400-500$ build for mom, she really needs it

[lanrup]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: The next few days BUDGET RANGE: anywhere from 300-500, going over is no big deal

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: surfing the internet, watching dvd movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, os

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg w/ combo deals as well as amazon

PARTS PREFERENCES: she wants a nice looking case, also its important that the pc is quiet.

OVERCLOCKING: No SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: asus vh226 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This is a build for my mother, its time for her to have a new one... shes been on a prebuilt for way too long and I would like to surprise her with a brand new computer built by her son.

She wont be using it for much aside from browsing internet, watching movies, and writing an occasional office document.

She has emphasized in the past the importance of a pc being able to play movies really well, I'm thinking a solid motherboard with integrated graphics and hd audio, however let me know if you think I would need to add a video card/sound card. I already have a nice widescreen monitor as well as some m-audio av-40 speakers for her. I also will be using an extra copy of windows 7 that I have.

Thanks

 

[glaex]

try this htpc build. this cheap motherboard has radeon 4200 with 128ram and hdmi out. will do blue ray stuff no problem and wont look funny even if its sitting under the tv. under 400 bucks too

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13317606

edit forgot the hard drive, its 450 now, still cheap and powerful tho

 

[lanrup]

Thats not exactly what im looking for, thanks for the reply though

this is what ive come up with since I made the post:

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S222A - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128394

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231144

AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX240OCGQBOX - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103688


Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W Continuous Power ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

Antec Two Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.304792

Although I still have alot of questions.
is this enough ram for windows 7?
onboard video good enough?
processor fast enough?
psu big enough?
I'm considering going with the antec 300 as well because the 200 is kinda ugly, or maybe a spiffy micro atx case.
I really need help as far as what I need to upgrade here in order for the computer to meet all of her expectations.
I'm capable of overclocking as well so I went with the 240 regor instead of the 250, is that a mistake?

Thanks

 

[shortstuff_mt]

You don't want an IDE DVD burner. It's almost 2010, time to let IDE die. Here's a nice 24x SATA LG burner:

LG Black 24X SATA DVD Burner $29.99

I wouldn't use an AM2+ motherboard and DDR2 RAM. Here's a nice CPU + motherboard combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.308613 $137.99 (Athlon II X2 240 + ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO AM3 combo)

It might even be worth the extra $10 to step up to the Athlon II X2 250 with the same motherboard.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.308611

I wouldn't use 2GB of RAM in a new build. 4GB is kind of the new standard, especially for Windows 7.

I really like this RAM:

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK - Retail $94.99

This build is almost exactly like a build I'm putting together for my aunt. I just ordered my parts yesterday.

The onboard GPU on the 785G motherboard is plenty for the intended use.

The 400W Antec PSU is also plenty for this build. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that it doesn't come with a power cable. I've been building computers for a while now, so I have a box full of them, but it's something to keep in mind.

 

[glaex]

if it was windows xp i would say 2gb is enough, but for windows 7 i would go with 4gb. also you should go with ddr3 ram and mobo. ddr2 is on its way out and is going to be getting more expensive while its about the same price as ddr3 now. the motherboard i chose actually has a combo deal with the athlon ii 240 that gives you $15 off too. if you dont mind overclocking a bit definitely save the money and get the 240 imo

 

[shortstuff_mt]

I would avoid JetWay motherboards at all costs. It's worth a few dollars to stick with a quality unit from Asus or Gigabyte. No need cheaping out on the motherboard.

 

[glaex]

^he probably knows, i dont have personal experience with jetway, but i avoid ecs for similar reasons after going through 10! of the same model before getting one that would post. that said that old motherboard still works after 8 or 9 years but i probably wasted enough in gas returning it over and over to buy something nicer

 

[lanrup]

oops ide... lol

Thanks I will take your advice that's exactly what I needed to hear

 

[lanrup]

Ok this is the final build:

Cooler Master Elite 341 m-ATX Mini Tower Case Black - (RC-341C-KKN1-GP)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Elite-m-ATX-Tower/dp/B001KUV2BK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1262127082&sr=1-1

LG DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH24NS50 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136177

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189

ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX240OCGQBOX - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.308613

Thanks for all the help, any further suggestions are much appreciated as well
I will be ordering it first thing tomorrow morning

Much appreciated

 

[thephilly]

Solid, cheap (in price) build. I would feel safe giving it to my mother if she could figure out how to turn a pc on.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Very nice build. Like I said, it's very similar to a build I'm doing for my aunt. In fact, the only changes are that I want with the Antec 200/Antec PSU combo and the Athlon II X2 250 combo. Everything else is exactly the same!