[dummyyy]

Hey guys.. My friend needs a computer.

My friend explicitly said she just needs it for general use but with careful budgeting,, I want to give it some power.. mwahaha

But primary goal is just for general use..

My friend said she has around 600 to spend but it'll be great if I can get it down to 4-500.

She doesn't need monitor nor will she oc. I don't see any upgrading in the near future so the computer should last around for a while.

So now I need you guys' help.

Should I go with a intel or amd platform? Can you guys choose a stable motherboard for me with whatever cpu you guys choose?

Thanks!

[Bobnova]

Hell, for general use $400 is easy, especially if you don't need overclocking.

Personally, i would go with a G31 mobo and an e5200, you won't get much cheaper for the power output.
Add 2 or 4gb of cheap ram and a $50 320gb hdd and voila!

Ok and a case of some sort too, doesn't really matter what case, nor really what power supply when you consider that the entire system is going to suck down a solid 150watts.

The onboard video is lousy for gaming, but for non-gaming stuff it's just fine.
Same deal with the g31, forget about overclocking but if you don't care it's great.

[ghettogeddy]

any of this can be adjusted and everythign there has room for upgrade

1
LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS50 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136167
$25.99

1
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129042
$54.95

1
Western Digital RE3 WD2502ABYS-01B7A0 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136291
$69.99

1
GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128392
$79.99

1
BIOSTAR V8502GT26 GeForce 8500 GT 256MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814141066
$39.99

1
Sunbeam PSU-BKS580-US-BL 580W ATX12V Power Supply - OEM
Item #: N82E16817709018
$23.99

1
Microsoft BX1-00005 Silver/Black USB or PS/2 Wired Standard Digital Media Pro Keyboard - OEM
Item #: N82E16823109029
$14.99

1
Logitech RX1000 Black/Silver 4 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Mouse - OEM
Item #: N82E16826104014
$19.99

1
AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX250OCGQBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103681
$87.00

1
OCZ Reaper HPC 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR13332GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227292
$55.99

Subtotal: $472.87
What's this?Tax:$39.01
Calculate Shipping Zip Code: 94509
Shipping: $25.67
Grand Total: $537.55

[dummyyy]

1
Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136098
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$49.99

1
HIS Hightech H467QT512P Radeon HD 4670 IceQ Turbo 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported ... - Retail
Item #: N82E16814161252
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$79.99
$69.99

1
CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139008
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$64.99
$49.99

1
GIGABYTE GA-G41M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128388
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$64.99
$59.99

1
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116072
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$69.99

1
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129042
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231166
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
-$25.00 Instant
-$15.00 Combo
$129.94
$89.94

Subtotal: $389.89
Grandtotal 445.10

Plus 3 yate loon fan from jab-tech and a dvd burner from microcenter which is about 50. So everything comes out to be 500

How is it?

Also.. would it be better to just buy an equivalent set up from dell or hp because of the free windows 7 upgrade?

[ghettogeddy]

Originally Posted by dummyyy

1
Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136098
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$49.99

1
HIS Hightech H467QT512P Radeon HD 4670 IceQ Turbo 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported ... - Retail
Item #: N82E16814161252
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$79.99
$69.99

1
CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139008
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$64.99
$49.99

1
GIGABYTE GA-G41M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128388
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$64.99
$59.99

1
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116072
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$69.99

1
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129042
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231166
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
-$25.00 Instant
-$15.00 Combo
$129.94
$89.94

Subtotal: $389.89
Grandtotal 445.10

Plus 3 yate loon fan from jab-tech and a dvd burner from microcenter which is about 50. So everything comes out to be 500

How is it?

Also.. would it be better to just buy an equivalent set up from dell or hp because of the free windows 7 upgrade?

no lol

[CharlieCS]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...16827136167-lg dvd burner 25$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136074 320 gig WD 50$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227267 4 gigs of 800 mhz memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116483 vista home basic 90$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.208560 antec 300 + antec 380 watt PSU 89 $

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.211646 Gigabyte 790GX + AMD Dual core 45 watt processor 160 $


came down to 480 $ shipped for me


Just want to make couple of points HD3200 is no slouch , can easily handle hd playback , mild games , its pretty good for what it is integrated video , everyday use she doesnt need more then 2,6 GHz proc and low power consumption is a bonus , leaves you some money for mice keyboard and all.


Also concerning your own choices ,Antec 300 has only mounting for ATX motherboards , unless you are prepared to drill and tap holes for micro ATX board look for another case.

[Mjolnir]

Originally Posted by CharlieCS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...16827136167-lg dvd burner 25$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136074 320 gig WD 50$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227267 4 gigs of 800 mhz memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116483 vista home basic 90$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.208560 antec 300 + antec 380 watt PSU 89 $

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.211646 Gigabyte 790GX + AMD Dual core 45 watt processor 160 $


came down to 480 $ shipped for me


Just want to make couple of points HD3200 is no slouch , can easily handle hd playback , mild games , its pretty good for what it is integrated video , everyday use she doesnt need more then 2,6 GHz proc and low power consumption is a bonus , leaves you some money for mice keyboard and all.


Also concerning your own choices ,Antec 300 has only mounting for ATX motherboards , unless you are prepared to drill and tap holes for micro ATX board look for another case.

Then how is my antec 300 sitting a mATX board just fine then? :\ lol.

At the OP. Go with one of the AMD options my friend, personally out of the three mentioned (intel, 2xAMD), i'd go with GhettoGeddys build, the 250 regor is a much nicer core than the 5050, still only 65 TDP, and also upstages the e5200.

[CharlieCS]

Originally Posted by Mjolnir

Then how is my antec 300 sitting a mATX board just fine then? :\ lol.

how long ago did you get it , pretty sure they didnt have mini atx mounting before , checked out the website seem like you are right about the case that is , am still pretty sure 2.5 ghz proc is most she going to need and it all comes down to cost.

[stevejr]

Uhh...has anyone mentioned needing an o/s? That will add about another $100.00 to price....unless you go Linux...which is free.

[EarthDog]

Originally Posted by ghettogeddy

any of this can be adjusted and everythign there has room for upgrade

Sunbeam PSU for $23. No thanks.

Also, not sure if it was you (EDIT: it was), but 250GB drive for $69.99? When you can have a much faster 640GB Western Digital Caviar Black for $5 more and nearly 3x the space? There are cheaper HDDs out there with more space!

EDIT: Also, DDR3 and 2GB? Why not DDR2 and 4GB? DDR3 doesnt really have a use at this time. Especially for a non overclocking and benchmarking person. This is a budget build and IMHO, DDR3 has no place in a budget build.

[ghettogeddy]

Originally Posted by Caligula420

Sunbeam PSU for $23. No thanks.

Also, not sure if it was you (EDIT: it was), but 250GB drive for $69.99? When you can have a much faster 640GB Western Digital Caviar Black for $5 more and nearly 3x the space? There are cheaper HDDs out there with more space!

EDIT: Also, DDR3 and 2GB? Why not DDR2 and 4GB? DDR3 doesnt really have a use at this time. Especially for a non overclocking and benchmarking person. This is a budget build and IMHO, DDR3 has no place in a budget build.

well cause at the price why not as its stated its not gona be used for much why use 4gb lol why not get the best and newest for it its still with in the budget now as far as the hdd goes i just found the first hdd in the 70 bucks range and went for it

and ive been using my 59 buck sunbeam for over 3 years now sunbeam nunnu550-us modeler best fn psu ive ever used whats wrong with a cheap psu if its not gona be over worked anyways

but as i stated change what you will

[EarthDog]

budget build /= best and newest. Other reasons I listed above. DDR3 = Waste of coin on a budget build. Id rather up the processor then have DDR3.

Sunbeam NUUO was a decent PSU, I owned one a couple years ago. Im not sure about the new ones however or those not in the NUUO line. Note thats its MUCH cheaper then the NUUO line. I would be concerned about the quality of a 580W $23 PSU. No matter what rig I put it in.

[ghettogeddy]

Originally Posted by Caligula420

budget build /= best and newest. Other reasons I listed above. DDR3 = Waste of coin on a budget build. Id rather up the processor then have DDR3.

Sunbeam NUUO was a decent PSU, I owned one a couple years ago. Im not sure about the new ones however or those not in the NUUO line. Note thats its MUCH cheaper then the NUUO line. I would be concerned about the quality of a 580W $23 PSU. No matter what rig I put it in.

how much fastew can you need for email and typing lol 3.0 x2 is pritty fn fast and its upgradeable to a x4 if its at all needed

[EarthDog]

My point exactly on DDR3. Save the money. 4Gb DDR2 and a faster processor will "last longer" than 2Gb DDR3 and a slower processor, no?

All good. Just playing a little devil's advocate.

[ghettogeddy]

Originally Posted by Caligula420

My point exactly on DDR3. Save the money. 4Gb DDR2 and a faster processor will "last longer" than 2Gb DDR3 and a slower processor, no?

All good. Just playing a little devil's advocate.

i dont see why it wouldn't last any longer i ran 2 gb or ram for hella long and never really used it all

i upgraded to 4gb cause it was cheap

i play alot of games and constantly running 2 displays aim, steam macafee, utorrent css or cod5 and i still dont use over 2gb of ram

i doubt a basic net/typing machine would go about that

so why not go ddr3

[dummyyy]

Originally Posted by stevejr

Uhh...has anyone mentioned needing an o/s? That will add about another $100.00 to price....unless you go Linux...which is free.

Sorry. I forgot to mention. I have a spare vista I can use.

[stevejr]

dummyyy...very good... I was just concerned that no one had mentioned the o/s...especially since it's cost is a large percentage of a $500.00 system.

[EarthDog]

Originally Posted by ghettogeddy

i dont see why it wouldn't last any longer i ran 2 gb or ram for hella long and never really used it all

i upgraded to 4gb cause it was cheap

i play alot of games and constantly running 2 displays aim, steam macafee, utorrent css or cod5 and i still dont use over 2gb of ram

i doubt a basic net/typing machine would go about that

so why not go ddr3

Check the size of your page file when running all that stuff.

[ghettogeddy]

Originally Posted by Caligula420

Check the size of your page file when running all that stuff.

1785m/6363m




ok so just barely over 2gb lol

[EarthDog]

Im at half that with similar things running.. but less then I thought I will admit!