better a top the line old or a new cheap

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clernix

Honorable
Jun 29, 2013
3
0
10,510
I have a friend that is in need of a cheap computer for her son. It's intended for school but I am sure he will try to game on it some and watch videos.

Should I get a high end older board and processor or a low end new one?
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

Glorious
Dec 17, 2012
9,017
198
45,840


how about tell us your budget.

if you want something cheap, and you aren't really that concerned with his gaming habits i would suggest an APU from AMD... an A10-6700 cpu can play games on good settings at 720p (or low settings at 1080p)... and play movies flawlessly, and will have more then enough computing power for his needs.

Furthermore you won't need to concern yourself with getting a graphics cards, and the general hit on your powerbill will be fairly low (as graphics cards are electricity guzzlers). The a10-6700 is a 65W cpu... so the overall power draw will be low... and you can squeeze APUs into mITX form factor cases, which would really minimize the space the new computer takes up. here is an example, take it or leave it. (BTW: i don't know your budget, so i'm assuming $600-$700 for PC-OS-Monitor-keyboard&mouse)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-6700 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($148.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75IA-E53 Mini ITX FM2 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair XMS 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case: Antec ISK 300-150 Mini ITX Desktop Case w/150W Power Supply ($63.79 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($49.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VH238H 23.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft Desktop 400 Wired Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $682.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-29 18:00 EDT-0400)
 
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Intel God

Intel God

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Jun 25, 2013
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Looking at todays option there's no point in spending 20 dollars less on an ivy or sandy then going new with haswell. 1155 is dead, No upgrade path
 
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clernix

Honorable
Jun 29, 2013
3
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10,510
Her budget is way under $650 it's closer to $150. For $650 I could walk into Microcenter and buy a package and be done with it. Trying to stay around $150 for the entire box without software.
 
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schmuckley

Distinguished
BANNED
Jul 18, 2011
809
5
19,165
Wow..That's pretty hard..What does she do with her computer?
I don't see any kind of GPU purchase with a budget like that.
Maybe try the forum marketplaces for a used fm1-2 build.
actually..If you need a hard drive/dvd It's impossible;IMO
 
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LordHaHa

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Oct 5, 2010
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$150? Eh...not sure that's possible even with older hardware. I certainly wouldn't get anything below a Wolfdale/Yorkfield Core 2, unless its a novelty build. But of course, those Core 2 parts and their successors have done a good job retaining their value on the second and firsthand markets.

The main killer though will be the hard drive. Even a sub-1TB drive is likely to not be exceptionally cheap. And then there is the power supply which is another $40-50 or so if heavy gaming is not ever expected to be a goal.

If you buy all the basics (CPU, motherboard, 100-250GB HDD, power supply, case, CPU sink+fan, ultra-cheap video card, optical drive) carefully you MIGHT be able to get away with a $300-350 minimum build, unless you can get certain parts for free. Before software of course.
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
Jun 5, 2013
67,883
40
126,960
Might check sites like Craigslist, and simply look for a used computer that is better than what she has, I often takes trades in and know of many that simply replace a computer and throw away the old ones, I use them for parts and rehab some for the elderly that want/need something better than what they have
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

Glorious
Dec 17, 2012
9,017
198
45,840


you'll have to check out PC recyclers in your area... or ebay (not that i trust much on ebay)... i just helped a friend get a core 2 duo + HD 6670 & monitor (720p) for about $100 from a pc recycler store i know. probably your best option. It's not a bad machine either. works just fine.
 
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montosaurous

montosaurous

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Aug 21, 2012
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11,360


*Cough* Bulldozer *Cough* Haswell *Cough* Original Phenoms *Cough*...

But in all seriousness go for the best performer, regardless of age. I'm also pretty sure Broadwell will be BGA only so LGA 1150 is a dead socket too, with maybe a small refresh of Haswell. Same as 1155 but worse at OC'ing and takes up more power at load. Gonna be nearly impossible to get a build for $150 though. $250 at the very least unless you recycle parts.
 
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