230$ Web surfing and light gaming pc

andrei65

Reputable
Apr 14, 2014
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5,660
Hey everyone ; I made this build for those hwo want to build a pc for everyday use and light gaming ; i took advantage of the fact that microsoft gives xp for free
i've added a 7$ thumb drive incase some of you didn't have one for xp and the optical drive is optional too
this pc can't run windows 7 optimally so xp was the only choice , really
anyway heres the build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33Ghz Dual-Core Processor ($21.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Rosewill RCX-Z90-AL 66.0 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($7.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Intel DQ45EK Mini ITX LGA775 Motherboard ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 1GB (1 x 1GB) DDR2-667 Memory ($13.95 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 80GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($21.75 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 5450 512MB Video Card ($58.63 @ Mwave)
Case: Xion XON-720P_RD MicroATX Slim Case w/300W Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Windows XP SP3 32 bit
Other: 4GB USB Flash Drive ($7.00)
Total: $222.24
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-16 06:55 EDT-0400)

 
all really old stuff.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Celeron G1610 2.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61M-S1 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($35.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($40.80 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($40.48 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 240 1GB Video Card ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec GX500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Stallion 400W ATX Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $273.21
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-16 07:40 EDT-0400)
 
Solution
Did I miss the announcement that Microsoft is handing out free XP? Yes you can download the software for free but i'm pretty sure they are not standing on the street corner handing out free cd keys for it. You still need a valid cd key to use it past 30 days.
 
Imo you're better using Linux than XP. Linux is free and is supported still.

Ubuntu or Linux Mint are both great choices- look nice and are fine for day to day tasks. Thanks to Steam moving over to Linux there are now allot more options for games as well.

As for the machine, you'd be better building a new cheap system around one of AMD's new AM1 cpu's than going for a Core 2 Duo.

http://www.ebuyer.com/636285-amd-athlon-5350-2-05ghz-socket-am1-2mb-l2-cache-retail-boxed-processor-ad5350jahmbox