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Build a $250 PC That Doesn’t Suck

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f0dder:
Instead of TinyURL links, you could just URLify the specific item... I've become weary of TinyURL because of people trying to hide referrer links (no, not accusing you of that, just saying that I get ticks whenever I see them now :) )

You can probably get away with 1 gig of ram total since you don't do gaming, but you do mention vmware... I'd try to get 2x1gig if at all possible. Sure, you could expand with another 2x512 later, but it's safest to use identical memory modules, and you won't always be able to get exactly the same some months/years later.

I'll have to agree with Carol, as usual :) - go for an AM2 motherboard and CPU, shouldn't be more expensive, and gives a better upgrading flexibility. Also heed the PSU advice - don't be blinded by wattage only though, a 400W stable+power-efficient is much better than a 700W lahlahlah PSU.

Lashiec:
Look carefully that PSU, as I see you're opting for a MicroATX case, and you could have space problems. About power, if he is not going to upgrade the machine to something quite powerful in a near future, a good 300W power supply should be more than enough. In 7 years the wattage needed by components didn't escalate that much, despite those insane people manufacturing 1 and 2 KW PSUs (who is going to need that kind of power?)

EDIT: Typos!

Carol Haynes:
I just looked up the reference for the last system I built ...

I built a 'cheap' sysem based on DFI LANParty RDX200 mobo (very pretty 939 board that cost me about the equivalent of $40). On the quick installation guide was a sticker recommending the following PSU ratings:

Athlon64 3400+ >450W
Athlon64 4000+ >500W
Athlon64 FX-57 >600W

granted this was on a full size ATX board with 6 USB sockets and 2 PCIe graphics slots - but nevertheless I really think 300W is on the light side for a 64 bit system.

My old 32 bit AthlonXP 1600+, 512Mb memory and an AGP card required 300W !!

A larger modern PSU will be an investment for this and subsequent builds (once you have built your own system you have the bug!). Buying a cheap low capacity PSU now is a poor investment for the future and could lead to potential instability problems that are hard to deal with without spending even more money.

Personally even if you are going for a MicroATX form factor I would use a full ATX box - it will be usable again in the future and it will have better ventilation. Just make sure the box you choose has the flexibility to accommodate different form factors.

f0dder:
I used to run 350W for my AMD64 3500+ with a GF6600 card and a bunch of harddrives, that was just fine. For my current AMD64x2 4400+ with GF7600 and a bunch of harddrives, I now have a 550W Antec Neo HE550EC, which I got because it has a nice modular (ie., less cable clutter) design.

I'd stay away from micro-atx cases unless you opt for a really low-end power-efficient CPU, otherwise you'll surely run into heat problems. I lost a harddrive (fortunately in a raid-mirror setup) because of heat issues from a too small case, it had idle CPU temperature of 50-60C when it should only be ~30C... please do consider!

Jammo the OrganizedFellow:
Okay folks.
After much more deliberation, and a little more saving, I'm in the clear to add about $200-$300 MORE to my estimated $250+/- BudgetPC, bringing me into the $450-$550 range.

If it isn't a daft question why are you choosing a 939 board now? Even if you want to build a budget machine why not look at an AM2 based board - then you can use DDR2 memory and have a much better choice of CPUs.-Carol Haynes (July 31, 2007, 03:59 AM)
--- End quote ---
@ Carol Haynes:
I don't know the difference between 939 and AM2, but with the increase in my budget, 'a much better choice of CPUs' is much more probable now. Perhaps something in the dual-core variety?

So, here are my NEW specs for the following COMPLETE system (PC Case, Hard Drive, CD/DVD R/W ROM Drive, Processor, Processor Cooling Fan, Motherboard, Memory Modules, Power Supply, Video Card, Keyboard & Mouse):
:)


COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068
$49.99 -
$10.00 (mail-in rebate)

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074
$74.99

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-05 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074
$36.99

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+(65W) Windsor 2.0GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103733
$65.50

COOLER MASTER GeminII RR-CCH-ANU2-GP CPU+ Board Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103026
$35.99 -
$15.00 (mail-in rebate)

BIOSTAR TForce TF7025-M2 Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 7025 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138074
$69.99

2GB kit (1GBx2), 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-6400 memory module
http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT2KIT12864AA80E
$149.99

Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC ATX 430W Power Supply 115/230 V - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023
$39.99 -
$10.00 (mail-in rebate)

EVGA 256-P2-N615-TX GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130062
$89.99

ViewSonic Optiquest Series Q7B-3 Black 17" 8ms LCD Monitor 280 cd/m2 600:1 Built in Speakers - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116010
$159.99

49.99 + 74.99 + 36.99 + 65.50 + 35.99 + 69.99 + 149.99 + 39.99 + 89.99 + 159.99 = 773.41 - rebates = $738.41 + S/H

I've just registered at NewEgg, and plan on purchasing my new hardware by (hopefully) August 20.
:)

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