Is it realistic to build a cheap Shuttle Mini PC system?

[spartacuskzm]

So I was pretty sure I was going to buy my mom the $399 Gateway PC for x-max (after rebate). It's a no frills system, but she really doesn't need need anything major. Basically the internet and some light wordprocessing will suffice for her. However, after seeing all of these cool mini-shuttle systems (or others that look similar) I'm tempted to try to build her one. The question is how much $$ must one spend to build a decent system that will compare to:

Intel Celeron Processor 2.0GHz
128MB DDR SDRAM
40GB Ultra ATA 100 Hard Drive
Free 48x/24x/48x CDRW Upgrade
56K Modem¹
Micro-Tower Case

I know the above system is probably crap, but again, for her it's fine. I like the fact it has tech-support (the main reason I wanted to buy instead of build), however if I can get away with spending a few more bucks and building her a cool Shuttle mini system I think I'd do it.

Has anybody made any budget mini systems or could anybody suggest a setup.

Thanks!

 

[Adul]

128 mb of ddr on XP sucks you want 256 at least even for normal usage.



Xpc is a worthwhile investment.

i built an nforce based system


asus nforce 220 mb 72 bucks
256 Crcial pc2100 ddr $80.99
case $50
WD WESTERN DIGITAL EIDE HARD DRIVE 20GB 7200RPM MODEL # WD200BB 63 bucks
AMD Athlon XP 1800+ Thoroughbred 69 bucks (1.5 volts)
taisol copper heatsink fan 20
XP home 89

just over 400 bucks.

but it would be a faster system

 

[Yomicron]

Its very hard to compete with big manufactures on the low end.

the Shuttle case/motherboard would be $250-$300
the CPU will be about $100
HD is ~$50 (assuming you can find a decent deal
Burner is ~$50
generic modem is $20
OS is $90

which brings you to $610


You could save a lot if you don't get the Shuttle case, and make it an AMD system as Adul

 

[spartacuskzm]

Originally posted by: Adul
128 mb of ddr on XP sucks you want 256 at least even for normal usage. Xpc is a worthwhile investment. i built an nforce based system asus nforce 220 mb 72 bucks 256 Crcial pc2100 ddr $80.99 case $50 WD WESTERN DIGITAL EIDE HARD DRIVE 20GB 7200RPM MODEL # WD200BB 63 bucks AMD Athlon XP 1800+ Thoroughbred 69 bucks (1.5 volts) taisol copper heatsink fan 20 XP home 89 just over 400 bucks. but it would be a faster system

Darn that's tempting....maybe she doesn't need tech support afterall...even w/ a full-size PC.

I didn't realize I could get by building one so cheap...I guess it's been so long since I built mine (a whole year) and back when I did build mine it was a bit more expensive.

Thanks.

 

[spartacuskzm]

Originally posted by: Yomicron
Its very hard to compete with big manufactures on the low end. the Shuttle case/motherboard would be $250-$300 the CPU will be about $100 HD is ~$50 (assuming you can find a decent deal Burner is ~$50 generic modem is $20 OS is $90 which brings you to $610 You could save a lot if you don't get the Shuttle case, and make it an AMD system as Adul

For the $200+ premium it's probably not worth it...considering my mom won't appreciate the tiny form-factor nearly as much as me.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Yomicron]

Originally posted by: spartacuskzm

Originally posted by: Adul
128 mb of ddr on XP sucks you want 256 at least even for normal usage. Xpc is a worthwhile investment. i built an nforce based system asus nforce 220 mb 72 bucks 256 Crcial pc2100 ddr $80.99 case $50 WD WESTERN DIGITAL EIDE HARD DRIVE 20GB 7200RPM MODEL # WD200BB 63 bucks AMD Athlon XP 1800+ Thoroughbred 69 bucks (1.5 volts) taisol copper heatsink fan 20 XP home 89 just over 400 bucks. but it would be a faster system

Darn that's tempting....maybe she doesn't need tech support afterall...even w/ a full-size PC.

I didn't realize I could get by building one so cheap...I guess it's been so long since I built mine (a whole year) and back when I did build mine it was a bit more expensive.

Thanks.

you should note that for that system for $444 doesn't have a CD-RW or Modem, but its nice none the less.

 

[clumsum]

spartacuskzm,

I recently built one of the the: Asus Terminators (a gift for a friend).
They are available in either Athlon or P4 cpu/mb versions.
I built the Athlon K7 Terminator - but if I had it to do over again, it would be the P4 533 version.
Better chipset/mb/on-board graphics.

I haven't really compared it to the Shuttle, but I think the Asus is a better deal, and you have two (external) drive bays.
It's a unique little system and the case unfolds to open up, takes a 90mm rear fan.
I used round eide cables and a Thermoengine hsf, works great with an XP1800 and WD 20G. 7200 hdd.

 

[AMDBOY]

spartacuskzm, since your close to the Fry's there in Fountain Valley, you probably already know about a mobo/CPU combo Fry's has through Tues. night. Fry's 2Ghz Celeron processor with Shuttle motherboard, $99 limit 1 per customer. (#3455413) I don't know jack about this mobo, but I do know it's cheap. If it works for your mom's needs, stably, it's a friggin steal. Heck, 2Ghz< she may even end up playin' some Unreal Tournament or Counterstrike, hey, hey. Also, Shuttle MV42N mobo has onboard video, onboard audio, and onboard ethernet 10/100( if you want to use those). Sounds like an internet/ word processing set up to me; for CHEAP!! Or you can check this out: Kickass cheap system with tons of tech support.... Can you find another 1400Mhz CPU that will EASILY overclock to 1750Mhz like this one, Athlon XP 1600+/ 1.40GHz?? (See Newegg below) For that kind of performance at $52.99, I think that's a steal. Epox 8K5A2+ $96.PC2700 Corsair CAS2 512MB $183.Cases:here. Just a thought. Oh ya, you might want to wait for Black Friday( after Thanksgiving). May be some pretty "HOT DEALS"around.Good luck.newegg[/L] EDIT: Fry's Athlon XP 2000+ & ECS K7S5A COMBO $119.99 ( includes 2 PC2100 slots & 2 PC133 slots,& onboard NIC) Fry's

 

[spartacuskzm]

Originally posted by: AMDBOY
spartacuskzm, since your close to the Fry's there in Fountain Valley, you probably already know about a mobo/CPU combo Fry's has through Tues. night. Fry's 2Ghz Celeron processor with Shuttle motherboard, $99 limit 1 per customer. (#3455413) I don't know jack about this mobo, but I do know it's cheap. If it works for your mom's needs, stably, it's a friggin steal. Heck, 2Ghz< she may even end up playin' some Unreal Tournament or Counterstrike, hey, hey. Also, Shuttle MV42N mobo has onboard video, onboard audio, and onboard ethernet 10/100( if you want to use those). Sounds like an internet/ word processing set up to me; for CHEAP!! Or you can check this out: Kickass cheap system with tons of tech support.... Can you find another 1400Mhz CPU that will EASILY overclock to 1750Mhz like this one, Athlon XP 1600+/ 1.40GHz?? (See Newegg below) For that kind of performance at $52.99, I think that's a steal. Epox 8K5A2+ $96.PC2700 Corsair CAS2 512MB $183.Cases:here. Just a thought. Oh ya, you might want to wait for Black Friday( after Thanksgiving). May be some pretty "HOT DEALS"around.Good luck.newegg[/L]

Thanks all. Actually that budge system @ buyxtremegear.com looks pretty good. I can get out the door for under $400, and I'd prefer it to Gateway...whatcha think?

El Cheapo

 

[AMDBOY]

Yes, EL Cheapo system looks pretty damn good for the $$. 1)Case w/ bells & whistles (for mom) 2)350 wtt PS 3) Athlon XP2100+ 4)MSI brand mobo (I have 2 Epox & 2 MSI) 5) 512MB RAM (pc133) 6) 40GB HD (5400) 7) Burner , onboard sound & NIC 8) WIN XP 9) 3 year parts & labor. For the price including Win XP, pretty DECENT VALUE!! However, you may want to check the Resellerratings check here. I know a lot of people were pissed off a few weeks back, cause there was a delay getting their cases. Maybe the shipyard lockout or something. I have delivered cases to people that have ordered from these guys, and they seemed very happy with their orders. I don't know if they are reputable at this time. I ended up ordering from newegg as usual. But, it looks ok price wise.

 

[Viper96720]

If your building one for your mom you'll also need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and os. Unless you got extras laying around. An athlon xp with nforce would be good get the 220-D version. I doubt she needs dual ddr availability. Plus you get onboard video, sound and ethernet good if you have cable.

 

[AMDBOY]

check this for an el cheapo system: ripped from a thick wallet, "FLAMING HOT! 3-Days LEFT, CHEAP Emachine 1.7Ghz, 40GB ect w/ 17" Proview Monitor, AND Canon Printer $239.98 / after the "works" @ CC" link. Hmmmmmm......does it ever end??

 

[HokieESM]

Cheap Shuttle SFF? In a word: no. <grin> Seriously, I tried to figure out a way to do this as well... I need a second computer for my bedroom (I'm moving into a lofted apartment--running downstairs to browse/use IM is really a PITA.

I do have one suggestion, though--only if you want to build. If she really doesn't need much power (and it doesn't sound like it), you might want to think Socket 370 Celeron (especially a Tualatin). I recently built a system for my parents with a MicroATX motherboard (Intel with integrated LAN) in a Inwin IW-V523 case, with a Celeron 1.3A, 256MB of PC133, a Seagate Barracuda IV 40GB, a Toshiba DVD-ROM drive, and a ATI 8500LE for around $375. Note that the motherboard/CPU is essentially a "dead-end" (no upgrades), but there is a HUGE advantage to go Tualatin--silence. Its really quite easy to build a really quiet Tualatin-based system because of the low heat output.

But as someone already pointed out--on the low end, Dell or Gateway are going to beat you every time because of their volume pricing. On the high end, you can actually build cheaper than you can buy, but its difficult when you're looking at low-end parts (that in all realism, they're getting for 20% cheaper than you). Plus, two words: Technical Support (meaning: not you). I built a computer for my grandparents one time--I wholeheartedly regretted it (I was getting calls on a daily basis for simple software advice--not PROBLEMS). I would personally watch for a cheap computer at Gateway or Dell.

 

[tart666]

the Shuttle case/motherboard would be $250-$300 the CPU will be about $100 HD is ~$50 (assuming you can find a decent deal Burner is ~$50 generic modem is $20 OS is $90 which brings you to $610 You could save a lot if you don't get the Shuttle case, and make it an AMD system as Adul

Forgot the ram. WIth it, the shuttle is closer to $700

Just like Adul above, I recommend Anand's value system: (all incl shipping)

Asus A7N266-VM (nforce: GF2MX, 5.1 sound, eth, 4 USB) $69
XP1600+ $52
HSF $10
u-ATX Case + 300W PSU $60
256MB DDR266 $80
HD 40GB $50
CDRW 48x $50
Modem, floppy, kbd, mouse $50
XP home license $49

Total $470 shipped, no rebates. A much more solid system than a celery 2.0.

 

[cutty]

Why buy Gateway, I'll buy from DELL.

 

[spartacuskzm]

Just when I think I'm re-sold on buying a Gateway system for the tech-support (thanks to HokieESM) tart666 goes and proposes yet another system that seems to make a ton of sense. My biggest concern is the tech support...but I don't think that much can go wrong since she'll have so few programs installed.

Oh the pain, the agony...ouch!

What oh what should I do :-( .

P.S. Is there a link to the Anandtech Value System you speak of?

Thanks

 

[tart666]

It's under "guides" from the front page. here

Edit: As far as tech support, I should hope you would be able to field that. With minimum hold time.
Btw, if you are still thinking about gateway, don't forget to include the extra RAM / shipping in consideration.

You have to get more RAM. Otherwise your mom may complain that she wants a Mac 'cause they "just work". Extra 128 is $40, shipping is $54.

On the other hand USB 2.0 and 1yr of free AOL is nice. Decisions, decisions

 

[spartacuskzm]

Well based on the buyers guide (and minor tweakage) I've come up with the following system from Newegg:

Newegg System

+ the following Case (had problems w/ wish list)

Maxtop Case ($45)

The best thing is most of the items have free shipping (makes up for me being in CA and paying tax).

Thoughts?

 

[optimistic]

$42 Inwin L545 w/ Powerman 180w PSU
$99 Fry's Celeron 2.0GHz / Shuttle Combo
- Shuttle MV42N w/ Built-in Video, Sound, & LAN
- Intel Celeron 2GHz Bare CPU
$10 Heatsink
$50 256MB PC2100 @ pricewatch
$58 60GB Maxtor @ Fry's
$49 Sony 40x12x48 CDRW
$8 Floppy
$20 Mouse / Keyboard Combo
$140 Monitor @ mwave

Total: $$476 w/o Tax of course.


Printer?
$29 Canon i320

There you go! Here's another pic of the case.

 

[spartacuskzm]

Originally posted by: optimistic
$42 Inwin L545 w/ Powerman 180w PSU $99 Fry's Celeron 2.0GHz / Shuttle Combo - Shuttle MV42N w/ Built-in Video, Sound, & LAN - Intel Celeron 2GHz Bare CPU $10 Heatsink $50 256MB PC2100 @ pricewatch $58 60GB Maxtor @ Fry's $49 Sony 40x12x48 CDRW $8 Floppy $20 Mouse / Keyboard Combo $140 Monitor @ mwave Total: $$476 w/o Tax of course. Printer? $29 Canon i320 There you go! Here's another pic of the case.

Is that system as "upgradeable" (if need be a few years down the line) as the one I'm proposing.

She already has monitor, mouse & keyboard so your system really is quite a bit cheaper!

 

[tart666]

You are paying too much for the hard drive. THere's lots of deals this week, like 120GB for $99 at bestbuy, no rebates. But then again, it's unlikely even the 40GB will ever get used up, eh?

Also, if you already have an XP home CD, you can just get a COA/key for $49.

 

[optimistic]

Originally posted by: spartacuskzm
Is that system as "upgradeable" (if need be a few years down the line) as the one I'm proposing.

She already has monitor, mouse & keyboard so your system really is quite a bit cheaper!

Yes. [ramble]The case takes your standard micro ATX motherboard design. And the ATX & mATX standard shows no sign of changing for many years to come. 180w PSU will power any system fine down the line. With the ever shrinking die sizes and lower power consumptions. I don't see how we'll require bigger PSUs in the future. But if you need to change it, it takes the standard SFX size.[/ramble]

Down the line, you can add an AGP card or P4 3.0GHz CPU if need be.

Perfectly upgradable. Quiet system too.

 

[spartacuskzm]

Originally posted by: tart666
You are paying too much for the hard drive. THere's lots of deals this week, like 120GB for $99 at bestbuy, no rebates. But then again, it's unlikely even the 40GB will ever get used up, eh? Also, if you already have an XP home CD, you can just get a COA/key for $49.

Tart,
Thanks for the tip. I do have XP Home, so how/where do I get the COA (what's that stand for) key?

 

[tart666]

COA = certificate of ownership, it's that little fruity sticker . You need that for proof of ownership, it's like a title to a car.

Get it here: eastoutlet I have ordered soft from them before, they are legit. Just make sure you use a single-time credit card number, as with any small shops

 

[spartacuskzm]

Originally posted by: tart666
COA = certificate of ownership, it's that little fruity sticker . You need that for proof of ownership, it's like a title to a car. Get it here: eastoutlet I have ordered soft from them before, they are legit. Just make sure you use a single-time credit card number, as with any small shops

Thanks. How does the COA address the fact that after reinstalling XP I need to register the new computer. Does the COA have a special number I give to MSFT over the internet or over the phone? I'm assuming there needs to be something like that, or else they'll think I'm trying to install one license on two systems.

You help for this Nooob is appreciated.