Upgrading mom's computer -- keep it cheap ($500 or less)

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ryanjg11

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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mom just checks email, surfs the web, and watches YouTube on occasion. Could I just do a clean install of Windows and call it done? Yeah, but I'm looking for an excuse to upgrade her here... She's currently running a AMD Phenom II X4 945 Processor, Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-USB3, and get this: an NVIDIA GeForce 7600GT video card! :D

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$500 max

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Seattle area, any online e-tailer.

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.
CPU, mobo with integrated graphics, 4-8gb RAM, SSD (128gb), power supply, new DVD-RW drive.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Case (Lian Li mid-tower), lots of old hard drives.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Mother will not be overclocking.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
It's a 24" Dell, 1920x1200.

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.
Since we're not gaming here, my thought was integrated graphics. USB 3 and SATA 6 would be ideal. Onboard video as she won't be gaming.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 Pro, 32-bit, but am looking to change to x64.

I built an HTPC about a year ago with a Fusion APU. I'm not a fan of AMD's Catalyst drivers, but if Fusion is still the best integrated graphics option, I'd be willing to consider it. Thoughts?
 
Personally I think is an upgrade is pointless.

If you HAVE to buy something - Mac Mini or any Windows 8 laptop.

For simple upgrades - get a big, fast SSD and modern video card that can decode video better than the 7600GT.

HD6xxx series card under $75
and a $150 ssd should cover your upgrades
 
450 said:
Personally I think is an upgrade is pointless.

If you HAVE to buy something - Mac Mini or any Windows 8 laptop.

For simple upgrades - get a big, fast SSD and modern video card that can decode video better than the 7600GT.

HD6xxx series card under $75
and a $150 ssd should cover your upgrades
Click to expand...

Point well taken. I see the mobo only supports SATA 3gb/s... Will this be an issue with a fast SSD?
 
I have to agree with 450: You don't need to buy a new CPU or mobo. A few simple upgrades and you should be set. With that said, some info that's missing from your OP:
What PSU does her system have now?
How much RAM does she have now?
What Lian Li case does she have now?

No, SATA 3.0Gb/s won't be an issue for SSDs. Speaking of which, I recommend the Samsung 840 120GB, Crucial M4 128GB, or Samsung 840 Pro 128GB series SSDs.

Video card wise, the HD 6450 or HD 6570 should do the trick.
 
The only thing that I have to add is that you should consider buying a new 1TB or 2TB hard drive and consolidating all of the data from your mom's old drives onto it. You should be able to buy a 2TB drive for less than $100 online.

As for your Windows 7 32-bit license, it will work on the 64-bit version. You just have to grab a legit (and legal!) 64-bit ISO.
 
Ca11idus said:
For that price range you can just buy a whole system like this
http://www.staples.com/Lenovo-H430-57311430-Desktop-PC/product_985090
with a $100 off coupon http://slickdeals.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1962300&stc=1&d=1367512896
you have yourself a perfect system for your needs and it has a warranty.
Click to expand...

The coupon link doesn't work.

And we're not telling the OP to buy his mom a new system. We're only recommending a few choice upgrades, specifically towards the video card and storage.
 
Yeah, another option I have is doing the "handmedown" route and giving my mom my old system, giving me an excuse to upgrade. Was doing a little bit of research today and was shocked at how well my i7-2600K and HD6970 still hold their own in benchmarks... I last upgraded over two years ago, and I guess I was just expecting much faster hardware now. Not so?
 
Keep your old system. Based on what I read about Haswell -- it only offers a 10-to-15-percent boost over Ivy Bridge at best -- you don't really need to upgrade.

Besides, even that two-year-old i7-2600K is overkill for your mom's needs.
 
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