Cheap Computer Systems 

The ‘budget’ cheap computer systems we're building here are intended to be the ‘basic’ system with a little extra firepower. This computer system will allow you to enjoy some multimedia capabilities and even enjoy some of the newer games on the market. If you're looking for a ‘basic’ computer system with a longer lifespan before it’s obsolete, this is your system.



Processor and Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz / 512KB Cache / 2000MHz FSB / Socket AM2 / 64-bit (Orleans) / Processor with Fan - $84.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-processor

Asus M2V Via Socket AM2 ATX Motherboard / Audio / PCI Express /
Gigabit LAN / S/PDIF / USB 2.0 / Serial ATA / RAID - $99.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-motherboard

Our first major change on this system is the choice to go with a
current generation 64-bit processor.  Not only are the Athlon 64
processors very powerful, but they are also great value. Staying with
a current generation processor is a great way to ensure your system
will be able to handle apps in the near future. This Asus motherboard
is based on the VIA K8T890 chipset, and is built to use the Athlon 64
line of processors to their fullest potential. It has onboard audio,
but in contrast to the ‘basic’ system, there is no onboard video. We
will be using a dedicated video card for this system.

Memory
Crucial 512MB PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Memory - $73.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-memory

We'll go a stick of 512MB DDR2 667MHz memory. The 667MHz rating of
the memory will mean our Athlon 64 processor will be able to
interface with the memory at full speed.

Hard Drive
Maxtor / DiamondMax 21 / 320GB / 7200 / 16MB / ATA-100 / EIDE / RoHS / OEM / Hard Drive - $99.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-hard-drive

We've more than doubled the size of our hard drive in comparison to
our basic system. With the enhanced multimedia capabilities of this
system, it is important to allocate extra hard drive space for the
potential gaming and multimedia activities.

Optical Drive
Lite-on SOHC-5236K / 52x32x52x CD-RW / 16x DVD-ROM / Black / Combo
Drive - $29.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-optical-drive

We'll go with a nice deal on this CD burner/DVD player. What really
makes this deal special is the inclusion of the Nero software and DVD
playing software. If deemed necessary, one could also add another $25 to this component and opt for a DVD burner instead. 
 
Floppy Drive
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive - $17.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-floppy-drive

A decent quality floppy drive is an important part of any system. 
There was a time when a computer system WITHOUT a floppy drive was
unthinkable. Although most of today’s applications come on CD, when
Windows won't boot up, a floppy drive and a boot disk can save you
LOTS of hassle.




Video Card
Connect3D Radeon X1300 / 128MB DDR / PCI Express / DVI / VGA / TV Out / Crossfire Ready / Video Card - $69.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-video-card

What really makes this feature of the cheap computer systems stand out from our ‘basic’ system is the addition of a dedicated video card.  This ATI Radeon chipset will allow you to enjoy the latest games, albeit at a lower visual quality setting compared to its much pricier alternatives.  
 
Speakers
AOpen SoundBox 300 2.1 Speaker System     $19.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-speakers

You get quality sound at an affordable price with this 3 piece
speaker system.

Simple Design with Solid 2.1 Channel Performance, Wooden Subwoofer
with Built-In Volume & Bass Control. These speakers should provide
decent enough sound for any gaming/multimedia done on this system.

Case/Power Supply
Raidmax O2 Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB and Audio Ports
and 420-Watt Power Supply - $49.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-case-power-supply

Steel construction, very solid/sleek design. Since we have a
dedicated video card, a higher wattage power supply is required.
Hence, we recommend a generous 420-Watt solution in this case.

Monitor
Viewsonic E70B / 17" / .27mm Diagonal Dot Pitch / SXGA 1280 x 1024 /
Black / CRT Monitor - $109.99
http://www.cheap-computers-guide.com/cheap-computer-monitor

Your standard 17 inch monitor will fit nicely with this system. No
change in monitor recommendation from our basic system.

Final Tally:

CPU $84.99
Motherboard $99.99
Memory $73.99
Hard Drive $99.99
Optical Drive $29.99
Floppy Drive $17.99
Video Card $69.99
Speakers $19.99
Case/Power Supply $49.99
Monitor $109.99

Total:  $656.90 ($546.92 w/o Monitor) + Tax

So, for $656.90 you get a system that has a solid lifespan and offers
good all-round performance. A nice aspect of this system is the fact
that it is built around a good quality CPU/Motherboard combo. The
only thing this machine lacks that would make it a full-fledged
gaming machine is a high-end video card. This makes it a nice
alternative for a beginning gamer that isn't sure they want to take
the expensive ‘plunge’, but would like to keep that option open.

Comparable Pre-Built System
In comparison, a very similar customized system from Dell was
approximately $658.00 without monitor.   Here are the details on that
system:

Processor AMD Athlon(TM) 3200+ operating at 2.0GHz
Memory 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz  
Hard Drive 250GB 7200 rpm SATA Hard Drive  
48x CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
No Monitor
256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro
Integrated 7.1 Audio
Dell 2.1 Speakers

So in this case, we were able to save approximately $100 by building
our own machine. In addition, we managed to include slightly more
memory and a larger hard drive on our machine.






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