Desktop Computer 500 dollar budget

[MannyIsGod]

Help me out. You guys have helped me with this before. Best 500 dollar desktop you can make happen. I do not intend to game with this at all. Mainly a storage machine that can also do some work with my GIS applications (fairly processor and RAM intensive) and stuff like Dreamweaver/Photoshop.

TIA.

[lefty]

You're welcome

[TDMVPDPOY]

do you need a monitor and peripherals?

[GoodOdor]

Tbh sorry to jump in, but I could use something similar - a desktop for 500/600 that would run DiabloIII no problem. Not sure my laptop is up to the task.

[jman3000]

I make desktops for friends that can game on anything out now for 800. 500 is very doable, especially if it's not intended for gaming.

[ElNono]

Here are fairly recent spec for a gaming PC for ~$500...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/diy-gaming-pc,2970.html

Since you're not going to be doing gaming with it, just skip the graphic card, get a cheaper PSU and spend that money on 8GB of RAM, a bigger HD (if you need it) and monitor/keyboard if you need it...

If you already have monitor/keyboard, you can probably go a i5 CPU or a motherboard with SATA III...

[ElNono]

Actually, here's the latest from that series from March 2012...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-gaming-pc-overclock,3159.html

It's $640, but the video card alone is $240, so you should be able to work it under $500...

That motherboard has SATA III and USB 3.0...

[MannyIsGod]

Been a long time since I put one together, but the video is now fully on the CPU right? So I don't need the board to have an on board video chipset because the I3 or I5 will handle it if I don't want to buy a dedicated card?

[dougp]

Been a long time since I put one together, but the video is now fully on the CPU right? So I don't need the board to have an on board video chipset because the I3 or I5 will handle it if I don't want to buy a dedicated card?

Correct.

[leemajors]

Been a long time since I put one together, but the video is now fully on the CPU right? So I don't need the board to have an on board video chipset because the I3 or I5 will handle it if I don't want to buy a dedicated card?

I have the i5 2500k and the onboard intel video works great, pushes 1080p/blu ray easily. i don't play any games atm so I have not bought a video card since I got it in Oct.

[MannyIsGod]

Nice.

[ElNono]

Been a long time since I put one together, but the video is now fully on the CPU right? So I don't need the board to have an on board video chipset because the I3 or I5 will handle it if I don't want to buy a dedicated card?

If you're getting a Sandy Bridge processor and a mobo that supports the Intel HD Graphics (like the one I listed in the last post), yes.

If you want something already put together, just head to Dell and select Intel i3 2nd gen processor... but it'll cost you a little more

[blackfire12]

If you're going to be doing GIS/dreamweaver/photoshop then a dedicated GPU would still be a good idea to get. Obviously not dreamweaver as much as the other two but GIS/photoshop can still hog a system down.

If you're not gaming then AMD may be the way to go since you're on a budget. Once you get into the $750 range I'd say ditch AMD and go Intel with the i5.

[blackfire12]

http://i.imgur.com/rk0VT.jpg

miiiiigghhhtt be able to save on a couple more areas but that's as good as it gets if you dont need a monitor/peripherals

[ElNono]

Not a fan of AMD FX chips... i3 kicks it's butt on almost every test out there even though it has 2 less cores (per core performance on the FX is reportedly awful).

If you can afford it though, an i5 is probably a better investment than either.

[baseline bum]

^^^ Gotta love newegg; great selection, low prices, no sales tax, and a good return policy.

[leemajors]

big saver would be having a drive laying around for the OS, esp given HDD prices are still pretty high.

[MannyIsGod]

Why are hdd prices so high. Could have sworn they were lower

[blackfire12]

Not a fan of AMD FX chips... i3 kicks it's butt on almost every test out there even though it has 2 less cores (per core performance on the FX is reportedly awful).

If you can afford it though, an i5 is probably a better investment than either.

actually it doesnt, the i3 and the low end amd fx chips are literally neck and neck and the amd pulls ahead slightly in more categories than not. i would go intel for sure but with amd you can't beat the price.

the cores aren't even that big a deal when it comes to amd whether it be high end or low end cpu's so i dont know why anyone would grab those over the i5 or i7.

[leemajors]

Why are hdd prices so high. Could have sworn they were lower

i don't think production has yet recovered from those floods in Thailand.

[ElNono]

^^^ Gotta love newegg; great selection, low prices, no sales tax, and a good return policy.

I get charged for tax... they have a warehouse here in NJ

[MannyIsGod]

Wow that sucks. Lol

[ElNono]

actually it doesnt, the i3 and the low end amd fx chips are literally neck and neck and the amd pulls ahead slightly in more categories than not. i would go intel for sure but with amd you can't beat the price.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120.html

agree about the price, though it's a 15 bucks difference in this case

[ElNono]

Wow that sucks. Lol

It does... but i regularly check pricewatch and I can normally find a better price anyways

[IronMaxipad]

Help me out. You guys have helped me with this before. Best 500 dollar desktop you can make happen. I do not intend to game with this at all. Mainly a storage machine that can also do some work with my GIS applications (fairly processor and RAM intensive) and stuff like Dreamweaver/Photoshop.

TIA.

Here you go mang: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en+_US&key=0AvaYhPmP5kwadHZsOW9QVFRkZEpzcUplak5zZFUyYnc&hl=en+_US&gid=0

$534 build in the middle column.

[blackfire12]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120.html

agree about the price, though it's a 15 bucks difference in this case

this is true

[leemajors]

If it means anything, my ASRock Extreme3 Gen3 has been pretty awesome. I had never bought a motherboard from them before but this one is just great. No issues whatsoever.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

[MannyIsGod]

So basically I went with El Nono's link but upgraded the HDD and the RAM.

Update Qtys Remove Selected
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price


LG 22X Super-Multi DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS90B - Retail - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136240
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$17.99


Rosewill FBM-01 Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811147123
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$29.99


Seagate Barracuda Green ST1500DL003 1.5TB 5900 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148725
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
Recover Your Data(expand for options)
-$20.00 Instant
$119.99
$99.99


Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model TED38192M1333C9DC
Item #: N82E16820313123
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$36.99


GIGABYTE GA-H61MA-D3V LGA 1155 Intel H61 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813128539
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$69.99


Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32120
Item #: N82E16819115077
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$127.99
Subtotal: $382.94

I thought about going with an I5 but that I3 will do me plenty of good. I'll probably get an SSD in the future for the boot/system sector and I'm going to buy a monitor from another site that is cheaper than NewEgg.

The one thing missing here is a Power Supply. I am NOT going to go with an aftermarket video card as my laptop runs with an older I5 (slower than this I3) with all the programs I need just fine with the onboard video. What is the cheapest power supply you think I should go for? I really don't know much about them at all.

[IWantsACuatro]

Get dual monitors. Makes for building mosaics oh so easy.

[TDMVPDPOY]

man my comp just fckd up, dunno if its the hard drive or the video card, it powers on but nothing loading

i even tried switchin a clean format drive in and see if it will boot up so i can reinstall windows...still fckd up

now deciding whether to buy a laptop or new comp for around same price....

[ElNono]

So basically I went with El Nono's link but upgraded the HDD and the RAM.

Update Qtys Remove Selected
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price


LG 22X Super-Multi DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS90B - Retail - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136240
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$17.99


Rosewill FBM-01 Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811147123
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$29.99


Seagate Barracuda Green ST1500DL003 1.5TB 5900 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148725
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
Recover Your Data(expand for options)
-$20.00 Instant
$119.99
$99.99


Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model TED38192M1333C9DC
Item #: N82E16820313123
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$36.99


GIGABYTE GA-H61MA-D3V LGA 1155 Intel H61 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813128539
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$69.99


Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32120
Item #: N82E16819115077
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$127.99
Subtotal: $382.94

I thought about going with an I5 but that I3 will do me plenty of good. I'll probably get an SSD in the future for the boot/system sector and I'm going to buy a monitor from another site that is cheaper than NewEgg.

The one thing missing here is a Power Supply. I am NOT going to go with an aftermarket video card as my laptop runs with an older I5 (slower than this I3) with all the programs I need just fine with the onboard video. What is the cheapest power supply you think I should go for? I really don't know much about them at all.

Nice... probably any 250W/300W will do, since you're not planning on having a massive vidcard...

What monitor are you fetching?

[MannyIsGod]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=735812&CatId=4420

[leemajors]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=735812&CatId=4420

Nice, I went with a 24" samsung, like it a lot.

[TDMVPDPOY]

ivy bridge is out end of this month if ur interested, might pushed the current sandy bridge tech prices down.....

oi leemajors,

that asrock motherboard ur using, it has onboard video right?? so no need to invest into a video card....


ps.

just found a good laptop for 600bucks, hp dv6-6024tx....i7 2ghz, 4gb ram, 750gb hdd...no hd screen, but does the job what i have it intended for...

[ElNono]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=735812&CatId=4420

goddamn those monitors have come down in price

[MannyIsGod]

I paid close to 400 for my first 22 inch monitor.

[ElNono]

I paid close to 400 for my first 22 inch monitor.

I paid well over a $1000 for my first 20 inch CRT monitor :lol

[TDMVPDPOY]

theres a guy on ebay reputeable selling, sellin 27inch IPS lcd screens for around 279-320 bucks, from south korea....no name brand usin parts from the same factory as sammys

[leemajors]

ivy bridge is out end of this month if ur interested, might pushed the current sandy bridge tech prices down.....

oi leemajors,

that asrock motherboard ur using, it has onboard video right?? so no need to invest into a video card....


ps.

just found a good laptop for 600bucks, hp dv6-6024tx....i7 2ghz, 4gb ram, 750gb hdd...no hd screen, but does the job what i have it intended for...

the i5 has onboard video, but the mobo does have hdmi, vga, and dvi out.

[MannyIsGod]

I paid well over a $1000 for my first 20 inch CRT monitor :lol

My first ever monitor was a 14 inch CRT. I got a bunch of free ones after that from 17-19 inch.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

man my comp just fckd up, dunno if its the hard drive or the video card, it powers on but nothing loading

i even tried switchin a clean format drive in and see if it will boot up so i can reinstall windows...still fckd up

now deciding whether to buy a laptop or new comp for around same price....

It also could be ROM, one of the bridges or buss on the mobo or memory. Does it post at all?

[resistanze]

I paid well over a $1000 for my first 20 inch CRT monitor :lol

Didn't know stuff were that expensive in the 60s tbh...

[ElNono]

Didn't know stuff were that expensive in the 60s tbh...

Make that the 90's, tbh

[TDMVPDPOY]

bought my bro a laptop

now he doesnt want it cause he hates the brand, fck him beggars cant be choosers, stick to ur fag apple products fag

[Jt.ONE]

bought my bro a laptop

now he doesnt want it cause he hates the brand, fck him beggars cant be choosers, stick to ur fag apple products fag


:lol what brand you bought him?

[TDMVPDPOY]

It also could be ROM, one of the bridges or buss on the mobo or memory. Does it post at all?

nah i think the board short circuited, i was openning up the case and saw some metal sticking out probably from leftover hardware i forgot totake out that touch the video card....it powers up but wont boot into windows or the screen is just blank

i probably just spend 200 gettin a cheap mobo and cpu and use it as a cheap server to store my porn or someshing, i dont play games

[TDMVPDPOY]

:lol what brand you bought him?

never had a problem with HP lappys, dv6-6134tx...

USA gets the better model with hd screens for their HPs, while down here we stuck with the generic screen resolutions :(

whats was his has now become mine for the time being....he surfs the net and stream online on his ipod nano