Can a desktop be built for $500?

My sister needs a new desktop computer and it doesn't seem like Best Buy has anything decent in the $500 price range. I know that's a low budget, but do you think a desktop capable of light Photoshop, InDesign, video editing, and Office use could be built for about $500? There would be absolutely no gaming being done on this computer..

What do you think?

We had a billion $500 build threads.
You can do it. Being flexible to go an extra $100 would be helpful given the current hard drive economic climate. If you already have a decent speed/size SATA HDD then you're a step ahead. Obviously you're not going to be able to factor a Windows license into the $500 either unless you want to end up with a brick that runs Youtube choppy. Not literally but you see what I'm getting at. An OEM windows 7 is about 100 bucks.

Yes you can, but with a hundred more you can have something like, using the 2500k integrated GPU (HD3000), very good if you don't game.

2500k $230 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Asrock Extrem3 Gen3 $120 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
DDR 8GB GSkill $50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
PSU corsair cx500w $40 after rebate http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
Case $30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162063
HDD: 500GB WD caviar Black $130 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

That's $600, but it's an evolutive rig: down the road you can add a graphic card, a decent cooler (around $30) for a 4.5GHz OC, and even upgrade to IvyBridge if you feel like.

Thanks for both of your replies!

We already have a copy of windows Vista that can be used, so there isn't any need to purchase an OS.

Why have all the HD prices gone up? I had a HD bookmarked from a few months ago and it's doubled in price!

Thanks for the parts list, manu2b. Is there any processor that might be a little cheaper, do you think? The processor for this desktop only needs to be a bit better than the current one, which is an Intel Core 2 T9300.

Appreciate all the advice!

look down at the post i made, its a budget build of 400, it shows pretty much top of the line for 400 on both amd and intel.

Prices are through the roof becaus of flooding in Thailand where the HDD factorie are.

The good thing is that she won't need a discrete graphic card with the 2500K, the Intel HD 3000 being good enough for everything except 3d modeling and gaming...
She can go for a i3 2120 instead of the 2500k for $150. Same iGPU than the 2600k and same upgrade possibilities in the future, except for overclocking (locked cpu). Less performance of course than the 2500K, but good bang for bucks.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115093&Tpk=i3 2125

I looked at your build Vortaku, thanks for sharing. Would an i3 2100 be better than a Core 2 Duo T9300?

I am not 100% sure on if it would be better or not. I know the i3 is the sandybridge which runs cool and all that good stuff.

Yes, better and upgradable (socket 1155 for sandybridges and Ivybridges).
And with the i3 instead of the 2500K, you have a total cost of $520 with up to date and quality components.

Have you checked out the combo deals on Newegg? They have some pretty good ones for under $500, especially if you already have an OS.

manu2b said:

Yes you can, but with a hundred more you can have something like, using the 2500k integrated GPU (HD3000), very good if you don't game.

2500k $230 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Asrock Extrem3 Gen3 $120 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
DDR 8GB GSkill $50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
PSU corsair cx500w $40 after rebate http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
Case $30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162063
HDD: 500GB WD caviar Black $130 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

That's $600, but it's an evolutive rig: down the road you can add a graphic card, a decent cooler (around $30) for a 4.5GHz OC, and even upgrade to IvyBridge if you feel like.

Click to expand...

^
There's a lot of potential in this system not just in raw serial processing power but also the ability to throw $25 at a cpu cooler and jack it up to 4.8Ghz or so, or throw in a $150GPU and combine an actual proper powerful CPU with a good GPU that can handle CUDA acceleration to make Photoshop fly and to do some serious HD gaming. It still needs an optical drive.

You can get away with a lot of different setups. I'd probably try to squeeze together a Gtx550 and a 955BE cpu based system so I could use the CUDA acceleration of photoshop and the cpu would be fast enough though a 955 is nothing like a 2500K.

You could probably squeeze off a 955, a board, a psu, a case, an hdd, a cd drive, and a gpu and ram for 500 and a bit with the 550Ti. The stupid hard drive prices are really ruining it though you could get a 1TB drive for fifty bucks and now not so much..

^Right, forgot about the optical...

EDIT: right about the 955... I don't have my 2600k anymore and well... PS looks SLOOOWWWW!

What comp is she running now?
lets see, you could use that HDD and DVD
I have
i5 2400
8gig Gskil ripjaws 1600
GIGABYTE GA-Z68M-D2H
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W
Hyper 212+ cpu coller
Antech 300 case
494+2shipping= $ 496 total with like 20 in mail rebates
all at new egg