Attempt at "cheapest viable Facebook / browser build".

[VirtualLarry]

$15 AMD A4-3420 2.8Ghz 65W dual-core FM1 APU (CPU only)
$28 ECS A55F-M4 v2.0 A55 FM1 micro-ATX mobo
$8 AMD FM1-compatible generic heatsink/fan
$18 Kingston 2x2GB DDR3-1600 unbuffered RAM
$9 *used* 16GB 2.5" SSD (pulls, supposedly from new rigs, replaced with other drives, but sold as "used")
$16 ATX mid-tower case
$42 EVGA 500W "80Plus White" ATX PSU

$136 total

$15 WD 160GB SATA 3.5" HDD (refurb, zero POH) - optional, for storage
$3 Generic N150 USB2.0 wireless B/G/N 2.4Ghz dongle (Linux compatible) - optional

Question, Windows 10 Home 64-bit (for $20 e-mailed key), or Linux Mint 18 Mate 64-bit ($0)?

Yeah, I know that the PSU is overkill for the rest of the parts, but I don't want to risk the liability of going with a lesser-quality PSU. It seems that every PSU significantly below $40 or so, is basically crap.

Also interested in comments on the viability of a 16GB SSD, with 4GB RAM (considered putting in only a 2GB stick), and Windows 10 64-bit size and updates / upgrades, and Linux Mint 18 size / updates.

I think Mint would have slightly less issues, with that size SSD, but in either case, it's gonna get cozy, with swap and all.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I think I'll put the full 2x2GB RAM in. I had a single 4GB stick of GSKill DDR3-1600 in my overclocked Sempron 3850 AM1 quad-core rigs with Win10 64-bit, and when I changed that out for a single 2GB stick, browsing was a pain, with that little RAM in 64-bit Windows. 4GB == OK, 2GB == painful, for 64-bit Windows.

Edit: These computers may end up donated to the local food pantry, for "under-privileged families". Or maybe the local Senior Center. (Although, I might have to do some installation / teaching / hand-holding if I do that, and I don't think I want to be stuck in that position. Most of the seniors in this town can afford their own PCs, if they wanted them.)

Comments of the viability of CloudReady OS are welcome too. I'll have to test that once I get one of these built.

 

[whm1974]

Windows 10 64 bit will not fit. Mint should. Would be much space left after installing Mint and setting up swap.

 

[Ken g6]

That doesn't even include a keyboard, mouse, or monitor! I'm thinking a cheap tablet plus Bluetooth keyboard.

 

[jlee]

I'd find something like this for $116 with Win10.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'd find something like this for $116 with Win10.

ROFL. N3050? With a spinner? Not even the J1900 Acer refurb desktop? (Which might have been a viable solution, once an SSD was applied.)

Have you ever used an N3050? It's not pretty, even with an eMMC-type SSD. With a spinner, I can barely imagine.

Yeah, I guess it does "browse", for sufficiently small values of "browse".

Anyways, my build has a "big core" APU (though, an early one), dual-channel RAM (assuming I put in the whole 2x2GB kit), and a real SATA 2.5" SSD (though, as tiny as an eMMC).

Yeah, it is cheaper, I'll give you that. I did put "viable" in the title, which is kind of my personal arbitrary cutoff for what would be an acceptable browser box. To my personal tastes, having owned two different N3050 netbooks, it does NOT make my personal cut.

Besides, what's the fun in buying pre-builts. The whole idea is to build them myself, for fun, and then donate them. Much more satisfying that way. Plus, I do think my build has more performance for browsing than that N3050 build.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Windows 10 64 bit will not fit.

Hmm. Windows 10 32-bit must be able to fit, though, as I've seen little 7" Atom quad-core Windows 10 tablets for sale (for around $150). (Edit: With 16GB eMMC)

Maybe I should consider Windows 10 32-bit?

If the CloudReady works, I might go that route. Or Linux. Windows license is an additional cost, and who knows how legit some of those vendors are. (Been successful thus far buying e-mail licenses, but longer-term, who knows.)

 

[VirtualLarry]

That doesn't even include a keyboard, mouse, or monitor! I'm thinking a cheap tablet plus Bluetooth keyboard.

I was looking at keyboards and mice. Used to be able to get a set of iMicro keyboard + mouse from ewiz.com, for like $10-12 shipped. But it seems like all of those Core2 refurb resellers figured that out too, as for a while now, they are constantly OOS now, and I've seen refurbs that come with or are pictured with iMicro stuff.

I've also seen Logitech MK120 wired USB keyboard + mouse sets at Newegg for $14.99 on sale, and $11.99 or $12.99 if you buy 10+ qty. I was able to buy five of them for $9.99 ea, with a qty discount combined with a promo code once in the past. Other than waiting for a big sale opportunity like that again, I guess I should pony up and buy qty 10 to get the qty discount.

Ebay is even worse.

Although, BestBuy on ebay has an Insignia keyboard + mouse wired set for $9.99 shipped.

Edit: I went to buy three of the BestBuy Insignia keyboard + mouse wired combos, but ebay informed me I had hit my cooldown. I had spammed my "buy" skill a few too many times on that site.

Darn cooldowns. Wonder if I can put some skill points somewhere to increase my limit before cooldowns.

 

[whm1974]

I didn't know they had even made SATA drives as small as 16GB. I would have sworn the smallest I have seen was 128 GB back when SATA drives first came out.

 

[whm1974]

Hmm. Windows 10 32-bit must be able to fit, though, as I've seen little 7" Atom quad-core Windows 10 tablets for sale (for around $150). (Edit: With 16GB eMMC)

Maybe I should consider Windows 10 32-bit?

If the CloudReady works, I might go that route. Or Linux. Windows license is an additional cost, and who knows how legit some of those vendors are. (Been successful thus far buying e-mail licenses, but longer-term, who knows.)

Linux will be your best bet, but the end user still wouldn't have very much space left over for their files or to install other applications. Are you sure you can't get 64 GB HDD for cheap?

 

[VirtualLarry]

They make SATA SSDs as small as 8GB, and possibly even smaller, mostly for "embedded" usages, like slot machines and whatnot. In fact, I'm not sure, but these drives could have been pulls from slot machines. Although, I think that those use mostly 4-8GB sizes. (I've seen listings on ebay for massive qty of "asst" 8GB or 4GB SSDs, pulls from these embedded devices.)

 

[whm1974]

Personally I go with a new 500 GB drive and add a cheap KBM and sell these systems for $200. I do not trust refurbished HDDs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5AD3T02857

 

[VirtualLarry]

I do not trust refurbished HDDs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5AD3T02857

Ah, erm, that's a "GoHardDrive white label" HDD. AKA. "refurb". That's why it has a "reseller warranty". GoHardDrive, unless they explicitly state it's "new", are used/refurbs. That's what they specialize in.

Beyond that, though, I think that web browsing would be much faster with an SSD, even a small SSD.

If the user wants to store data, they can buy a portable external HDD or a big flash drive.

Edit: And if I installed CloudReady, the 500GB HDD would be totally wasted anyways, and just slow things down.

I went looking on ebay, looks like the cheapest NEW 32GB SATA SSD I can get is around $20 shipped from Hong Kong. Might be worth it, if I was putting Windows 10 64-bit on, because the Windows license would also add to the cost.

 

[whm1974]

Be careful Larry this project of yours could cost as much as a brand new computer would

 

[VirtualLarry]

Be careful Larry this project of yours could cost as much as a brand new computer would

Yeah, that's why I was trying to stick to the cheap parts, 16GB SSD rather than 32GB or 60GB, and CloudReady or Linux instead of Windows. But I do want to include a brand-new (cheap, hopefully) keyboard + mouse.

We do, or did, have an electronics recycler in this town, that sold cheap LCD monitors and keyboards. Last time I drove by, the logo wasn't on the door anymore, though.

 

[whm1974]

I bet you could get the "basic build" ken g6 put together for about for about ~$300 or even under by removing the video card and switching the i-3-6100 and Windows for a G4500 and Linux. This would be a far more capable box.

 

[mxnerd]

Why not just buy an Android PC?

https://www.amazon.com/Jide-Remix-Storage-Android-Desktop/dp/B0177OAIIK

 

[jlee]

ROFL. N3050? With a spinner? Not even the J1900 Acer refurb desktop? (Which might have been a viable solution, once an SSD was applied.)

Have you ever used an N3050? It's not pretty, even with an eMMC-type SSD. With a spinner, I can barely imagine.

Yeah, I guess it does "browse", for sufficiently small values of "browse".

Anyways, my build has a "big core" APU (though, an early one), dual-channel RAM (assuming I put in the whole 2x2GB kit), and a real SATA 2.5" SSD (though, as tiny as an eMMC).

Yeah, it is cheaper, I'll give you that. I did put "viable" in the title, which is kind of my personal arbitrary cutoff for what would be an acceptable browser box. To my personal tastes, having owned two different N3050 netbooks, it does NOT make my personal cut.

Besides, what's the fun in buying pre-builts. The whole idea is to build them myself, for fun, and then donate them. Much more satisfying that way. Plus, I do think my build has more performance for browsing than that N3050 build.

Nope. I don't use any hardware remotely near the class of stuff you build.

Where are you getting a legal/legitimate Windows 10 license for $20?

 

[whm1974]

Why not just buy an Android PC?
https://www.amazon.com/Jide-Remix-Storage-Android-Desktop/dp/B0177OAIIK

Is that even remotely usable?

 

[mxnerd]

Is that even remotely usable?

OP only needs Facebook & browsers.

Android PC is a lot more than that. Except it does not support VGA.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Where are you getting a legal/legitimate Windows 10 license for $20?

Vendors on Bonanza.com. Someone here clued me in to that site, for license keys. Never heard of it before, but it's kind of like an ebay, of sorts.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Btw, I should probably point out, that I already own ten of those ECS A55 FM1 mobo and AMD FM1 A4-3420 / A4-3300 / heatsink/fan combos, thanks to waltchan pointing out a deal to me on ebay. Kind of looking for an excuse to get rid of them. Windows 10 installs just fine on them, amazingly enough.

Also, I've ordered 12 of those 16GB SSDs, 5 kits of 2x2GB Kingston DDR3-1600, and 5 of those micro-ATX cases, though only 3 of the PSUs. (I've got a few PSUs here already, though.)

 

[mxnerd]

CloudReady PC is basically an Android PC on SSD or flash drive.

Since you already have all the components, maybe you want to go that route.

Guess it's a lot easier to maintain than Win10/Mint and does not require HDD.

 

[escrow4]

Looks like a hunk of junk that will just about creak along. Does 720p60 and 1080p60 Youtube even work? What about x264 and x265 decoding? Everything is about media and digital shit these days, if a box can't hack it its useless. Even the Snapdragon 210 in this cheap prepaid Android can decode those codecs. Although honestly I'd much rather give them a 10" name brand Android tablet at that price.

 

[jlee]

Vendors on Bonanza.com. Someone here clued me in to that site, for license keys. Never heard of it before, but it's kind of like an ebay, of sorts.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Shop.aspx#ProductKeySold

With the exception of Product Key Cards (PKC’s) distributed with COA’s, Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Looks like a hunk of junk that will just about creak along. Does 720p60 and 1080p60 Youtube even work? What about x264 and x265 decoding?

I'm pretty sure that it doesn't support x265 / HEVC in hardware (I think anything pre-Carizzo on the AMD side does not), but as far as 720P and 1080P YouTube / H264, it should be fine. (At least in Windows 10. Don't know about GPU support in CloudReady or Linux.)