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Budget build for poor man.

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Hey all, I wanna put a low budget pc together for my girlfriend. She's big on facebook, itunes and photos. I don't need a good video card or a powerful processor. I don't wanna go overboard if its not necessary. Any advise on appropriate hardware for the needs is appreciated.


Approximate Purchase Date: May, 2011

Budget Range: from $400.00 to $600.00 After Rebates

System Usage : surfing the internet, itunes, u tube

Preferred Website: newegg.com, micro center, directron

Country of Origin: USA

I'm not sure what processor is best. It's not going to be a gaming rig but more for general use.

Overclocking: No

Tanks y'all

More about : budget build poor man

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Homebuilt system Expert

CPU: $189 i3-2100/H61 combo on Newegg
Mobo: Included
Case: $40 Anything with good airflow
RAM: $59 G.Skill 8GB in Hot Deals section
Graphics: $105 5830
HDD: $61 Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB on Amazon
DVD: $20
PSU: $40 OCZ 600W http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

TOTAL: $411

Heck, if you were open to overclocking, you should switch it to an i5-2500K/MSI P67 combo on Newegg for $322. That'd be $543 Total and crazy amazing!

Yea was gonna suggest, your best bet is to look around newegg or tigerdirect for combo packages. Would save the most money that way... usually

Also unless she plays games. Go with a integrated graphics card will save you a good amount of money. Facebook games dont count....
Homebuilt system Expert

dalauder said:
CPU: $189 i3-2100/H61 combo on Newegg
Mobo: Included
Case: $40 Anything with good airflow
RAM: $59 G.Skill 8GB in Hot Deals section
Graphics: $105 5830
HDD: $61 Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB on Amazon
DVD: $20
PSU: $40 OCZ 600W http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

TOTAL: $411

Heck, if you were open to overclocking, you should switch it to an i5-2500K/MSI P67 combo on Newegg for $322. That'd be $543 Total and crazy amazing!


You keep mentioning this $59 8GB ram, but I can't find any such thing on Newegg. Newegg does not have a "Hot Deals" section.
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Homebuilt system Authority

you should buy her a laptop/netbook. it is a far better choice for her needs/budget range. It will come with a monitor, OS, and keyboard, it will be portable, and will easily handle facebook, itunes, and photos. It will allow the two of you to watch dvd's/streaming movies in bed.

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

with the money you save, it would probably be smart to get some sort of warranty.

Just buy her a prebuilt with a dual core CPU and a nividia geforce 9400 gt. The geforce 9400 gt is good and good for what she needs it for the pc is like 300 for a intel plus a 9400 gt is a cheap 60$

^+1 to dalauder's build. The i3-2100 would be an Excellent way to go. You can even drop the Graphics card and use the Integrated graphics if you're just planning on watching Youtube videos.
Homebuilt system Authority

if you think a $600 desktop system is a excellent idea for a girl who wants to check facebook, you need your head examined. an IPOD on wifi can do these things.

Here. And feel free to keep her monitor.

Case:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 49.99

Mobo: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 59.99

Cpu: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 99.99

Dvd Drive: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... OEM 24.99
RAM:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 67.99

GPU:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 49.99


HDD:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 44.99

Sata Cable(s): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 6.99

PSU: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 29.99

120 fan (buy 2): http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 4.99


All together WITH rebate 344.9 for a cpu like that this is a GREAT deal.
Homebuilt system Expert

#1: 9400GT's are absolute garbage.
#2: You guys do realize my build has an i3-2100/H61? That means integrated video. If you skip the video card in my build, then it's $306.
#3: Yeah, a notebook might be good. Staples had i3's on sale for $375 yesterday. You should check slickdeals.
#4: Hot Deals section on Tom's Forums. I posted it there yesterday. The deal is dead now, but the memory is still only $69 http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/101635-8-desktop-memo...
#5: If you want to buy in May, come back in May. The prices will change.

dalauder said:
#1: 9400GT's are absolute garbage.
#2: You guys do realize my build has an i3-2100/H61? That means integrated video. If you skip the video card in my build, then it's $306.
#3: Yeah, a notebook might be good. Staples had i3's on sale for $375 yesterday. You should check slickdeals.
#4: Hot Deals section on Tom's Forums. I posted it there yesterday. The deal is dead now, but the memory is still only $69 http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/101635-8-desktop-memo...
#5: If you want to buy in May, come back in May. The prices will change.



#1. The 9400 gt is good what she needs it for and your build is crap because mine had a quad core for a lower price and could pwn your. And was like 300$ without the os and it would be 450$ and mine would do i say 3x faster than your "i 3" could that processor is crap.

Guys, guys... It's just for facebook and light gaming here. If the girl plays light gaming as in "facebook game" (flash based), then all she needs is a mere cheap dual core CPU with IGP. From Intel it would be the cheapest Sandy Bridge i3, as for from AMD it would be (the absolutely cheaper) Sempron 180/Athlon II X2 with 785G/880G chipset.

Considering the relatively high budget for casual use, the the i3 platform with 4GB of RAM would be the best option IMO. Based on rel life experience, my new laptop, Acer C-50 1GHz dual core with HD6250 graphics (Fusion APU) and 768MB RAM, I can browse facebook just fine. I can even play HD videos and gaming with pre-2005 games flawlessly. Just think how more capable system will handle them. It's gonna be like a walk in the park. No sweat. Which reminds me, the Zacate E-350 is a dual core 1.6GHz with even beefier graphics than the C-50. Plus, you can get it for around $120. Pair that motherboard to a 4GB of DDR3 RAM and the girl should be happy. But again, if the aim is to maximize the budget, then the the i3 platform is absolutely the best option, since it's CPU + motherboard combo is only around $50 more expensive than the Zacate.

The conclusion is, get an i3 with IGP and 4GB RAM. That should be more than enough for your needs. Cheers! :D 
Homebuilt system Expert

addison said:
#1. The 9400 gt is good what she needs it for and your build is crap because mine had a quad core for a lower price and could pwn your. And was like 300$ without the os and it would be 450$ and mine would do i say 3x faster than your "i 3" could that processor is crap.
If you're gonna say it like that, then I'll put it like this:
Addison, you are an idiot. Just because it's a quad doesn't mean it's better. Look up some benchmarks. I have. Have you? 2009's quad cores aren't better than 2011's hyperthreaded duals in any way (Phenom II x4 BE's when overclocked provide some exceptions). 3x faster? You are just fabricating arbitrary numbers. Go read a benchmark that shows a Phenom II x4 is as good as an i3-2100 (or 3x better--LMAO!) and post the link here.

Look up some benchmarks on the 9400GT. I dare you. You will find that card is absolute garbage. It is worse than an i3-2100's integrated graphics. If you don't believe me, find a benchmark that indicates otherwise and then come back here.

@dalauder: Now, now... Settle down. Although I agree with you in most aspect, I'd have to say that your opinion that a dual core with "quad-core-like" feature is better than a true quad core is not entirely true. For some applications that utilizes core numbers instead of speed alone, the Phenom will win hands down. But I do have seen the benchmarks for gaming, and i3 really is impressive. It really beat the hell out of the Phenom quad. It's most likely because of the more advanced Sandy Bridge architecture (duh!).

As for the i3 IGP vs the 9400GT, I really can't say, since I've never seen the review yet... Just keep the insults aside. Prove your point by intelligent means. Remember, this is a computer forum, where the knowledgeable shares knowledge and opinions in a civilized manner.

NOTE: I got my friend banned for fighting in a thread, just so you know... :lol: 

EDIT: This is the reply for your post before the latest one, to avoid any confusion... :p 
Homebuilt system Expert

Okay, you're right. I shouldn't call the guy an idiot. Sorry Addison. I don't agree with you giving advice without researching, but that makes your advice bad and I'm talking about your advice, not you as a person. I'm just frustrated that you're making up facts instead of researching. But I shouldn't make it a personal attack. To be clear, I'm sorry.

For 95% of what this guy will be doing, an i3-2100 will perform faster. If he was a hardcore overclocker or used a lot of apps that loaded all cores simultaneously, then the Phenom II's would have a purpose.

With the 9400GT, I'm just frustrated because I bet Addison doesn't even know how many CUDA cores it has. It's 16. A GT 210 has 16. And CUDA core count roughly translates to performance, but you can assume the newer GT 210 performs better in video decoding and power usage.
i3-2100 Integrated Intel HD 2000 vs. Radeon 4550
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sandy-bridge-core-i...
Radeon 4550 vs. GT 210
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gt-220,2445...
From these, you can see that a 9400 GT performs very similarly to i3-2100's integrated graphics. It also will provide lower 1080p playback quality while costing more money and having a larger power draw.

EDIT: I just read your banned comment after I completed this (the apology was written beforehand).
Homebuilt system Expert

@damasvara--You made me feel all stupid for being a jerk...I guess that's good sometimes.

@OP (GERRY)--That $40 Sempron above will not cut it. It's just too budget oriented. You'd do much better ponying up the $15 for an Athlon II x2. If you don't have the $15, PM me and I'll paypal it to you (serious, not a joke). AMD's the way to go for sub-$250 builds. If you spend $320 though, you should get an i3-2100 or better Intel CPU.

@dalauder: You don't need to feel like a jerk over some simple issue as this. Just try to express your thoughts less aggressively... :lol: 

@hextech: Fine link, which points out my opinion as true, Since for the application that utilizes the number of cores,the Phenom "true" quad core is superior (Adobe Lightroom 3 benchmark). This also means that the better option for the OP is clear, which is the i3. Since his girlfriend can't possibly use the Lightroom software :p 

But for a dual core with virtual extra cores to be superior than a true quad core in almost every aspect is amazing by itself. Intel has set a very high standard for AMD to catch up. :D 
Homebuilt system Expert

I know, but it's a big thing for me personally to call someone stupid versus say what they did was stupid.

AMD's really only cost competitive for sub $260 builds with Athlon II x3's ($70) and cheaper.

The thing is if his girlfriend is browsing she doesn't need a good processor, so the intel would do just fine, but the amd is cheaper and intel and a little worse performance, My new build would be

MOBO and CPU: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 185.00$
GPU:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 75.00$ Just incase she games (you don't have to buy it)


HDD: 40.00$

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

PSU:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/ite... 35.00$

DVD: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 30.00$

RAM:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 75.00

OS: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 100$

Case: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... 50$ or http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite... same price better air flow and take of ultra thing (this is the same case I have) It uses 120mm fans! and has a pre made mic and headset plugin with 2 usb on front great case deal!.

TOTAL: 590 (and taking away vid card) 515.00$ And with sata cabels and fan i say 560-570 or 530-550.


Oh and sorry Dalauder I didn't mean to yell at you, based to my info quad cores i guess are only good for gaming and that was made in like 2008 so I feel stupid, and your apology is accepted.
Homebuilt system Expert

geekapproved said:
The reason I kept saying what Hot deals section is because in your other post you said Newegg's Hot Deals section, which doesn't exist.
I'd posted the link in Tom's Hot Deals section. But I simplified it to just link slickdeals there.
Homebuilt system Expert

Subidoo, he might not need high end, but can you really recommend an E-350 for $150 when an i3-2100 w/mobo is $190? An E-350 cannot handle everything she'll want to do in the next two years.

That E-350 is on par with Pentium D's from 2005. The i3-2100 is high end current AND cheap.

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Homebuilt system Expert

All I'm saying is that a Pentium 4 sucks and can't handle 1080p. What if she wants to watch a digital copy of 1080p 3D on her new 3D TV? An E-350 cannot handle it. That could happen next week. What do you think could happen in two years?

What if she wants to use Photoshop this year sometime? An E-350 can't handle it. The list keeps going on.

I'm not saying i7/GTX 570. I'm saying i3-2100 w/ integrated.
Homebuilt system Expert

Did anyone see how horribly bad my math was in my first post? I thought that added up to $411, but it was $514! Wow! I still stand by an i3-build though.
Homebuilt system Expert

I completely disagree with the combo you linked for 1 important reason: It has a no-name PSU. It is dangerous to use a cheap PSU. Most of the time when components die, it is due to a bad PSU.

"AMD pc are so much cheaper and about the same performance." Please find me a benchmark that implies AMD wins on performance within $50 on price at any point. I love AMD, but it's bad advice until Llano gets wide release and Bulldozer comes out.

You're completely right that he doesn't need an i3. But do you think he'll need to upgrade that E5700 combo in two years? The answer is yes. And if he spends $250 again then, why not have spent $400 once and have a better computer the entire time? And to be completely clear, that build does not do video nearly as well as an i3 or include a DVD drive.

He said his budget was $400 to $600. Can you honestly tell me that the experience using an E5700 is the same as an i3-2100? Because I feel like the Q9400 I use at work is much worse than my home build. There are numerous areas where it makes a difference on a daily basis and my OC'd Q9400 blows an E5700 out of the water!
Homebuilt system Expert

If you don't have a great review as a reference (see http://jonnyguru.com for examples), I wouldn't trust any PSU outside of Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, Silverstone, or XFX. There are also some more expensive lines like PC Power & Cooling that are consistently amazing.

Other brands tend to overrate their wattages (like a 600W that can only provide 350W is VERY common), have out of spec voltage fluctuation, and generally just damage your components over time.

Here's what kind of review your typical cheap PSU might get: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&fil...

Since you said that the microcenter website is an option, can you go to a local micro center? If you can, they have a buy the AMD processor and get a motherboard free (or at a discount).




gerry410 said:
Hey all, I wanna put a low budget pc together for my girlfriend. She's big on facebook, itunes and photos. I don't need a good video card or a powerful processor. I don't wanna go overboard if its not necessary. Any advise on appropriate hardware for the needs is appreciated.


Approximate Purchase Date: May, 2011

Budget Range: from $400.00 to $600.00 After Rebates

System Usage : surfing the internet, itunes, u tube

Preferred Website: newegg.com, micro center, directron

Country of Origin: USA

I'm not sure what processor is best. It's not going to be a gaming rig but more for general use.

Overclocking: No

Tanks y'all

Homebuilt system Expert

Well I for one thought that your geek bitch slapping session was completely un-called for, and Im not surprised you scared the poor guy off....he just needed a 'net mule for his GF and you all turned it into this??

BTW I wouldnt buy from Tiger D if they gave it away, bunch of hacks there... TTFN!
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