Please Review My Ultra Low Budget PC Setup

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Anonymous

have to build 2 low end PCs for a friend--inexpensive is the keyword.
They will be running WinXP Pro. Just need you guys to check my
selection of items and see if anything is either missing or can be purchased
at an even lower price or is potentially incompatible with some other items
on the list. All the items are from newegg.com
I've saved everything into wishlist which can be viewed here:

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=461344

the computers as far as I understand will be used for programming
including the debugging process. My concerns are:
1. Is 1.3 Duron + 128 Mb of 133 Mhz RAM enough to run WinXP?
2. Will the 250W PSU be able to handle all of the peripherals, HDs etc.


thanks a bunch in advance for all the wonderful suggestions.
 
another question
microATX and babyATX are the same thing right?
because case descriptions says it is ATX/babyATX
motherboard is described as miniATX compatible.
 
Anonymous said:
another question
microATX and babyATX are the same thing right?
because case descriptions says it is ATX/babyATX
motherboard is described as miniATX compatible.
Click to expand...
I think baby and micro are the same terminology. In any case almost all
standard size cases will accept a micro mobo.
I'd get a Maxtop case that is bundled with a 350 watt supply from Newegg
instead of your other choices. I used six of them for Asus micro mobos
without any problems.
 
Anonymous said:
have to build 2 low end PCs for a friend--inexpensive is the keyword.
They will be running WinXP Pro. Just need you guys to check my
selection of items and see if anything is either missing or can be purchased
at an even lower price or is potentially incompatible with some other items
on the list. All the items are from newegg.com
I've saved everything into wishlist which can be viewed here:

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=461344

the computers as far as I understand will be used for programming
including the debugging process. My concerns are:
1. Is 1.3 Duron + 128 Mb of 133 Mhz RAM enough to run WinXP?
2. Will the 250W PSU be able to handle all of the peripherals, HDs etc.

thanks a bunch in advance for all the wonderful suggestions.
Click to expand...

I would go with Win XP OEM Home Edition,
and with the money you save, go with 256mb Ram
 
Anonymous said:
1. Is 1.3 Duron + 128 Mb of 133 Mhz RAM enough to run WinXP?
Click to expand...


i have set up XP Pro using 1.3 durons, for basic home use and light gaming
it is actually a nice system. i had an 800mhz duron laying around and built
a small footprint pc using it. XP Pro is totally usable but you won't get
away with too much fancy stuff. It's just for MS office, and email so it
seems like it will be fine... The 1.3's never got me any complaints.
 
In alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt Anonymous said:
the computers as far as I understand will be used for programming
including the debugging process. My concerns are:
1. Is 1.3 Duron + 128 Mb of 133 Mhz RAM enough to run WinXP?
Click to expand...

1.3 Duron, yes. 128 Mb, not really. It should _boot_ on 128mb, but it's
going to be painfully slow doing any kind of real work.

RAM is cheap... consider 256mb a bare minimum, though if you even 192mb is
an improvement on 128. _Especially_ for software development work.
2. Will the 250W PSU be able to handle all of the peripherals, HDs etc.
Click to expand...

I've seen miniPCs using AMD processors newer than the Duron 1.3 run fine off
of a 200W supply, so with just one floppy/HDD/CD-ROM you're _probably_ fine,
but if possible, track down the docs for the motherboard.
 
Anonymous said:
the computers as far as I understand will be used for programming
including the debugging process. My concerns are:
1. Is 1.3 Duron + 128 Mb of 133 Mhz RAM enough to run WinXP?
Click to expand...


Not enough ram, get at least 256. IMHO of course.
 
Hi,
1. I use Duron 1.3 & 512 DDR & GeForce 3 & Win XP graphics as a budget PC.
Runs all games fine at 1024x768 (MOHAA, BF1942, Wolfenstein) & online too
via Broadband. Planning to upgrade once Half-life 2 is out to Xp2500 Barton
& Radeon 9800.
128Mb - no. 256Mb PC133 - ran OK. 512Mb DDR - much better.
2. genreal consesus seems to be 300-350 minumum for AMD XP cpu's, in case
your thinking of future upgrade. There is a website somewhere that
estimates PSU required for devices ...... can't remember where though.
HTH JonMaC
 
i have set up XP Pro using 1.3 durons, for basic home use and light gaming
it is actually a nice system. i had an 800mhz duron laying around and built
a small footprint pc using it. XP Pro is totally usable but you won't get
away with too much fancy stuff. It's just for MS office, and email so it
seems like it will be fine... The 1.3's never got me any complaints.
Click to expand...

The processor speed is fine - I run XP-Pro quite happily on a 1Ghz
Duron. The limiting factor here is more likely to be RAM - I'd seriously
consider getting 256Mb.
 
XP? add another $100 at that point you could have them buy a low budget
Dell. Of course there is a fine line between hero and as*&_hole. If the
computer runs well you are a hero, if not you just crossed that fine line.
Do you plan on being tech support for life?
 
Anonymous said:
OK so I've replaced the case and added more RAM (2x 128 Mb sticks of DDR
ram instead of PC133)
my new setup is here. However i still have concerns about case : if it
will fit with the mobo i've purchased.

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=462449
Click to expand...


It should fit easily. It's an ATX case which ANY board should fit in. And
yes DDR ram is going to give a huge performance increase over PC ram.
 
Tj said:
XP? add another $100 at that point you could have them buy a low budget
Dell.
Click to expand...

Good point, seems silly to pay as much for the OS as the system! If I was
building systems on this tight a budget, I'd be using linux and using the
OS money for something else..
 
Anonymous said:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?description=11-150-015
this is the one your were talking about. right?
Soem people seem to have issues with PSU.
It says that case is ATX compatible. Can anyone confirm or deny
that i'll be able to fit miniATX mobo inside of this case without any
Click to expand...
issues

Yes, that's the one. I have built six pcs with micro ATX (Asus A7N266VM)
boards into this case. As far a PSU issues go, I have not had a lick of
trouble with them (the oldest one is 1 1/2 years ). All were loaded down
pretty well with 2 HDs , 1DVD, 1 CDRW. The fastest was a XP2400 thourobred
(.13u).
 
Yeh thats fine. I've been running XP Pro on my P3 550 128mb for the past
couple of years and it's much more stable than 98. Fair enough, it's slow,
in fact, it's very slow (i'm building a P4 2.8 1gig RAM in a month or two
:-)
 
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