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Cheap-O Build Help

J

JackSpadesSI

Senior member
My sister-in-law needs a computer for college. Only requirements are MS Office, and general web surfing. Nothing demanding at all. Budget is yet to be established, but low cost is paramount.

What is best "bang for the buck" these days: cheap CPU + cheap GPU, or integrated graphics on the CPU (which I believe tends to increase cost of the CPU and motherboard)?

Thanks!
 
Copy and paste the sticky from the top of this forum. We need a ballpark figure and some other info to give you advice on any build.
 
Inspiron 560 with a Pentium dual-core E5800 (3.2GHz) can be had from Dell Outlet for $310.
If you need a monitor to go with it, that pushes things up into the range of some pretty decent notebooks, so ask her if she'd prefer a notebook to a desktop.
 
I bought an HP laptop with one of the new A4 APU's yesterday and I am very pleased with it. Its a 14" model with 4GB of DDR3 and a 320GB HDD. Costs about $400 currently. Can run 1080p youtube and anything else on the web.
 
My father-in-law insists that the computer be a desktop (even though I calmly explained that a laptop is a far better choice for a college student).

The sytem must include "everything" - monitor, speakers, card reader, keyboard, and mouse. She's already got a student copy of Windows 7, so OS isn't needed in the price - only hardware needs to be bought from the budget.

I priced a rather decent i3 system (with HD 3000 integrated graphics) which includes everything for $590 - even a 1080p monitor. How much more $ could be reasonably cut, though?
 
Current build:

CPU = Intel i3-2105 -$139.99
Motherboard = GIGABYTE GA-H61M-USB3-B3 - $79.99 after MIR
RAM = Mushkin 4GB DDR3-1333 - $24.99 after MIR
HDD = Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black - $84.79
Optical = 2x Sony DVDRW - $37.98
Case & PSU = Cooler Master combo (500W) - $49.98 after MIR
Card reader = Xigmatek 75-in-1 - $13.99
Display = HANNspree 1080p 21.5" - $119.99
Speakers = built into display - $0
Keyboard & mouse = $22.40 (is this seriously the cheapest around???)

Any critiques? Any suggestions of a part that is excessively above "cheap-o" level?
 
The only thing I can think of is that explore a similarly priced llano build. IMO the improved graphics > added CPU power of the i3 for her usages.

Then again she doesn't need that powerful of anything so its probably a wash.
 
aphelion02 said:
The only thing I can think of is that explore a similarly priced llano build. IMO the improved graphics > added CPU power of the i3 for her usages.

Then again she doesn't need that powerful of anything so its probably a wash.
Click to expand...

Are you aware that the i3-2105 has the Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics (not the HD 2000 graphics)? Is that still worse integrated graphics than llano?
 
JackSpadesSI said:
Are you aware that the i3-2105 has the Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics (not the HD 2000 graphics)? Is that still worse integrated graphics than llano?
Click to expand...

Yes, HD 3000 is still substantially inferior to the AMD Radeon HD 6530D, which is the iGPU of the cheaper of the two available desktop Llano APUs.

However, I'm not sure if your sister in law doing Office tasks and browsing the web needs more than HD 2000-level graphics...

FWIW if I'm using Office and browsing the web, and that's it, I want a $60 AMD Athlon II dual core, integrated HD 4250 graphics, and an SSD. Not an i3-2100 and a mechanical hard drive.
 
Tell the father in law to pound sand, I don't get why he would be AGAINST a notebook. Brought it to friends' houses for group projects, and some people bring it to class for notes. Hard to take engineering notes on a keyboard so I didn't use it for that but it was still very useful.

She can get a separate keyboard, mouse, speakers, and even monitor if she wants down the road and it'll act exactly like a desktop... only one she can take around.
 
JackSpadesSI said:
Current build:

CPU = Intel i3-2105 -$139.99
Motherboard = GIGABYTE GA-H61M-USB3-B3 - $79.99 after MIR
RAM = Mushkin 4GB DDR3-1333 - $24.99 after MIR
HDD = Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black - $84.79
Optical = 2x Sony DVDRW - $37.98
Case & PSU = Cooler Master combo (500W) - $49.98 after MIR
Card reader = Xigmatek 75-in-1 - $13.99
Display = HANNspree 1080p 21.5" - $119.99
Speakers = built into display - $0
Keyboard & mouse = $22.40 (is this seriously the cheapest around???)

Any critiques? Any suggestions of a part that is excessively above "cheap-o" level?
Click to expand...

HANNSpree monitors are generally pretty trashy. They display a picture, but that's about it. 😀

Two easy places to save money are:
- HDD : Swap to Samsung F3 1TB $65
- ODD : Only get one. How many times do you really need to do a direct disc-to-disc copy?
 
How about?
Dell Vostro 460 i7-2600 desktop w/ 20" E2011H LCD $575 or i5-2500 w/ 22" IPS $499
Vostro 460
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Intel® Core™ i7-2600 w/VT (3.4GHz, 8MB cache)
2GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz - 2DIMMs
Dell USB Entry Keyboard and USB Optical Mouse
Dell E Series E2011H 20"W Monitor, 20.0 Inch VIS, Widescreen, VGA/DVI
Intel HD Graphics 2000 (VGA, HDMI)
320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Integrated PCIE 10/100/1000
No Wireless
No Adobe Acrobat Reader
Single Drive: 16X DVD-ROM Drive
Integrated 7.1 Channel HD Audio
No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Vostro 460 Documents and 110 Volt Power setting
Microsoft® Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services, 15 months
Resource DVD contains Diagnostics and Driver for Dell Vostro Systems
1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service

From SD
 
I would like to inform you that your dad is a total retard, jsut saying, because it wont be portable.

Lulu, your build has an i7 and 2gb ram, both bad

go with this:
i5-2500+U2211H+4GB
 
If the father is footing the bill, he no doubt wants a desktop because they're far less likely to get broken from being dropped or to be stolen.

If it were me, I'd just snag a cheap-o from Dell that's on sale.
 
Well, yeah i can seet hat, but she could knock over the desktop and something might break. u never know 🙂
 
Last edited:
LuluTheMonk said:
How about?
Dell Vostro 460 i7-2600 desktop w/ 20" E2011H LCD $575 or i5-2500 w/ 22" IPS $499
Vostro 460
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
Intel® Core™ i7-2600 w/VT (3.4GHz, 8MB cache)
2GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz - 2DIMMs
Dell USB Entry Keyboard and USB Optical Mouse
Dell E Series E2011H 20"W Monitor, 20.0 Inch VIS, Widescreen, VGA/DVI
Intel HD Graphics 2000 (VGA, HDMI)
320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Integrated PCIE 10/100/1000
No Wireless
No Adobe Acrobat Reader
Single Drive: 16X DVD-ROM Drive
Integrated 7.1 Channel HD Audio
No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Vostro 460 Documents and 110 Volt Power setting
Microsoft® Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services, 15 months
Resource DVD contains Diagnostics and Driver for Dell Vostro Systems
1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service

From SD
Click to expand...

Damn.

JackSpadesSI said:
Current build:

CPU = Intel i3-2105 -$139.99
Motherboard = GIGABYTE GA-H61M-USB3-B3 - $79.99 after MIR
RAM = Mushkin 4GB DDR3-1333 - $24.99 after MIR
HDD = Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black - $84.79
Optical = 2x Sony DVDRW - $37.98
Case & PSU = Cooler Master combo (500W) - $49.98 after MIR
Card reader = Xigmatek 75-in-1 - $13.99
Display = HANNspree 1080p 21.5" - $119.99
Speakers = built into display - $0
Keyboard & mouse = $22.40 (is this seriously the cheapest around???)
Click to expand...

Going this route, I'd swap out a Spinpoint F3 for the Caviar Black.
Also, get real speakers.
And why on Earth would anyone need two optical drives?
 
Last edited:
Gigantopithecus said:
FWIW if I'm using Office and browsing the web, and that's it, I want a $60 AMD Athlon II dual core, integrated HD 4250 graphics, and an SSD. Not an i3-2100 and a mechanical hard drive.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea, but I already bought the HDD last night (before reading your post). No big deal, though, as she’ll need more storage than the budget would allow for an SSD. Not that she needs a whole TB, or anything, but she’ll probably keep her photos and music on the computer so that would rule out an SSD.

gorcorps said:
Tell the father in law to pound sand, I don't get why he would be AGAINST a notebook. Brought it to friends' houses for group projects, and some people bring it to class for notes. Hard to take engineering notes on a keyboard so I didn't use it for that but it was still very useful.

She can get a separate keyboard, mouse, speakers, and even monitor if she wants down the road and it'll act exactly like a desktop... only one she can take around.
Click to expand...

I KNOW! My father-in-law is as dumb as a rock. In fact, over the phone last night I had to talk him through how to save a file to a specific location on his own computer.

mfenn said:
HANNSpree monitors are generally pretty trashy. They display a picture, but that's about it. 😀

Two easy places to save money are:
- HDD : Swap to Samsung F3 1TB $65
- ODD : Only get one. How many times do you really need to do a direct disc-to-disc copy?
Click to expand...

Thanks on the HANNSpree heads-up. I’ll go with the well-reviewed 20” Acer, instead. It’s only 1600x900, but I doubt she’d ever notice. It’s cheaper, anyway. I already got the HDD (see above), but I also came to the same conclusion about the one ODD.

T_Yamamoto said:
I would like to inform you that your dad is a total retard, jsut saying, because it wont be portable.
Click to expand...

FATHER-IN-LAW! My dad was a genius, and should never be compared with my idiot FIL. As for my FIL, insult away.

DougK62 said:
If the father is footing the bill, he no doubt wants a desktop because they're far less likely to get broken from being dropped or to be stolen.
Click to expand...

That’s exactly it. He’s afraid of it being stolen. I told him you can lock it to the desk, but he didn’t care. It’s his money, anyway.
 
DominionSeraph said:
And why on Earth would anyone need two optical drives?
Click to expand...

Eh, I always put two in my own builds. I like it for the random occasion when it is helpful to have two of them. That may only come up ~10 times over the computer's life, but for merely another $20 I've found it worthwhile.

I put two in this build out of force of habit, but I decided to save money and only get one (see above).
 
T_Yamamoto said:
I would like to inform you that your dad is a total retard, jsut saying, because it wont be portable.

Lulu, your build has an i7 and 2gb ram, both bad

go with this:
i5-2500+U2211H+4GB
Click to expand...

Whoops, bad copy paste

It's too late now, but what I meant was:
i5-2500+U2211H+4GB for only $499 ($909.00-$350-$60=$499)
 
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