Pricing a friend an "ok" system...

[Al Neri]

I have a friend who wants a PC just to do light internet browsing, email, posting, and light mp3 downloading / playing. She has a monitor already, and plans on hooking it up to her boombox with inputs she already has. Right now she is using a Pentium-Celeron 500 MhZ and i told her its time to upgrade and can be done at less than 200$... i pieced together a system at newegg.com (the only site i could think of off the top of my head) and priced a

Sempron 2300+ system, with 512 PC2700 RAM, a 40 gig hdd, and a generic case for $202.96 shipped.
Mobo has LAN, Video and Audio on board

I was wondering if this seemed like a good deal, or if a better one could be had

Feedback will be appreciated

MOBO, LAN, AUDIO. VIDEO-
PCCHIPS "M863G V5.1A" SiS741GX Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductdesc.asp?description=13-185-053&depa=1
35.99 including shipping



RAM
Rosewill 184-Pin 512MB DDR PC2700, Model RW333/512DT - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-223-025&depa=0
$38.99

AMD Sempron 2300+ 1.583GHz, 256KB L2 Cache Processor - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-104-202&depa=1
$59


SAMSUNG 40GB 7200RPM Light and Slim IDE Hard Drive, Model SP0411N, OEM Drive only
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-152-008&depa=1
$48

ASYS Beige/Silver ATX Mid Tower Case With 350W PSU, Model "N7650" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductdesc.asp?description=11-195-014&depa=1
20.98


202.96

 

[nick1985]

i STRONGLY suggest upgrading to this motherboard.

 

[Al Neri]

Reason....

i'm not a l33t hax0r so if you guys help, if it doesn't hurt can you explain why you would do things?

 

[ribbon13]

PC Chips sucks teh major ass.

If you build it, you're going to be his tech support. I guess you like headaches

I highly advise against Rosewill products. All experience I've had with them are BAD.

 

[allanon1965]

for what she is doing, she doesnt need an nforce chipset...i have had 2 of them and was not impressed....both were ngorce2 400 chipsets in asus boards....i have used the asrock version of the board you priced on newegg with the sis based chipset, i have to say it was nice and snappy with a 2300 sempron in it......i was very pleasantly surprised, much more than good enough for what she will do....

 

[Jerm324]

I would not buy a PCCHIPS Motherboard, they have a reputation of being of poor quality. Also, I would buy a case without a Power Supply, because for $20 you're likely to get a POS power supply with irregular voltages. It would be better, yet more expensive to buy a good brand name PS, like an Enermax or something.

 

[allanon1965]

well i have had far worse luck with epox and ecs boards than i ever had with pc chips.....epox and ecs can bite me got an epox board now that is junk.....

 

[Al Neri]

Can anyone help price a cheaper as good/better system?

 

[bocamojo]

Get the ECS 755 A2 mobo instead. You will not be disappointed. It has a super fast chipset, and supports the Sempron's with no problem. It does not have onboard video though, so you'd have to drop another 30 bucks or so on a basic video card, but it will be worth it. Also, you can get an 80GB Western Digital HD from NewEgg for under 60, which would be double what you have currently listed (40GB Samsung).