sfsuphysics
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2007
- Messages
- 16,018
My brother in law needs a new computer, he basically was rocking one of my old rigs, AMD XP2500+ or something equally ancient, with old school DDR333 ram in it etc... anyways he needs a new system, obviously doesn't need to be high end, some ideas that run through my mind right off the bat
i3-2100 processor (fast enough for what he's going to do) - $100
mATX mobo (doesn't need expansion, enough to hold 2 sticks of ram and a PCIe video card) - $50
8GB (2x4gb) ddr3 ram since its dirt cheap - $30 or so (or wait for a MIR deal)
8800GTS video card (I have one laying around) - FREE
Power supply maybe 400W range - $30 (?? do I need a mATX specific one?)
Storage is handled, although I might have to toss in a newer HD.
Old case should work hopefully
Let's answer the sticky questions now
If you're gonna ask us to build/list a PC for you or seek advice about a build, please answer all of the following questions:
>>>1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web browsing yes, online gaming, gaming (OLD) system. He gave me a copy of Empire: Total War and said "that's what I want it to play" Seriously high end games are not going to be an issue.
>>>2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Like to keep it under $300 if possible ($400 is pushing it), although cheaper is better. The above price has me a bit over $200 for basics (if I toss in a HD then it'll push it in the $300 range)
>>>3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
California, Fry's/Microcenter is in driving distance
>>>4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, mobo, RAM, power supply, possibly HD (I don't know how large it is yet)
>>>5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Reusing case it has enough holes for ventilation.
Reusing a 8800GTS video card, doesn't work on this computer, but its my old one
Monitor
>>>6) Will you be overclocking?
NOPE!!!
>>>7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
It an old 19" tube... massive big fucker. Not sure on resolution
>>>8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Ideally this week I'd like to get stuff and build it, as I'm going on vacation right after the new year. (Although in a pinch I could build it right when I get back if I need to wait for mail order)
>>>9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? etc.
Don't need anything other than a space for a PCIe video card (that 8800gts is a bit large). Other fancy dodads not necessary. If I get a new HD sata would be nice, if not eIDE legacy necessary. USB 2.0 is more than fine. Negative on the onboard video. On board sound would be wanted.
>>>10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yup, WinXP 32bit existing, 64bit key I have from MY old rig, which is junk/parts now, so I can put that on a new computer.
Basically I'm not familiar with microATX boards/specs. I think my CPU choice is fine, any larger CPU (i5) will nearly double the CPU budget.
i3-2100 processor (fast enough for what he's going to do) - $100
mATX mobo (doesn't need expansion, enough to hold 2 sticks of ram and a PCIe video card) - $50
8GB (2x4gb) ddr3 ram since its dirt cheap - $30 or so (or wait for a MIR deal)
8800GTS video card (I have one laying around) - FREE
Power supply maybe 400W range - $30 (?? do I need a mATX specific one?)
Storage is handled, although I might have to toss in a newer HD.
Old case should work hopefully
Let's answer the sticky questions now
If you're gonna ask us to build/list a PC for you or seek advice about a build, please answer all of the following questions:
>>>1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web browsing yes, online gaming, gaming (OLD) system. He gave me a copy of Empire: Total War and said "that's what I want it to play" Seriously high end games are not going to be an issue.
>>>2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Like to keep it under $300 if possible ($400 is pushing it), although cheaper is better. The above price has me a bit over $200 for basics (if I toss in a HD then it'll push it in the $300 range)
>>>3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
California, Fry's/Microcenter is in driving distance
>>>4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, mobo, RAM, power supply, possibly HD (I don't know how large it is yet)
>>>5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Reusing case it has enough holes for ventilation.
Reusing a 8800GTS video card, doesn't work on this computer, but its my old one
Monitor
>>>6) Will you be overclocking?
NOPE!!!
>>>7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
It an old 19" tube... massive big fucker. Not sure on resolution
>>>8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Ideally this week I'd like to get stuff and build it, as I'm going on vacation right after the new year. (Although in a pinch I could build it right when I get back if I need to wait for mail order)
>>>9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? etc.
Don't need anything other than a space for a PCIe video card (that 8800gts is a bit large). Other fancy dodads not necessary. If I get a new HD sata would be nice, if not eIDE legacy necessary. USB 2.0 is more than fine. Negative on the onboard video. On board sound would be wanted.
>>>10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yup, WinXP 32bit existing, 64bit key I have from MY old rig, which is junk/parts now, so I can put that on a new computer.
Basically I'm not familiar with microATX boards/specs. I think my CPU choice is fine, any larger CPU (i5) will nearly double the CPU budget.