new budget basic build for parents

[mcdrexel]

Hi everyone.

New to the world of build-your-own but definitely looking to try it out for fun, accomplishment, and hopefully saving a little coin.

I'll try not to post too many questions that have probably been answered all over or whatnot.

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Any initial tips for a noob would be great, I'm looking to remain simple - parents use a home machine mainly for email or surfing, so am thinking:

-onboard audio, video, network interface should be fine?

-AMD should be ok to save a lil coin as well?

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One question I have is that is that it seems that most motherboards that I'm finding are quite limited in # of USB ports, the budget ones at least. I'm seeing 4 on most of the lower-cost mobos. 4 USB ports don't go a long way, but I don't want to have to get a much higher cost motherboard when I'm trying to stay budget.

I've noticed that 4 port USB PCI cards seem to be under $10. Is this a viable option for more USB ports?

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Also, as someone who's worked in IT a lot, I've noticed a lot of keyboards and monitors serve as USB hubs on Dell hardware.

Is this common or doable in the budget range as well?

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Thanks in advance and I'm sure I'll have more questions.

[Alaron]

Boards with onboard video card very common in the budget-area. Onboard audio/LAN are common on any motherboard these days.

AMD/Intel doesn't really matter. Either one will stay in your budget. What is your budget by the way?

4 USB ports are plenty for most people. You can add in a card if you want. I would suggest buying a USB hub. They sit on the desktop and add as many ports as you want. This would negate the need for any special keyboards, which you could find, but limit your options.

Welcome to PCMech.

[Masaki 7-11]

Most motherboard have 4 USB ports on the back panel, but it's been a long time since they've added USB ports to cases, so most of the time you can get at least 6 USB ports on a build (4 in back, 2 in front), most motherboards support up to 8 USB ports, so you can just buy a USB PCI Bracket (not the card) and it will give you an additional 2 USB Ports. A USB Hub is your best choice if 6 USB ports are not enough, or you want to place the USB ports in a more accessible location.

[mcdrexel]

Thanks, i think i'll go with the hub, or look for a monitor that serves as a hub - just makes easy access for mom to plug in her digital camera cable and usb flash drive.

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I don't have a dollar amount for a budget, just looking to keep this economical while still actually working. I know in the PC world you get what you pay for a lot of times. It's just that for a n00b building, I know I want to save money but I also don't want to get something that will chug or chunk or breakdown either.

For example, I started looking at cases and I see 100 dollar cases and 30 dollar cases, so I'm interested pretty much, for pretty much all of the parts, in getting the lowest cost parts that still work reliably.

As I said, parents mostly view photos, email, surf, and burn cd's. Minimal video watching and not really any gaming at all.

[Dave21]

If its that simple then have you considered going to bestbuy to see how much their desktops go for? You could probably get one for like 300+

[Masaki 7-11]

Here's a link to a low cost case : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119115 (make sure you buy a good quality power supply since it will have a large impact on how long you can use the computer for and how stable it will be). For low budget computers, AMD is the best choice since they have good performance processors at low prices, and the motherboards have good parts on them without costing too much. Try getting a low cost Athlon X2 like the 4200+ and a motherboard (Asus, Gigabyte and MSI are some of the good ones) with an AMD 690 chipset which has good integrated video, sound, ect. Regarding power supply, you'll want somewhere around 400W, there are a decent amount of good companies for powersupplies (Antec, FSP, Sparkle, ect.) but this is one of the most important parts of a low budget computer, so make sure you get a good power supply.

[mcdrexel]

Thanks Masaki - that was what I was looking for info wise.

Dave - I guess I want to do it for the enjoyment as much as the end result.

[mcdrexel]

edit - also looking to avoid all the crap you get in a store bought build as far as free trials and whatnot.

[glc]

I've done a few budget builds lately and I've found this to be a winning combination:

Motherboard: Asus P5KPL-VM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131197
4 rear USB ports and headers for 4 more on the motherboard, can be used with front USB ports on a case and/or a slot plate bracket.

Case: Foxconn TS-001 w/ Delta 350w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811153089
Excellent quality 350w power supply, suitable for onboard video and lower end video cards. Sturdy, easy to build with, 2 front USB ports.

CPU: Intel E2160 dual core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116036
Most bang for the buck of any Intel under $100.

Ram: 2gb kit Corsair DDR2-667
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145098
Price speaks for itself.

I'd put a Seagate SATA hard drive and a Lite-On DVD burner in it, keyboard/mouse of choice (MS or Logitech), and probably a budget brand 19" widescreen such as a Hanns-G. A cheap pair of 2.0 speakers will be fine unless they do want to listen to music, then some entry level 2.1's would be better.