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Budget PC build (also my first build). Opinions? Advice?

K

kbhola

Junior Member
So I'm looking to build a budget PC for my parents. It'll be mainly used for internet browsing, word processing, and maybe some movie watching, but no games probably.

This is the cheapest/best deal I could come up with on newegg:

Processor: Intel Celeron E1400 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model
Mboard: ECS GF7050VT-M LGA 775 GeForce7050 / 610i Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Combo Price after mail-in-rebates: $71.98

Memory: OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Price after rebates: $29.99

Power Supply: APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply
Price after rebates: $24.99

Total after shipping and rebates: $132.95

Now heres the thing, to save money, I'm reusing an old emachines case, CD/DVD burner/drive, and the 40 GB Hard Drive that came with it. The thing I'm concerned about is whether not upgrading the Hard Drive would be a problem. I tried finding the Hard Drive speed for the old emachines one but I couldn't.

Also, is this build compatible/good?



 
An old hard disk like that will really make things feel slow. It will work of course, but it is really really worth getting even the cheapest new drive you can find.

I was almost going to suggest that 4GB is overkill, but with memory prices so low it seems pointless to compromise.
 
Originally posted by: kbhola
So I'm looking to build a budget PC for my parents. It'll be mainly used for internet browsing, word processing, and maybe some movie watching, but no games probably.

This is the cheapest/best deal I could come up with on newegg:

Processor: Intel Celeron E1400 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model
Mboard: ECS GF7050VT-M LGA 775 GeForce7050 / 610i Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Combo Price after mail-in-rebates: $71.98

Memory: OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Price after rebates: $29.99

Power Supply: APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply
Price after rebates: $24.99

Total after shipping and rebates: $132.95

Now heres the thing, to save money, I'm reusing an old emachines case, CD/DVD burner/drive, and the 40 GB Hard Drive that came with it. The thing I'm concerned about is whether not upgrading the Hard Drive would be a problem. I tried finding the Hard Drive speed for the old emachines one but I couldn't.

Also, is this build compatible/good?
Click to expand...

First off, what is your budget for this build?
* Do you have an OS already?
* I would NEVER recommend an Apevia PSU. The case might be okay, but the PSU isn't what I'd call reputable or of any quality.
* A newer HD would suit you best for several reasons. It'll run faster, possibly quieter, and should last quite a bit longer than your current one. Not that your current one is bad, but I'd rather put in a new HD and not have to worry too much about it's longevity.
 
All right. Thanks.

Just one more question, would their be a problem connecting either the old IDE hard drive or the old DVD drive to the motherboard or power supply? I'm pretty sure there'd be no problems with the DVD drive, but since the switch to SATA drives I'm unsure.... I looked at the motherboard I'm buying and I think it does have an ATA outlet..but I can't seem to figure out if the power supply connectors have changed over the years.
 
why dont you just build them something decent that will actually work well. you can go to frys and get 5200 and good mb for like 79. it will only cost you a little more money and will last longer, be more fun and probably be more trouble free in the long run
 
The power-supply connectors should still be the standard 4-pin molex connectors. One thing I'd be concerned with is if a new power supply will fit the emachines case. A lot of pre-built computers use non-standard psu sizes so that you have to replace them direct from the manufacturer.
 
Unless you are using Vista you wont be able to see all 4 gigs of RAM. If you are using Vista, EVERYTHING else on that list is substandard. If you just need a basic system then you dont need Vista.
For a dirt cheap simple computer:
I recommend 2GB of RAM and everything else is fine.

For a more advanced Vista machine:
You will need a faster CPU and a much bigger hard drive. After the OS you won't be able to install many programs or download much junk. A 500 watt power supply is fine, but I wouldnt use that brand. You'll likely be replacing it soon.
 
there's nothing wrong with that setup for casual use. that celeron is just a stripped down core2.
 
Okay, I'll opt for a better power supply, and yeah shortylickens, I have an xp professional cd...I think then it's 64 bit and might recognize all 4 Gbs...and if not, I can live with losing .5 GB of ram just cause it's so damn cheap.
 
Originally posted by: OBLAMA2009
why dont you just build them something decent that will actually work well. you can go to frys and get 5200 and good mb for like 79. it will only cost you a little more money and will last longer, be more fun and probably be more trouble free in the long run
Click to expand...

Well for a few reasons:
There are no Frys around me.
This is my first computer build so I want it to be cheap.
My parents last computer that they used up until about a year ago was an emachines with a pentium 4 clocked at 1.7Ghz and 256 MBs of RAM. It took like 5 minutes to turn on. So basically, compared to that piece, this is a supercomputer. You know? It's all relative. This will be amazingly fast for them since they'll only be using it for word processing, browsing, and maybe watching movies online and are used to 5 minute boot times.

So I do appreciate the advice, but the more expensive parts will (hopefully) have to wait until my next build.
 
even their p4 would likely be amazingly fast if you added more memory and cleaned it out. one year of non-enthusiast use is like a 75% reduction in general performance, it would seem sometimes.
 
Yeah, that was actually my first plan until I looked up the prices for that old-type of RAM that it took...like $60 for 512MBs
 
That's a fine build for the purpose, just optimize the OS and it'll do great.

I have a similar system lying around... old E2140 @ 2.4ghz, 2gb DDR2667 ram and an ASRock mobo, and with an old x850xt I could get Crysis to run on it. Web surfing and what not was a cakewalk for it.
 
are you even sure that standard hardware will fit in an old emachines case.

btw frys has a website. you could get a discounted/open box intel board for 40 at newegg and get a 5200 for 55. i just got an antec ps at frys for 25. that would be what i woud do, but then again i love my parents. theres really no reason to buy junky hardware



have you considered getting,say, a used optiplex on craigslist. i see 3ghz p4 on there all the time for like 70, which is cheaper than xp, which is included
 
Originally posted by: OBLAMA2009
are you even sure that standard hardware will fit in an old emachines case.

btw frys has a website. you could get a discounted/open box intel board for 40 at newegg and get a 5200 for 55. that would be what i woud do, but then again i love my parents
Click to expand...

wow, you're a total assbag.

edit: also this board keeps time like a broken casio watch...
 
Uh, I just really get the impression that you think the celeron processor is just too slow....but it's not at all...like another poster said before, if I had just upgraded the RAM on the old emachines to like 2GB it would have been fast enough. A 2.0 GHz dual-core processor (albeit with a small cache) will be fast enough for them as long it's not bottlenecked by the RAM like it was in the old emachines. And I have an XP CD. And besides, I want the experience of putting this together for future, more expensive, builds.
 
Not a bad super-budget build. The apevia PsU isn't the greatest, but I think that it will work, it will hardly be stressed by those low-power components. the biggest question that I have is with the emachines case that you will be re-using. Have you verified that the PSU is standard ATX size, and that the front-panel connectors are standard and not proprietary? It would suck not being able to connect the power-on switch.

Also, the 40GB HD is probably old, close to failing, and a slow 5400RPM drive. The computer will feel twice as "snappy" loading programs if you put in a modern SATA HD.
Still, if you're on a severe budget, then re-using the HD is certainly doable.
 
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