Hello Everyone,
I'm looking to order the parts for a new computer for my sister. I've priced out the components for an AMD and an Intel system, the latter of which I'll list out below. First things first, though, user profile. My sister is an absolute non-gamer. She wants the basic things that you can do today with any of the very cheapest parts, such as office software (I'm getting her to try out OpenOffice), and internet browsing.
I'd be giving her an old computer from around here, but she lives far away and it's just as easy to order a shiny new machine and have it assembled and sent to her. This brings me to the second part of her user profile. The computer she's replacing is at least 8 years old. This means two things. Anything new will be incredibly fast compared to her experience (her computer at work is new though), so you could argue buying a Semptron system. On the other hand, the hope is that this system will last at least 5 years, which to me means buying better equipment. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend anything short of dual-core to my sister. As well, I don't think NetBurst cuts mustard, so it's either X2 or C2D.
Okay, on to the specs (all prices in CAN$):
CPU: C2D E6300, $223
Mobo: ASUS P5B-VM, $158
RAM: Corsair 2x512MB ValueSelect PC2-5300, $145
Case: Antec Solution SLK1650 (/w 350 Watt PSU), $83
HDD: Seagate 160GB 7200.9, SATAII, $74
DVD: LG H22n 18X, 37
7-in-1 flash reader: $17
FDD: $17
OS: WinXP Home OEM, $99
Assembly: included in price
Shipping: $40-$70
Total before taxes: $893-$923
I've used integrated graphics for now, and only 1 GB ram. My sister also has no plans for massive HDD usage. These 3 items can easily be upgraded down the road.
I'm trying to find out if my sister would be happy using a Linux OS like Ubuntu, but I can't be sure because she might need to run some specific software.
I would like to know if you have any alternative recommendations. For example, if I replace the CPU and mobo with a X2 4200+ and M2N-MX combination I save $49, but it's my impression that the Intel system will have stronger CPU and integrated graphics performance.
Thanks anyone for reading this far! lol
I'm looking to order the parts for a new computer for my sister. I've priced out the components for an AMD and an Intel system, the latter of which I'll list out below. First things first, though, user profile. My sister is an absolute non-gamer. She wants the basic things that you can do today with any of the very cheapest parts, such as office software (I'm getting her to try out OpenOffice), and internet browsing.
I'd be giving her an old computer from around here, but she lives far away and it's just as easy to order a shiny new machine and have it assembled and sent to her. This brings me to the second part of her user profile. The computer she's replacing is at least 8 years old. This means two things. Anything new will be incredibly fast compared to her experience (her computer at work is new though), so you could argue buying a Semptron system. On the other hand, the hope is that this system will last at least 5 years, which to me means buying better equipment. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend anything short of dual-core to my sister. As well, I don't think NetBurst cuts mustard, so it's either X2 or C2D.
Okay, on to the specs (all prices in CAN$):
CPU: C2D E6300, $223
Mobo: ASUS P5B-VM, $158
RAM: Corsair 2x512MB ValueSelect PC2-5300, $145
Case: Antec Solution SLK1650 (/w 350 Watt PSU), $83
HDD: Seagate 160GB 7200.9, SATAII, $74
DVD: LG H22n 18X, 37
7-in-1 flash reader: $17
FDD: $17
OS: WinXP Home OEM, $99
Assembly: included in price
Shipping: $40-$70
Total before taxes: $893-$923
I've used integrated graphics for now, and only 1 GB ram. My sister also has no plans for massive HDD usage. These 3 items can easily be upgraded down the road.
I'm trying to find out if my sister would be happy using a Linux OS like Ubuntu, but I can't be sure because she might need to run some specific software.
I would like to know if you have any alternative recommendations. For example, if I replace the CPU and mobo with a X2 4200+ and M2N-MX combination I save $49, but it's my impression that the Intel system will have stronger CPU and integrated graphics performance.
Thanks anyone for reading this far! lol