me (I promise this isn’t an advertisement!!!) but will only sway me if the competitors’ prices are close.
If you have made it this far, I want to thank you very, VERY much for giving me your time to help!!! I know your forums have been flooded with these posts. No matter how confident I felt, I would not be able to move forward without doubt before consulting Reddit. No one else will call me out on a stupid mistake before I make it.
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