Just a workstation PC for my parents..

[Pedwar]

Sup guise. My parents recently asked me to build them a new computer because the one they are currently using is heavily outdated and on it's last lags. So I went to the interwebs to find the best parts that would make it fast and affordable without going overboard and getting just what they need. So at the moment the build is :-

Antec Three Hundred Midi Case (I like it, cheap, viable and looks alright)

Asus P8Z77-V LX Motherboard (Just a sort of entry level motherboard that's affordable and does the job)

Corsair 8GB 1600Mhz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory (Recently got some of these for my gaming rig, no complaints yet)

Intel Sandybridge i5-2300 Core i5 Quad-Core (Not sure if this is overkill, I've been rolling with AMD for the last 2 computers I had but recently had a change of heart, this could be downgraded to an i3 I guess?)

Corsair CMPSU-430CXV2UK Builder Series CX430V2 - 80 Plus Certified Power Supply (I'm sure 430W will be more than enough for this build..)

Asus Nvidia GeForce 1GB GT 610 Silent Graphics Card (Silent, low profile, highly doubt they'll be playing games, perfect)

And now onto the storage..

I don't know a whole lot about SSDs, so if you have a better, cheaper alternative, please let me now. Currently the main drive with the OS is going to be a Crucial CT128M4SSD2 128GB M4 SSD, accompanied by a Seagate ST31000524AS 3.5 inch Barracuda 1TB GB for storage for all of my mum's work.

So yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think about this, if it's good enough/too good for the job etc. The main thing it's going to be used for is using most of the MS Office programs (Multiple instances constantly, especially Excel). So.. leave your thoughts, feedback and suggestions below.

Thanks. :3

[kmo_9000]

You might also look at the Kingston V200 SSD. It can go on sale for as low as 75$ for the 128gb version and they improved the performance a lot with the new firmware (which it should come with).

Other then that I suggest maybe a mechanical keyboard with cherry blue switches. You can buy Filco's from NCIX or an RK-9000 from newegg which is 79$ right now.

Also, the Antec 300 is a pretty decent case but if you want to go cheaper I would suggest getting a Bitfenix Merc Beta for 29.99 on sale. I bought it for a spare parts build for myself a while back and was pretty impressed with all the features and room it had for everything.

[SugarJ]

Overkill build for office work, but it will be snappy with a SSD in it.

Maybe look at an H67 or H77 board seeing as you won't be overclocking with that CPU. That should save a few dollars. And you probably don't need a discrete GPU, I use the onboard with my i5 2320 and H67 build at work. It's fine for 1080p office/web/youtube use.

[BryceBooth]

Originally Posted by SugarJ

Overkill build for office work, but it will be snappy with a SSD in it.

Maybe look at an H67 or H77 board seeing as you won't be overclocking with that CPU. That should save a few dollars. And you probably don't need a discreet GPU, I use the onboard with my i5 2320 and H67 build at work. It's fine for 1080p office/web/youtube use.

I certainly agree that the integrated graphics would be enough for this build as it's intended usage doesn't require discrete graphics, unless your parents decide to game on it. I've been using the Intel integrated graphics for my HTPC and they have exceeded my expectations in that area as well. If I could make one suggestion; dump the GPU and grab an extra hard drive instead for back-ups of your moms work.

[Arkilion]

Even for gaming (casual gaming), Intel integrated graphic is enough for many games. I have no gpu on my laptop, but I can still run games like Diablo III, GW2, LoL with low to medium graphics just fine (30-50 fps) on the Intel3000. I do think that Intel2000 can do good too.

[kirbster]

Agree no GPU required. Also, go with a small SSD (60Gb) and use the Intel Smart Response feature with a 1TB platter drive.
Trust me, it works great and your parents wont be complaining about filling up the 128gb SSD>

Originally Posted by kirbster

Agree no GPU required. Also, go with a small SSD (60Gb) and use the Intel Smart Response feature with a 1TB platter drive.
Trust me, it works great and your parents wont be complaining about filling up the 128gb SSD>

i think that he should just get the WD BLACK 1tb hard drive. if you want to keep performance up you can use a cute little program called "disk keeper home" for 30 bucks. from what i read it defrags on the fly without using alot of resources. can also install up to 3 computers.

anyway, i found the ssd useful for people who use some heavy multitasking, photoshop, making maps for games, some gaming, and so on. but for office you like microsoft office? HDD is the way to go.

[Pedwar]

So I guess I'm gonna go with what the majority of what you said and dump the GPU as it's not needed and ask them if they would like more space. I'll also see if I can find a cheaper motherboard just to save some extra cash.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the extremely useful feedback and let's just hope this will please them. :D