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new budget PC for my wife

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - new budget PC for my wife

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gta_bmx   07-25-2008 at 02:54:08 AM

I need to build a 2nd PC, something for my wife to use for surfing and casual games like Bejeweled/solitaire. I might use the new Intel Atom mini-ITX main board. What do you all think? Or should I just build a micro-ATX based system?

Intel BOXD945GCLF Atom processor Intel 945GC Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo - Retail
Item #: N82E16813121342
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
$74.95

APEX MI-100 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16811154084
$55.99

WINTEC AMPO 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory Model 3AMD2667-2G2-R - Retail
Item #: N82E16820161240
$37.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148261
$54.99

ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black PATA Model DRW-1814BL - OEM
Item #: N82E16827135148
$21.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116488
$109.99

total: $355.94

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royalcrown   07-25-2008 at 03:08:24 AM
- 0 +

I think you don't love your wife enough...get her an amd 6000 or e7200 unless she is a pain in your as$...lol

------------------------------ E8500,GA-EP45-UD3R, 8 GIG MUSHKIN, XFX 4890 , ASUS 22", WD 640 X 2, CM 532, CM 650TX
 Reply to royalcrown
rockbyter   07-25-2008 at 03:13:52 AM
- 0 +

you can go cheap. really cheap.

#1 start thinking more selfishly. You give her the old, get yourself something new.
#2, real budget systems actually come out faster than the atom. http://directron.com/refsystem.html something refurbished is faster.
tigerdirect.com has some similar options

------------------------------ If you don't know what OS/2 is, you don't understand.
 Reply to rockbyter
zenmaster   07-25-2008 at 03:37:02 AM
- 0 +

http://configure.us.dell.com/dells [...] rodt_200mt

------------------------------ If its good in theory but not in practice,
its not good theory.
 Reply to zenmaster
zenmaster   07-25-2008 at 03:39:41 AM
- 0 +

Or a Refurb for even less that is a bit nicer........

Inspiron 530
(System Identifier: FLRMK36K)


Inspiron Desktop 530 Mini-tower: Intel Pentium dual-core processor E2180 (1MB L2,2.0GHz,800 FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic

System Price : $269.00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memory
2 GB DDR2 Non-ECC SDRAM 677MHz (2 DIMMs)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hard Disk Drive
250 GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certified Refurbished
Certified Refurbished
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Base
Inspiron Desktop 530 Mini-tower: Intel Pentium dual-core processor E2180 (1MB L2,2.0GHz,800 FSB)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Media Bay
16X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Software Upgrade
Microsoft Works 9.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hardware Upgrade
USB Keyboard
No Floppy Drive
Dell Optical USB 2-button Mouse
No Modem

------------------------------ If its good in theory but not in practice,
its not good theory.
 Reply to zenmaster
thogrom   07-25-2008 at 03:54:25 AM
- 0 +

lol someone is cheap


anyway for the games she plays an integrated graphics card would be more than enough (780g) but a dedicated one would probably be better in case she expands her horizons

Reply to thogrom
rammar16   07-25-2008 at 04:31:34 AM
- 0 +

ok i don't recomend atom it real is for low power not low budget here is a good
cheap AMD setup

CPU: AMD 4800+X2 $62

Motherboard and GPU: Asus 780G $90

RAM: 2gb of corsair ddr2 800 $48

hdd: 160GB western digital 7200RPM $44

PSU: thermaltake 430watt $35

case: this is really your choice (or hers) but i like the antec 300 $70

DVD Drive: Lite on drive $21

OS: $110

total: $480

this will most certainly out preform the atom system while it is a little more it is worth it because installing vista on that atom setup will probably not run great.

hope this helps



Reply to rammar16
gta_bmx   07-25-2008 at 04:42:46 PM
- 0 +

I prefer to think of it as me being "frugal". :-) Really, she doesn't do much of anything to tax a PC, so the Atom might work, but I guess a refurb would be faster AND cheaper. The newer style sff Dells with the silver cases look nice. $299 brand new.

Reply to gta_bmx
cyborg28   07-25-2008 at 05:51:15 PM
- 0 +

Go for the dell unless you want the fun of putting it together yourself. Intel has a similar package to the atom one you were looking at with a celeron 220 that will smoke the atom.

 

Atom+Vista=epic fail.

 

*edit*
Read This:
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,1978.html


Message edited by cyborg28 on 07-25-2008 at 05:52:00 PM
Reply to cyborg28
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