Office computer for about $400

A2X4 620 $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
2 X 2 DDR3 1333, can't find your model, assuming this is it: $89
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Product...
ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=3156&ProductName=GA-MA785GMT-UD2H
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Apex mATX case $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Antec 430 Earthwatts $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
DVDRW SATA $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
About $284

good to go

Thanks for the info. Just a couple quick questions...

Why not the Phenom II black edition?

Also, do you think it's better to go with Mid tower ATX case in case I need to upgrade in the future? Or do you think that a Micro ATX form factor will continue to be popular?

1. Dun think you need a higher end quad for your uses and this run cooler  
2. Small casing, low power = save $$ and office space hehe

I'd probably choose one of the Rosewill cases (no handle, and a 120mm fan vs. the 80mm on the Apex), and with no GPU you can get one of these 300W 80+ Bronze Seasonic PSUs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... for $38. I've used a couple of them in non-gamer builds without any problem. I'm not sure it comes with a power cord though, so make sure you have one.
(I like Earthwatts too, but the Seasonic will be better in this case)

Thanks for your help.

What do you think about this case? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1103...

i am surprised when i see the case. I have that case bought 4 years ago. It is a big case. it has lot of room for everything, it is very heavy. i mean really heavy.

I'm really looking to keep my budget low... that's why I was looking to find a case with solid features yet affordable.

So, do you think that this is a good deal? Or do you think that it's outdated?

a case is a case, so it can not be outdated. I am still using it. this is my third pc with that case. i keep the case everytime i upgrade pc. I paid over 100$, but it was 4 years ago. The only thing i do not like about is; it is so heavy.

Why do you need a full tower case? It's up to you but if you've got a microATX motherboard already you're just using the integrated graphics and you've only got one hard drive, there's no reason not to go for a microATX case (or a midi case, if you're planning on adding more than 2 hard drives).

Something like this would be an idea: MicroATX Slim Case

Or, for something a little bigger and cheaper: Micro ATX Mid Case

Of course, those cases are cheap and cheerful, but they come with their own power supplies so it kills two birds with one stone. Personally I would probably pay a little extra and get a SilverStone Sugo case or something from Antec. But that's just me.

For what it sounds like you're trying to do, you may not even need to go for a full on quad core - the Athlon II X2 245 is a brilliant little processor and it's cheap as chips to boot. Again, it's up to you. As for RAM, I'd recommend Kingston. Their valueRAM is good, or if you feel like splurging their hyperX memory is fast and reliable while still being relatively cheap (although you pay a little bit extra overall for it being 1600MHz instead of 1333MHz). The A-DATA RAM mentioned further up may be cheaper, but I find Kingston to be the most reliable and I can't vouch for A-DATA.

Thanks for the reply.

So, you think the Athlon II X2 245 should be more than enough for my needs?

I won't be doing any gaming at all. Just multiple web browers at once, creating PDF documents, and running a quoting software. I just want it to be fast when running quotes for people.

Thanks again.

Well, obviously you're slightly more futureproofed with a quad core, but considering that I doubt your quoting software is properly optimised for multithreading, you're going to be fine with a dual core. The Athlon II X2 245 is, as I said, a great processor, so it should fit the bill pretty much perfectly.

Have a link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... - $64.99

It's the processor we fit all our standard computers with at work and we've never had any complaints - in fact, all the other guys swear by it.

The added bonus is that it's going to be even cooler (and quieter) than the quad core.

Power supplies that come with cases tend to be the crappiest of the crappy. Antec is sometimes an exception (they often include an Earthwatts PSU with their cases), but they don't currently make a 480 PSU, so who knows what you'd be getting?
I think you'd be MUCH happier with the Athlon II X4 620 that Batuchka linked, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... , than with a little X2 245. Particularly for a business machine, it's worth another $26.

Here is what the package includes:

480 Watt TruePower 2.0 TPII 480 installed
1 Power cord
1 case fan
1 set of screws and motherboard standoffs
1 complete set of drive rails ( 6 rails )
1 Installation manual


http://www.overclockersonline.net/index.php?page=articl...


The PSU that comes with that Antec case is a horribly inefficient 480 TP2.0II
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I know that power supplies bundled with cases tend to be crappy, but it's just an office machine. If you were running power-hungry components, fair enough, but it's a basic PC with possibly a slightly gruntier CPU than usual.

I suppose the quad core would be a better option, but I can't help but think that it's overkill. I'm sure Batuchka knows best, though  

Do you think there's much of a difference between the Athlon x2 245 and the x2 250?

Not much, no.

Do you think it's worth it to upgrade to the Penom II 550 Black Edition?

Thank you for all of your help - I appreciate it.

From the X2 245? Yes. If you multitask a lot though, you will benefit from more cores. As much [big] stuff as I run at work, I wish I had more than two there. The X4 620 costs $3 less than the 550BE. It has no L3, but I'd rather have the extra core(s).