New build Windows 7 compatibility question

[Alejandro85]

I'm building a new computer for a friend. He asked me to suggest components and build it and install all the common software. The intended usage will be pretty basic, mostly webmails, a bit of websurfing, document edition and at most a youtube video or two.
Since the use will be rather limited and low cost is of more important than performance, I've selected this hardware:

• Motherboard: MSI H81M-E33 1150
• Processor: INTEL PENTIUM G3260 3.2GHZ HASWELL 1150
• Memory: DDR3 4GB 1600Mhz
• Hard disk: 1TB SATA 7200RPM WD blue

My question is, has that build available drivers for Windows 7 x64? Or should I install x86 instead?
And I'm a bit concerned about it being a little slow, while certainly it's far from a fast computer, do you think it will be normal speed for most rudimentary work?

 

[fireberd]

Be careful of the motherboard chipset. Some of the new motherboards do not support Windows 7. I have a new system with a Z170 chipset motherboard and they are designed for Windows 10 (some come with a special disk to install Win 7 drivers).

If you are only installing 4GB of RAM there is no need for 64 bit OS. The primary reason for using 64 bit OS is that it will address more than 4GB of RAM. A 32 bit will only address slightly less than 4GB. Also, a 64 bit OS uses more of the available RAM so another reason not to use 64 bit. If you want to use 64 bit OS, install 6 or 8 GB of RAM.

 

[torchwood]

Wouldn't even use a HDD of that size, for that kind of usage max 320GB, anything else can be stuck on a USB.
man im running W7 64bit 3GB ram lower spec board than yours any its not slow by any measure
Roy

 

[Alejandro85]

Be careful of the motherboard chipset. Some of the new motherboards do not support Windows 7. I have a new system with a Z170 chipset motherboard and they are designed for Windows 10 (some come with a special disk to install Win 7 drivers).

That's my biggest concern and the main reason for my post. But the question remains, does that particular motherboard/processor has Windows 7 drivers available?

If you are only installing 4GB of RAM there is no need for 64 bit OS. The primary reason for using 64 bit OS is that it will address more than 4GB of RAM. A 32 bit will only address slightly less than 4GB. Also, a 64 bit OS uses more of the available RAM so another reason not to use 64 bit. If you want to use 64 bit OS, install 6 or 8 GB of RAM.

I'm still unsure about this. I know that Windows x86 ridiculously limits itself to 4GB, but x64 has some other advantages too, on the other hand having more resource consumption. Memory usage is only part of my uncertainty.

Wouldn't even use a HDD of that size, for that kind of usage max 320GB, anything else can be stuck on a USB.

I know that's a bit big for that, but I settled with that based on this: The smallest HD I can find is 500GB, and the price difference with 1TB is not that big (less than 20% more). Buying more storage afterwards is just awkward if ever gets necesary, and he may want to download things (music and movies become taxing on HDs) so I went with the bigger one mostly based on "future-proof".

man im running W7 64bit 3GB ram lower spec board than yours any its not slow by any measure
Roy

That's great news! So performance is not going to be a significant problem then, given the expected workload. One less problem, thanks!

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Saw some reviews on newegg and all 4 seemed to like the cpu
I wouldn't care about the 4gb's I'd still go 64bit you can always addram
The hdd is cheaper because you weren't looking at the black series and what you should be using not the blue series which is mostly just used for simple data drives not os drives
So up it to a black series and get a 500gb if that is enough space.

 

[Alejandro85]

Saw some reviews on newegg and all 4 seemed to like the cpu

Thanks! Seems good news, I would definitely go for it then.

The hdd is cheaper because you weren't looking at the black series and what you should be using not the blue series which is mostly just used for simple data drives not os drives
So up it to a black series and get a 500gb if that is enough space.

Is that black/blue thing really a critical difference? I privileged low cost over performance for pretty much anything. Given the expected usage I described before, do you think it's really worth to reduce storage space for performance?

 

[Megahertz07]

SSD was the biggest tech improvement since multi core CPU. Boots in seconds and open programs at a blink of an eye.
Put a 128G SSD for the OS and programs and the HDD for data.
And go with WD Black. You going to pay for quality, not performance.
I have a PNY SSD with Win 7 and Linux and still a lot of space. So far so good. $44
PNY CS1311 2.5" 120GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SSD7CS1311-120-RB-Newegg.com

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You might post where the blue series says 7200rpm
Most if not all I've seen were 5400rpm :/

 

[Alejandro85]

SSD was the biggest tech improvement since multi core CPU. Boots in seconds and open programs at a blink of an eye.

Certainly true and it for sure is a big improvement. But for a mid-range computer to be used for ♫udimentary tasks where cost is more important, a SSD is too much for it. I wasn't even considering one, and taking into account that they're much more expensive than normal HDs, I'm sure my friend wouldn't want to take one. It can always be bought latter of course.

And go with WD Black. You going to pay for quality, not performance.

What means "quality" exactly? In which way does it manifest?
More performance? More durability? More space? Something else?
Once again, for a budget computer, every increase in cost must be justified. 20% more cost for double storage is fine, but what concrete profit do I get from a black instead?

You might post where the blue series says 7200rpm
Most if not all I've seen were 5400rpm :/

Initially I found that in the store that sells it. Googling about it shows the very same thing in many other dissimilar sites, which makes me clearly trust that.

Some examples:
NCIX FORUMS - Performance #'s - 1TB/platter generation - Wester... Page 1 - Aug 22 2012
Western Digital 1TB Blue WD10EZEX review - Stablecomputer.com
Access Denied

Even the official Western digital website mentions it:
WD Blue Desktop | Western Digital (WD)

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Thanks at least the speed is correct
I get to looking at stuff and easily mix up stats

Although here is what WD posts

Improve PC Performance
Western Digital WD Blue Hard Drive 1TB WD10EZEX 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" | Internal Hard Drive-Newegg.com
Pair a larger capacity drive with an SSD to give your desktop a performance and storage boost. The SSD maximizes speed of data access, while the WD Blue drive stores up to 6TB of movies, games, files, applications and more.

Here's a 2.5 black I was going to get for my 2.5 easy swap evo
WD Black 1TB Performance Mobile Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s 32MB Cache 2.5 Inch - WD10JPLX - Newegg.com

Great Things Come in Small Packages - WD Black 1TB Mobile 2.5-inch performance storage is designed to enhance your PC experience, whether at home in your new all-in-one desktop, or on-the-go in your trusty notebook. With 1TB of storage running at 7200 RPM, you get fastest high-capacity mobile hard drive available in the world today, offering the perfect storage solution for a digital artist, video editor, photographer, or gamer. WD Black 1TB Mobile 2.5-inch combines performance and capacity with the reliability of a brand you can trust.

For Creative Professionals - Give yourself the room to bring your entire digital portfolio wherever you're at with WD Black Mobile 2.5-inch hard drive. With 1TB of 7200 RPM high-performance storage, WD Black Mobile gives you the power to create while on the go, so you can offload, edit, and shoot without fear of running out of space.

For Gamers - The WD Black 1TB Mobile 2.5-inch drive offers the perfect storage solution for your gaming rig. WD Black drives are tested to ensure it can handle all the high-performance tasks you need it to - it's what they're built for. With a 1TB capacity, you get the space you need for all your game's downloadable content (DLC), larger cache sizes for faster load times, and 7200 RPM for desktop-level performance.

But if I were going for a 3.5 I'd go for one of these
WD Black 1TB Performance Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD1003FZEX-Newegg.com

Drinking too much coolaid

Next-generation desktop performance hard drive designed to intensify your PC experience

Inspiring performance and up to 4 TB capacity

Improved Architectural Designs: Dual Core Processor, High Resolution Controller (HRC), StableTrac Technology

Improved Data Protection: Vibration Control Technology (VCT), Corruption Protection Technology (CPT), NoTouch Ramp Load Technology

Superior responsiveness with the next-generation speed that you need

 

[Megahertz07]

I would buy a 120G SSD (it's less than $40) for the OS and programs and transfer \Users during installation to the HDD (Kari tutorial). And for the HDD I would buy a WD Black.
And with 2+2 G of memory I would install Win 7 32. It will use 3.2G for windows and .8G to integrated graphics.