With Asrock and Gigabyte both throwing out $80-$90 Skylake boards, it's hard to get lower even with bundles unless it's with something else in that range, but Microcenter does still run sales that should be considered.
In any case, either the OP wants the machine built right, and with the right components from the get-go, or a slapped-together machine with questionable components for more money. It's not just the case or cooler (the case is honestly probably passable, if lacking top fans? Just get more fans, plus Hyper 212 Evo for the CPU means that Microcenter PC is now, what, $1270ish?), but what about the SSD? 90% of the budget consumer SSDs out there are absolute crap. Whatever they picked, there's so little faith put in it that even PowerSpec's own site
won't list it. Do you think they don't list it because it's so awesome that it has to be a secret? It's yet one more area on this computer where, at best, the reaction ought to be
In general, this PC has clear corners cut like all prebuits. Sure, you can replace that 500W half-generic PSU (EVGA 500B possibly from the website? Johnny Guru had to be really charitable to give that unit a mediocre rating), but why is that unit even
in there in the first place? It is because that's the bare minimum they thought they could give you to keep the machine alive through its warranty period, and ultimately, that's the math of prebuilt machines - if X percent live through the warranty, then they've made their profit. If you buy extended, then you've just purchased whatever they figure on breaking first (and there's yet more cost on the not-$1200 machine).
More than likely, you'll buy it and it'll be fine, $1270 later. It won't be optimal, but it'll be acceptably functional. It also might not be. You can do that, and take comfort in some added convenience if something fails (if two three hour round trips drives can be called that), or you can just do it right the first time, pay less, and get what you ought to the first time, and things almost certainly won't break,because you did it right.
There's the simply truth of it - take it or leave it
Edited by Catamount, 05 April 2016 - 12:23 PM.
1
Goose, on 06 April 2016 - 02:02 PM, said:
Actually: How well is it working? TXAA2x well?
