Building a PC for parents. Need suggestions.

[Gundown64]

Approximate Purchase Date: Sooner the better

Budget Range: ~$400 max

System Usage from Most to Least Important: browsing internet, reading emails, light gaming.

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, RAM, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: 1440x900

So my parents need a PC. They got my old Alienware computer from '05 and it just can't keep up with all the new stuff out now. So I need to get them a new one. My parents only read their emails and do internet browsing, but my younger brother does some light gaming; Minecraft would be the most resource intense. So we'll need something that can handle that. Also, I already have 4gb of DDR3 RAM so no ram is needed either. Here's what I have so far, let me know what you think and what I can do to get the best bang for my buck.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147111
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128516
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103942
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136770
Already own this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211364

Not sure if I need an optical drive or not though. I think I can resuse the old one, but I have no idea on how to check if it's compatible with that mobo. Help on that would be great.

 

[ps3hacker12]

i would reccommend this PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

and this case might be one you might like:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147112

is that optical drive IDE or sata?

and why not get this HDD instead?:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701

 

[striker410]

Hi there, welcome to the forums.
Looks good! The PC you built is a little overkill, but still an excellent machine. It will work quite well!

The only thing missing is an OS. I assume you need one of those? If so, you'll need this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

You need to check the DVD drive for Sata or IDE. If it's sata, you can reuse it!

Cheers!

 

[Gundown64]

i would reccommend this PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

and this case might be one you might like:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154108

is that optical drive IDE or sata?

and why not get this HDD instead?:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check on the sata or IDE. I'll open it up in a little bit. Does the age of the machine (around 6 years old) lead to one or the other?

 

[ps3hacker12]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check on the sata or IDE. I'll open it up in a little bit. Does the age of the machine (around 6 years old) lead to one or the other?

if its about 6 years old i'd bet its an IDE drive. Also if you want a small form factor PC you could look into a mini-ITX build.

 

[Onus]

Agree on the PSU. That Thermaltake (or any PSU with a little voltage switch on it) is poopy. There's a good deal on the 80+ bronze 430W Antec Earthwatts too; a little better than the Builder, but they're both fine.

 

[Gundown64]

Alright, I changed the PSU to the Antec Earthwatt. Looks good. More suggestions/comments?

 

[cin19]

newegg has the shell shocker sale now, Antec Three Hundred + BP430 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 430W Power Supply $60
http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx?cm_sp=ShellShocker-_-11-129-065-_-08102011_3

Core i3-2100/4GB/1TB WiFi Upgrade Kit $276
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679860

you can add DVD, i know you have the RAM, but those are in your budget range.

 

[striker410]

While we are throwing around PSU's, I thought I'd throw in this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817815007&Tpk=xigmatek%20400w While it IS Xigmatek, it's quite highly rated, especially for the price. http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/xigmatek_nrppc402/7.htm