So I'm looking for a computer - Granny Build!

[AtlantaBob]

I admit it, I've been out of the loop.... I was hoping someone with some more recent expertise could suggest a few components for a system. This is going to be a second PC for me -- a Linux (Ubuntu or Red Hat Enterprise) kind of Grandmother-machine. I'm using it for word processing with LaTeX. If I get excited, I might listen to an MP3 (Ok, OGGs) on it too.

I've got spare memory, HDD, monitor and graphics card. I was just hoping someone could help me with a PSU/Case/MoBo/Processor recommendation. Cost it a fairly big factor. $200.00 is as much as I'd like to spend. Temperature and power consumption are also key. I'm going to guess that I'm screwed at this price point and wanting to keep things cool and quiet, huh?

Thanks.

FYI, the other specs'll be 512 MB of ram (yes, later upgrade to 1 GB), a 300 GB Seagate HDD, Radeon 9200 SE (crap card I know) and a 15" Viewsonic LCD. Not really planning on keeping a DVD drive in it, although I might spring for an extra if the price is low enough.

 

[Captante]

What type of processer & what motherboard are you using?

 

[crimson117]

512 MB of ram - free
300 GB Seagate HDD - free
Radeon 9200 SE - free
15" Viewsonic LCD - free
Athlon 64 3200+ AM2 (Orleans) - $75 shipped
GIGABYTE GA-M61VME-S2 Socket AM2 - $64 shipped
Rosewill R804BK Mid-Tower Case w/300W - $39 shipped - Review: "Made of cheap material, flimsy.. but for 31 dollars it worked just fine, what more do you want?"

Total: $178.

That leaves $22 for upgrades - maybe a DVD drive for $30, or a 3500+/3800+ for $10/$15 more, or find a case you like better than the Rosewill.

 

[crimson117]

Oops, your 9200SE is AGP, I assume... that complicates things a bit. Try looking for used stuff. You could stick with my build, though, and just use the integrated graphics from the mobo.

 

[humanure]

mobo and cpu $80

case $50

PSU $58

total should be a little over $200 shipped. case and psu use 120mm fans to keep the noise down.

 

[AtlantaBob]

Thanks guys!

crimson: You're right about the AGP graphics card, but, yeah, for that machine, onboard graphics won't really matter.

As far as the replies go, everyone's suggesting an AMD 64 it sounds like. I'm guessing that will run hotter than something like a Pentium M (which is well out of my price range, correct?) Also, are there any significant revisions to the 64 architecture that I should know of? (I recall that with the Athlon lines, some processors ran significantly hotter than others, even though the diff. was only 100 MHz or so.)

Also, socket 939 is newer than 754, but for this type of machine it really shouldn't be a problem right?

Finally, I guess I can always underclock these? Would either work better than the other underclocked?

Thanks again!

 

[crimson117]

If you go with a 754 deal, the 3000+ retail combo on that page would be the best choice since it already includes a heatsink/fan. The OEM ones do not.

As for $136 (108+16+12) on the case+psu+shipping, if you're gonna spend that much just go for a Sonata II (imho). It's engineered to be very quiet including the PSU, and you can get it for about today $116 shipped or maybe less elsewhere. But it sucks since there were deals a week or so ago to get it for $50

 

[crimson117]

heh... another oops. What kind of DDR ram do you have? AM2 motherboards require DDR2. The socket 754 mobos will use regular DDR.

 

[engiNURD]

Theres a FAR case at frys.com with free shipping. Search for "Ultra case." If you want a better case, svc.com has the CM Centurion 534 for $30... a much better case than the rosewill $31 case, for about the same cost (just without the crappy psu, hehe).

You could also wait around for the Ultra V Series 500W PSU to become FAR again, also from frys.com. The deal comes around every couple of months. Its a decent PSU for a low/midrange system. If you don't want to wait, the XClio 450W is only $38 at the egg.

So, I'd go with something like this:

$90 - COMBO: Asus A8V-VM SE + AMD Athlon 64 3400+ Venice ($10 Combo Discount)
$20 - Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
$40 - Ultra Wizard Blue Mid ATX Tower Case ($40MIR)
$38 - XClio 450BL ATX 450W
========
$188 + tax and shipping - $40MIR

Here's the better case, if you want it:
$30 - Cooler Master Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN1 Black ATX Case w/ Window

Though, with the money from the $40MIR, you could get another 512MB of ram instead. You'll need a couple fans for the Ultra case, as it doesn't come with any (120mm exhaust, 80mm intake). BTW, that mobo has onboard video. Here are other combos with that board.

 

[piasabird]

Intel 865 Chipset with integrated video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131029
$53.00

Intel Celeron D 347 Cedar Hill Core 512k L2 Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819112234
64 bit support
$53.99

Use older DDR 400 and integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 or AGP Video Card.

Some people are claiming these Celeron D's with 512k L2 Cache are pretty good processors. The advantage is using the old DDR400 and and AGP Video Card you may have on hand from a previous build or on sale.

 

[pkrush]

Just remember that ATI cards are not really well-supported in Linux. My backup machine (which I'm running Ubuntu on) has a Radeon 9550 and I still haven't gotten it to work properly in 3D.

Also, my system's probably pretty similar to what you'll be building. AMD Sempron 2600+, 512 megs of DDR266, 160 gigabyte hard drive, old 300 watt power supply, salvaged Gateway case. It works well for browsing and word processing, and I'm going to use it for a server once I find a power supply with a less annoying fan.