Workstation build

[Twikii]

My sister recently asked me to help her purchase a new computer, and I asked her if she'd like to have a custom one built, as it could save her money. I'm looking to get her some examples of what she could have within her budget, and have her pick which one she'd like best.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web browsing
Photo manipulation

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
She wants to keep it around $500 bucks, but I doubt that'll be possible, as she needs to buy Windows, along with a monitor and some other things. She can afford up to $700.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Utah--would prefer ordering from Amazon or Newegg. Probably Newegg.

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.

Case
Motherboard
GPU
RAM
Optical drive
CPU
HDD
Power supply
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None.

6) Will you be overclocking?
No.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Don't currently have one.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Once she decides on what she wants and purchases the parts, I will help her assemble the PC.

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.
Basic is fine for this build. Possibly USB 3.0, though.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
She does not own a Windows license.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Dan_Grr]

I'm also asking for advice on my thread about a workstation build.

Maybe someone that answers in your thread will give me a few ideas as well.

Good luck.

 

[Dangman]

Due to the fact that she doesn't have a monitor or OS license, building a PC simply isn't worth it in your sister's case without going with used or crappy parts. So in this case, you're better off with a prebuilt PC. Your sister's budget and her needs doesn't warrant a DIY built PC. In fact, there's a Dell deal right now for ~$480:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...el_id=vostro-260&c=us&l=en&s=soho&cs=ussoho1&

As for the monitor, grab this deal:
http://www.gotapex.com/content/6178...-LED-LCD-Monitor-for-99-99-with-FREE-Shipping!

So for $580, you're getting a very solid quad-core setup + windows OS + high-resolution LED LCD monitor.

 

[OrangeWolf]

Yeah I've heard that when you're looking to keep it in the $600ish range and start from scratch you're better off buying pre-built. Dell monitors tend to be pretty solid purchases too.

 

[Twikii]

Yes...after shopping around at Walmart today I quickly realized it would be cheaper to go with a prebuilt bundle. I'll have her check those links out. Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it!