MSI 52x CD-ROM at Newegg: $23 shipped
Lite On 52x CD-ROM at Nutrend (Newegg is sold out): $27 shipped
They must be black. I would go for the MSI since it's cheaper and this is an ULTRA-budget system, but stability and reliability are also the highest priority for this new system...so everything must be extremely stable while still cheap.
I'm ordering the rest of the system in a few minutes:
MSI K7N2G-L (nForce 2 w/int. GF4)
Athlon XP 1700+ Retail
2x Crucial 256mb PC2100
Black Alps floppy drive
Enermax 350W PSU
I already have a Maxtor 40gb ATA100 7200rpm hd, a black mid-ATX case w/fans and a rheobus, Win XP Pro, and all other necessary parts.
The other question:
Retail Athlon XP 1700+ ($60 shipped, total)
or
OEM Athlon XP 1700+ and THIS hsf ($62 shipped, total)
NO OC'ing, performance enhancements, or tweaking of any sort will be done. This system will be for my mother, and only stability is required! Low noise is ideal. The fan in the link has a 5/5 star rating from 71 people, and it's very quiet since it uses a low speed 80mm fan, which is as good or better than a fast and noisy 60mm fan. Base your opinion purely on effectiveness and noise (retail fan vs. the one at Newegg). I will not consider any other hsf unless it would make the total of CPU + hsf less than $62. This is a tight budget!
Lite On 52x CD-ROM at Nutrend (Newegg is sold out): $27 shipped
They must be black. I would go for the MSI since it's cheaper and this is an ULTRA-budget system, but stability and reliability are also the highest priority for this new system...so everything must be extremely stable while still cheap.
I'm ordering the rest of the system in a few minutes:
MSI K7N2G-L (nForce 2 w/int. GF4)
Athlon XP 1700+ Retail
2x Crucial 256mb PC2100
Black Alps floppy drive
Enermax 350W PSU
I already have a Maxtor 40gb ATA100 7200rpm hd, a black mid-ATX case w/fans and a rheobus, Win XP Pro, and all other necessary parts.
The other question:
Retail Athlon XP 1700+ ($60 shipped, total)
or
OEM Athlon XP 1700+ and THIS hsf ($62 shipped, total)
NO OC'ing, performance enhancements, or tweaking of any sort will be done. This system will be for my mother, and only stability is required! Low noise is ideal. The fan in the link has a 5/5 star rating from 71 people, and it's very quiet since it uses a low speed 80mm fan, which is as good or better than a fast and noisy 60mm fan. Base your opinion purely on effectiveness and noise (retail fan vs. the one at Newegg). I will not consider any other hsf unless it would make the total of CPU + hsf less than $62. This is a tight budget!