New PC build - looking for feedback and recommendations

Hey everyone,

I'm putting together a new PC for all sorts of tasks. My budget is $2500, which includes peripherals like a monitor, keyboard, and mouse (I don't really need speakers). I've listed the build I put together below, and I was hoping some experts could take a look and see if there's a better way to spend this money.

I have some experience with computers and I've built my own rigs before (including this one, I suppose), but it’s been quite a while. Technology moves so fast, so I figured I should probably ask for some advice.

Regarding the parts, I tend to lean toward Intel processors. I don't plan on overclocking anything, so pairing an Intel chip with a compatible motherboard seems like the logical move to me. My biggest hesitation is picking a GPU—there are just so many options out there. I generally prefer ASUS components; in my experience, they've always been reliable. As for cases, I've used Zalman CPU coolers before and they seem well-made, even if they are a bit pricier, but I haven't really dealt much with their cases. For the power supply, I'm going with CORSAIR—better safe than sorry, I guess. Everything else is pretty standard. I might want a quick opinion on the monitor; it looks decent, but since prices have dropped so much lately, I'm a little unsure about the quality. I actually went way over my initial budget, so I didn't leave much room for a good mouse and keyboard, though maybe I'll upgrade those later. An SSD feels a bit too expensive for me right now, so maybe I'll grab one in a year or two.

Maybe the most important thing: does anyone have experience buying from Micro Center? I remember they used to have a physical storefront in a more central location, but it seems like things have changed. It looks like they mostly operate through their online store with shipping now, if I'm reading that right.

All prices are in US dollars.

Thanks.

Retailer: Micro Center
Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 (socket 1150)............................................. ...........................................1.466,00
Motherboard: ASUS H97 PRO (DDR3 1600MHz, socket 1150)............................................. ........960,00
RAM: Kingston (1600MHz 4Gb DDR3)x2(total 8Gb).............................................. ....506,00
GPU: ASUS R7 265 (DDR5 2GB).............................................. ..............................1.287,00
Case: Zalman Z12............................................... .................................................. ...........471,00

Retailer: Best Buy
Monitor: Dell Monitor................................................ ...............................1.249,00
HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB............................................... ..............................................659,00
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W.............................................. .................................................. ....519,00
CD-ROM: ASUS DRW-24F1ST............................................ .................................................. ..149,00
Mouse (Logitech MK120) + Keyboard........................................ .................................................. ......149,00

Honestly, stay far away from eDigital; just search any tech forum and you'll see the horror stories. They basically bailed out of the US market, and looking at their component pricing, there isn't a single logical reason to buy from them. Their prices are pretty much identical to what you'd find at better retailers—nothing is actually cheaper there.

You missed the most critical question: what’s the actual purpose of this PC? Are you planning to game, and if so, what kind of titles are we talking about?

Based on the build you put together, you definitely don't need such an expensive motherboard; it's just a waste of cash. For a similar price point, you could grab an AMD Radeon RX, and by saving money on the mobo, you could easily upgrade to an AMD Radeon RX. Also, there are plenty of much higher quality power supplies in that budget range (like a Super Flower Gold Green HX 450W or something similar).

I ended up going with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX since its performance is pretty much on par with the AMD Radeon RX, but it pulls way less power. It also comes with a bunch of features that the R9 series just doesn't have, and I really like how this specific model keeps the fans completely silent during idle or when the load is low.

1 x Samsung Monitor, 23.6" LED, 16:9 (AD-PLS), 1920x1080, D-Sub
1 x Genius KB-G235, Gaming keyboard for FPS/STG on-line games, USB
1 x Sharkoon FireGlider optical gaming mouse, USB, Max. DPI: 3,000
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 (3.20GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H, Socket : 1150, Intel ® B85, 4xDDR3 1600
1 x MSI NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Gaming, 2GB GDDR5, Twin Frozr V, GTX 960 GAMING 2G
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, non-ECC, CL9.0, FLGG
1 x Zalman Z3 PLUS mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x EVGA Core Pro edition 80+ 450W PSU
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R

$2502
usa.com

1 x Acer V236HLBd 23", IPS panel, Resolution: 1920x1080, Diagonal
1 x Logitech MK120, Keyboard + Mouse, USB
1 x Asrock B85M Pro3, LGA 1150, Supports 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 / i5
1 x Intel Core i5-4460 Processor (3.20GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingmax, 1600MHz, FLGF
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x FORTRON 550W Raider Power Supply, RA550, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD Burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. ATX standard
1 x Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 280X 3GB OC, 3GB GDDR5 384bit, GV-R928XOC-3GD

$2489

www.newegg.com

Why isn't this showing up in my imported gallery (Chicago) anymore?

Larry Ortiz5 said:Looks like they aren't in the main gallery in NYC anymore.

Good. Better off without them.😁