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Super Cheap PC Options [SOLVED]

Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
edited May 2012 in Help / Advice Forum
I've been thinking a lot lately about trying to get a desktop pc back up and running for our house. My wife has a good laptop, but I'm using a Netbook and my son is using the Google Chrome beta machine so we really can't do any pc gaming. We have an old Althon 1.8, 512gb ram desktop in the gameroom I occasionally use for retro gaming, but it can't do anything current (and it has no monitor, I use my LCD TV.

I'd really like to be able to give WoW another try, maybe try a few of the free to play online games, play Magic Online (my Netbook resolution gets in the way of that), let my kid try Minecraft, and maybe play the last few Civ/Sims/Simcity games on it. I'm thinking at this point I could probably take people's leftover crap on Ebay/Craigslist/yard sales and still end up significantly updated. Hell, I'm willing to bet there are computers left on the curb more capable than mine.

Is there a cheaper way to do this than I'm thinking - like a barebones pc kit somewhere? If not, is there a guide somewhere of the past few years of cpu or video card generations so I know what to look for? I've built my own pc's in the past, but I've been out of the loop as primarily a console gamer for the past few years so I'm not familiar with what the current standards are for video cards, ram, harddrive interfaces, etc.

Lindsay Lohan on
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  • illigillig Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    what's your budget? "cheap" is a very subjective term - for some it may be $100 for other $1000, especially when considering a gaming PC

    in the meantime, one of my favorite ways to score cheap electronics is to buy refurbished items... daily deal sites like woot.com and refurb resellers like geeks.com, not to mention the manufacturers sites (dell.com/outlet or the apple store) b/c they're significantly cheaper than new but at the same time are in good shape and have a warranty - which is something you won't get buying used off craigslist/ebay, etc.

    you can typically find a pretty decent core i5 desktop for <$500 and core i7 for <$700 with decent video cards, etc.

    if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, there are lots of "build a gaming PC on a budget" type articles around - just make sure you find one from 2012 as that info gets outdated rapidly:

    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/building-a-barebones-budget-gaming-pc-for-under-550/13363

    that's just one example

    illig on
  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    I would love to have something functional for around $200ish - I was thinking that maybe I could find a basic motherboard/cpu/memory for that and then worry about upgrading graphics if needed later in the summer. I don't know if my current case would be ok for a newer system, or if my ram/drives would be good with a newer pc but if they are I'd obviously be able to save there as well and then just remove them later if they bottleneck the system too much.

  • MuridenMuriden Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Putting out your budget will help us out crafting something up for you.

    Swing by the PC Build Thread here on PA.

    Tom's Hardware will frequently do a gaming build article, this one is a $600 build that is very nice.

    Another source I would suggest to check out is the DIY Combos on Newegg. It will usually only save you between $30 and $50 but it can take a lot of the work out of finding parts that should be brought together.

    Another note, if you do decide you want to build from scratch and don't want to go the bundle route. I would recommend buying your parts on Amazon. I built my current PC about 2 years ago and got most of the parts from Newegg and a few from Amazon. I had to return a few parts because of poor research on my part as far as compatibility. Amazon's return policies are far and away better than Newegg. Newegg has a restocking fee and makes you pay for return shipping, Amazon does neither. Also if you're an Amazon Prime member (which I would recommend anyway because it's awesome) most of your parts should qualify for free 3-day shipping.

    Muriden on
    MrGulio.332 - Lover of fine Cheeses. Replays
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  • illigillig Registered User regular
    at most, you'll be able to salvage the HD (just make sure the new motherboard still has an IDE connector - some are going full SATA), and the case... the PSU will likely not have the connectors needed for a new mobo/video card (then again, it *might*), and the ram definitely won't transfer

    per the article i linked, and some customizations, you're looking at:

    ~$80 for an AMD mobo with decent onboard video (that's really the price floor here)
    ~$40 for 8GB of DDR3
    ~$80-100 for a usable AM3 processor in the 3.5GHz range
    ~$40-50 for a power supply

    Intel would set you back more since the Core i3 processors start at ~$120 and Core i5s start at ~$200...

  • BlindZenDriverBlindZenDriver Registered User regular
    Tip:
    If the desk you gonna use with the computer has the sufficient size then you can find a nice CRT monitor for 0$. It will take up some space but old top end monitors are actually very good just not in fashion (fx. I have been trying to give away what was once the Sony top model computer monitor and found no takers - it cost me $2500 back then and is as good as new).

    Also it may be all you need to get stuff like WOW to run is more memory and maybe a better graphics card. Start by finding out what your motherboard can support and go from there. Also look into overclocking, some AMD CPU's can be made to run 50% faster or more with virtually no effort and risk.

    Bones heal, glory is forever.
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited March 2012
    I've got an Intel Q6600 CPU (quad core, stock 2.4 GHz but fairly easily overclockable to the mid 3s), 4 matching 1gig sticks of DDR2 667 MHz RAM and a GTS250 video card you can have for free. They all work as far as I know (my motherboard shat it's pants a couple of months ago). You just need a socket 775 motherboard and a PSU. The HDD out of your old computer will work, because my old mobo had an IDE port. I'd offer to send you the DVD burner drive as well, but that'll cost me too much in postage.

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    I've got an Intel Q6600 CPU (quad core, stock 2.4 GHz but fairly easily overclockable to the mid 3s), 4 matching 1gig sticks of DDR2 667 MHz RAM and a GTS250 video card you can have for free. They all work as far as I know (my motherboard shat it's pants a couple of months ago). You just need a socket 775 motherboard and a PSU. The HDD out of your old computer will work, because my old mobo had an IDE port. I'd offer to send you the DVD burner drive as well, but that'll cost me too much in postage.

    That would be awesome!!! I'll PM you my address. I wouldn't need a DVD burner anyways - I have a CD burner from my old PC and a DVD Rom drive, I really only burn CDs for my wife's commute so I'm set that way. The whole socket confusion and the various video card iterations was what was confusing the crud out of me - it seemed much simpler when I built my last one!

    On the monitor thing - I'm not terribly worried about that either - I see them on sale alot and frankly I don't mind using my TV as a monitor until I can find one. I think the move for most families to laptops has really made prices sink on that stuff.

    I guess the next question is what do I look for in a motherboard nowadays?

  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    I think you're right that Craigslist is probably the cheapest option for this.

  • R0land1188R0land1188 Registered User regular
    I've got an Intel Q6600 CPU (quad core, stock 2.4 GHz but fairly easily overclockable to the mid 3s), 4 matching 1gig sticks of DDR2 667 MHz RAM and a GTS250 video card you can have for free. They all work as far as I know (my motherboard shat it's pants a couple of months ago). You just need a socket 775 motherboard and a PSU. The HDD out of your old computer will work, because my old mobo had an IDE port. I'd offer to send you the DVD burner drive as well, but that'll cost me too much in postage.

    That would be awesome!!! I'll PM you my address. I wouldn't need a DVD burner anyways - I have a CD burner from my old PC and a DVD Rom drive, I really only burn CDs for my wife's commute so I'm set that way. The whole socket confusion and the various video card iterations was what was confusing the crud out of me - it seemed much simpler when I built my last one!

    On the monitor thing - I'm not terribly worried about that either - I see them on sale alot and frankly I don't mind using my TV as a monitor until I can find one. I think the move for most families to laptops has really made prices sink on that stuff.

    I guess the next question is what do I look for in a motherboard nowadays?

    I may have a working 775 mobo as well I just ripped apart two old pc's I had in storage and will see what I have. I am at work but will update tonight.

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  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Wow! Thanks for checking! I certainly didn't expect all this!

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Probably getting ahead of myself here but a few more questions on current PCs.

    VGA vs DVI - what's that all about? Differences?
    I'm guess IDE = old, SATA = new - is that it for flavors of drives at the moment or do I need to know more?
    Power supply - how can I tell what I have in my current case and what (if anything) it's good for? Obviously I think I could find on it how powerful it is, but are there different types of connectors now?

  • DraygoDraygo Registered User regular
    sata is pretty standard. Get a sata disk anyway, there is almost no reason to use IDE anymore.

    VGA vs DVI, well VGA is analog, and DVI is Digital. Thats the difference. http://www.thesmallest.com/lessonettes/dviandvga.html

    Your different types of connectors

    You have the 20+4 pin, that goes to the motherboard
    a 4(+4) pin that also goes to the motherboard
    a 6(+2) pin connector for PCI cards
    a 4 pin, mulex (or LP4) connector for old ide drives and are pretty much used now a days to power fans.
    a sata power connector for Optical drives and hard drives.

    For the more powerful machines you will need a 20+4 pin connector, 4+4 pin connector, and a 6 pin connector for your graphics card. However graphics card often come with an attachment where you can turn 2 mulex connectors into the 6 pin connector.
    And you can convert that 4 pin mulex (LP4) into a sata connector as well, with an adaptor.
    The main thing you need to know is what connectors you need, and the total watts you need. If your graphics card requires 400W, slapping a 350W power supply into the machine obviously is not going to work.

  • StrifeRaZoRStrifeRaZoR Registered User regular
    Oooh, yay! I love these threads! If you're sticking to the $200 budget with room for improvement during the summer, I can definitely recommend some parts. I've built quite a few systems for my friends over the past few years that they're still using to this day. Are you okay with putting the system together from scratch? From the looks of this thread, you are. So we'll get some basics:

    Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138293
    RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148352 (2 of those)
    CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886

    Basically same stats as what I'm currently using, and it runs BF3 on High no problem. The CPU can be unlocked to a 4th core (Not a guarantee that it'll be stable...the 4th core was disabled for a reason), and that'll give you 4GB of RAM which is enough to do what you're talking about doing. The total comes out to roughly $140 before shipping. You can bump up some of the items to hit the $200 limit, or you can save for a solid video card or a new case. The board is a micro-atx so it will fit in just about anything.

    Alot of folks will tell you that Intel is the way to go, and I agree. But so far, I've had no issues from the AMD X3s and X4s. When I'm unable to run SWTOR, BF3, and other high-end games, then I'll consider going to intel. I'd be happy to recommend more parts, as building a system yourself is way more rewarding than buying one pre-built :)

    StrifeRaZoR.png
  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Wow - thanks for the links - that's great. I'm going to wait and see about the stuff folks have offered but if things don't pan out those are really good options. I especially can't wait to find a way to get to play Minecraft - I've heard it's awesome and that my kid will probably love it too.

  • StrifeRaZoRStrifeRaZoR Registered User regular
    Minecraft is, indeed, awesome. Currently playing it with my fiance. Ton of mods that make it unlike any game you've ever played. But yeah, I hope you get things up and running. If you're willing to drop some cash after you get your systems from the nice folks here for some CPU/GPU/RAM upgrades, be sure to contact me. I've been a member at TigerDirect for a while and I get random discounts on certain items. I'd be glad to help you out when the time comes.

    Also...when you do get into Minecraft, give me a shout. This game is my LIFE.

    StrifeRaZoR.png
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Wow - thanks for the links - that's great. I'm going to wait and see about the stuff folks have offered but if things don't pan out those are really good options. I especially can't wait to find a way to get to play Minecraft - I've heard it's awesome and that my kid will probably love it too.

    I'll mail you that stuff - I just have to get around to it this week. The post office is closed on the weekend...

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    edited March 2012
    Wow - thanks for the links - that's great. I'm going to wait and see about the stuff folks have offered but if things don't pan out those are really good options. I especially can't wait to find a way to get to play Minecraft - I've heard it's awesome and that my kid will probably love it too.

    I'll mail you that stuff - I just have to get around to it this week. The post office is closed on the weekend...

    No rush - it's going to be awhile especially since once I have the parts in hand I still have to find at least a case/power supply and depending on R0land's finds, possibly a motherboard. I can't get anything locally to speak of (I'm in Maine, we don't really have any computer shows or good cheap shops around) so I'll be newegg/tigerdirecting anything I need. Even if my power supply would be strong enough, the fan has gotten noisy so it's probably time to put it to pasture.

    The good thing is my wife is completely on board and my son is excited to learn how to build a computer. The last computer I built was before he was born so he's never really seen much beyond a keyboard swap on a laptop so that will be a ton of fun. He's looking forward to helping me pick out a case too (assuming I don't keep my current one).

    EDIT: Let's assume I put together the Intel stuff with the video card - any ideas on how powerful a power supply I'd be needing?

    Lindsay Lohan on
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited March 2012
    It was running perfectly fine on a 5 year old no-name 430 watt p.o.s. that came in the shitty budget tower the computer was built in...

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    For reference, the GPU takes 1 6-pin PCI-E power connector. Which I did by putting two spare SATA power connectors into an adapter.

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Thanks - looks like I'll be needing to grab a power supply - my old one is 350w and I don't think it has a good power supply for the GPU. Even if it were still good the fan has gotten noisy over the years so I question its longetivity. If I'm already ordering a power supply, seems like I might as well get a new shiny case as well...my old one is OK looking, but I think I'd rather grab something new at this point. I wish they had computer shows up here in Maine still - maybe I could do a roadtrip to hit one, those were always the best places to grab cheap cases (and avoid shipping).

  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    I think 500w is good for any general use computer.

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  • LuianeLuiane Registered User regular
    If there is one part I would not skimp on the quality of, it's the PSU. A graphics card failure means you need to replace the graphics card, a PSU failure could result in needing to change your whole computer! 500w should be more than enough for the build proposed so far!

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  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Thanks - I've been looking at around 500w - they seem fairly reasonably priced. There's actually a computer show down in NH at the end of the month. At that point I'll know exactly what I need - probably can grab everything in one swoop and not have to pay shipping - maybe even a monitor.

  • R0land1188R0land1188 Registered User regular
    Thanks - I've been looking at around 500w - they seem fairly reasonably priced. There's actually a computer show down in NH at the end of the month. At that point I'll know exactly what I need - probably can grab everything in one swoop and not have to pay shipping - maybe even a monitor.

    I checked out the boards I have and neither are compatible with the processor you are getting. Sorry for the delay in checking those out.

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  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    No worries - I've found a compatible one for only like $32 online that has the combination of 4 memory slots and still has IDE connectors. Thanks a ton for checking though. I think the only things I'll end up buying are the motherboard, case, power supply and maybe a monitor and speakers. I'm thinking about waiting on a monitor and using my TV until yard sale/flea market season gets in full swing or grabbing a free CRT one on Craigslist and I think I still have speakers down in the basement somewhere.

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Gonna rise this one from the dead really quickly - hope no one minds...

    I'm starting to try to get the parts together - went out today and managed to find a monitor at a yard sale - a Samsung 19" LCD for $10. I'm struggling to find a motherboard that will take my old IDE harddrives and having 4 RAM slots - anyone have site options other than newegg/tigerdirect I should look at? I had found one but it went out of stock before I could jump on it.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    I will send you out those bits I promised you this week. I finally have some spare money! XD

  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Hehehe - no problem - I completely understand...there's a reason I'm just now starting to get the pieces together myself. You don't happen to know the model of the motherboard you had it installed in do you?

    I really do wish I lived in a major area that has real computer stores...

  • Iceman.USAFIceman.USAF Major East CoastRegistered User regular
    I've got a motherboard that I will be parting with, as soon as I can find an Ivy Bridge processor to buy with it. It's a socket 775 I believe. Here's a link.

    I've also got a GT 8800 card from XFX. Still handles new games fairly well. I've been able to play Mass Effect 3 without any huge problems, as well as Civ V. The system as a whole does start the chug the longer you've been playing Civ though, but thats normal for Civ (I'm told). Another link for that

    There's some RAM in there too but I have NO Idea what brand/type it is, other than 2x 4GB.

    Let me know what you'd like, and give me an address (PM of course). When I find my new gear to order, I'll PM you and see if you still want/need it.

    Q6600 Core 2 Quad up for grabs too, for anyone interested.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    That is pretty much the same stuff I'm sending him... Q6600, GTS250 1gig, and 4x1 gig DDR2.

  • Iceman.USAFIceman.USAF Major East CoastRegistered User regular
    Cool, just throwing it out there. Maybe someone else wants it. Not sure what I'm going to do with them otherwise.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited May 2012
    Maybe fire off your RAM at him? 8 gigs is always better than 4 gigs. I'm still sending mine anyway, because it's wrapped up in bubble wrap and in the box already, and I'm too lazy to take it out.

    Sell your proc on Ebay, people are still paying good money for them.

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • iRevertiRevert Tactical Martha Stewart Registered User regular
    edited May 2012
    Not that I'm all that keen on the PSU (as you'll more than likely need to RMA it right away) but Newegg has a shellshocker for today that isn't that bad considering it has a HD with it

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.909859

    Alternatively you can have a go with the AMD "APU" jazz, I built a HTPC with one and I don't have any complaints about it, you will need to understand though that it won't ever be as good as a dedicated graphics card or ever be as good as a dedicated processor but for your price point it might be worth looking into. I'd say just go for an i3 due to being able to upgrade the processor down the road but thats just me.

    Also just as a note I can toss together a i3 build for $368 [after rebate] without a graphics card (less $10-$20 if you went with a non-modular PSU) and then toss in a GTX460 with the current tiger direct promo ($99 after rebate) and you've got a respectable computer that only needs an OS.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.915554
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.915233
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231417
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181
    http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2103079&CatId=3669

    Total: $467.84

    I know your getting parts, but you might be able to use one of those combos or if things fall through as a backup plan. I've started keeping better tabs on the combo offerings from newegg and its surprising how often two items I'm getting anyhow can be bundled and save me $10-$40.

    iRevert on
  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Two questions:

    First - I have a copy of Windows XP Pro on a now dead laptop with the serial so I can use that if needed, but what is the cheapest way to get a legit Win7 install instead? Is there a way to just buy a code and download the system files to flash drive or DVD or something and not deal with retail?

    Typing "Cheap Windows 7" seems to come up with some fairly dubious sites and pricing that make me think I'd be buying something less than legal.

    Second - What type of Ram is it these have? I'm seeing motherboards with 240 pin and 184 pin - I'm guessing 240 based on the fact that seems to be the most common but wanted to doublecheck...

    I've actually got my old 1.8 amd system hooked up right now to the monitor I bought to make sure it worked, installed Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and have been really hooked on having a desktop again. I pulled out a computer desk from storage (funny how we always have a few extra desks kicking around) and bought some cheapo speakers too.

    My son is pretty psyched about the actual building process too - should be a good learning experience for him.

  • Knight_Knight_ Dead Dead Dead Registered User regular
    Two questions:

    First - I have a copy of Windows XP Pro on a now dead laptop with the serial so I can use that if needed, but what is the cheapest way to get a legit Win7 install instead? Is there a way to just buy a code and download the system files to flash drive or DVD or something and not deal with retail?

    Typing "Cheap Windows 7" seems to come up with some fairly dubious sites and pricing that make me think I'd be buying something less than legal.

    Second - What type of Ram is it these have? I'm seeing motherboards with 240 pin and 184 pin - I'm guessing 240 based on the fact that seems to be the most common but wanted to doublecheck...

    I've actually got my old 1.8 amd system hooked up right now to the monitor I bought to make sure it worked, installed Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and have been really hooked on having a desktop again. I pulled out a computer desk from storage (funny how we always have a few extra desks kicking around) and bought some cheapo speakers too.

    My son is pretty psyched about the actual building process too - should be a good learning experience for him.

    Best way to get a legit copy of windows 7 if you don't have access to student pricing or other such shenanigans is an OEM system builder's disc. They're ~100 dollars for a copy of home premium on most websites that stock this sort of thing.

    184 pins were last used on DDR1 iirc. That's a really old standard that you'd have to try pretty hard to still need. Anything DDR3 on a desktop is 240 pins. Basically, if you buy a motherboard that supports DDR3, and you buy standard DDR3 DIMMs, you'll be fine.

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  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    My wife's a teacher - I wonder if she would get special pricing on software...have to look into that. My work has deal for super cheap Office that I plan on using as well.

  • iRevertiRevert Tactical Martha Stewart Registered User regular
    My wife's a teacher - I wonder if she would get special pricing on software...have to look into that. My work has deal for super cheap Office that I plan on using as well.

    Does she have a .edu email address? If so a $30 student copy of win7 might be a possibility

  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited May 2012
    iRevert wrote: »
    My wife's a teacher - I wonder if she would get special pricing on software...have to look into that. My work has deal for super cheap Office that I plan on using as well.

    Does she have a .edu email address? If so a $30 student copy of win7 might be a possibility

    p sure that deal ended, like, a year ago.


    Edit: or not.

    http://www.microsoft.com/student/en/gb/software/windows-7.aspx


    Couldn't find that when JJJordan was making his PC, assumed it was dead.

    Burtletoy on
  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Another question. I'm considering using my existing case but replacing the power supply. My case has two fans in the side - will that be sufficient for a more modern rig or should I consider replacing my case as well? I actually like my case, it's easy for me to work in (I have largish hands) I would just need to replace the fans themselves - they are a few years old and stupidly loud at this point.

  • tech_huntertech_hunter More SeattleRegistered User regular
    If the case is still in good shape and you like it then keep it fans are way cheap to replace. Even if the fans do go out as a temp solution you can just run it with the case open. Might not be a good idea if you have small children and or cats though.

    Sig to mucho Grande!
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