Sub $1000 NON gaming comp for a friend

[Edgar]

Building a computer for a friend that will be using the computer for office work. Needs to be under $1000 tax and shipping included. This will be for the whole thing. They have nothing that they will be reusing at all. They shouldn't be gaming on it but i want the computer to be snappy. I don't want it to bog down when visiting a flash site or anything. Thx guys!

1) What will you be doing with this PC?
Office work,web browsing,microsoft office

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000 yes tax and shipping included in the $1000

3) Where do you live?
Las Vegas,tax shouldnt apply here.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
Everything. Computer,monitor,keyboard,mouse,speakers,OS(win7) etc

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
No

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22-24 inches

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

9) What features do you need in a motherboard?
None just that its reliable

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
No

 

[exe163]

On non gaming computer you get plenty of choices, almost too much.

CPU:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214&cm_re=i7-_-19-115-214-_-Product

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131605&cm_re=p55-_-13-131-605-_-Product

RAM: Any standard ram

GPU: integrated into CPU iirc.

PSU:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...9008&cm_re=corsair_psu-_-17-139-008-_-Product

HDD: pick on, I prefer WD black of any capacity for speed, green for price.

Case: any case with micro atx.

OS: Win7 home premium. There's a deal going on at deal section.

You can tweak the rest if you need some additional features (silence, audio etc). Some times it's cheaper to just go with OEM like dell since OS alone makes up a significant part of your budget.

Overclocking is so easy now days you can do it with a press of button. If you don't mind the noise, why not?

 

[AVT]

Also, consider an SSD. It'll make the day-to-day usage of the computer MUCH faster.

 

[engiNURD]

Here's some builds to give you an idea of what you could do at the different price points... adjust accordingly. BTW, you can shop around for combo deals to get more discounts, of course.

Dual Core w/ 21.5", 2GB, & 500GB
$150 - Gateway FHD2102bmidgz 21.5" 1920x1080
$110 - Antec Sonata w/ EA500 PSU
$100 - ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 785G
$60 - AMD A2 X2 245 2.9Ghz
$55 - 2GB DDR3-1600
$55 - Samsung F3 500GB
$90 - Windows 7 Premium OEM (promo: EMCLMLS58)
$30 - SH-S223C DVD Burner
==========
$650 + tax and shipping

Quad Core w/ 23", 4GB, & SSD + 500GB
$180 - Gateway FHD2302bmidgz 23" 1920x1080
$130 - Kingston 40GB SSD
$110 - Antec Sonata w/ EA500 PSU
$100 - ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 785G
$110 - AMD A2 X4 630 2.8Ghz
$95 - 4GB DDR3-1600
$55 - Samsung F3 500GB
$90 - Windows 7 Premium OEM (promo: EMCLMLS58)
$30 - SH-S223C DVD Burner
==========
$900 + tax and shipping

... or pre-built:

This hugely popular desktop deal is back folks, and even better than before! $399 after $262 instant discount with FREE shipping (at this price point, they rarely give free shipping) gets you this:

• 21.5" Dell E2210H 1080p LCD
• Dell Vostro 220s Slim Tower desktop
• 2.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core E5300 w/VT
• 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
• 160GB HD
• 16x DVD-ROM
• Intel GMA X4500HD IGP
• Windows 7 Home Premium

Expires 1/8/10, so don't miss out.
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...cid=27740&lid=1332567&acd=10742189-268435-999

... CPU:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214&cm_re=i7-_-19-115-214-_-Product
Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131605&cm_re=p55-_-13-131-605-_-Product
GPU: integrated into CPU iirc.
...
Overclocking is so easy now days you can do it with a press of button. If you don't mind the noise, why not?

No, GPU is NOT integrated into the i7 860, nor are there any integrated graphics in a P55 chipset board. You'd need a discrete card with such a setup.

OC'ing doesn't necessarily mean the computer will be noisier. Those giant tower coolers are big for a reason... so they can cool better while still being quiet.

 

[Edgar]

Enginurd that quad core system did u price that from newegg? Cuz I need to show them the breakdown before we order it.

 

[engiNURD]

Yah. I didn't really shop, I took prices from my most recent memory, sorry. Had to sleep last night, lol. Anyhow, I'm sure one of the other guys can come up with a better price/performance build, since I don't really have time to shop around much right now.

BTW, for the usage you listed, if the user isn't a moderate multi-tasker, the pre-built dell vostro would actually be the best buy, IMO.

 

[EvilPokemon]

For non-gaming, just go grab some parts on EBay, seriously. A single core 478 can handle web browsing and porn just dandy.
I could build a rig from scratch for about $150. $100 If I already have a case to use.
Then all that's left is the monitor. Which I advise you buy at Best Buy or something. Shipping on those things is a killer.

 

[engiNURD]

For non-gaming, just go grab some parts on EBay, seriously. A single core 478 can handle web browsing and porn just dandy.
I could build a rig from scratch for about $150. $100 If I already have a case to use.
Then all that's left is the monitor. Which I advise you buy at Best Buy or something. Shipping on those things is a killer.

It depends on the user and/or the browsing... I can bring a Core2Duo E7400/2GB/XP system to its knees with just my everyday office work (outlook, 5+ word docs, 5+ excel spreadsheets, firefox w/ 30+ tabs on non-entertainment/social-sites, acrobat pro 5+, etc), not including my development stuff. Hell, my previous office machine was a P4C 2.8Ghz and it couldn't handle just my browsing alone! Oh, you mean home browsing/porn? My roommate can't watch his streaming HD Porn with a s478, lol, so I had to build him a C2D when the Fry's deals came around... now he wants to be able to browse more porn sites simultaneously. So again, it depends on the user and/or the sites being browsed.

 

[bigdogchris]

I'm telling you right now, 'sub-1000' is about 500 to much for a non-gaming computer.

For general usage like you listed, you absolutely do not need to buy a quad core. Do not let anybody tell you otherwise. Core 2 Duo cpu or any dual core for that matter will be absolutely fine. enginurd's first system he listed is pretty damn nice for the money for what your friend is going to be doing.

Also exe163 posted a system with GPU on the CPU which for one, is not true, and 2, even if it was it wouldn't work because that motherboard is a p55.

 

[stateofjermaine]

So long as the OP knows $1000 is a large budget, I see no reason to just offer a few builds. Yes, you can build a very nice system for $500 - $700. But a few extras isn't going to hurt anything.