Budget build for a lady friend

stateofjermaine

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jul 22, 2009
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Sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I couldn't find where it should go.

Anyway, this build is for a friend. She is a Dell/iMac person, and not a power user. I am trying to interest her in custom building, and she is willing. But is this a good price for this build? I know I have seen some Dell/Best Buy budget systems for less, but I would guess they are using cheaper parts. I wouldn't feel comfortable unless I felt sure she'd get plenty of great use from this for a long time. Would this system better for her than those?

I am hoping the performance/quality/longevity will be enough to win her over.

Any suggestions?

Rosewill R115-P Black MicroATX Mid Tower Case | $29.99
MSI 785GTM-E45 AM3/AM2+/AM2 MicroATX Motherboard | $74.99
GIGABYTE Radeon HD 4550 | $49.99
ENERMAX Liberty 400W Modular Power Supply | $85.99
AMD Phenom II X3 720 | $124.99
G.SKILL 4GB DDR2 1066 | $57.99
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner SATA | $30.99

TOTAL | $454.93
 
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i would pick a different motherboard other then that looks good. i would go gigabyte or asus. your going with 4gb of memory .......so you doing vista 64 bit i take it? oh and your link doesnt work.
 
i would pick a different motherboard other then that looks good. i would go gigabyte or asus. your going with 4gb of memory .......so you doing vista 64 bit i take it? oh and your link doesnt work.

Okay, thanks for that. I will look into it. So you think this would be a better option for her than a budget retail machine?
 
If your lady friend isn't going to be gaming or running Photoshop often on this machine, you may be better off with a prebuilt system. Regardless of how you feel about the parts selection, you could get a lot more for your money if you can find a nice special that's currently available. (Check out sites like gotapex.com or slickdeals.net for deals and specials.)

Here is one such deal:

Dell Outlet has a new 20% off code LDD5DZ33MZ6JL7 which may be used on all Refurbished Dell Inspiron 545s or 546s Slim Tower Desktops and coupon MGT88$LGBHPG1H for all refurbished Inspiron 1545 Laptops. Thanks dibara2003 and noonehere
Note: Systems and configurations change regularly throughout the day without notice.

Sample Inspiron 545s Slim Tower $319

* Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E7400 (2.8GHz, 3M, L2Cache, 1066FSB)
* 750GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
* 6GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (4 DIMMs)
* 16X DVD +/- RW w/ Double layer write capability
* Dell USB Entry Keyboard
* Dell 19 in 1 Media Card Reader
* 125V Power Cord
* Optical 2-Button Mouse
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

Sample Inspiron 546s Slim Tower $311

* AMD Phenom X3 8450 (2.1GHz)
* 640 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
* 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (4 DIMMs)
* 16X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
* USB Keyboard
* Dell 19 in 1 Media Card Reader
* 125V Power Cord
* Optical 2-Button Mouse
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

Sample Inspiron 1545 Laptop $263

* 15.6 WXGA Laptop Screen Display with TrueLife
* Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
* 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (2 DIMMs)
* 160 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
* Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD
* 8X DVD +/- RW w/ Double layer write capability
* Dell 1397 802.11B/G Wireless Mini Card
* 6 Cell Primary Battery
* 65W AC Adapter
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

These also come with Windows OS licenses, which can add at least another $100 to your total (if you don't have one handy).
 
aye dell outlet with coupons are best bet for family or none gaming friend machines.
 
By answering the following questions we are able to help you better:
http://www.hardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1349433

Yeah, sorry I didn't follow proper protocol. I normally do, but this just seemed like a pretty cut and dry question. :(

She is really just a basic mainstream user who will be looking for a cute case and fast internet. Maybe some photo uploads, some YouTube, etc. After mulling it over in a few forums, I think I will propose a $500 Mini-ITX system to her, using a Lian Li PC-Q7. It will be something cool and fun for her, and I will feel much better about the components in the long run:

Lian Li PC-Q7 Mini-ITX Case | $59.99 [w/combo]
Seasonic SS-300ET 300W PSU | $38.99
ZOTAC GF9300-D-E LGA 775 Mini ITX | $129.99 [w/combo]
WD Caviar Blue 640GB HD | $69.99
Intel Core2 Duo E7500 | $119.99
G.SKILL DDR2 1066 RAM | $57.99
Samsung Black 22X DVD Drive | $30.99

TOTAL | $507.93

She probably wouldn't even notice if I found her a great deal on a quad processor or anything like that. I think a small form factor system will bring her the most pleasure for her money.
 
hmm looks good to me. i think there are a few on here using that same zotac board.
 
Once you factor in shipping, the Corsair 400CX is only $3 more than the Seasonic:
$50 - Corsair 400CX 400W PSU

Still more than you need but at least you'll have plenty of headroom and quality for not that much more in price and no real cons.
 
I would get her a dell system combo of some sort whenever they go on sale. Tack on a 3 year warranty and try to keep it under $600.

absolves you of any blame in the event of problem, gives her live tech support, agents, whatever. building for family and friends is a pain!
 
sounds like the op wants to pickout the parts and put it together that being part of the "fun". for him that is.
 
sounds like the op wants to pickout the parts and put it together that being part of the "fun". for him that is.

Yeah, he wants to impress her with his computer building skills. Not his, "buy a cheap Dell" skills.
 
I would get her a dell system combo of some sort whenever they go on sale. Tack on a 3 year warranty and try to keep it under $600.

absolves you of any blame in the event of problem, gives her live tech support, agents, whatever. building for family and friends is a pain!

What he said!

This is the reason I no longer build systems for anybody but myself (and indirectly the kids, because they get the hand me downs). Support is a MAJOR pain in the ass even IF the person get's a Dell, as often times they will still come to you for first line tech support, because you are LOCAL, and already can communicate with them in an understandable fashion - IE - they understand you when you speak (LOL). If you build the system then you are on the hook for ALL of it if it goes south.

Better idea would be to help her shop for a Dell - consult her on what's a good system based on her price point and requirements, and then get that. That way she get's the best bang for the buck, and you are off the hook for support (more or less)
 
Yes, for her needs, a prebuilt will give her the most bang for buck if she needs all the parts.

No, prebuilts aren't nearly as fun as custom builds, but if she doesn't need a custom build, then why force it upon her?

If you go through with the AMD build, I'd change the case to a Silverstone SG02 and also switch to the Corsair PSU that Danny mentioned. If you go with the mini-ITX, then that build looks fine with the Corsair instead of the Seasonic.
 
sounds like the op wants to pickout the parts and put it together that being part of the "fun". for him that is.

This is true!

To the other posters, I certainly wouldn't force anything on a friend . . . maybe I shouldn't do it, then. She grew interested when I told her that I was building mine, and she asked me to look into it. I have always been under the impression that handpicked parts (PSU, optical drive, motherboard) were more reliable in the long run, and would give her better stability. People here seem to vote pre-built, tho. :(

If the prices are similar, wouldn't the pre-built system be full of crappy components?
 
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At the price range that you're looking at, the only advantage of going the DIY route is that you can hand-pick the components. While pre-built systems still use plenty of proprietary parts, they are generally much improved over the systems offered a few years ago. The key thing about them is that they're designed to work right out of the box -- and their warranty system minimizes the need for you to troubleshoot and/or fix the machine yourself.

Because most of the mainstream vendors (like Dell and HP, not boutiques like Velocity Micro) buy much of their items in bulk, they can oftentimes build a complete tower for less than you can (especially when you factor in the cost of a Windows OS license, which is often found for at least $100). If you find the right special or promo code, you could find a complete system, including a monitor and some speakers, for as little as $500.

If you want a cheap system that's guaranteed to work right out of the box, with as little maintenance (from you) as necessary, go with a prebuilt system... and try to find it on sale.
 
Not all pre-builts are built equally. Dell's lower end systems are just that, low end, while their higher end systems typically aren't worth their higher prices. :p Despite being low end, Dells/HPs typically last quite a while, usually around 4+ years. If the system is taken cared of and maintained, both physically (UPS, cool environment, dusted out often, not kicked around every day when trying to rest your leg on it, etc) and software-wise (win.updates, anti-malware/virus/spyware/etc), it should last quite a while.

The typical dell deal thats been goin on for over a year now is:

Dell Vostro 2xx desktop (currently 220)
Core 2 Duo E7000 series (currently E7500)
2GB - 3GB DDR2 800
160GB - 320GB HDD 7200RPM SATA
DVDRW DL SATA
Intel GMA 3000 - 4000 series
305W PSU + MicroATX case
Windows Vista Basic
18.5" - 23" LCD Widescreen monitor
1yr warranty
... all for typically $400 - $450 + tax.

I first bought that deal for some relatives of mine when it came with the E2000 series, and those systems are still working fine after 2.5+ yrs. I also picked it up when they switched to the E7000 series for other relatives, and again, those systems are running fine after 2+yrs (my cousins even has an upgraded 9600GT on the stock PSU 305W). I also have a dozen or so Vostro 200 systems at work that are still goin strong for the last 2.5yrs, and a couple 220 systems that have also been running fine.

Another reason a custom build would be better, aside from specialized usage like gaming/CAD/design, is if she wants a specific case (like the mATX or mini-ITX you were considering). ;)
 
Thanks, guys. I will have to think on it, I guess. I know she would love the Lian Li case, but I don't want her to end up regretting anything. :(
 
As long as she knows what she can get for her money, she can decide what she wants, so just let her know. ;) We love building systems, too, but we just want you/her to know all worthwhile options out there.
 
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