23 replies to this topic

[Kyle]

I'm looking to build a cheap computer which will serve basic needs for a while, and then slowly upgrade it. Because of this, I need the case, motherboard, etc to be compatible with hardware upgrades around it. Video card can be crap for now, so that should help the price.

$300 NOT including software.

Edited by KyleBigMac, 11 April 2008 - 01:27 PM.

[Fatal]

I'm on it, give me 10-15 minutes

[Hawk]

You're not pulling this off unless you use Linux or acquire Windows elsewhere.

[Kyle]

You're not pulling this off unless you use Linux or acquire Windows elsewhere.

Yea, $300 or so not including software. I should have said that

[Hawk]

Yea, $300 or so not including software. I should have said that

K. I'm interested to see how Fatal goes about this.

I wont get into specifics, since I've never considered a low end budget rig, and I don't know what is good for that price.

You'd need a case with a PSU installed already.
Probably AMD X2 Brisbane
A Biostar TForce mobo
2 GB set of Gskill RAM
Your DVD burner/reader
And your Hard drive. That would be about $300.

[Fatal]

Ok remember when looking at my list, this is made to be good now, and have very high upgradabilty for not too much money. I believe Hawk's setup MAY be better for a "right now" type thing, but it will probably lack for upgrading. With 400$ I can do much better, so 300$ is a problem



CPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116036 - 70$
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820161677 - 33$
Mobo: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128078 - 67$
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817341012 - 65$
Case: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811119047 - 55$



290$

Edited by Fatal, 11 April 2008 - 03:15 PM.

[Alex]

You can get a Case for cheaper than that, everything else looks good

Edited by Alex, 11 April 2008 - 03:17 PM.

[Kyle]

Ok remember when looking at my list, this is made to be good now, and have very high upgradabilty for not too much money. I believe Hawk's setup MAY be better for a "right now" type thing, but it will probably lack for upgrading. With 400$ I can do much better, so 300$ is a problem



CPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116036 - 70$
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820161677 - 33$
Mobo: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128078 - 67$
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817341012 - 65$
Case: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811119047 - 55$



290$

Thanks a lot Fatal. What changes wound you make with $400?

[Alex]

nm

Will you have a monitor and keyboard and all? You also need a hard drive.

For $300 I'd get a cheap dell seriously. Not worth buying all these crappy parts only to have to upgrade them later.

Edited by Alex, 11 April 2008 - 03:28 PM.

[Fatal]

Before I make the 400$ list, are you going to overclocking at all or not? This will influence the parts I pick. The parts I picked for 300$ setup is actually pretty decent for overclocking minus the ram. That would need to be upgraded for overclocking

Edited by Fatal, 11 April 2008 - 03:28 PM.

[Kyle]

Before I make the 400$ list, are you going to overclocking at all or not? This will influence the parts I pick. The parts I picked for 300$ setup is actually pretty decent for overclocking minus the ram. That would need to be upgraded for overclocking

At this point, I don't plan to overclock.

Alex: I don't want and software or accessories taken into account in this build.

[leptoon]

What about the hard drive and the optical drive(s)?

[Fatal]

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822148230
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827151161


Not really sure how much budget is left for the 400$, I dont have any time right now so when I get back home later tonight I will continue working on it and getting out the kinks / optimizing it, BUT the setup I have listed so far IS all compatible and will work fine at the moment.

[Melchoire]

Use that $300 to drop some acid until you think you own the best computer in the universe.
...
srsly though fatal seems to have taken care of it.

[Fatal]

Use that $300 to drop some acid until you think you own the best computer in the universe.
...
srsly though fatal seems to have taken care of it.

$300 for acid? wtf?


btw update on the setup: I promise I'll do it tomorrow, just got home from a loongg night. Tired as shit

[Kyle]

$300 for acid? wtf?


btw update on the setup: I promise I'll do it tomorrow, just got home from a loongg night. Tired as shit

Its cool man. I'm not buying for at least a month.

EDIT: So heres what I put together last night. Its slightly over budget, but unless anyone sees anything wrong with compatibility, this is what I will likely be getting.

Cooler Master Centurion 5 $50
CHAINTECH GeForce 7200GS 512MB $24
AMD 64X2 4000+ Brisbane $57
790X ATX AMD Motherboard $90
Western Digital 80GB HD 7200rpm $39
Kingston 2GB DDR2 800 $39
Corsair 550W ATX $85
=384
I already have a lightscribe drive, and I know I can pick up a CD/DVD drive from a friend for next to nothing. Hows that look?

EDIT 2:Ok, this isn't my final plan. I'll update it later and then get someone to look it over.

Edited by KyleBigMac, 14 April 2008 - 12:30 PM.

[Fatal]

lol, really I recommend just waiting till about a week till you are FOR SURE going to buy it, I always recommend this because prices change all the time and new parts come out all the time that force older parts to get cheaper all the time. I've recommended doing this a few times and my friend ended up loosing like 200 bucks because he didn't feel like listening to me again (I kept delaying it like 1-2 weeks because I knew shit was going to happen, and it did)

[Melchoire]

$300 for acid? wtf?


btw update on the setup: I promise I'll do it tomorrow, just got home from a loongg night. Tired as shit

I meant to buy a lot

[Fatal]

I meant to buy a lot

lol reason im somewhat scared to try acid:

Alright you know how it stays in your spinal cord for the rest of your life right? Lets say 20-30 years, they come out with some easy ass test that has no risk in damaging you, so boom they scan you for LSD, see you've tried it, boom you dont get the job

[Kyle]

Ok, so I lied. I'm buying by the end of the week because I want to be able to build over the weekend of the 25th . Here is my final build. If Fatal or anyone else sees ANYTHING at all wrong with this, be it compatibility issues or anything else, PLEASE say so. I think everything should be fine, but I obviously don't want to buy before being sure.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Brisbane $54
GIGABYTE AMD 780G $100
Western Digital Caviar 80GB 7200rpm $39
Kingston 2GB (2X1GB) DDR2 800 $39
Cooler Master Centurion 5 $50
Corsair 550W $90
=$372

Post comments/concerns

[Alex]

Its not going to be very upgradeable if you're going with AMD.

[Cataliste]

I cna get you monitor and keyboard/mouse etc for all under $400.

[Fatal]

Its not going to be very upgradeable if you're going with AMD.

It will be but not as upgradeable as Intel. Phenom is still in existance even if they have problems, umm he linked to a micro ATX board, which will most likely have none or sub-par overclocking ability, so that is really going to limit any free performance you might want to get. But other than that its compatible..... I wouldn't buy that setup but its your money . Catty should post his setup for under $400, from what I know about it its pretty decent for the price.

[Rush]

It seems Cata and Fatal set you up.
What's your plan for upgrading?
I saw this a few weeks ago:
Build a quad-core, 8-gig server for $900
Might be useful.