Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Need opinion on building cheap pc

Aug 12, 2010 10:54PM PDT

I'm trying to build a pc that is cheap but will be able to run everyday tasks like watch videos, surf the internet and sometimes play games (not the highest priority). Im trying to keep it in a budget of 600 dollars but it can go over (preferably stay under but if its a necessary component then ill just deal with eating cup noodle for a bit.)
My current plan is:

Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H​ Micro ATX Motherboard

AMD AthlonIIX2 250 Regor 3.0GHz 2x1MB L2Cache SocketAM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor-Retail ADX250OCGQBOX

Cooler Master Elite 341 m-ATX Mini Tower Case Black - (RC-341C-KKN1-G​P)

Western Digital 250 GB SATA2 7200rpm 8 MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD2500AAJS (Caviar Blue)

PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2x1GB) Dual Channel Kit DDR2 667 MHz PC2-5300 Desktop DIMM Memory Modules MD2048KD2-667

EVGA e-GeForce 9500 GT 512 MB DDR2 PCI-E 2.0 Graphics Card 512-P3-N954-TR

Hercules Micro ATX (Matx) 450 Watt Power Supply

Samsung Internal Half Height DVD-W Supermulti SATA 22X Lightscribe (Black)

Im not sure if this will even run let alone run fast. i want to know if the parts i chose are sufficient enough to run what i want it to, and if so will it run windows 7 and if not what do i need to do to improve it.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Check then buy for build
Aug 12, 2010 11:49PM PDT

You want cheap, then cost will be your driving factor. The end result is based on cost alone no matter what you choose. Sometimes its better to start with what you really need in results and then find what fits that. I find far too often those systems build on cost alone will cause issues if not now, will later in some form or fashion. In other words, even if it runs well, it may not for long.

If all the components you posted work together via the specs, then buy and build well. I do strongly advice you consider your cooling options be quite capable.

tada -----Willy Happy

- Collapse -
Opinion
Aug 13, 2010 1:41AM PDT

Upgrade CPU to Phenom II X2, any model, depending what you can afford
Upgrade DIMMs to PC2-6400 for almost same price
Upgrade GPU to 40nm, ie. 200-series

btw there are several choices of free/upgd mobos bundled with CPUs right now at microcenter.com

- Collapse -
Is zero dollars an option here?
Aug 13, 2010 1:46AM PDT

I'm seeing Pentium 4 machines aplenty and even the occasional dual core on FREECYCLE (see google) and on the free areas of Craigslist. If the budget is that tight, is free an option?
Bob

- Collapse -
I cant decide
Aug 14, 2010 11:51AM PDT
- Collapse -
On second thoughts, save hassle and buy
Aug 15, 2010 3:15AM PDT