Computer build I'm doing AMD

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$69 Asus A88XM-A AMD Socket FM2 AMD A88X Chipset MicroATX


$45 Cougar solution case http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3828299


Items Ordered Price
1 of: Sabrent 74-In-1 3.5-Inch Internal Flash Media Card Reader/writer with USB Port (CR-USNT)
Sold by: Store4PC (seller profile)

Condition: New $6.99
1 of: AMD Quad-Core A8-Series APU A8-6600K with Radeon HD 8570D (AD660KWOHLBOX
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC

Condition: New $84.99
1 of: Kingston HyperX FURY 16GB Kit (2x8GB) 1600MHz DDR3 CL10 DIMM - Blue (HX316C10FK2/16)
Sold by: Amazon.com LLC

Condition: New $139.99

$ 252.67

$70.97 Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7TE120BW)

$96 Windows 8

$496.84 total with 2 rebates.

This will be the second build I've done. I am pretty green though. The first build I did was in 2005. I am going to use a few extra parts I have like a platter HD, and power supply etc to get the machine running. I might have some questions about it as I go along. My daughter will be going back to her clinical in California today. So I'll have time to get it started this holiday weekend.
 
I would ditch the Windows, save your $96, and go with Linux Mint. It will run faster and you avoid being controlled by a bunch of MS Geeks forcing your computer to restart and bogging it down with carp.

In fact, for a couple hundred more you can buy a super high quality computer custom built for Linux. Ask ClutchDisc about this.
 
I would love to ditch Win but just cant with all the software and games I have.
8.1 runs pretty good, my son has it and likes it alot better than 8.0.
 
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
I would ditch the Windows, save your $96, and go with Linux Mint. It will run faster and you avoid being controlled by a bunch of MS Geeks forcing your computer to restart and bogging it down with carp.



Me too. My mother just shocked us and bought a laptop for herself, it was her first computer. I turned the computer on and the first thing I did was pull Win 8.1 out of there and install Mint 17.1. I showed her Mint 17.1 on my computer and she wanted that instead of Windows 8.1. That system had some much junk in it out of the box it was sickening. The installation wasn't that easy though. Win 8.1 machines don't play nice with Linux especially if you want to completely remove windows.

A lot of reading on the www and some trial and error netted a perfect Mint 17.1 64 bit installation.

Edit: I see the OP was posting while I was. He might be stuck with Win 8.1....
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Frankly, if you can't drop windows due to "just a few apps", I would definitely run linux and load Oracle's Virtualbox and just install windows in a VM. I have an old copy of XP that I run in a VM since my employer's leave and pay system uses embedded PDFs for reports that don't work on any other platforms. With 16Gb that is the way I would go (I have 16Gb also)



So I have an XP install 'just to run a report'; no, i didn't buy it for that, it was from a reinstall years ago.

It boots in about 8 seconds since there is no try and buy garbage.

BTW; your system look good.
 
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Looks good. Guy said he's got games that he wants to play. No VM or Wine is going to play Windows/DirectX games as good as an actual Windows OS. Been there, done that. Windows 8.1 isn't that bad.
 
Nice looking build. I've tried a lot of flavors of Linux, and have gone back to Windows. 8.1 on our desktop and 7 on the laptop. Both run excellent. There's no perfect OS...just ones that work better for some than others.
 
Both my desktop and my new laptop are on 8.1 with startisback, and I'm perfectly happy with it. It runs fantastically, and will tide me over till Windows 10 is released.
 
Kind of off topic, bit I gave my wife my Ipad-2 ($450) and purchased a used Dell 830 for around $100 and installed Linux Mint, currently 17.1 and haven't looked back. I do have a windows machine for some stuff, like Photoshop. Can't figure out how to download any Linux additional software yet, or get it to work on my Desktop machine. I haven't played with VM or Wine yet
 
Nick R -- Have you used any other Start Menu replacement applications besides Startisback? I've used Classic Shell/Start and like it, but this application you mentioned looks a bit more polished and a bit nicer.

I'd be inclined to buy it when I get my G751.
 
Originally Posted By: redhat
Nick R -- Have you used any other Start Menu replacement applications besides Startisback? I've used Classic Shell/Start and like it, but this application you mentioned looks a bit more polished and a bit nicer.

I'd be inclined to buy it when I get my G751.


Nope, I tried startisback when I first got 8.1 and have used it since. It is just extremely polished, might as well be stock windows stuff. :>
 
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Not quite sure how this turned into a anti Microsoft Win 8 thread?

What about my build.....This thread is supposed to be all about me me me.....
grin2.gif


I have an old 300 watt power supply I will use for now. But will see about upgrading it at some point. Any opinions on these high efficiency power supplies vs huge overkill ones?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033






Personally I'm a Corsair fan. I have this:

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Builder-EPS%C2%A080-certified-Power/dp/B0092ML1SC/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1420214721&sr=1-9

and I have the 600 watt version in my wife's machine. Mine is a Core i5 2500k OC'd to 4.5 with an OC'd Radeon 7850. So far the PSU has run without any issues and never missed a beat. And it's pretty efficient - I hooked it up to my Kill-A-Watt and remember being impressed with it's idle & load efficiency. Of course, I can't remember the numbers now. But JohnnyGURU is a good site to check for PSU reviews, especially if you're concerned about efficiency at various loads.
 
Yep, Corsair makes fine PSUs. Been using them for years, they're my go-to.

@Smcatub - Howdy neighbor!
 
I started getting paranoid and bought an Antec PSU. Should have no problems with clean/ample power now.

Thanks for the reality check. I was going to get by with the other PSU, but felt like it was not worth the chance of stressing other components if I am borderline on power.
 
I got the system up and running. Did some tweaks for the SSD that I read about. I installed the OS and did updates, as well as the move to 8.1

I'm intimidated by the doing all the bios/chipset drivers etc.

I might try to get an Asus tech to walk me through it.......
 
Originally Posted By: redhat
Nick R -- Have you used any other Start Menu replacement applications besides Startisback? I've used Classic Shell/Start and like it, but this application you mentioned looks a bit more polished and a bit nicer.

I'd be inclined to buy it when I get my G751.


Stardock's Start8 is also a good product. I have it on my 8.1 machine, which essentially turns it into a turbocharged version of Windows 7.

Windows 10 has a real Start Menu, but it's still not quite the same as Windows 7's. I suspect there will still be a market for aftermarket Start Menu products.
 
Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I got the system up and running. Did some tweaks for the SSD that I read about. I installed the OS and did updates, as well as the move to 8.1

I'm intimidated by the doing all the bios/chipset drivers etc.

I might try to get an Asus tech to walk me through it.......


If you have 8.1 installed, it kind of sounds like you're "done" as far as that goes. I'm not sure what other BIOS settings or drivers you'd need to do. Most versions of Windows since about Vista have had a very comprehensive set of drivers either pre-loaded or downloadable through Microsoft Update. At the very least, your motherboard likely came with a disc with drivers on it...and if Windows is missing any drivers that can't be located through Microsoft Update, they're likely on that CD.
 
Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
Immediately upgrade the CPU heatsink/fan assembly.

The factory one is very underwhelming.

A coolermaster hyper 212 Evo is a solid heatsink/fan for not much money

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hype...rmaster+evo+212

I have a similar fan in my system I built couple of years back cuz I wanted digital audio out and add my digital tv tuner card to record "this old house" and snl ;-).

Any, this fan is very loud, and is very annoying, I am about to buy a quieter small fan based heat sink.

Op, why not just buy a cheap refurb hp for 235$ and then add the ram and a ssd.
off load page file to ssd and apps and your system will be fast.
 
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