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Grandma Needs A New Computer

L

lw3d

Gawd
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
Messages
577
A Neighbor gave me $500 to build their grandchild a computer. With this money I need to get a cpu, mb, ram, and a case if the current one will not do

The current setup is a P 3 600 mhz with a enlight case and enlight 250 watt ps ... err, I guess a new case and ps will be needed to

Anyway, no gaming is done on this computer, just internet, e - mail, and rather large word processing at times with word perfect and or word

As you can tell, this person does not upgrade often so I want to get something that will last for some years

I want something that will oc too on normal cooling, the little dude wants to do this badly


Whay do you recommend ... intel or amd, does not matter



Thanks
 
why are you going to oc if it's going to be used for "just internet, e - mail, and rather large word processing?"
 
I talked to her grandchild and thats what he wants to do ... I am not talking about going crazy here, I am just talking about whats left in all cpus today :)
 
jeez... for what they do, stick in 256 total ram, give them a 40GB 7200 RPM WD, up[grade the os to 2kpro so the system wont crash...replace all the fans so they will last... and call it a day. that system is fine for those tasks as it is! tell them to save their money for when they really do need a faster machine...
 
ok i typed this big long post and when i was near done maxthon crashed, so ill try retyping it...

i would just build them a shuttle, they would think it would be pretty kewl that a computer is so small i think.

shuttle with onboard video: $150
2.4Ghz celery: $76
Western digital harddrive special edition 80gig: $60
corsair value select 3200 512M: $75
logitech keyboard and mouse oem $20
dvd/cd-burner combo drive: $40
total so far: $421 plus shipping

could probably buy some new speakers and still be able to keep it under the $500 mark
 
Multi - tasking is a must. The system crawls with the anti virus program or any program for that matter. The kid is getting older so I want to give him something that will grow with him

He wants to be able to have wordperfect going, intenet, and burn a cd at the same time ... now thats not to much to ask for

The system is also part of a small home lan. With the current setup sending large files across the lan to other computers takes forever

Arent Intels better for multitasking oh and why oc .... because he wants to. Every cpu now offers a free few houndred mghz and thats all what I am talking about here. He just wants to punch up the fsb a little
 
lw3d said:
Arent Intels better for multitasking ....
Click to expand...

No. (Not celerys at least)

Your av program shouldn't be slowing down the computer, anyway. I run AVG and don't even notice it.
 
I was going to suggest what HardD99 posted.
Bump that up to a 2.8C P4 and you will have a nice machine. Also, you can buy cheaper memory then Corsair value since you won't be OCing. Don't overclock for other people because it will just result in more trouble for you in the long run, and plus, they don't truely need the performance.

How old is the grandchild? If he is at least 8 years old or so, do consider at least dropping a GF4 Ti4200 class or better card into the machine.
 
I am kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place

I realize that for heavy duty word procesing not much is needed but there is more to factor in. The computer is part of a lan which gets used once in a while to store and transfer large files. the computer will probably have to last another several years like the P 3 has, the computer could be used by anyone in the family to do various task: even light duty photoshop, and as the kid gets older he will want to do more ... like I said, multitasking is a must

I can spend just under $300 and get a xp - m 2500, board, and ram. I know [ m ] but a free few houndred ghz did not hurt anyone

or

for a a little bit more I can get a a64 3000, board, ram

Question, arent Intels best for multitasking



Thats where I stand
 
Apart from having a dual processor system, an intel cpu with hyperthreading will be your best bet for multi-tasking.
 
Hi,



I have a question ...

Someone told me not to get a socket 754 system ... I was told that Amd will not support this in the near future and slowly phase it out. After being told this I was thinking, if that is true for the socket 754 wouldnt that be true for the socket A with a Barton [ which I was considering 2500 xp - m ].

First, is this true

Secondly, I can understand how an enthusiast might not get a Socket A or 754 today but for something that I need would it be ok even if Amd stops supporting it

I might have led this thread away by over generalizing what this youngster does but please understand that this computer is part of a family lan so it can be used for anything at anytime for the most part. That said, I really want to put together a good multi tasking computer for them. I think thats what is needed the most. I think this new computer will be the fastest one they will have

I have been completely away from the hardware scene for years. I have been doing 3d as you can tell from my dual setup thread so please come at me with models and links even

On a side note, the DFI Land Party Boards, those things look awesome, I think they would get a kick out of one of those
 
Well, you're not going to build an AMD 64 machine for $500 I can tell you that. Plus, every time I've upgraded CPUs I've also just gone ahead and bought a new mainboard to go with it, it's getting to be the norm. By the time you can justify a CPU upgrade (in terms of speed gains) there's usually a better chipset or newer technology that requires a new mainboard to go with the new CPU. Only the baddest feature rich boards from ASUS and Abit and the like break the $100 mark once prices have settled after release.

As far as multi-tasking goes, the P4 with Hyperthreading is TEH KING without going full out SMP. But an Athlon XP would let him multi-task in the situation you described just fine. My 3.0 Pentium 4 HT can re-encode video in the background while I do my other web-surfing and spreadsheet and IMing duties with impunity. Not bad for just a single processor.
 
I've been staying out of this thread but I just gotta say somethin now.
Drat, newegg's account system is down for maintainence, here ill just copy paste system components for you. trust me I am a pro at socket A, this is the best bang for the buck.

Computer Hardware> Motherboards - AMD > CHAINTECH INC. > N82E16813152045
CHAINTECH "7NJL6" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL
Model# 7NJL6
Item # N82E16813152045
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket A AMD Duron/Athlon XP
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 + MCPS
FSB: 200/266/333/400MHz MHz
RAM: 3x DIMM Supports Dual-Channel DDR266/333/400 Max 3GB
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2x PS/2, 2x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 2), 1xRJ45, Audio Ports
IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices
Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x SATA RAID with 0/1 solution (nForce2 MCPS)
Onboard Audio: CMI9761A(5.1-Ch)
Onboard LAN: RTL8101L supports 10/100Mb Fast Ethernet
Form Factor: ATX $48

Computer Hardware> Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form) > ENLIGHT > N82E16811116166
Enlight ATX Prescott Air Guide Black Mid Tower Case, Model "EN-7250-AKZ" -RETAIL
Model# EN-7250-AKZ
Item # N82E16811116166
Specifications:
Case Type: ATX Mid Tower Case
Color: Black
Material: 0.8mm thick SECC
Drive Bays: 4x 5.25" External, 2x 3.5" External, 1x 3.5" Internal
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2x USB 2.0
Power Supply: 300W
Cooling System: 1x 80mm rear fan
Motherboard Compatibility: ATX
Dimensions (WxHxD): 7.5" x 16.8" x 18.9"
Weight: 25 lbs
Features: TAC solution - Prescott air guide w/ SATA power supply $46.75

Computer Hardware> Processors > AMD > N82E16819104210
AMD Sempron 2400+ 1.667GHz, Socket A Processor - Retail
Model# SDA2400BOX
Item # N82E16819104210
Specifications:
Manufacturer: AMD
Model: SDA2400BOX
Core: Thorton
Operating Frequency:1.667GHz
FSB: 333MHz
Cache: 256K (exclusive) L2 cache; 128KB L1 cache
Voltage: 1.65
Process:0.13Micron
Socket: Socket A
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail (Box with Heatsink and fan) $61

Computer Hardware> Video Cards > SAPPHIRE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED > N82E16814102300
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9200SE Video Card, 128MB DDR, 64-bit, TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK OEM Lite Box
Model# Radeon 9200SE 128M
Item # N82E16814102300
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9200SE/200MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/333MHz
BUS: AGP 4X/8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out(S-Video/Composite Out)
Support 3D API: DirectX®8.1, OpenGL®1.3
Cable/Accessories: Driver CD
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz $45

Computer Hardware> Floppy Drives > SAMSUNG > N82E16821103203
Samsung Black 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy Disk Drive, Model SFD321B/LBL1, OEM Drive Only
Model# SFD321B/LBL1
Item # N82E16821103203
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44MB
Average Access Time: not specified
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5 inch
Media Type: All Standard 1.44MB & 720KB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes
Features: Easy to Install, Just Plug & Play, For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers
Packaging: OEM 1 Year Warranty $6.75

Computer Hardware> Hard Drives > WESTERN DIGITAL > N82E16822144122
Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only
Model# WD800JB
Item # N82E16822144122
Specifications:
Capacity: 80GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: High-performance with 8MB Buffer
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only $58

Computer Hardware> Memory (System Memory) > PDP SYSTEMS / PATRIOT MEMORY > N82E16820220026
PDP SYSTEMS 184-Pin 512MB PC-2700, Model PSD512333 - Retail
Model# PSD512333
Item # N82E16820220026
Specifications:
Manufacturer: PDP SYSTEMS
Speed: DDR333(PC2700)
Type: 184-Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 2.7GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64-Bit
Warranty: Lifetime $70

Computer Hardware> CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives) > TOSHIBA AMERICA > N82E16827130034
TOSHIBA 16X Black DVD±RW Internal Drive , Model SD-R5372 OEM
Model# SD-R5372 BLK W/SW
Item # N82E16827130034
Specifications:
Write Speed: 5x DL DVD+R 16X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 12X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/2000/Me/98SE
Features: Horizontal or Vertical Mount
Packaging: OEM $73
Click to expand...
Totals to 408.50 plus shipping leaving a nice chunk of change for you, or you can ditch the DVDRW and actually buy them an OS ;)
 
Drop the floppy (who the hell uses those anyways now?), the DVD burner (I doubt the kid or the granny are going to be burning DVDs.. well the kid might from stuff off P2P) and get some brand name memory (generic or unknow brand stuff is okay for you but your building it for someone else who know jack about PCs). Replace with these:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-932&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-026&depa=0

One more thing: Never buy anything labeled "SE," we all know what that stands for. :rolleyes:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-125-152&depa=0
OR
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-125-153&depa=0
 
CrimandEvil said:
Drop the floppy (who the hell uses those anyways now?), the DVD burner (I doubt the kid or the granny are going to be burning DVDs.. well the kid might from stuff off P2P) and get some brand name memory (generic or unknow brand stuff is okay for you but your building it for someone else who know jack about PCs). Replace with these:
Click to expand...
do your homework before calling things names. that memory is made by kingston.
who uses floppies? grannies and kids with homework. who the heck is getting the comnputer!?!????:rolleyes:
burning DVDs? yeah got a point.
SE? well think its a KID and a GRANNY. if the kid wants to game later he can get a vidcard on his own, jeez. good find on the gigabyte card tho.
 
CrimandEvil said:
"And I totally agree about the girls with dremels thing...gotta find me one of those - my ex could turn on a computer and get it loaded with spyware...that's about it." -Siege
Click to expand...
hm. I dont use dremels they are too crummy and weak. I like my 3" hole saw:D
 
Huh? WTF are you talking about? Calling names? What? I build PCs for people and I don't know about you but I perfer to use know quality parts for them. I didn't know that they were a part of Kingston but even so the Corsair is only $4 more. :rolleyes:

I still don't know anyone that uses floppies now, not even my Aunt, Uncle nor my Grandmother. Not even my little borther uses one for homework. They all use a USB flash drives now (seriously). :rolleyes:

I'm not even going to touch the Dremel thing since I have now idea what your talking about.
 
CrimandEvil said:
Huh? WTF are you talking about? Calling names? What? I build PCs for people and I don't know about you but I perfer to use know quality parts for them. I didn't know that they were a part of Kingston but even so the Corsair is only $4. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Corsair RAM for $4??? WHERE?
heh. you obviously havent researched them STILL. >edit me and my big mouth<.
and get some brand name memory (generic or unknow brand stuff
Click to expand...
there are the names you called the ram.
that stuff is far from generic or unknown stuff. the stick I showed has better stats then the stick you linked to, has a lifestime warranty, and is less expensive. also it overclocks better. go read the reviews that are popping up all over the net on them.
I still don't know anyone that uses floppies now, not even my Aunt, Uncle nor my Grandmother. Not even my little borther uses one for homework. They all use a USB flash drives now (seriously). :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
oh? how do you get the RAID SATA to work in win2k and XP upon install? this has SATA raid built in. I still use floppies on occasion too, especially for bios updates on older machines, on my main one I just boot to my ZIP disk that has DOS 6.22 installed or my DOS 6.22 partition.
I'm not even going to touch the Dremel thing since I have now idea what your talking about.
Click to expand...
look at your own signature.:rolleyes:
 
Flaming based on a person's gender is really weak and lame. I agree with HardD99's setup. Try getting one of those new Celeron D's as I've heard they're really good overclockers.
 
Jaqie was a chick? That explains some things....

Those new Cel-Ds are really good but wouldn't that eat up a good part of the budget?
 
Ressurection said:
Flaming based on a person's gender is really weak and lame. I agree with HardD99's setup. Try getting one of those new Celeron D's as I've heard they're really good overclockers.
Click to expand...
flaming because of gender..hmm.. well that sounds a little odd.. because when someone does it to me nobody gives a crap.
ah well. you're right, in that it wasn't right. I let my anger for things that have been done to me by others get to me all too often. I am sorry and shouldn't have done that. I hope there are no hard feelings...
 
As long as we're all friends. :) That thing with the generic RAM... he probably for some reason just didn't see that it was made by Kingston. I don't know anyone that would call Kingston, one of the top RAM manufacturers, generic or no-name/brand.

Crimand - The Celeron D 2.6GHz costs $88 while the 2.2GHz one costs $67.50
 
Yeah didn't see the Kingston part (already said that) and thanks for the Cel-D info, nice price. :D
 
Hi,

First, stop fighting ... granny is geting mad and bringing out the whiping stick as I type :)

I appreciate all your responses and the links to suggested parts. I will research them ... thanks again

There is $500 avaialable and it WILL be spent. $500 for five years of computing is not to much to ask for, I think this person and the family in whole desrve the most I can get nothing less

I might have led this thread away by over generalizing what this youngster does but please understand that this computer is part of a family lan so it can be used for anything at anytime for the most part. That said, I really want to put together a good multi tasking computer for them. I think thats what is needed the most. I think this new computer will be the fastest one they will have

The current system is as I said a P 3 600 with a msi BxMaster. We were going to use the harddrive which is on it, it is a older Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 45 Ultra ATA 100, model 53073H4. ... if this will be a bottle neck I will pick up a new drive

The video card is a radeon 7000 which gives them a nice screen display ... again if this is going to be a bottle neck, I will pick up another one

The floppy and cdrw from the P 3 will be used


So will these be bottle necks

Thus, I have $500 for a cpu, mb, ram, and case ... I want the best I can get with these parts only for $500

What cpu, mb, ram, and case for $500 do you suggest
 
They only need so much if they are going to do some basic things. I side with Jaqie's set up. Socket A will work for them. Multi-tasking? I don't even notice slow downs without any. If you want multi-tasking, then go for the Pentium 4 2.2 GHz and a matching basic motherboard. Not celeron. That's it, just order 'em.

-J.
 
Thanks guys, I have a question

I am slowly making my decision after reading lots of reviews but I wish someone would answer these questions

This is upgrading from a P3 600 ... is there any point to get the Intel 865 / 875 or the Socket 754 platform when going to the latest and greatest is not that much more, if at all

Reviews always say, if you are going from X to Z there is or is not any reason to go this way if you are at Y so that is the question .... since this upgrade is from something so old compared to whats out there today, shouldnt Intel 925, nforce 3, or Socket 939 be considered

Secondly, if oc is done, wont the radeon 7000 get in the way [ something about 3.3v vs, 1.5v, not sure what this card is ] ... the same question for the 30 gb Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 45 Ultra ATA 100
 
I'd change the HD. Older hard drives tend to be slower and will have a noticeable negative impact on system performance.
The old CD-RW & Floppy should be fine as long as they're in good working order.
The Radeon 7000 vid card may be a problem. It's likely a 2x 3.3V AGP card. A lot of new mobos don't support 3.3V AGP cards anymore.
For the OS I'd probably pick up XP home for $90, unless they're running a domain, then I'd get Pro. Don't buy 2k... EOL next spring.
 
$474 for cpu-mobo-case-ram -- no need to upgrade for many many years but leaves 2 spare slots for more ram and keeps them on the preferred 939-pin upgrade path. ABIT AV8 has windows uGURU for automated overclocking to keep the kid happy:

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishHistoryReview.asp?position=HISTORY&submit=VIEW&ID=1132659
  • ANTEC ATX Mid-Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700-BQE"
  • AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 512KB L2 Cache, 90nm Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail
  • ABIT "AV8" K8T800 Pro Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL
  • Kingston ValueRAM Dual Kits 184 Pin 512MB(256MBx2) DDR PC-3200
Maybe a few bucks less on case or cpu (3000+OEM is $50 less but needs fan) if shipping takes that over $500 but I don't think it will go over...

Do they need an AMD 64? Not at all, but covers a big enough jump that they are now set for MANY years with best possible future upgrade path.
 
Getting a name brand psu and an actual windows xp copy is a good idea. They may need the updates.

9200se
Sempron or Duron (the 1.8's are still a good deal)
nf7-s
512ddr
windows xp oem
cdrw
floppy
fortron/sparkle 350 watt psu
case

That should take you into the 500 range.
 
AMD 64 2800+ Retail $127.00
Epox Motherboard Nforce3 Chipset $64.00
Power Series 512MB PC-3200 $65.00
Maxtor 80GB 8MB Hard Drive $60.00
Liteon 52x CD Burner $22.00
Windows XP Home $92.00

Total is 430, you would just need case/psu/floppy

IMO, don't O/C the system you are just asking for trouble.
 
what operating system is the P3 running now? I was assuming it might have XP now and you can use that..? Or is it still Win9x?
 
Too much debating over a computer which will be used for word processing and Internet Explorer. I currently havea 1.7ghz, 256mb of ram, GeForce 3 TI200 computer and it Runs UT 2004 at medium settings on about 50 FPS average. I can run around 10-20 browser windows (Mozilla) before feeling a little lag. Get these people a socket 754 computer, a video card for $60 since the kid will need something decent if he wants to a little small gaming, Corsair Value Ram, 512 is more then enough, and some $60 mobo. I don't think you should spend over $400 on this computer, no point. If he wants to do some good gaming later on, he will need a new computer anyway so putting more money into this one won't help that much.
 
Hi guys,

I am not one of those people who are either Intel or Amd fan boys, I could care less which way I go, [ just as long as I stay away from VIA :)] but I really think I should go Intel here. I know for a fact no gaming will be done, no one in this family plays games. On the other hand, there is a pretty good chance photoshop, some light mp3 encoding, maybe even some light video work

That said, I really think Intel is the way to go here unless all the reading I have done the past few days is bs :)

Have you seen how much a decent 875 board cost ... something with all the bells and whistles like the Asus P4c800e-deluxe is close to $200 alone - yikes

I looked for a loaded Abit 875 board at newegg but it said they offer no support on the Abit boards, whats up with that? Why did they do that ... What do I do if I need to RMA a defective board, get agravated and wait a month to deal with Abit directly

=====
edit
=====

xp sp1 is on the p3 and will go on this one as well
 
well you certainly don't need an 875 board, and 865 will work just fine

the Abit AI7 comes to mind
 
Sempron 2800+ Retail $110
Shuttle an35n Ultra $55
2x256 Corsair Value PC3200 $75
Radeon 9600SE $80
Maxtor 40Gb/2Mb OEM $55
Sony 52x CD-RW Retail $25
NEC Floppy $10
Antec slk1650b $60
Rounded cables $10

~$480 + shipping
 
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