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PC for My Father

H

hazexban

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Oct 20, 2004
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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing?

This PC will be for my father. It will be used mostly for using an older version of OrCAD (some electrical schematic design software, running his QuickBooks, Word, PDF Creation, etc. He runs his own Avionics and Airworthiness company on the side.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

I'd like to keep it to 400 or less total. 500 is probably the max.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

US, NJ, Boonton 07005. About 20 minutes from a MicroCenter I think.

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.

To assist in a quick transition I am going to go from scratch. I will need a case (anything that will fit the parts suggested. A PSU and from another build I just did sounds like I should get the same Corsair PSU. Motherboard, CPU, RAM , HD, DVD burner. Also need a graphics card, not for gaming but he does use dual display. So I guess the cheapest card that handles dual displays.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

Not reusing, will basically need to unplug the old one and hook this one up after we transfer files.

6) Will you be overclocking?

No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?

Dual Display 21.5'' Asus monitors. I believe the native resolution is 1920 x 1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

ASAP

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 need for any thing, though I guess USB 3.0 could be a perk but I doubt any USB memory sticks or his portable HD are USB 3.0 compliant.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

Will have to purchase a new license, he still using XP. I would like to go with Windows 7 64 Bit, probably Home since it is cheaper unless there is a good reason to go with Professional.

Thanks!
 
for dual monitors, there are a ton of cheaper motherboards that support dual displays (DVI + HDMI or VGA) so if you got a CPU with Intel graphics or an APU from AMD, you probably wouldn't need a discrete graphics card. however, i have no idea how intense your father's orCAD program is. also, buying win7 home oem is going to be a $100 chunk out of your budget.
 
Thanks for the heads. I will probably pick up the tab for the OS, we will stick with 400 just for the hardware. I don't think the program graphically intense, it's 2d with just lots of lines.
 
$150 - Intel Core i3 3225 CPU + MSI B75MA-P45 Intel B75 mATX Motherboard Microcenter Combo.
$45 - Corsair CMV8GX3M1A1333C9 8GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$57 - Seagate Spinpoint ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$16 - LG iHAS124-04 DVD Burner
$45 - Corsair 430CX V2 430W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
---
Total: $363 shipped.
 
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honestly that cpu/mobo is a good value and at that price range, most boards will come with onboard video out like that. the 6450 you have is about on par with the HD4000 graphics of the i3 - 3225. here is a gpu hierarchy, if you CTRL + F and type in 6450, you will find it right above the intel 4000.
 
hazexban said:
How much would you alter the CPU and MB selection now that we can take video support out of the equation? I apologize for not realizing this sooner!
Click to expand...
I wouldn't alter anything. As noted above, that CPU and mobo combo is one of the better deals now for a CPU and motherboard. So even if you used that dedicated GPU, I'd still recommend the Intel Core i3 3225 CPU + MSI B75MA-P45 Intel B75 mATX Motherboard Microcenter Combo.
 
Danny Bui said:
I wouldn't alter anything. As noted above, that CPU and mobo combo is one of the better deals now for a CPU and motherboard. So even if you used that dedicated GPU, I'd still recommend the Intel Core i3 3225 CPU + MSI B75MA-P45 Intel B75 mATX Motherboard Microcenter Combo.
Click to expand...

Excellent, appreciate the help from you and BigTed. I am so out of the loop with hardware it's not even funny.

I will be picking up what you have recommended. That case is also pretty sweet!
 
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