20K Budget For Custom Built Desktop - Any Advice?

[themikeymeister]

Hello!!

I need a new desktop pc - the whole set up including printer, wireless keyboard and mouse, monitor etc. I am hoping to get all this for 20K. All I am using at the minute is Samsung NC10 netbook which is great for web browsing whilt on the sofa but not for lengthy periods of writing and internet use.

I have had an initial look on the net but have no real idea when it comes to computers.

I need it for word processing, downloading/storing movies, and internet. I would like to run Windows 7.

I was planning on going to Fortune Tower and having a place there build this for me if I give them the spec.

Can anybody advise a likely spec for my 20k budget????

Thanks for any help and advice.

Cheers

[duncanb]

20,000 seems a little bit low especially when the floods have (reportedly) taken out 25% of the worlds hard drive production facilities.

[dave_boo]

You can build it yourself!

Case: Cooler Master Elite 360 1050 THB

PSU: Cooler Master 460W 1590 THB

Motherboard: Gigabyte mATX 2390 THB

Processor: Intel 2500 6890 THB

RAM: 2x Kingmax 4GB 1580 THB

Video: FREE (as good as the built in is, especially for your wants, why get anything else?)

Leaves ~6500 THB for hdd and/or monitor. Getting both would stretch the budget severely, but if no mointor is required, than that's a LOT (3 TB worth) of HDD space.

Edited October 22, 2011 by dave_boo

[Darrel]

"All I am using at the minute is Samsung NC10 netbook which is great for web browsing whilt on the sofa but not for lengthy periods of writing and internet use."

If you find the Samsung generally satisfactory, why not just buy a wireless keyboard and mouse, and a big monitor for it?

You will have the benefit of a desktop PC without buying the PC, and can unplug the lot and use it as a laptop if the need arises.

That's what I do.

[smiling mantis]

I have had an initial look on the net but have no real idea when it comes to computers.

Then custom built isn't what you should be after. Go for any of the hundred or so excellent package deals out there.

IMO, you're not really saving money with custom built, unless of course you're shopping the scavenger bins, and that's really only possible if you have the l33test of skills.

System builders generally get that way because they want the very latest gear, so we're talking either gamers who are FPS shopping or the crazy f****rs who are trying to create the next Skynet.

[dave_boo]

I have had an initial look on the net but have no real idea when it comes to computers.

Then custom built isn't what you should be after. Go for any of the hundred or so excellent package deals out there.

IMO, you're not really saving money with custom built, unless of course you're shopping the scavenger bins, and that's really only possible if you have the l33test of skills.

System builders generally get that way because they want the very latest gear, so we're talking either gamers who are FPS shopping or the crazy f****rs who are trying to create the next Skynet.

I suppose I'm one of those who I highlighted; however if you overbuild now you get more milage out of the machine and it actually ends up costing less!

[ignis]

If you want a PC did you check out the Sponsor on this page Invadit they have systems from 5,999 baht you just need a monitor = under 10k total.

As already stated buy a monitor a 23" cost from 4,999 up [15 or 17" much cheaper], mouse and keyboard + a 2TB USB Hard-drive 2,100 and use what you have., even cheaper buy a lead and plug into your TV no need to even buy a monitor.

My own PC I always custom build myself, then rebuild even 18 - 24 months, last month needed only a new case, an updated CPU Cooler even bigger than the last and a new Power supply [added about 8 months ago a 9800 GT Graphics card]. Custom build to save money over years of use you need to buy the high end Motherboard, then the rest you can add/upgrade over time, to build a good one in one hit will cost at least double your 20k budget, without any add-ons

[Spoonman]

If you want a PC did you check out the Sponsor on this page Invadit they have systems from 5,999 baht you just need a monitor = under 10k total.

What about the printer/keyboard and mouse, that will add another 5k.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Spoonman

[ignis]

If you want a PC did you check out the Sponsor on this page Invadit they have systems from 5,999 baht you just need a monitor = under 10k total.

What about the printer/keyboard and mouse, that will add another 5k.

keyboard and mouse appear to be in the price, printer can be had for under 2k, [about same price as refill ink] depends on what the printer will be used for and how often., again it is all about money, myself only now use Canon [on 2nd one in past 7 yrs] + the external tanks will cost over 6k but in the long term is a lot cheaper. If a very light user then many Internet cafe, print shops and PC shops will let you print from a USB stick works out a lot cheaper then buying a printer to use once in a while + if not often used ink will dry out/clog up. .

Edit: just looked on a couple of websites, Printers appear to start from 990 baht, even the cheap Canon is 1,450 baht.

jib.co.th have a Canon all-in-one for 2,250 baht, so you can scan as well as print

Edited October 23, 2011 by ignis

[JSixpack]

Just print out the specs in one or more of these guides, take it to, say, Hardware House, and let them match it as closely as possible and build it for you free.

Note the all agree you get more bang for the buck by going AMD. Here on the forum we seem to have a lot of Intel fanboys. I7 is of course the preferred CPU.

I strongly suggest being sure to get a good quality PSU and case. The PSU will prevent many mysterious problems down the road. No need to get a vastly overpowered PSU, certainly not over 600W. A good case will be with you thru many builds.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-overclock-graphics-card,3032.html

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2011/03/ars-system-guide-march-2011-edition.ars/2

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4164/budget-system-builders-guide-february-2011

[ignis]

Just print out the specs in one or more of these guides, take it to, say, Hardware House, and let them match it as closely as possible and build it for you free.

Note the all agree you get more bang for the buck by going AMD. Here on the forum we seem to have a lot of Intel fanboys. I7 is of course the preferred CPU.

I strongly suggest being sure to get a good quality PSU and case. The PSU will prevent many mysterious problems down the road. No need to get a vastly overpowered PSU, certainly not over 600W. A good case will be with you thru many builds.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-overclock-graphics-card,3032.html

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2011/03/ars-system-guide-march-2011-edition.ars/2

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4164/budget-system-builders-guide-february-2011

Yes agree with AMD, always used AMD for well over 20 years........ 1st website no no not that motherboard, maybe in reasent years Asrock are better but there cheap and the 3 different one I have used in the past did not last so a waste of money. I have 1x PC with an Asus Motherboard, this PC have a Gigabyte, well worth the extra money. [if you use genuine Windows it is a lot of hassle to change the motherboard without buying a new OS + Key]

Edit: Sorry don't agree about the case, a tower case is easy to upgrade later, to me anyway the most important is the PSU [Power Supply] and the Motherboard, all the rest you can better and update over time.

Edited October 23, 2011 by ignis

[JSixpack]

maybe in reasent years Asrock are better but there cheap and the 3 different one I have used in the past did not last so a waste of money.

You're just all out of date, pal. Asrock is fine. That particular board is well priced, well reviewed, and 212 owners give it a 5-star rating on newegg.com. Of course you can get a lemon in any board and I've had both a bad Asus and Gigabyte. Currently I do love Gigabyte (after swearing I'd never buy another), but for a cheap build I'd use Asrock. Did so more than a year ago and the owner reports it's still running great after daily use.

Edit: Sorry don't agree about the case, a tower case is easy to upgrade later

Yawn. OP doesn't need a full tower case, very few people do (hence far fewer are sold), and other good cases are just as easy to upgrade later. I wouldn't want one myself, take up needless space. I've had an aluminum Coolermaster midtower that's been with me for 8 years or so thru many upgrades and changes and I still love it. Eventually and inevitably the fans got noisy but I simply replaced them w/ silent Thermaltakes.

Edited October 23, 2011 by JSixpack

[spacemunk]

Over the years AsRock has stepped up on making good boards.

And you don't even need a good motherboard unless you are overclocking or a enthusiast who likes to splurge money.

[dave_boo]

If the OP really doesn't need a bunch of processing power perhaps he should be looking at Llano? Would trim quite a bit off the proposed build I posted up top but still be really useful.

And as far as fanboishness, I never built an Intel system until AMD fell so far behind. I had had every generation (from K6-2 on through the original Opteron line) and if AMD would have had compelling setup when I built my last rig I probably would not be sporting Intel.

[themikeymeister]

Thanks for all the replies people.

I like the idea of simply adding a monitor and keyboard.

However my notebook has slowed considerably over the years, and maybe due a reinstall. I think it would also help to upgrade the RAM to 2gb from 1gb. I will get a place at Fortune tower to look at it, and hopefully it will improve.

Re printers I am considering the Canon m280 with tanks on it. How do I go about installing the tanks - do I do this myself? Admittedly I am pretty clueless when it comes to all this.

Cheers

[Darrel]

Re printers I am considering the Canon m280 with tanks on it. How do I go about installing the tanks - do I do this myself?

The ink shops do this. Just ask them.

[ignis]

Be sure to ask before you buy a printer, not all printer are able to have side tanks, if it is a new model as mine was took about 5 months before side tanks were available

[Gary A]

I just bought the higher end machine from invadeIT. It is definitely more than I need but at least it won't be obsolete within a year. I will be installing Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit on it.

Here are the specs;

CPU Intel® Core™ I5-2300 Processor Sandy Bridge (6M CACHE, 2.80 GHZ)

RAM 4GB 1333MHz DIMM (1 x 4GB)

USB 3.0 2 x

Graphics Asus ENGT430/DI/1GD3 (LP) nVidia GeForce GT430 1GB DDR3

Hard Drive 500GB SATA 6Gb/s

Optical Drive 4x DVDRW Super Multi

Ports Front: 2 x USB 2.0, Mic-in, Audio-out

Back: 4 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, VGA, DVI, Ethernet,

Audio jacks, PS/2

The power supply is 450 watt

- The Motherboard is Gigabyte.

- The CPU and CPU cooler is Intel.

- The graphics card is Asus.

- The hard drive is Western Digital.

- The RAM is Kingston.

- The DVD drive is LG.

- The case is a generic brand called Smart, but good quality and with a cooling fan.

18,450 baht

Edited October 25, 2011 by Gary A