600$ Avg Computer rig

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Jul 4, 2012
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Trying to help my Uncle and Aunt get a good, sturdy normal computer to replace the "All in One!" HP garbage they got before that gave out on them.
I'm leaving the country soon, so the sooner I can help 'em, the better. I'll also be looking at little deals online to see if they actually come out ahead without building everything, though I think that's unlikely.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
***PC, Web browsing, watching videos.. Really common, low intensity stuff.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
***About 600$. Maybe a little more if need be.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
***USA, Louisiana.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
***Case, Motherboard, CPU, RAM, PSU, GPU, HDD (doesn't have to be SSD...), Optical Drive, Operating System, and Monitor. We can just find the keyboard, mouse, and speakers too easily.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
***None.
6) Will you be overclocking?
***No.
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
***Need a new monitor, hopefully 19". Nothing incredible, but nothing terrible.. <:p
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
***A.S.A.P.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
***No specific features necessary.. USB 3.0 is nice, but considering the budget, not necessary..
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
***No... I need an OS, like Windows 7. <:/


Thank you very much for your time, guys.. I know finding anything worth it's weight with this budget can be difficult, considering the monitor and OS are needed as well.. If it's impossible to find decent parts for this cheap, just go over the cost and I'll give my relatives the diagnosis. Still may end up being better/cheaper than anything they can buy in stores.. Thanks again, you altruistic souls.
 
Unless you'll have fun assembling the PC, for those requirements a good deal on HP or Dell is your best bet.

Also, do you have a MicroCenter within driving distance?
 
Its doable, but would onboard video be suffice? I ask because it doesn't look like they'll be doing anything that really requires a discrete video card and that money could go towards something they might see a benefit on (faster hdd, faster processor, more ram)
 
I have created a newegg shopping cart for you. These items might be cheaper at other retailers (also you might find them with free shipping & no tax & better coupons, etc) so you should check that out. An overall good system that i think will be great for everyday use and occasional gaming. The monitor and case can be attached to one another! Check it out:
Cimg7544-1.jpg


edit: Go for the 120watt version of this case for the A10. Not the 80 watt version in the shopping list below.

Heres the newegg list:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21704206
 
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Considering the usage, I have to agree with techbob in that you should go prebuilt here. Here check out this Dell deal:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...l_id=vostro-270s&c=us&l=en&s=soho&cs=ussoho1&

Add a monitor to that and you're basically set.

I would not go with Xpl1c1t recommendations since A) the included PSU in that case is more than likely crap and 2) the SSD isn't that good due to it being Sandforce based.
 
I contend that it should be a quite adequately performant power supply. Though 80 watts is actually too low, good thing there is a 120watt version of the case which would be perfect.
Like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/In-Win-BQ65...0347?pt=US_Computer_Cases&hash=item2ec2ece3db

To back up my claim, here is a review of a similar case made by the same company; i.e. its power supply is built by the same company. The In-Win Diva: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/In-Win-Diva-Case-Review/931/6
you may note that the PSU pretty much qualifies for an 80 Plus rating...

Anyway, i think the system would be great for your family rather than buying them some off the shelf hunk of junk with godawful component selection. No matter how technologically inept they are, they will absolutely be able to tell the difference between the the cruddy prebuilt systems marketed to budget-minded buyers and this system with an SSD, quad core A10, fast integrated graphics, and IPS monitor.

I can personally vouch for the Callisto deluxe SSD, ive been using the exact same model in my home system for the last 3 years without problems. Its a great drive for slapping on an operating system and some applications. There will not be room for much storage however, though i suspect that your family member will likely not be downloading and/or saving multiple gigabytes of miscellaneous data to their system so it shouldnt be a problem. You can always get a USB 3.0 external hard drive for storage!
 
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another monitor option is the LG ips224v which should be better than the asus @ the same price

find both monitors reviewed here:
asus: http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2012/review-asus-vs229h-part8.html#Conclusion
LG: http://www.prad.de/new/monitore/test/2012/test-lg-ips234v-pn-teil7.html#Fazit (23" version but identical is all respects but size)

buy it @ $150 shipped from nothingbutsoftware.com using coupon code: CSNAPSHOT10
http://www.nothingbutsoftware.com/P...-x-1080167-Million-Colors10001DVIHDMIVGABlack
 
I contend that it should be a quite adequately performant power supply. Though 80 watts is actually too low, good thing there is a 120watt version of the case which would be perfect.
Like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/In-Win-BQ65...0347?pt=US_Computer_Cases&hash=item2ec2ece3db

To back up my claim, here is a review of a similar case made by the same company; i.e. its power supply is built by the same company. The In-Win Diva: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/In-Win-Diva-Case-Review/931/6
you may note that the PSU pretty much qualifies for an 80 Plus rating...
Two problems with your claim:
1) You haven't conclusively shown that the PSUs in either of the cases that you recommended are actually based on the same exact platform as the 160W PSU in the HS review. While the PSUs may be made by the same manufacturer and are of the same PSU line, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're of the same platform as we've seen with other PSU companies. For example, while the Corsair HX650 and HX750 share the same model line, they're based on entirely different platforms. Or how the AX650 and HX650 share the same manufacturer but are based on different Seasonic platforms. Since apparently there's a size difference between the IP-AD160-2 and IP-AD80A7-2/IP-AD120A7-2, that may have required Inwin/Powerman to cut corners in the PSU design.

2) Even if you can show that the Inwin PSUs are based on the same platform, there's still another problem with the HS review: The PSU was basically tested at borderline room temperature. As such its performance is only good if the PSU is outside of the case. Inside the case however, that PSU will perform differently due to the higher temperatures. Considering how somewhat close that PSU was to surpassing the ATX specifications at a mere 32C, that doesn't bode well when the PSU is in a case that's 40C to 45C. In other words, that PSU review isn't indicative of the actual real world performance of the PSU.

In addition, 80Plus rating doesn't mean that much these days:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/04/80_plus_irrelevant_to_you_when_buying_psu

I can personally vouch for the Callisto deluxe SSD, ive been using the exact same model in my home system for the last 3 years without problems.
Still doesn't change the fact that it's a Sandforce based SSD which plenty of people have had issues with in the past. If the OP does decide to go DIY for this, he should at least get a good quality SSD like the Crucial M4 series and not some old Sandforce model.

EDIT: I should point out that for some reason HS chose to do that particular Inwin PSU review at a much lower temperature than their other PSU reviews. In fact, the review that HS did of the Thermaltake XT 775 six days before that Inwin review was tested at a firm 45C room temperature.
 
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I would go with Danny's recommendation unless you're just determined to build a custom computer, then I'd get a suggestion with a better build.
 
Laptop? With peripherals at a desk. Seems to be alot more popular as it can be used around the house and on a monitor when needed.
 
,,,You guys are amazing. Thank you all so much; I think I'll go with the 120watt power supply, and avoid the Dell because it's specs are just so.. I told them this would be kind of like an upgrade, and the Dell's not really that.. ^ ^;; Thank you very much, again. ::bows::
 
PS~ I'm going to look at other PSU options and SSD options with the qualms that've been voiced here. :p
 
The 120watt psu in that case will be more than alright?
Based on what exactly?You haven't addressed the two points I made earlier.
,,,You guys are amazing. Thank you all so much; I think I'll go with the 120watt power supply, and avoid the Dell because it's specs are just so.. I told them this would be kind of like an upgrade, and the Dell's not really that.. ^ ^;; Thank you very much, again. ::bows::
I still say that's a pretty bad idea but its your family, not mine. Good luck with the build.
 
PSS~ And probably an onboard Video card... Speed and reliability's what they need - not power.
 
PSS~ And probably an onboard Video card... Speed and reliability's what they need - not power.

Not sure what you're talking about here: Both the setups that Xpl1c1t and I posted both have onboard video. So not sure what you need to keep looking for onboard video.
 
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