Extremely Low Budget Build

G

Goran

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
Messages
390
My parents are going to be purchasing my little brother a new computer very soon. I was just wondering what the best COA would be regarding this purchase. I believe the budget is around $300-$400. A little over/under should fly. My little brother will be using it for a little bit of everything including homework, internet, and some games like Hellgate London.

They want to purchase a generic computer from Best Buy/Circuit City most likely. I was just wondering if you guys know of any name brand models that would work in this situation. Most probably won't come with a good GPU so the lower the overall price of the tower the more he can invest into a better video card.

If you know of any name brands that might work for us please let me know. I am also considering building it myself as I have the OS already among other things. Perhaps a barebone kit would work here?

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

Edit: Forgot to mention that this PC will probably NOT be getting replaced anytime soon. The last one managed to stick around for 7 years. So it's safe to assume he'll be using this for a long long time. Of course upgrades will performed but probably not to the mobo nor the CPU. So ideally the processor should be able to chug along for the next several years.
 
Here's what I'm building for my girlfriend. I only spent $408 after shipping after finding some better deals (Not from Newegg).

Final-1.jpg


I don't know how well that'll be able to game, though. Just something to consider.

I know you couldn't get a machine with 4GB of RAM and quality components for that money.

You could always get a cheaper motherboard and less RAM.

Edit due to your edit: This CPU should be able to easily clock to 2.5-3GHz for longevity.
 
Thanks for the build. That looks like a well rounded machine and I can cut some corners by cutting out the DVD burner and getting a cheaper case as well as a smaller hdd. I might be able to muster up some other stuff which would give me some money to work with for a decent low/mid range video card.
 
I saw a really nice looking Acer system while walking through Wal-Mart recently (I was surprised by some of the systems I saw, alot of them looked really good for their price range).

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9714615

Phenom, 3 gigs of DDR2 memory, a big 500GB hard drive, and Vista HP, all for $560. That should last them a good while since it looks like they don't do anything intensive (thats also you don't need to worry about it being a Phenom 9500, theres no way in hell the TLB bug will ever come close to affecting them). If you want, you can replace the Phenom with something else, and it comes with an open PCI-E x16 slot if you want to drop in a discrete graphics card (for those times when you need to hijack their comp for gaming ;))

The big drawback though is that it doesn't come with a monitor.
 
To tailor UncleDavid218's build to your needs, drop to 2GB of RAM, and probably upgrade the vidcard, though many RPGs arent very demanding.

Don't get a cheaper case unless its the same brand with the same Earthwatts PSU or better. Thats the minimum case/PSU combo I'd suggest as far as bang for buck, since its great quality for the money (though it used to be $60 on sale). Many other case/psu combos aren't very good and not worth the money. So, whatever you find, post it here first so we can help you figure out if its good or not.

Does a monitor need to be included in that $400 budget?

if so...

enginurd said:
There's a monthly/weekly dell deal for a Vostro 200 priced at $399 that comes with the following specs (specs change slightly each time the deal comes around):

  • Pentium Dual Core E2180 (Allendale) 2.0Ghz 1MB L2 Cache 800Mhz FSB
  • Intel GMA 3100 integrated graphics
  • 1GB DDR2-667 (2x512MB) PC2-5300
  • 160GB 7200 SATA300 16MB Cache
  • DVDRW SATA optical drive
  • 305W PSU + microATX mini tower
  • Windows Vista Home Basic or XP Home
  • Dell E207WFP 20" LCD Monitor
  • Dell USB Keyboard and Mouse

Theres other dell deals, too, if you'd like something beefier... like an inspiron desktop quad core system alone (if you don't need a monitor) for $499:


Check gotapex.com for more details on those dell deals. They usually come with free shipping, and I said earlier, minor specs change from time to time (last week, the monitor that came with the Vostro 200 was a 19" instead of a 20"... this week its a DVD ROM instead of a burner... etc).
Click to expand...
 
You an always go the AMD route and get the 8200 chipset or a 780 Chipset that will boost low end graphic cards. CPU are slightly cheaper good enough for a few years.

I believe Intel should have teh 8200 chipset soon as well.

Agree with 2GB memory.

You can also use the H forums to buy stuff cheap!

I would get a 780G chipsert board or 8200 chipset board to "play" even on low setting and save $ lil by little and as cards get cheaper and then buy a VC later.
 
Monitor is not a requirement sorry I forgot to mention that.
 
If he's into alien/extraterrestrial, Xoxide.com has the Alien-X case for just under $70 shipped, and it's a pretty cool looking case. Also, strike me down for saying so, but I built a pretty decent system for my wife including monitor for about $400/$450, using a PCChips motherboard, with video integrated. Though that was a couple of years ago. It is still running strong too.
 
Intel® Boxed Pentium® Dual-Core Processor E2160
http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0280361
$50 + $6 shipping

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337
$90 + $8 shipping

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565
$51.50 - $25 MIR

Antec NSK4480 w/ Antec Earthwatts 380W PSU
http://www.buy.com/prod/antec-new-s...atts-380w-psu-silver/q/loc/101/204901695.html
$80 - $4 with 5% off coupon

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262
$60

Samsung SH-S203B
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153&Tpk
$27

EVGA 384-P3-N851-AR GeForce 8800GS 384MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130332
$120 + $7 shipping - $30 MIR


Subtotal: $474.50
Shipping: $21
Mail In Rebates: $55
Total: $440.50

Only 2 rebates through EVGA and Crucial which are rock solid (EVGA rebates being especially speedy). E2160 will overclock to around 3.2-3.4Ghz. EVGA 8800GS handles games well at 1600x1200 and below and is quiet (unlike the XFX version). Comes in slightly over your budget but I don't think you can beat that for the $$$.
 
I think even 2 GB of RAM is overkill for "homework, internet and 'some games'". A gig should be sufficient and can always be upgraded down the line.
 
I got almost the same set up but using an E2180. That RAM is stable at advertised speeds and the E2xxx are clocking monsters.
 
Lethal said:
I think even 2 GB of RAM is overkill for "homework, internet and 'some games'". A gig should be sufficient and can always be upgraded down the line.
Click to expand...

Guess he is going XP? I mean a gig won't even boot XP SP3 will it? :D
 
Lethal said:
I think even 2 GB of RAM is overkill for "homework, internet and 'some games'". A gig should be sufficient and can always be upgraded down the line.
Click to expand...

When OP mentioned this computer was for his younger bro, I automatically assumed "homework, internet and 'some games'" really meant "tons of chat windows, Firefox with dozen tabs worth of pron, email, games, music, and bittorrent running at all times nonstop" :D
 
Lethal said:
I think even 2 GB of RAM is overkill for "homework, internet and 'some games'". A gig should be sufficient and can always be upgraded down the line.
Click to expand...

And? You can't get much cheaper than $25, so why bother cutting memory below 2GB?

Would be a shame to toss out a deal that good, when you're talking about $10 difference.
 
defaultluser said:
And? You can't get much cheaper than $25, so why bother cutting memory below 2GB?

Would be a shame to toss out a deal that good, when you're talking about $10 difference.
Click to expand...

It's $52. It's gonna take some time for that rebate check to get into one's hands. So until you get that rebate check back, it's still $52.
 
If you brother doesn't really game much, I recommend looking for one of the Dell deals.

Toaster Oven has a really good build -- which UncleDavid218 has a variant of -- but if you're not willing to raise your budget to around $500, here's what I suggest you do to bring it closer to $400:
  • Swap out the GA-EP35-DS3L with the GA-P31-S3G. The DS3L is the better board, especially if you're considering overclocking, but the S3G can support (most, if not all of) the same processors.
  • Get a cheaper set of RAM, like the G.Skill 2x1GB DDR2 800 set. If your brother (really... I mean seriouslly) isn't going to use this computer for gaming -- and you're using Windows XP -- then you could settle for one 1GB stick now and buy the second one later.
  • If you have older parts that still work -- like a CD/DVD drive or a hard drive -- use those instead of getting new ones. However, you will benefit more from a hard drive that uses the SATA interface than from one that still uses IDE.
  • Truthfully, in order to get this build down to $400 or less, you'll have to get a lower-end video card -- along the lines of either an HD3450 or an 8500GT. But the video card you should get really depends on the monitor that your brother's using and the games he plans on playing with this system. Anything lower than the 8800GS won't really cut it for gaming.
Even with those above changes, the shipping costs would push this build upwards towards $450. So if you can't increase your budget (I recommend pushing it up to around $500), you should look for a deal on a Dell system and then try to save up for a video card to put in later.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still looking around the local retail shops to see if anything strikes me as a good deal. We will probably be putting Windows XP on it, yes. As for gaming it's nothing that demanding as I said currently he is playing Hellgate London but he has played WoW before. And I don't know if he will or will not be picking up AoC or Warhammer but probably one of the two. His monitor is the AGM 19 inch 1440x900. I really like it and it's perfect for him. So I'll even go as far as to say that the 8800 might be overkill for him.
 
If you're considering either Age of Conan or Warhammer, then again, the 8800GS is the miminum you should get. (The 9600GT would play those games better, but it obviously costs more than you could afford.)
 
tiraides said:
If you're considering either Age of Conan or Warhammer, then again, the 8800GS is the miminum you should get. (The 9600GT would play those games better, but it obviously costs more than you could afford.)
Click to expand...

I think an HD 3850 512MB is the lowest card he should get if he's going to play AoC or Warhammer Online.
 
AndonSage said:
I think an HD 3850 512MB is the lowest card he should get if he's going to play AoC or Warhammer Online.
Click to expand...

Based on the prices that I've seen, the HD3850 is at least $10 more than the 8800GS.

But until the OP tells us what his plans are, we're not really offering him any useful information.
 
Here's what I'm working with so far:

Case: Undecided
PSU: Undecided
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-G31M-S2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
GFX: EVGA 384-P3-N851-AR GeForce 8800 GS 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
RAM: G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5S-2GBPQ - Retail
CPU: Intel Pentium E2180 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2180 - Retail
Keyboard: LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard - Retail
DVD-RW: SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM

Total so far after shipping: $424.31

We already have a good AGM 19" LCD monitor and the OS. Any advice on the PSU and Case? I know a lot of you guys are recommending the Antec with the 380W but the newegg reviews don't look at good. What we need to do is figure out a way to cut the total cost after shipping to about $450 or less.
 
Don't rely on just NewEgg reviews -- the majority of them are written by people who have no clue what they're talking about. Check out some hardware review sites for reviews and feedback on the cases and PSUs you're interested in getting.

Toaster Oven's build, along with my suggestions, is the best way (I could think of) to build a system close to your $450 limit.
 
Toaster Oven said:
When OP mentioned this computer was for his younger bro, I automatically assumed "homework, internet and 'some games'" really meant "tons of chat windows, Firefox with dozen tabs worth of pron, email, games, music, and bittorrent running at all times nonstop" :D
Click to expand...

hahaha. awesome.
 
take Newegg reviews with a grain of salt. A good majority of the reviews on newegg are written by PC noobs or people who have no idea what they're talking about. So don't rely too much on Newegg reviews. Main example why Newegg reviews should be taken lighty: Shitty Apevia PSUs' getting a rating of 4 to 5 stars.

I've worked with the NSK4480 and it's 380W PSU. It's a decent Case/PSU combo and is more than enough for your bro's needs. I highly recommend it.

Anyway, drop that 8800GS and go with the 9600GSO instead. The 9600GSO is exactly the same as the 8800GS but renamed to draw more buyers:
Asus EN9600GSO TOP/HTDP/384M GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB PCI-E Video Card - $105

If you have a Microcenter nearby, you can pick up the E2180 there for $60.

Also drop down the drive to a 320GB drive to cut out $15:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $65

But I really can't recommend dropping the mobo, case/PSU, or CPU any lower. I say pony up the extra cash and get a decent PC for $500 (once the NSK4480's price is factored in)
 
I agree, the Antec case and PSU combos are the best way to save money on the case/psu (unless you can find an Ultra Wizard and V series 500W for $0AR like the good old days of 2007). The EA380 is really skewed to its +12V rail, so despite its overall low power rating, its heavy where it counts -- the +12v rail is where modern systems draw most of their power anyhow.
 
Howdy. Everything is up and running! Here is the flickr gallery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28044980@N04/

I've also uploaded pictures of the bios options for overclocking. What I would like to do is push this from 2.0Ghz to 3.0Ghz or close to it.
What do you guys recommend I do knowing what parts I have? Just look at the options available and tell me what to change! Thanks!!!!
 
Try these...
CPU Clock Ratio: 9
CPU Host Clock Control: Enabled
CPU Host Frequency: 333
PCI Express Frequency: 100
Performance Enhance: Standard
System Memory Multiplier: 2.00 (DDR2-667), since host frequency*2=667
Leave DRAM Timing on Auto for now
System Voltage Control: Manual
CPU Voltage Control: one notch above Normal CPU Vcore (eg. 1.35v)

Also, go into PC Health Status...
Smart FAN Control Method: Disable

Boot into windows, run CPU-Z, run CoreTemp, check your temps (make sure they never go above 60°C, idle should be under 30°C), run Orthos SmallFFTs for 24 hours and check temps throughout the day. If Orthos crashes, bump the VCore up one more notch and try again.
 
Hellgate london's requirement is around that of COD4, so you'd probably want something like a 9600gt or equivalent for smooth play.
 
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