New
#41
Hi Peter,
I will address your post #13 below:
The BIT-ness of your system will depend on what version of W10 you purchase,, and your chip capabilities. The 64-bit would be preferred, even though not gaming, as it is a more secure OS.
Don't worry about it. As I said, this was my main concern, which nearly prevented me from building my own system. But, it's super simple. Once you've watched the videos, I think you'll agree.
Get a USB BT adapter: i.e. Kensington Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter K33956AM - Micro Center
$19.99
My example had a 250GB SSD + 1TB "spinner" (mechanical). Assuming you do not partition the drives any further, that would be 2 partitions/2 drives.
Correct, however, you will find that the motherboards (and the one I selected in particular) will have a combination of USB 2+3. The 2s are usually used for mouse/keyboard/headset, etc.
This is a part of your MB (motherboard) / BIOS.
Integrated video = the video capabilities built-in to the CPU chip (in my selection, the i7). The MB will have video connections to use the integrated video of the chip you install. A separate graphics card can be installed at any time, and will take the place of the integrated video. nVidia are good, yes. For what you are doing with the system, the nVidia card can be installed at a later date.
You might be able to find an internal phone/modem card, (but I doubt it - I had a difficult time and opted for a USB Mini External Modem $50), or use an AIO printer instead.
You will be purchasing your own retail copy of W10x64. That way, it can be transferred to a new system in the future when this one is retired.
The MB has integral sound connections.
The MB has 1xHDMI and 1xDisplay Port connections for a monitor. The separate graphics card has 3xDisplay Port, 1xHDMI, 1xDVI-I and supports up to 4 concurrent displays. So, for commonality, get a monitor which has at least HDMI. For example, this monitor has 1xVGA and 1xHDMI connections. $130. It's not the latest and greatest, but it would work fine and carries a 3-year warranty.
16GB RAM is totally fine, and what I chose (2x8GB-matched pair). I believe, if you start with 8GB, and then want to upgrade later to 16GB, you would have to throw away (metaphorically speaking) the 8GB stick, and buy a matched pair for 16 total.
If you really have 64-bit Office, then you will only be able to install it on a 64-bit OS.
Here is a case with a window on one side
Corsair Obsidian Series 800D ATX Full Tower Case (CC800DW) - PCPartPicker
It is similar to the one I built.
You decide on your parts list, then decide on your retailer. Using the pricing in PCPartsPicker, you will see if your chosen retailer is competitive. As I said, getting everything from one place makes it a lot easier. Microcenter is a great choice if you have one in your area. I have one about an hour away from me, so it was a no-brainer.
Here's a revised parts list, with the full-size tower:
Intel Core i7-6700, EVGA GeForce GTX 960, Corsair Obsidian Series 800D - System Build - PCPartPicker
$1,130, but remember, it includes a $200 graphics card which you don't need right away. It also does not include the parts mentioned above, nor any optical drives. If you can not take the ones you currently have out of the old system and put them into the new one, then you'll want to add a couple to the list.
Hope I covered everything!