Please Reveiw - Building a Budget PC for 2nd Grader

[Chicago60]

Thanks for your kind suggestions and review

Approximate Purchase Date: In 2 weeks or less

Budget Range: $400 - $500

System Usage from Most to Least Important – Building for a 2nd grader to do homework (school website links), Microsoft Word, YouTube and simple online games

Parts Not Required: Monitor Samsung SyncMaster 216BW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001236

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: AMD CPU

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: Using existing http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001236

Additional Comments: Need a quite case with quite fans recommendation

Computer Case - $84.99 +$5.99 Shipping. Total = $90.98

Antec Three Hundred + BP430 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 430W Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129065

CPU - $79.99

AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor ADX455WFGMBOX

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103911

Motherboard -$69.99+$6.98 shipping = $76.97

BIOSTAR A880GZ AM3+ AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138345

Memory - $29.99

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180

DVD Writer $21.99

LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 – OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Hard Drive - $79.99 +6.29 Shipping = $86.28

HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299

Speakers - $22.99

Logitech S-220 17 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System – OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121014

Keyboard & Mouse - $26.99

Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 920-002950 Black 8 Function Keys USB RF Wireless Standard Keyboard and Mouse

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126197

Wifi Card – Already purchased

Rosewill RNX-N300X IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0 PCI Wireless Adapter (2T3R) Up to 300Mbps Wireless Download Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, WPA PSK and WPA2 PSK (TKIP and AES) Vista/Win7

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166051

Monitor – Giving my existing Samsung 216BW

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001236

Total Cost Including Shipping = $431.92

 

[Chicago60]

Disregard the first build. I already purchased Logitech speakers and discovered CPU/MB error (AM3/AM3+)

I don’t know anything about A-Series APU AMDs, so please suggest if I should go that route. My Monitor would then need DVI to HDMI cable.

How is this set-up….considering someone takes a look at it.

Approximate Purchase Date: In 2 weeks or less

Budget Range: $400 - $500

System Usage from Most to Least Important – Building for a 2nd grader to do homework (school website links), Microsoft Word, YouTube and simple online games

Parts Not Required: Monitor Samsung SyncMaster 216BW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824001236

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: AMD CPU

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: Using existing http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824001236

Additional Comments: Need a quite case with quite fans recommendation

Computer Case

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

PSU
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033

CPU

AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor ADX455WFGMBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103911

Motherboard

BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138283

Memory

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231180

DVD Writer
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204


Hard Drive

HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822145299


Keyboard & Mouse - $26.99

Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 920-002950 Black 8 Function Keys USB RF Wireless Standard Keyboard and Mouse

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823126197

Wifi Card – Already purchased

Rosewill RNX-N300X IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0 PCI Wireless Adapter (2T3R) Up to 300Mbps Wireless Download Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, WPA PSK and WPA2 PSK (TKIP and AES) Vista/Win7

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833166051

Monitor – Giving my existing Samsung 216BW

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824001236

Total Cost Including Shipping = $339.69

 

[g-unit1111]

I'd hesitate to recommend an old, outdated AMD CPU with an outdated AMD motherboard when it's far outperformed by it's Intel equivalent. Also - I would not recommend Hitachi hard drives as they have a tremendously high fail rate than their Western Digital and Seagate counterparts.

Try this build instead:

- Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042 - Antec 300 - $59.99
- PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027 - Corsair CX500 - $59.99
- Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121508 - Intel BOXDH67DLCB3 - $89.99
- CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116401 - Intel Pentium Dual Core G620 - $79.99
- RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226095 - Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 1333MHz - $39.99
- HD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767 - Seagate Barracuda XT 500GB - $89.99
- Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 - Lite On Bulk DVD Burner - $17.99
- Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102922 - Sapphire Radeon HD 5450 - $34.99

Total: $467.97

 

[fb39ca4]

If this is for a 2nd grader, you can just pick up a used PC on the cheap. Pretty much anything that is not a pentium 4 or older will do fine for word, web browsing, and online games.

 

[Pezcore27]

A4-3300/HD6410D/4GB/500GB SuperCombo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.816573

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116983


I just built this combo (minus the windows 7, I used a copy of XP) for a friend's daughter. She's in 3rd grade and they wanted a basic computer for her to surf the web, do homework, look up stuff, and play simple web based games. Works very well for what he needed it for. Just add any cheap dvd drive to the combo and you're good to go.

 

[zooted]

Oh and am3+is backwards compatible with am3 processors, just to give you a heads up.

 

[Chicago60]

Thanks g-unit1111

I spent some time on your suggestions and read reviews at Newegg. Some folks have complained have noise about PSU.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Chicago60]

Thanks fb39ca4

I thought about it. I once bought a desktop from Ebay (used) and later I found this forum. I could have built a better system with help from this forum. I discarded that desktop after little use.

 

[Chicago60]

Update

I already ordered Case and DVD Burner from Newegg. DVD Burner was on sale today and It is not going to used except for OS/Software install that I have.

Case ordered - Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
DVD Burner order - LG 22X Super-Multi DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS90B - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136240

Now I need CPU/MB/Ram/PSU/Keyboard&Mouse

I am split between 3 decisions for MB/CPU. The new set-up is not going to be used no more than 1-2hrs at the most every day for MS Word and Internet surfing only. And I will leave the system as it for next 3-4 years, except if some part or monitor needs replacement.

g-unit1111’ setup will be $416.19 including shipping

CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116401
MB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121508
Ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180
PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
Video Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102922
HD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126197

pezcore27 setup will be $338.86 including shipping

CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103957
MB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128530
Ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180
PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
HD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126197
DVI to HDMI Cable - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812186012

Third Setup I can get Core i5-2500K (brand new unopened) for $120.00

This setup will be $343.71 (newegg) +$120 CPU = $463.71

CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
MB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138296
Ram - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180
PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
Video Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102922
HD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126197

My 8th grader uses this about 1-1/2 yr. old setup using this MB/CPU (internet and MS Office etc.)
CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886
MB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886

Would a Core i5 will be more useful for him in High School later this year? He is not into PC Gaming (XBOX).

I also need suggestions for a monitor upgrade ($150-$200) for my setup since I will be using my current for the new set-up
My existing MB and CPU combo is

MB - ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631
CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

Thanks for all your help. It means a lot to novices like me.