Help poor college student build cheap PC?

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me

My budget is tight... very tight..... as I'm a full
time college student.

Having said that I'm wanting to build a solid desktop
PC for general Internet and school use...something that
is cheap to build now but has enough room to upgrade
later when I get back to work.

I'm NOT a techie at all and haven't kept up on any
parts and specs.... can someone recommend good cheap
components that would give me a "box" that cost around
$300 without monitor? Is that even possible?

Thanks in advance!
 
My budget is tight... very tight..... as I'm a full
time college student.

Having said that I'm wanting to build a solid desktop
PC for general Internet and school use...something that
is cheap to build now but has enough room to upgrade
later when I get back to work.

I'm NOT a techie at all and haven't kept up on any
parts and specs.... can someone recommend good cheap
components that would give me a "box" that cost around
$300 without monitor? Is that even possible?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

OK, from www.newegg.com
PHILIPS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM Write Black IDE
interface (ATAPI) Model SPD2413BD - Retail
Item #: N82E16827248006
$29.99
RAIDMAX xB ATX-528B Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -
Retail
Item #: N82E16811156053
$22.99
NEC Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16821152005
$6.99
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136075
$49.99
Antec earthwatts EA430 ATX12V v2.0 430W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817371006
-$10.00 Instant
$59.99
SUPER TALENT 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop
Memory Model T6UB1GC5 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820609085
$20.99
BIOSTAR 945GC Micro 775 LGA 775 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel
Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813138089
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$48.99
Intel Celeron D 347 Cedar Mill 3.06GHz LGA 775 Single-Core Processor
Model BX80552347 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819112234
$45.99

Subtotal: $285.92

DVD burner . . . not crazy about philips, but it's cheap, comes with decent
software, and easy to replace later if you decide you want something better.
Case...raidmax is cheap, but OK quality. This should work fine.
Floppy drive because the hard drive I chose is SATA, and you might need a
floppy to install an OS
Hard drive, you can't do better than WD. 160GB should be fine to start
with.
Power supply is the hardest part to get "cheap". This Antec is made by
Seasonic, and it should just be powerful enough to survive a few upgrades.
RAM, I've had good luck with Super Talent, although they are a lesser known
brand. Can't argue with the price, and 1GB should be good to start with.
That still leaves you a RAM slot open, so you could easily buy another
identical stick later.
Biostar is easily the most under-rated brand of motherboard there is, and
this one has an Intel chipset, built-in video, audio and lan, plus a
PCI-Express X16 slot to install a good video card later. Also, this board
supports core 2 Duo processors, so you could upgrade to a much faster
processor later, if you want to.
CPU, Celeron D is nothing exciting, but for general Internet and school use?
More than sufficient. -Dave
 
My budget is tight... very tight..... as I'm a full
time college student.

Having said that I'm wanting to build a solid desktop
PC for general Internet and school use...something that
is cheap to build now but has enough room to upgrade
later when I get back to work.

I'm NOT a techie at all and haven't kept up on any
parts and specs.... can someone recommend good cheap
components that would give me a "box" that cost around
$300 without monitor? Is that even possible?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

It ain't very powerful, but it's cheap.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754614

I doubt you could build a new one for that amount from scratch.

Bill
 
OK, from www.newegg.com
PHILIPS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM Write Black IDE
interface (ATAPI) Model SPD2413BD - Retail
Item #: N82E16827248006
$29.99
RAIDMAX xB ATX-528B Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -
Retail
Item #: N82E16811156053
$22.99
NEC Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16821152005
$6.99
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136075
$49.99
Antec earthwatts EA430 ATX12V v2.0 430W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817371006
-$10.00 Instant
$59.99
SUPER TALENT 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop
Memory Model T6UB1GC5 - Retail
Item #: N82E16820609085
$20.99
BIOSTAR 945GC Micro 775 LGA 775 Intel 945GC Micro ATX Intel
Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813138089
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$48.99
Intel Celeron D 347 Cedar Mill 3.06GHz LGA 775 Single-Core Processor
Model BX80552347 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819112234
$45.99

Subtotal: $285.92
Click to expand...

Good choices. Hope he's already got an OS. Otherwise that would add
$100 minimum for XP.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
 
Larc said:
Good choices. Hope he's already got an OS. Otherwise that would add
$100 minimum for XP.
Click to expand...

Yeah actually I do already have an OEM version of XP
Pro!

Just no hardware to run it on!

as far as the monitor.... I'm "thinking" of going with
a combo monitor/digital TV unit in 19" range since I
don't have a TV to watch either.

Maybe something like this?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5633692

With the PC and monitor/TV total.... id like to keep it
in $700 range

And would have a TV as well as desktop PC for school
all on my desk. God idea? bad? why?
 
me> My budget is tight... very tight.....I'm NOT a techie at
me> all...can someone recommend good cheap components that would
me> give me a "box" that cost around $300 without monitor?

I'm not sure you can get everything you want:
- $300 box
- non-tech able to put it together AND troubleshoot the inevitable
problems
- upgradable in the future

How about the first two:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754613

$278 + tax. Plus very low energy consumption. I will be quite
interested in their laptop equivalent, supposed to be out later 2008.
 
I don't think you can beat the price of low end systems by building your
own.
I get low end boxes at computer shows where you can bargain
with the sellers. The small time screwdriver shops that go to shows
offer some great buys on basic systems. I've been doing this for
about 10 years and have never had a problem.
Alic
 
I'm not sure you can get everything you want:
- $300 box
- non-tech able to put it together AND troubleshoot the inevitable
problems
- upgradable in the future
Click to expand...

The non-tech may not be a problem on a college campus. If the OP goes to
the computer science department he might find someone to put it together
for him for free or for a token payment. Remembering my CS department,
there were always loads of v. techie students hanging around the
terminals, the kind who love to show off their knowledge. Turn up on a
weekend in the main CS computer room with all the components, ask around,
offer to order a couple of big pizzas for the helpers and the PC will be
done super fast. Failing that find someone junior --probably a recent
graduate-- in the computer services support staff and offer him, $20...
Worth trying anyway, assuming the OP doesn't have a friend who's capable
of doing the build for free.
 
as far as the monitor.... I'm "thinking" of going with
a combo monitor/digital TV unit in 19" range since I
don't have a TV to watch either.

Maybe something like this?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5633692

With the PC and monitor/TV total.... id like to keep it
in $700 range

And would have a TV as well as desktop PC for school
all on my desk. God idea? bad? why?
Click to expand...

That is only a 19" monitor, and a widescreen 19" monitor is pretty small.
If you want widescreen, buy a 22" widescreen monitor and a TV tuner card for
your computer. Should cost less than $250.00 for the monitor, and less than
$50.00 for the tuner card that way, depending on which brand and model you
get.

Jon
 
Jon Danniken said:
That is only a 19" monitor, and a widescreen 19" monitor is pretty small.
If you want widescreen, buy a 22" widescreen monitor and a TV tuner card for
your computer. Should cost less than $250.00 for the monitor, and less than
$50.00 for the tuner card that way, depending on which brand and model you
get.
Click to expand...

OK but wont I have to have the computer on to "watch"
the TV.... and wont that consume a lot of power just
for TV watching?

And..... can I have the convenience of a TV "remote
control" with the internal TV tuner card?

By the way... thanks for your help guys... like I said
money is pretty tight for me but I've got to have some
kind of computer and TV... especially the computer part
as Internet access is almost a must have while in
college. And using the computers at the college library
is getting harder and harder
 
Bob Fry said:
I'm not sure you can get everything you want:
Click to expand...

Yeah I wasn't sure of that either so that's why I'm
asking you guys for advice. <G>

I may have to spend just a bit more..... as my
"parameters" are pretty tight
 
~AlicGinnis~ said:
I don't think you can beat the price of low end systems by building your
own.
Click to expand...

OK point taken....

Then maybe I should buy a ready made cheap "box" for
abt $300 sans monitor.... then get a third part 22"
monitor and install TV tuner as someone else suggested.

Would a 22" monitor provide enough "real; estate" for
decent TV watching when setting abt 7 feet back tho?
 
Poster Matt said:
The non-tech may not be a problem on a college campus.
Click to expand...

It's not so much that I'm non tech...... as I am
engineering student

Just that I have not kept up on any hardware components
and specs and didn't know what "good" cheap components
are out there that would stay with parameters of $300
box yet still reasonably powerful.

I'm sure I can put it together and such.... having the
time to do it may be more of a problem really as my
calc classes and other science classes eat TONS of time
in homework!
 
PM> offer to order a couple of big pizzas for the helpers and the
PM> PC will be done super fast.

That should work. Or have a sorority gal show up with the pieces
asking for help.
--
When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a
woman in the audience stood up and said, 'Yes, but is it the God of
the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don't
believe?'
~ Quentin Crisp
 
Yeah I wasn't sure of that either so that's why I'm
asking you guys for advice. <G>

I may have to spend just a bit more..... as my
"parameters" are pretty tight
Click to expand...

Got Fry's? http://shop3.outpost.com/ac/storelocator/index.jsp
They regularly have CPU / Motherboard combo deals where
you essentially get an motherboard for free. Last week they had
an Intel E2200 (2.2 GHz Dual Core) plus an ECS 945GCT-M
motherboard for $80. You could easily come in under budget
since you don't need to purchase operating system software.
E4500 with the same motherboard was $119 a few weeks ago,
as I recall.
 
OK but wont I have to have the computer on to "watch"
the TV.... and wont that consume a lot of power just
for TV watching?
Click to expand...

Yes, you will have to have the computer on to watch TV.
And..... can I have the convenience of a TV "remote
control" with the internal TV tuner card?
Click to expand...

Yes, some TV cards do indeed come with a remote control.

Jon
 
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