Barest Minimum CPU for First Time User

[firewolfsm]

At such a low budget you should just get him an eee pc or something pre-built, the lower the price of the PC, the less you save over manufactured, until those savings become a loss.

 

[james1701]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819116004

P4 still alive and kicking.

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: HOOfan 1

Originally posted by: happy medium
celeron 420 for 42.00$ shipped will get the job done.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814150275


motherboard;built in nvidia graphics 43.00$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813185110

ram:25$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820144151

case: coolmaster 73.00$ shipped


http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119068



western digital 160 gig harddrive 50$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371005

Asus dvd /cd burner 35.00$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827135163


350.00$ system.. Just add windows and monitor :thumbsup:

how is he going to power that? Bicycle generator?

I thought I put the 380watt Earthwatt psu on sale at new egg for 50 bucks I think.

 

[superstition]

Originally posted by: Zap

Originally posted by: superstition
Value isn't just about price tag, it's about what you're getting for the money.

So what happens if someone can't afford that price tag regardless of what they're getting?

My aunt still uses a socket 370 system (I think Celeron 900). It was scraping the bottom of the barrel back then, but it still handles web pages and email just fine. I think even if you compare a single core Celeron or Sempron to... let's say a quadcore... both single and quadcore will be browsing web pages and checking emails just fine five years from now. By then, neither will be upgradable (through using new parts).

That's why I wrote about buying, or finding, used. As I said, one of my nieces has an old iMac and it's fine for her. It's fanless, so she can enjoy DVD movies, and she can surf, do Mavis Beacon, and play the Sims 1. How much did it cost? Nada. It was sitting in a hallway with a disposal sticker on it. I put in a spare hard drive and spare RAM. It's running OS X 10.4.x. My other niece is using a 2.4 GHz/533 Pentium 4 Dell that was also marked for disposal. I added RAM and a hard drive and bought a Radeon 2400 so she could play the Sims 2. I saved these computers from the landfill and gave them to kids. That's better than spending money, I think.

But, would I buy a single-core chip for retail price today? No. The e2140 is a better value.

 

[SuperSix]

Shoot, for that, a Dual Core Celeron would work fine. 🙂

 

[Vesku]

Get the cheapest thing you can find from a mainstream manufacturer you don't hate. I like HP for their acceptable build quality but Dell sometimes has outrageous deals.

 

[jaqie]

what is the deal with people these days?
Go look at a mini ITX system using a via CPU (even an older one), that is plenty, and most of them include all the parts needed for a whole system and then some on the mobo, just add case psu peripherals ram and monitor. (and drives, of course)

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: firewolfsm
At such a low budget you should just get him an eee pc or something pre-built, the lower the price of the PC, the less you save over manufactured, until those savings become a loss.

bingo.

$500 all-in-one package deal is the way to go. OP seems bent on getting his friend the biggest POS possible. just because he's a new driver doesn't mean he shouldn't have 4 wheels.

 

[nanaki333]

get whatever is on sale at dell/hp. no reason in you playing tech support for the life of the computer

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: SpeedEng66
just look on craigslist ppl usually getting rid of old p3/4 pc for free

thats more than enough for basic stuff

my main rig is a p3 1ghz laptop

if you are close to NYC i will give him/her a basic pc for free

+1, I'd go for an old PIII system or whatever you can find for free.