Making a new comp under 400 bucks...

[50]

Hello, my dad needs a new rig. It will be used for simple tasks like word processing and web surfing and perhaps occasional gaming. He wants to use his new DLP TV with it, so I don't know if he should buy a specific video card. The only requests he wants is a wireless keyboard/mouse (I'm thinking the wireless desktop elite from microsoft) and a dvd recorder. I also need a windows license. Thanks

 

[DaveSimmons]

Dell. Check Hot Deals for coupons & deals, and/or wait for a special of the week that is not a free LCD upgrade.

If not Dell, a refurb from eCost, used from FS/T, or the Sempron in the system thread

 

[ts3433]

For only $400, it's going to be a bit hard to build something with Windows (maybe even if you use the free 64-bit beta with an A64). You can try getting tons of cheap parts from FS/FT, but it's probably easier at this price point just to get a Dell unless he wants some possibility for expansion in the future without building anew.

 

[Farmer]

Barebone!

Get Logitech MX Duo instead for wireless kbd mouse, $50 and the mouse is terrific.

What connector does the DLP TV use?

 

[Baked]

Ain't gonna happen. The WinXP OEM alone will take a huge chunk off that $400 budget. How do you put together a system with $300? The DVD burner and HD will take another chunk. And you haven't even gotten into the mobo, RAM, CPU, video card, wireless KB/Mouse...

Get a Dell.

 

[Farmer]

WinXP Pro OEM - $100
DVD Burner - $70
Wireless Input - $50
Kingston CAS3 Valueram 2x256MB - $75
WD 80GB 7.2K SATA - $65
Total - $360

And you're still short...
AMD64 S754 3000+ - $149.00
Shuttle S754 VIA K8M800 -$200.00
Refurb 9800PRO - $150.00
Total - $499

$860 around, more than 2x your budget.

You could use the integrated graphics, but...

I guess Dell is good.

 

[arcas]

As much as I hate to admit it, Dell or eMachines are probably your best bets but even then, you're going to exceed your $400 budget. Dell frequently runs a special on their 2.8ghz Dimension 3000 system for $350. You'll still need to come up with the DVD-burner and the wireless keyboard. $450 is probably closer to target. There's no way you'll be able to assemble a windows box from scratch for $400. It'll cost you at least $100 more even if you cut corners.

Since your dad doesn't need top-of-the-line performance, you might consider a secondhand machine. $150-$200 should be able to net you a 1.4ghz Athlon class machine. Add a DVD burner and your keyboard for another $100 or so.

 

[wisdomtooth]

to the OP:

If your dad is going to use his big-screen TV with a computer, you might want to up the budget and build yourself an HTPC, complete with remote control.

 

[jterrell]

Try this:
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4199463

Add a 100 dollar vid card and there you go.

Its cheese but for 400 you cant do much.

 

[jterrell]

BTW, use linux and forget the 100 dollar copy of windows.

 

[coejus]

Dell++;

I doubt his dad is going to want to use Linux for web browsing and occasional word processing. He's going to be gaming occasionally, anyways, and Linux is not a gaming OS.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: Baked
Ain't gonna happen. The WinXP OEM alone will take a huge chunk off that $400 budget. How do you put together a system with $300? The DVD burner and HD will take another chunk. And you haven't even gotten into the mobo, RAM, CPU, video card, wireless KB/Mouse...

Get a Dell.

Originally posted by: Farmer
WinXP Pro OEM - $100
DVD Burner - $70
Wireless Input - $50
Kingston CAS3 Valueram 2x256MB - $75
WD 80GB 7.2K SATA - $65
Total - $360

And you're still short...
AMD64 S754 3000+ - $149.00
Shuttle S754 VIA K8M800 -$200.00
Refurb 9800PRO - $150.00
Total - $499

$860 around, more than 2x your budget.

You could use the integrated graphics, but...

I guess Dell is good.

what the hell, he just wants to do office and web, who wants it on the cheap. you dont give someone that wants to do that that kind of rig, its just overkill.

and yes you can build one for under $400, with a winxp licenese, fulfilling all of the requirements, and will be just enough to suit his needs.

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)

1. NU Technology 8X DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model DDW-082, Retail $49 - i have this burner myself and its a good burner. 8x, so what - do really see any mainstream media at over 8x?

2. Logitech Cordless Internet Pro Desktop -OEM $24.95

3. ECS "K7VTA3 V6.0" VIA KT333 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL $33.00 - so what, its a motherboard - integrated sound and lan

4. AMD Duron 1.8GHz Socket A Processor - OEM - $51.00

5. Masscool 80mm LED CPU Cooler for Socket A, Model "5F353B1L3GL" -OEM - $10.49

6.SAMSUNG 40GB 7200RPM Light and Slim IDE Hard Drive, Model SP0411N, OEM Drive only $45.79

7.BUFFALO B-Line 184-Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200, Model MS4002-512MB - OEM $61.50

8. ASUS nVIDIA GeForce MX4000 Video Card, 64MB DDR, 32-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "V9400-X/TD/64" $33.00 - good enough for the occasional game, it also has RCA video out, along with DVI if thats what the DLP tv uses.

9.Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 -OEM $89.00

grand total: OWNED








oops i meant $397.73 before tax and shipping.

all prices from the egg as of 1/4/2005.

so please dont tell this guy he cant get a computer for less than 400. this one includes unncessary hurdles to jump through, one can easily acheive good computing for less than $400, and unlike bottom of the barrel offerings from dell, this board can take a 333FSB cpu and has an AGP slot.

 

[coejus]

But then what happens when his dad needs support? How much time is his money worth?

He's going to have to take the time to spec out the computer, put the parts together, install Windows, set everything up to his dad's liking, and then, when his dad has problems with the computer, he's going to be the one to fix it. He can get a box perfectly capable of the same thing for the same price as a homebrew computer, and the manufactured one is going to arrive at his door already assembled, guaranteed to work, and quieter. If it breaks, people are paid to deal with it. That's a lot of comfort both to the people on the other end of the support line dealing with a non-tech family member and to you- think "I could be over at my dad's house fixing his computer for three hours today and not getting anything."

Yes, you can build your own, but it's just going to be used for pedestrian tasks. Performance and upgradability are not paramount. Price and convenience are.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: coejus
But then what happens when his dad needs support? How much time is his money worth?

He's going to have to take the time to spec out the computer, put the parts together, install Windows, set everything up to his dad's liking, and then, when his dad has problems with the computer, he's going to be the one to fix it. He can get a box perfectly capable of the same thing for the same price as a homebrew computer, and the manufactured one is going to arrive at his door already assembled, guaranteed to work, and quieter. If it breaks, people are paid to deal with it. That's a lot of comfort both to the people on the other end of the support line dealing with a non-tech family member and to you- think "I could be over at my dad's house fixing his computer for three hours today and not getting anything."

Yes, you can build your own, but it's just going to be used for pedestrian tasks. Performance and upgradability are not paramount. Price and convenience are.

im sure the OP can easily handle this the way he phrased his question, as well as his signature/rig points to.

 

[coejus]

Being able to deal with it isn't the problem with building your own. I'm sure the OP could easily take care of anything that might crop up with such a build, but the simple fact is he's still going to have to take the time to do it.

Let's say, for example, his dad has a catastrophic problem that would take, oh... five hours to fix. If your time is worth $10 an hour, that's $50 you're essentially tossing down the drain. If your time is worth more, you're throwing away more money. Dell, on the other hand, has people who are paid to deal with that. They're not losing anything because they get paid to spend their time doing this. You, on the other hand, are not.