Virtual Rig - Cheap & Inexpensive Build

[Cerulean]

While I wait for the parts of my new rig to arrive, I thought that out of sheer entertainment, enjoyment and some curiosity, I should construct another virtual rig (except I wouldn't actually buy it -- it's just for showcase and interest).

The objective of this rig is to be the cheapest, most inexpensive build that actually works. It should be able to run XP optimized with the least graphics and special effects, or optimized to maximum performance. With these standards, it would also be able to run Linux like a charm. An ideal motherboard should have an onboard graphics accelerator at the minimum.

[Motherboard] PC CHIPS A15G (V1.0) AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD ($39.99)
[CPU] AMD Sempron 64 3400+ Manila 1.8GHz 256KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 62W Single-Core ($29.99)
[RAM] CORSAIR ValueSelect 512MB (2 x 256MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533 (PC2 4200) Dual Channel Kit ($9.99)
[PSU] LOGISYS Computer PS350MA 350W MicroATX Power Supply 220V FCC.UL.CUL.CE & CB ($19.99)
[Case] Linkworld 43701-229FU Black/ Champaign Gold Steel MicroATX Mini Tower ($21.99)
[Video Card] None
[HDD] Western Digital Caviar SE WD800AAJS 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s ($37.99)
[ROM-Drive] ASUS Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E616A/A5/CARBON/B/CPC ($13.99)
(Total: $173.93)

 

[Dangman]

Your thread reminds me of a thread I made two years ago. Oh how computer hardware and I have changed!

Unfortunately, like most things in life, the more you spend, the more quality you usually get. I can see that some serious corners have been cut with your build (as well as the one I made two years ago) like the PSU (More than likely to die after a week) and Motherboard(Again more than likely to die after a month)

No doubt that PC will run but for how long?

 

[Sic]

I agree, that PSU and motherboard are bound to be problematic sooner rather than later.

 

[Cerulean]

Then what better can you suggest? The idea is to have a stable, durable, and as cheap as a computer could get. If you can, try not to hit $200, but if you must, definitely avoid going over $250.

EDIT :: Also, if you think you can find cheaper harddrives and harddrives with less capacity then 80GB, you can also suggest another harddrive for swapping. Harddrive amount isn't necessarily important; the minimum for space is something that you can install Windows XP, Ubuntu, or Linux on with at least 5GB of space available for personal use (assuming a single end-user).

EDIT2 :: What I am primarily asking, are there any parts you can suggest over the parts I have chosen? What I chose isn't "final," but something to get started with. Please advise.

 

[Dangman]

Intel Celeron E1200 CPU - $50
Shuttle KPC K45 Barebones kit - $100
Kingston ValueRAM 512MB DDR2 667 RAM - $12
Western Digital Caviar SE WD800AAJS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard drive - $38
Lite-On DH-52R2P-04 IDE DVD burner - $17
----
Total: $217 plus tax and shipping

You will need to leave the case cover off since that case cannot fit a standard sized 5.25 CD/DVD drive. But I think the above is a decent build quality wise. Performance wise, it's all right for basics.

The extra $43 over your build gets you a better quality motherboard and PSU, a CD burner and a dual-core CPU.

 

[engiNURD]

Psh, you want even cheaper? Get a Fry's combo... Celeron Conroe-L combo for $60, or a Pentium Dual Core Conroe-L combo for $80... Look at that... $10 more than your original post, and its a dual core.

 

[mtrupi]

I actually bought one of the A15G's from Newegg in March and have been pretty happy with it. I use it as my sacrificial computer. I try new things on it without concern that I may totally mess it up. They just did a BIOS update that make it at least appear to have control over the multipliers. It didn't seem to actually change anything so I need to either figure out what I did wrong or it doesn't really work.