Hey guys, it's been a while. I've taken a break from Sharenator because of all the BS I saw here, and just didn't think it was right. So, here I come to ask you all for advice:
I want to build myself a PC for the experience of building my own computer, and possibly a Hackintosh with OSX 10.6.8 (love the OS, hate the price). My budget is loosely around $600, or whatever will get me close to the specs of
this Mac Mini, with the CPU and GPU being my bottom line, maybe a quad-core i5 or i7, and enough of a GPU to get by on gaming. As far as a starting point, I already have a microATX case available, and I get that I may need to start from scratch with a bigger MoBo.
If this project turns out fruitful, I was hoping to use the machine mostly for recording/mastering my music and playing the odd PC game here and there. Any advice that you guys may have about the hardware for me to choose, how to go about it, etc., I'm open.
Thanks, best wishes.
CPU: i5-2310
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115089
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GPU: GTS 450
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187174
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Mobo: ASRock Z68M
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157270
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RAM: Corsair 8GB (2x4GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233192
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PSU: Corsair CX430
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026
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Optical:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244
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HDD: Seagate Barracuda 750GB 7200RPM 32MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148702
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CPU Cooler: EVO Hyper212
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
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I believe that's everything you'll need if you already have a microATX case. The grand total is $591.92, so you have a few bucks to spare. From what I can see, it's comparatively better than the Mac Mini. You can also upgrade anything on this machine without having to buy an entirely new one.
Also, shop around. Lots of people find newegg.com alright, but if you don't live in the us, see if there are other shops that have good prices. I found dabs.com in the UK which was very cheap and reliable! They have a good i3 Motherboard Bundle with 4GB ram for £199 I think. However, they are based in the UK which means you would need to pay UK → US postage. Try and find a similar site if you live outside the UK. You can save hassle by buying a motherboard bundle because you will know it works with that CPU and RAM. And you sometimes save a little money too.
PS. Don't do hackintosh. I have heard it's pretty unreliable, and doesn't work as well as it does on Mac OS. Just install Windows and get a mac if you want to use Mac OS. A Mac Mini is not exactly expensive - and if you are in any kind of education you can get an education discount from Apple. And a free App Store gift card if you buy it before september :D