System Check - How's this look?

[laurenlex]

Hello all. With your excellent help, I built my first computer a few months ago. Thanks for the help.

I am pretty knowledgable about A64 now, but I am clueless on socket A. I am building a new rig for father-in-law, and it is replacing web tv. Internet, email, maybe word and stuff. It will never play Far Cry. It needs to be small form factor, as it's new home will be small. It also needs to be cheap, which this is. Grandpa will be surfing on the couch, with the computer / monitor on a rolling stand. We will head to a store and have him pick a monitor.

Here's what I came up with:
Shuttle XPC Barebone System for Socket A at 266/333MHz FSB AMD CPU, Model SK43G
CPU Support: AMD Athlon XP/Duron (Socket A, Max.FSB 333)
Chipsets: VIA KM400 + VT8237
Memory: 2x 184pin (DDR400 up to 2GB)
IDE: 2x ATA133, 2x SATA
Graphics: Integrate Unichrome 128bit
Expansion Slot: 1x PCI, 1x AGP 8X
Audio: Realtek ALC 650
LAN: Realtek 8100B
Extension Bay: 2x 3.5", 1x 5.25"
Front Panel Ports: 2x USB, 1x mini 1394, Audio ports
Back Panel Ports: 2x COM, 2x PS/2, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video, 1x SPDIF_In, 1x SPDIF_Out, 1x RJ45, 2x 1394, 2x USB, Audio ports
Power Supply: 200W(PFC)
Dimensions: 11.8" x 7.9" x 7.3"

Samsung Beige 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive, Model SW-252SRNS, Retail
I might just give him an old drive, though. No big deal here.

Logitech Cordless MX Duo USB/ PS/2 104keys -RETAIL

Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only

Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail
I think this will work, but not sure.

AMD Sempron 2400+ 1.667GHz, Socket A Processor - Retail
Seems in the cheap but functinal sweetspot.

Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 -OEM
Rats, it went up in price since October.

How does this look?
Do I want or need 2 sticks of 256, or will one stick of 512 work? The pc3200 seems just as cheap as pc2700.

Will the onboard graphics be enough? No gaming. Or very, very old school games?

Any special tips or tricks on building a shuttle?

 

[Googer]

Its, Great for Word Processing and Internet.

and dont give him an old Hard Drive since no matter how new one is it is always the weakest link to a fast system.
I recomend this drive Its the Fastest 7200rpm IDE drive avalable. Almost as fast as a 10k Raptor.
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=22-145-060&depa=1

For memory Go to Crucial and save some headaches. 512 mb is plenty for a web box and buy only a single stick of ram for it. two of them will slow things down with a via chipset.
http://www.crucial.com/store/P...CT6464Z40B&cat=RAM
It is cas3 but setting ddr400 to run at ddr333 you can lower it to CAS2 and get better performance.

 

[Googer]

It's very nice of you to be doing this for your grandpa, I am glad to see that he is taking an interest in computers. I wish i could get mine to do the same.

 

[laurenlex]

Thanks, it's actually my daughters grandfather, my father in law. He's about 60, interested in all the internet forums and such, but a little scared of a computer.

 

[Googer]

If he is going to use this on his TV make sure it is a Hi-Definition set otherwise you will have serious trouble trying to read any TEXT.
While i am at it you may want to add a Hauppauge Hardware TV Tuner to his machine so he or his wife can watch some thing while the other one surfs. It will also alow them to TiVo stuff.
Also For them get Windows Media Center instead of Home.
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=15-116-610&depa=0

 

[laurenlex]

Googer, thanks for the tip, but they have a nice big screen TV in the same room as this computer will go. So they will just be buying a computer monitor. It's great watching a big TV and surfing at the same time! I hear you on TV's and computer text. They have web tv now, and you can't read any text under 14 point. I will let my F-I-L pick out a monitor. Who knows, he might go nuts and get a 20 inch LCD or a 22 inch CRT.

They are scared of the computer, let alone a TIVO! Oh well, I have 4 days there at christmas to teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[Googer]

They are scared of the computer, let alone a TIVO!

TiVO is oh sooo easy when it you use windows media center to record your shows. If they can turn on the tv with a remote they can use their pc as a PVR (TiVO) with Windows Media Center. But you will need the windows brand remote for best compatabilty. At this moment I dont know where to find one, but I will look.

Text can be displayed perfectly on an HDTV (my parents have one), but not on analogue sets. But by the way things sound, your grandparents have an old fashioned analogue set.

 

[Googer]

I dont think they will have too much trouble with this, since i set my 78 year old neighbor up with a TiVO he has had no trouble what so ever.
I would at least get the media center OS over home since it will provide you with a future upgrade path should you deced to add PVR funtion to their pc. You will need both of these products for its' full functionalty.

Windows Media Cernter remote
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=80-100-202&depa=0

Windows Media Center 2005 Operating System
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=32-102-311&depa=0