Cheap System Build

[olski1]

Hello,

Looking to build a cheap as chips system. All i need is cpu, mobo, gpu,Sound Card? and Case i have the other components. I literally just want a compact system that i will be using to hook up to my tv through HDMI input and optical Surround sound system so i can watch HD videos and stream videos to my tv screen.

So I dont need anything powerfull at all. just enough to get that job done. With only real requirments HDMI and Optical sound output

 

[olski1]

forgot mention RAM is needed aswell

 

[Onus]

Ok, here's a build. My focus was on "cheap," while maintaining sufficient quality to keep a clear conscience. The second consideration is the stated purposes, "just enough to get that job done." If you think you may do other things with this PC (e.g. play any games), this build will absolutely need to be altered.

Rosewill R102-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Model #:R102-P-BK
Item #:N82E16811147111
$29.99 $29.99
Nice small case, and the construction quality is decent, with a nearly inaudible 120mm rear fan.

XIGMATEK NRP-PC Series ACXTNRP-PC402 400W ATX12V Ver.2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Model #:ACXTNRP-PC402
Item #:N82E16817815007
$59.95 -$25.00 Instant $34.95
The only dark horse in this build, but should be decent. Another $10 buys an Antec Earthwatts, but the 80+ bronze rating on this one at least means it was able to deliver its full rated output, and do it efficiently. Under real world conditions (~35C vs 23C where 80plus tests), efficiency may be a little lower, but at this PC's low load, it really shouldn't matter.

ASUS M4A88T-M LE AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Model #:M4A88T-M LE
Item #:N82E16813131673
$84.99 -$5.00 Instant $79.99
Has the optical output you require, and onboard video sufficient for your needs. If you decide you want to play games on this system, the included PSU will have no trouble with a HD6770.

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX250OCGMBOX
Model #:ADX250OCGMBOX
Item #:N82E16819103903
$59.99 $59.99
Perfectly adequate for your stated purposes. You may wish to upgrade to a X3 or X4 if you decide you want to do more demanding tasks later.

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:WD3200AAKX
Item #:N82E16822136770
$39.99 $39.99
Cheap was the key, and assumes you won't be storing a lot of media on it. If so, you'll need a bigger and/or more drives. Alternately, if you want a system that boots up ready to go more quickly, substitute a 64GB-80GB SSD here.

SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-222AB - OEM
Model #:SH-222AB
Item #:N82E16827151233
$18.99 $18.99
You may already have an optical drive, in which case ignore this. It has free shipping though, making it even cheaper than some of the others with $4.99 shipping.

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS
Model #:F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS
Item #:N82E16820231394
$29.99 $29.99
You could slide by with a $17 2x1GB kit, but for the money, this seemed reasonable.

Subtotal: $293.89

There you have it. You can fit a couple more drives into the case. If you want smaller, you'd be looking at mini-ITX, which would actually cost a little more.
You could probably do a Llano build, but would spend somewhat more money and probably not gain anything in your intended use.