I want to build a very low-cost HCPC. How low can I go?

[Lanz]

If you want cheap, then you should go with AMD.

AMD Athlon X2 5050e Socket AM2 45W
ASROCK A780GM-LE 780G Socket AM2+

That will do everythign you need for about £100inc.


Or if you want so stay with Intel, get a GeForce 9300 Socket 775 board for about £80. Better than buying a cheaper board and an external GPU.

 

[Deleted member 68110]

Thanks. That processor has been recommended to me by another expert who actually recommended the

ASUS M3N78-EM GeForce 8300 Socket AM2+ VGA DVI HDMI 8-channel Audio MATX Motherboard

As it is it looks like I can get:

• ******** Opera Media Centre Case FULL SIZE ATX & MICRO ATX + POWER SUPPLY ATX-500W
• ASROCK A780GM-LE 780G Socket AM2+ VGA DVI Out 6 Channel Audio MATX Motherboard
• AMD Athlon X2 5050e Socket AM2 45W Energy Efficient Retail Boxed Processor
• Extra Value 2GB Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 800MHz PC2-6400 240pin
• Keysonic Black Wireless 2.4Ghz HTPC Media Keyboard with Integrated Touch-Pad - USB

For £192.61 (inc VAT)

or pay an extra £9.99 to get the ASUS M3N78-EM mobo instead.

These are more friendly prices!

 

[Bob Wya Jnr]

Hmmm. I'm starting to think I just can't afford to do this project. Money's pretty tight.

I was wondering about possibly stripping my plans right down, and taking out the DVD, the HDD (I have a spare old 200gb sata I can use), and the TV card.

Mate

You can get perfectly good USB DVB-T TV sticks off Eb*y for a 10.00 GBP - you can't be that hard up!! Also a <20.00GBP LG DVD-rewriter isn't going to save much on the budget...

Bob

 

[Audigex]

When your entire budget is around £200, it does... and how do you know how "hard up" he may be? Or, more likely, it may just be that his missus won't let him spend as much as he'd like... that's certainly my situation a lot of the time.

That £192 build looks good for what it is. It'll do the job for now, anyway, and you can always put a cheap GPU in if it can't handle things or you want to quieten the CPU down by lowering load

 

[The Deuce]

HERE


This will tell you everything you need to know

 

[Deleted member 68110]

Thanks for the tips. Can't sress the tight budget thing enough - and Audigex, you're right: it's a missus-related hurdle!

Thanks for the link, Deuce. Funnily enough, with all the help I've had here, and for m looking round, I seem to have come up with many of the same parts they recommend.

 

[Bob Wya Jnr]

Thanks for the tips. Can't sress the tight budget thing enough - and Audigex, you're right: it's a missus-related hurdle!

I feel for you bro!!

My bad 25.00GBP is quite a big chunk of a 200.00GBP budget... But "she who must be obeyed" would let by a 10.00 GBP USB DVB-T stick by (from HGK)!!

Bob

 

[Glaucus]

if your going to get something other than a 780G mobo, then get an ati gfx card 3450 or above.