[SFF case/psu] New to SFF, could use a nudge in the right direction

Danly

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Messages
116
I'm building a SFF pc for a family member (she hates those "huge ugly boxes"). I've got my mobo, processor, ram etc picked out, but I'm coming up short on the case/psu. I hunted around a bit, looking at all the clueless old lady (tm) builds, but it seems like everyone is reccomending dell. Her husband will be providing tech support, so that's of no concern to me.

She's got a tight budget, so I'm looking for a cheap matx case that includes a power supply, and is reasonably quiet. I think it'll need about a 300W psu (judging from the parts below, plus a few usb devices). By cheap, I mean ~$50 if possible. I've skimped all I could on the other parts (her husband insisted on s939, 1gb of ram and a dvdrw that I'm sure only he's going to use).

I see the Qpack's look awesome, and are pretty popular, but at $75 would be breaking her budget. Any help would be much appreciated.
The Foxconn 3GT 350W is what I'm considering, but I could definitely use some input.

Other parts are
a64 3000+ venice
MSI RS482M4-ILD with onboard video
1gb corsair value select
NEC dvdrw/cdrw drive
various other parts cannibalized from previous systems
 
I like the fact that you're looking at a steel case as it will provide the best durability for your family member I also like that it comes with 2 fans. That said, I'd also like to add that the case is UGLY!

With the memory I would reccommend 2x512 vs a 1gig stick to take advantage of the dual channels. If you go with G. Skill you will also save about $10 over the Corsair.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231027
 
Thanks for the tip, I'll probably go with that ram if I need to save a few bucks. I got to looking at that foxconn case I mentioned earlier, and it's 16.5" high, which is hardly micro. The looks don't matter, as the case is going to be hidden behind some sort of enclosure that'll match the decor. Guess it's back to square one.
 
Well, IDK shop around for a qpack, That's pretty much your best bet with "cheap" mATX. I think I remember MassiveOverkill getting his Qpack off Xoxide for like $40 or $45. You could also look for the Chenming version of the qpack, those may be cheaper.
 
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