Need a recomendation.

[don256us]

The wife needs me to build a new computer for her. It will basically just browse the internet and email. Write a document or two and maybe play an old outdated game like Tropico. So keeping all that in mind, she wants a small desktop case with her monitor sitting on top like in the old days.

Do you have any experience with a desktop case? Have you seen some in passing that you could link me to? Anything to help jump start this would be great.

Note: We are upgrading from an AMD Phenom II 1100. Whatever I get her, I imagine that I will need an intergrated GPU so smaller is better.

 

[EarthDog]

Not sure of brands and such, but this sounds like a great candidate for the latest-gen AMD APUs (8000 series).

 

[Rpkole]

I think the only ones that i know that still are "desktop" like that are the HTPC cases like

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

 

[Flamethrower1972]

I think the only ones that i know that still are "desktop" like that are the HTPC cases like

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

I never known they are even around anymore.

 

[Janus67]

The wife needs me to build a new computer for her. It will basically just browse the internet and email. Write a document or two and maybe play an old outdated game like Tropico. So keeping all that in mind, she wants a small desktop case with her monitor sitting on top like in the old days.

Do you have any experience with a desktop case? Have you seen some in passing that you could link me to? Anything to help jump start this would be great.

Note: We are upgrading from an AMD Phenom II 1100. Whatever I get her, I imagine that I will need an intergrated GPU so smaller is better.

In all honesty, that sounds like a prime candidate for picking up a workstation PC from a place like microcenter/etc. Something with newer APU/intel with integrated would cover the bases and mean that you don't have to deal with the various part size limitations with a SFF/workstation size chassis.

 

[freakdiablo]

In all honesty, that sounds like a prime candidate for picking up a workstation PC from a place like microcenter/etc. Something with newer APU/intel with integrated would cover the bases and mean that you don't have to deal with the various part size limitations with a SFF/workstation size chassis.

Did the same with the grandmother a few years back. She asked for a PC upgrade and just got her a basic HP mini tower. Think it was $400 from Costco and she still uses it, so even the more basic non-office machines have stepped it up over the years.

Admittedly it was for more selfish reasons - whenever she had a problem with it I could just give her HP's customer service number

 

[Woomack]

I don't know the budget but:

Amazon.com

Ryzen 7840u, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, Win11 Pro (it's not listed, but in EM680 was Pro). The integrated graphics handles Cyberpunk2077 at 720p
It's quiet for what is inside, and it's very small. It's very quiet for office work. The fan spins faster in games, but it's still not loud.
The used graphics is the same as in high 8000 APUs.

 

[don256us]

I don't know the budget but:

Amazon.com

Ryzen 7840u, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, Win11 Pro (it's not listed, but in EM680 was Pro). The integrated graphics handles Cyberpunk2077 at 720p
It's quiet for what is inside, and it's very small. It's very quiet for office work. The fan spins faster in games, but it's still not loud.
The used graphics is the same as in high 8000 APUs.

This is a great idea. I'm giving it serious consideration. I didn't post a budget because I don't know what I'm willing to spend. $1k might be in the ball park. I'd rather my wife use a docking station for her laptop. I even have one but we'll get her what ever it is she wants/needs.

 

[Slayer2003]

Why not go uber cheap and just get an off-lease SFF workstation?

Maybe 2 years back I got a Lenovo M93P for like $70 shipped on eBay. It looks brand new since it sat in an office most of its life, came with the business Win 10 Pro license on the case, and I added 8GB of basic Crucial ram for maybe $50 and I had a spare 120GB SSD laying around, BAM, SFF bedroom TV PC that lives under my dresser, puts off literally no heat, and can accept up to a 1650 ti low profile if it ever needs to play games.

I'm sure you can find better options now, or stay in the similar generation and get something even cheaper. Lenovo and Dell make a TON of stuff that should fit your bill, and with the later generations you won't even need a vid card, and it will only sip like 80-150w of power on load lol.