Build comp for MOM for Christmas - $300 buck?

[keto6789]

Hi.

My mom still has Windows XP which to her is not a problem, but I like building computers and was thinking of maybe building my MOM one for Christmas. She ONLY surfs the web and plays Mahjong, so she needs just a basic computer that's not painfully slow. I just gave her my old 22 inch widescreen Samsung monitor so she doesn't need that. I'm hoping to build somthing for as CHEAP as possible that is 1/2 way descent (not a piece of crap). Windows 7 PC for under $300?


thanks

 

[David 617]

newegg DIY kits
Core i3-2100/H61/4GB/1TB SuperCombo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.719539
289
put ubuntu on it for increased speed and so you dont have to deal w/ viruses
web - chrome/ffox
office - LibreOffice
pdf - foxit
ect...

 

[crisan_tiberiu]

Well, if you put Ubuntu on your new system and give it to you mum, she is going to curse you (trust me, i am a PC user for..11 years now and when i installed Ubuntu 1 month ago on another partition to test it EVERYTHING was upside down...sry got used to Windows )
I recomend http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103374
for web browsing and what ever your mum does

 

[crisan_tiberiu]

PS. and on the above system you even have a Windows 7 License

 

[Motopsychojdn]

^Although I'd up the ram to 4Gb, seems like a good plan
Moto

 

[rvilkman]

Pretty much your best bet is to get a prebuilt system such as what crisan suggested, since with them you also get the windows 7 license.

However, since you did say that you like building, then i assume it's not _only_ for the benefit of getting get a new computer but also that you get to build it
That will be next to impossible including a win7 license, however you can build one without it for about 300.

Intel:
CPU: Intel Pentium G620 $77.99
Mobo: Asrock H61M-VS $54.99

Amd:
CPU: AMD A4-3400 Llano 2.7Ghz $69.99
Mobo: Asrock A75M $74.99

Memory: Gskill NS 2x2GB CAS9 1.5V 1333Mhz $25.99
Case: Antec 300 Illusion $44.99 atm with CC generally a decent case in the $30-45 range.
PSU: Antec EarthWatts 380D $39.99
HDD: WD Caviar Blue 500GB $39.99
DVD: Asus/Lite-On/Samsung/Sony DVD writer $18.99 - generally around $20

$320 for the Intel, $334 for the AMD

AMD version costs a few bucks more but probably has a bit more graphics kick and has USB3 and SataIII.

 

[zooted]

Yeah the 300$ range +windows builds are really dominated by the oem market. Building one yourself to match what they offer is next to impossible.

 

[zooted]

I put one together for 346$ with windows.

case
mobo
psu
ram
hdd+optical
cpu+win7

Not the greatest build, but would suffice for her needs.

 

[Dougie Fresh]

If that's all your mum is doing, I can tell you this will more than suffice for surfing the web, playing Mahjong, other low-end games, even HD video (as long as it's not Silverlight). It also won't hardly use the power of a 40W lightbulb.

Rosewill RC-CIX-01 BK Glossy Black Steel Cube Mini-ITX Computer Case with 150W Power Supply and 1x 80mm Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147133
$45

ASRock E350M1 AMD E-350 APU (1.6GHz, Dual-Core) AMD A50M Hudson M1 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157228
$99

Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1066D3N7K2/4G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134718
$27

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073
$50

ASUS 24X DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
$19

$240 + shipping + cost of Windows 7