Computer for Mom

Hello all,

I am building a computer for my Mom. This means it will only ever be used for Firefox and MS Word. Don't ask me why I am breaking MY bank over a machine that will never see action.:cry:cry:cry

I just want to make sure everything in the list below will work happily together. I really have no idea what wattage power supply I need. Thank you all in advance.


Intel Core i5 2500K Quad Core Unlocked Processor LGA1155 3.3GHZ Sandy Bridge 6MB $238.99

Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Stiletto 8GB 2X4GB PC3-10666 DDR3-1333 9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit $44.99

Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 ATX LGA1155 Z68 DDR3 1PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI HDMI SLI SATA3 USB3. $162.99

Western Digital WD Caviar Blue 1TB SATA 6GB/S 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3.5IN Hard Drive OEM $62.95

Antec Neo Eco 450C Power Supply ATX 12V Active PFC 80PLUS 120MM Fan $44.99

 

OMG, lucky mom will just idle in that beast.:eek :-D I assume you will use onboard video but the PSU is wimpy in power though Antecs have decent products, I'd personally go for a quality min. 550W to protect your investment.

 

You're missing a CD/DVD drive there. BTW, are you shopping at Ncix, my favourite store as the prices are exact?

 

I agree with auggie. If your mom doesn't go beyond the basics of 'net surfing, e-mail and MS-Word, what you are building for her is extreme overkill.

Here's an alternate suggestion for a build that will do everything mom needs for a few hundred less:

* AMD Dual Core 260 CPU (about $65 at Newegg).

* MSI mATX board. This one has 4 memory slots plus HDMI output (just in case mom wants to hook it up to her 60" Plasma ). I feel MSI's quality is now on par with ASUS and Gigabyte; have used several MSI boards for builds this year with no problems. ($75)

* 4GB (2x2 GB) DDR3 1066 memory (this has good reviews and is under $30 for 4 GB).

* 320GB WD Caviar Blue HDD ($40 - unless your mom is on Pirate Bay downloading DVDs she'll never come close to filling it up).

* ASUS DVD+RW drive. ($21)

* Add an all-in-one card reader (SDHC, Memory Stick, etc.) if your mom likes to transfer pictures from her camera to the PC (about $10-$15).

* Don't forget the cost of Windows 7 Premium (about $80-$100 for an OEM copy).

The cost savings equates to enough to buy mom a nice 21-22" hi-res monitor -- something it's likely she'll enjoy more than excess CPU power and memory she'll never use.

Hope these tips help. Good luck on the build.

 

@gman863:

I like your option. What cases would you recommend?

Thanks.

 

I absolutely agree! One looks at the monitor and sees quality video, knowing what's under the hood would probably bore her to tears, only geeks or wannabe geeks care about that. As long as mom has a good experience, that's all that matters unless she takes to the dark side and wants to multi task.LOL

 

Depends on the amount of space mom wants to use.

A small mATX case (such as this Rosewill) can be used vertically or placed on the desk with the monitor on top of it. Using on-board video, the 300-watt PSU it comes with is fine; at $50 for the case with PSU it won't break the bank.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147098

If opting for a standard tower style, I'm not picky - just avoid ones that include junk power supplies.

 

auggie, you got me. I love NCIX as well. Pretty much my go to destination for all things computer.

gman, thanks man!

I forgot to mention. I already have a case, DVD drive, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

 

Right. And 64-bit Windows 7 too, since you are getting 8Gb. Note that OEM licenses are NOT transferable to new computers, so make sure your mom is running a legal version, or that would be a serious disservice.

The Antec 450W supply is plenty big when using integrated graphics, as verified by the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite.

I also don't see speakers in your list.

The problem with tiny cases is (1) they are tiny - which means there's little room for your hands to get in there, and the hardware too, and then be able to see what you are doing. (2) They typically do not provide much for cooling options.

A good mid-tower case with support for at least 2 120mm or larger fans would be my recommendation, and for sure, a case with a removable, washable air filter is a must, IMO as they greatly reduce the number of times you need to clean the interior of the case.

As for avoiding cases with junk PSUs, I don't. You will often find quality cases with junk supplies tossed in to make the sale. Don't let that keep you from buying the case. Just toss out the supply and replace it. If nothing else, you have a spare supply on hand in case of an emergency, or for testing fans and drive motors.