I have two friends looking to replace their terribly aging Shuttle Athlon XP builds (yes, that old) I made when they went to college. I've been really out of the hardware market for awhile and not sure where to go. Each friend has their own budget and needs, but both machines will not be used for gaming. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Friend One:
1) What will you be doing with this PC?
Surfing, Pictures, Music Playing
2) What's your budget?
$800 but flexable
3) Where do you live?
Southwest WI
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
CPU, RAM, MB, HDD, Case, PSU
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
PS2 Keyboard, USB Mouse, VGA 19" LCD
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
VGA 19" LCD, open to get larger widescreen at a later date (doesn't effect this builds budget)
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
2-4 weeks
9) What features do you need in a motherboard?
Integrated Graphics are fine but would like a PCIe x16 slot for the possibility of upgrade later on. eSata port would be nice too.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Windows 7 Professional x64 through work
This friend is a big music collector and needs a larger hard drive (1-1.5TB). He is very concerned about data backup as well so an external HDD that matches the internal would be perfect.
I've looked over parts in the past and was keen on the i5-600 line and use the integrated graphics. Not sure if the Intel i-Series cpu's are best at this budget but I figured it would be great for what he needs.
Friend Two:
1) What will you be doing with this PC?
Surfing, DVD/internet video streaming, Music Playing, Pictures
2) What's your budget?
$400 but can go higher
3) Where do you live?
Southwest WI
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
CPU, RAM, MB, HDD, Case, PSU, LCD
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
PS2 Keyboard, USB Mouse
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Standard 17"-19" widescreen
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
2-4 weeks
9) What features do you need in a motherboard?
At this budget you really can't be picky. A PCIe x16 slot would be great but really isn't needed.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Windows 7 Home x64 available through school
With this budget and no monitor, a laptop can work just as well. He wouldn't mind the portability but really doesn't care either way.