Ultra-Budget Net Machine

[GZFant]

Hello All

I wanted to build an ultra budget machine that is only used for internet/email and maybe the lightest of games (internet games like armor games or the facebook games). I would also need a monitor, probably 15/17in. Trying to stay CHEAP as possible.

Also, was looking for it to be in a small case, something I could put next to the TV and browse there..

Would it be considered "Ultra Budget Net Machine" if I also wanted it to play Blue Ray or High Def?

Thanks for the help!

 

[ZipSpeed]

What's the dollar value for this "ultra-budget" build? Having a monetary amount will make choosing parts easier.

 

[GZFant]

Hey Zip,

Well that's the tough part. I don't know how low we can go here. Say, $150-$200 including monitor...?

Also reminder, wanted it to be in the smallest case possible..

Thanks

 

[Zap]

$150-$200 including monitor...?

Not going to happen. cheapest monitors go for around $100, with smoking hot deals for around $75. You can sometimes get a nettop for $200 (such as Acer Aspire Revo) but you aren't going to get a new computer anytime soon with LCD monitor for $150-200 regardless of physical size... unless you find some smoking hot Black Friday deal that you have to wait overnight in line for.

Perhaps you can look into refurbished, off-lease or otherwise used computers. Pair it with a CRT monitor - you can get those for free. Heck, if you lived near zip code 53144 I'll give you one for free. I'll even give you two for free! CRT monitors aren't as sexy as LCD monitors, but they display a picture just fine and can be had for free.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

you might be better off getting a used dell off craigs list and finding a free monitor. i just gave away 10 hp lcd's

for very little you can build a totally modern computer that will be able to do everything. you could get a 775 board for $25 and pop in a pentium 6800

 

[GZFant]

Thanks everyone.

Let me frame the question this way. You want to build the absolute cheapest and smallest computer you can using new parts only (sale/not on sale/oem/whatever). It has to be able to Internet/Email and a decently small HDD (+200GB). From there you could choose to upgrade aspects, say you want it to watch 1080P, so opting for better onboard or a discrete card all together. Maybe I decided I needed a DVD drive after all..who knows!

Basically bare minimum with monitor/mouse/keyboard..

Does this help?

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

The Lenovo net tops look good. They are super small, as in paperback book size, have dual core Atom processors with the Nvidia ION chipset, HDMI out and will do 1080p HD fine. They also come with a cool wireless keyboar/mouse combo. I saw one at Compusa for $350 Plug it into your TV and you don't need a monitor.
Ideacentre q150 4081 is what I would go with.

 

[frostedflakes]

AMD 785G or 880G motherboard + Athlon II X2 would be a good place to start IMO. Add a gig of two or RAM, small HDD, cheap mATX case/PSU combo (just look for something with decent reviews on NewEgg, there are some OK options out there for not a lot of money), LCD (think you can find 15/17" ones for <$100 these days). You'll probably end up spending closer to $300-400, but this setup will be so much more capable than anything you can get for $200 or less (net-top for example, I like my Atom-based netbook, but I would not want to use it as a daily use system, the Atom CPU is just too anemic).

Also remember to take advantage of NewEgg combo deals to save money.

 

[nyker96]

maybe just get a netbook in that case. my asus 901A can output to monitor as well. runs browsing software just fine. but cannot play HD though.

 

[Concillian]

Thanks everyone.

Let me frame the question this way. You want to build the absolute cheapest and smallest computer you can using new parts only (sale/not on sale/oem/whatever). It has to be able to Internet/Email and a decently small HDD (+200GB). From there you could choose to upgrade aspects, say you want it to watch 1080P, so opting for better onboard or a discrete card all together. Maybe I decided I needed a DVD drive after all..who knows!

Basically bare minimum with monitor/mouse/keyboard..

Does this help?

For this, go to Fry's or whatever and buy a complete machine. Building your own is good for getting solid performance for a midrange price or for customizing to your needs, but scraping the bottom of the barrel to squeeze every little bit of cost out of the machine as possible is something best done by the larger manufacturers.

Just price out an OS + small case + monitor+ kb + mouse, that alone is $200+ before getting to the guts.

 

[GZFant]

Thanks for the insight, I've used it to throw a machine together from Newegg.com

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811192089

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103908

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157202

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231170

HDD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136113

Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824254054

Keyboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823107128

Mouse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826129049
+
~$30 Shipping
+
~$29 Tax
____________________________________________________________________________
363.7

How does all of that look?

Anything I can improve?

Obviously a lot of these things can be had on sale at various eStores/Frys/garage sales etc. but, I think this looks ok..
I can always upgrade from here if I wanted to correct?

Thanks again!

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Thanks for the insight, I've used it to throw a machine together from Newegg.com

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811192089

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103908

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157202

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231170

HDD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136113

Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824254054

Keyboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823107128

Mouse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826129049
+
~$30 Shipping
+
~$29 Tax
____________________________________________________________________________
363.7

How does all of that look?

Anything I can improve?

Obviously a lot of these things can be had on sale at various eStores/Frys/garage sales etc. but, I think this looks ok..
I can always upgrade from here if I wanted to correct?

Thanks again!

Add another $100 for an OS or do you plan on using Windows 7 Juarez Edition?

 

[GZFant]

Add another $100 for an OS or do you plan on using Windows 7 Juarez Edition?

No thanks, I would like to stay legitimate. I understand Win7 might be the best option available however, I wanted to use Ubuntu or Linux as those options are free for download. Will either of those options work well enough?

 

[Terzo]

No thanks, I would like to stay legitimate. I understand Win7 might be the best option available however, I wanted to use Ubuntu or Linux as those options are free for download. Will either of those options work well enough?

Either would be fine. Your build looks okay, though I'm not sure how good the included power supply is, or whether the geforce graphics will be sufficient. Newegg has the 380 antec for $25 after code and rebate. I would feel more comfortable if you paired that with a cheap case. One of the most repeated bits of advice I see is don't skimp on the PSU, though at low watts the quality may not be that big a deal.

Overall, here's how I see your situation. You want small and cheap. Unfortunately, once you get to a point, smaller is more expensive. I'm guessing you've prioritized price, because you could easily cut down size by going to itx...but the motherboard and case alone would probably run you near $200.
The Lenovo nettop mentioned earlier seems like a good compromise, but it lacks a monitor. Not an issue if you listen to Zap and find a free CRT, though that probably goes against your small size requirement. On the flip side, you'll have a copy of Windows which is generally handy.
My other suggestion is to wait for black friday and find a good laptop deal. You should be able to find a basic laptop in the $300 range no issue. Not as upgradable as a desktop, but much more compact. And you'd still be able to install more ram or swap in a ssd as needed.

Personally, I'd spend the money and build a quality base. Assuming AMD, get a motherboard with at least the 710 chipset. Get the aforementioned Earthwatts for your power supply. That will give you a reputable power supply and a solid base with your motherboard. You can build from there as you please. It'll be a bit more expensive, but in my opinion it's worth the money.

 

[thecrecarc]

Here are some basic recommendation to your build.
For HDD, try getting http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136098 Two dollars for 70 extra gb is too good to pass.

Also, your processor is OEM, so it does not have a heatsink/fan. Therefore, I suggest you upgrade to http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103903 which includes a heatsink and fan and has better performance (instead of buying a heatsink/fan for your choice, which will put the price very close to this processor).

If you can afford it, the best upgrade you can do is to get another gb of ram. That will speed your computer up significantly for a low price.

It looks okay after that. Although, like Terzo, I do worry about the quality of the power supply in the case you chose.

 

[caspur]

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2370871

Wait for that to be back in stock.

Or something similar.

The key to getting a legitimate system (and non-pirated OS) for $120, you have to buy a prebuilt. In this case, used. Still not a bad deal for a Core 2 Duo system. Search on craiglist you can pick up a 15 inch LCD for free. Total outlay with shipping for the above system was $125.

No one can build a Core 2 duo system with legit OS for $125....it ain't happening.

And the beauty of that system is a cheap small SSD in there and it is more than adequate and beats any build your own.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

older machines arent really a bargain because youll replace them sooner. its better to spend an extra 100 to get something more up-to-date. youll also have a lot more fun with it. with the cheapo combos out there it isnt that much more

 

[iGas]

Here ya go $199.00 for an ASUS with 160 GB http://www.pricewatch.com/gallery/notebooks/netbook

 

[OBLAMA2009]

No thanks, I would like to stay legitimate. I understand Win7 might be the best option available however, I wanted to use Ubuntu or Linux as those options are free for download. Will either of those options work well enough?

i recommend mint 9 that is what i use on some of my machines. if youre going to use linux i think intel is the way to go, i think its better supported in linux. im not trying to be an intel buttboy, im not saying intel is better, that has been my experience wrt linux support

 

[richierich1212]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6934893&sku=B69-0261

Posted in the Hot Deals forum.