Budget PC Build required

a1cap0ne · 3 Aug 2007 at 15:35

I'm building a pc for a friend but they dont want to splash the cash.

What do you guys recommmend for a cheap decent PC?

It will be mainly for the internet, storing photos and a few games like Sims.

Should I stick with C2D?

The cheapest is the E2140 1.60GHz?

which mobo and memory to go with it?

They have seen a pc for £450 which is:
AMD Athlon 64bit, MSI SKT 939 motherboard, 1024Mb ram,
160GB SATA hard drive, dvd writer, 19" windscreen LCD monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse, Integrated flash card reader / writer,Creative 2.0 speakers,

I would like to build a system based around the C2D for about the same price.

fester · 3 Aug 2007 at 15:40

Are u going to be overclocking it also are u going to be using onboard graphics as this could save a fair bit.

a1cap0ne · 3 Aug 2007 at 16:00

No to overclocking, and no to onboard graphics. I'll put in a grachics card so they can play a wide range of games.

So far i have picked out:

Sapphire X1650 XT 256MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 160GB ST3160815AS SATA-II 8MB Cache
GeIL 1GB (2x512MB) PC6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX21GB6400UDC)
Intel Core 2 Duo E2140 "LGA775 Conroe" 1.60GHz (800FSB)

what mobo to go with it?
What other gfx options are there?

fester · 3 Aug 2007 at 16:25

I the 2 mother board that come to mind are the dfi 965 dark £44.99+vat and the abit IP35-E £59+vat .If your not overclocking would u consider Amd as at stock speed they are as fast the same price Intel C2D and the mother boards are cheaper.Also if they are going to play first person shooter games 2 gig is a must.As for the graphics card try and stretch to the nvidia 7600gt or even 8600gt or 1950 pro the 1650xt is real not that good.

shaffaaf27 · 3 Aug 2007 at 16:27

the asrock, 4core would work.

and for sims and stuff, i think the 7600GS would be more that enough, and cheaper to.

fester · 3 Aug 2007 at 16:32

shaffaaf27 said:
the asrock, 4core would work.

and for sims and stuff, i think the 7600GS would be more that enough, and cheaper to.

The onboard graphics nvidia 7025 on the abit m2 would be more than good enough to play the sims .

fester · 3 Aug 2007 at 17:57

Avoid the asrock 4core unless u have a spare high end agp graphics and 1 or 2 gig of ddr1 ram doing nothing.