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So one of my friends came up to me and asked me if i could throw together a build for a new just day-today computer (so its not really a gaming systems) for around $400. I already have a list of parts, i was just wondering what i should switch out or replace.

My build:
Case- ZALMAN ZM-T2 Black Steel Micro ATX ($40)
Mobo- ASRock FM2A55M-DGS FM2 AMD A55 - Micro ATX ($50)
PSU- CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply ($40)
CPU- AMD A8-5500 Trinity 3.2GHz ($105)
RAM- G.SKILL NS Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 ($60)
HDD- Western Digital WD Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM ($60)
Disc Drive- ASUS Black 18X DVD-ROM 48X ($20)

i got all my prices off newegg, and im sure i could get them cheaper elsewhere, but i'd rather stick to buying these these from places i trust. ANY items swap recommendations would be thankful.

Welcome to the Tech Report!

$400 can be a tough price point, especially when you include the cost of Microsoft Windows. You might consider a refurbished or scratched-and-dented Dell Inspiron 660 from the outlet store before you commit to building it yourself.

You can expand your list of vendors by including Directron and Amazon in addition to Newegg.

Shopping at Newegg, you can keep an eye out for combination deals. For example:
$110 AMD A8-5600K socket FM2 quad-core 3.6 GHz APU with Sim City coupon
$87½ -25 combo -10MIR Gigabyte GA-F2A85XM-D3H socket FM2 micro-ATX motherboard
That ends up getting you a better motherboard (A85X chipset, +1 PCIe slot, 4 memory sockets, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s) and a faster processor for not much more than the $155 motherboard+CPU that you have on your list.

To get good performance from your socket-FM2 Trinity processor, you should use PC3-14900 memory (DDR3-1866, CAS 9 or lower, 1.5 V or lower), like this:
$68 2x4 GiB G.Skill F3-1866C9D-8GAB
or $65 2x4 GiB GeIL GEL38GB1866C9DC

Do you have keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers?

I wouldn't suggest a no-name power supply if the budget weren't so tight, but you might be able to shave $45 off of your build with something like the $55 -15 code "EMCXRWX44" Rosewill R363-M-BK which includes a power supply. Otherwise, consider the $55 -15 code "EMCXRWS92" Rosewill LINE-M. This well-reviewed case includes front panel USB3 and excellent ventilation for less than the $45 -10MIR case that you have on your list.

In regards to the parts you listed, you did well. The only thing I would suggest is to not get that Asus DVD burner (choose a different brand/model). I had that Asus model and it made an undesirable noise on startup. Wasn't broken or anything, just a "drive initiation" noise. I've also had this LG model that was completely silent.

DPete27 wrote:

I would suggest is to not get that Asus DVD burner (choose a different brand/model)

thank for the suggestion, i also thought about upgrading the CPU to the 5600k? (i cant remember the exact model off the top of my head) its was only $4-5 more. that cd drive i just threw in the mix just 'cause i needed one, so ill go look for one that has a lot of positive feedback or the one you suggested

You are on the right track, though I agree with those that advise a second hand machine. Ebay/Craigslist/some family member are a good place to start. You can salvage most things, like power supplies, cases and case fans, perhaps even video cards, even if the motherboard/CPU or RAM are deficient or insufficient.

Echoing second-hand/boxed vendor machines. For extra cheap systems, my rule of thumb is if you are spending less than an Econobox-like machine, the value of piecing out and building your own drops dramatically, especially considering the Windows license you may need (which easily tacks on $100 or more if you need one).

Actually, depending on what exactly is needed from this machine, a Chromebook might be another option. Obviously, if you need to run Windows/MS Office, this won't be viable, but otherwise you'd be getting a fully functional machine for less than $400, and that includes a screen and portability.

I really, really don't recommend a Chromebook unless you plan on ditching ChromeOS for a real operating system. The things fall to pieces if they don't have an always-on internet connection. I was actually talking to a Google rep a while back and he was saying the early versions couldn't even play a locally-stored audio file while offline...anyway, only consider it as a step toward Ubuntu or Mint or whatever.

I don't disagree totally on premade vs low-end scratch built, though one does need to consider what is already available. A lot of people already have a monitor, KB/Mouse, case/PSU and functional version of Windows which together swing things back in favor of homebuilt. I honestly don't know why the TR guide recommends a $110 case/PSU combo when functional alternatives can be had for a third that...I always recommend a good solid power supply it's not like OEMs ship them with their systems, you would not believe how many trashy HP PSUs I had burn up as soon as I plugged them in when I was doing refurb work.

NovusBogus wrote:

I really, really don't recommend a Chromebook unless you plan on ditching ChromeOS for a real operating system... A lot of people already have a monitor, KB/Mouse, case/PSU and functional version of Windows

Firstly, yea i dont plan on buying a laptop or OEM tower, this is supposed to be a tower for a friends mom who just needs it really for day to day use. When we all hangout however it does get used by one of us for our LAN parties so i'd like to have some gaming capability in it, hence the quad core CPU and 8GB of ram. He did inform me that the HDD of the old tower was shot, so i am able to salvage the monitor, speakers, keyboard/mouse, disc drive (probably not the smartest thing but it'll save me $20 for the time being), and a copy of windows.

I'm still open to suggestions for part swaps that can cheapen the build,
i upped the CPU to the AMD A8-5600k,
changed the ram to g.skill ripjaw 8gb 1600 for faster speed at the same price as the other ram i had,
swapped the mobo's out for the gigabyte bundle that was recommended,
added a coolermaster heatsink/fan,
and removed the discdrive.

So right now its at $400 i think (without shipping and tax, $450 with give or take).

srgramrod wrote:

changed the ram to g.skill ripjaw 8gb 1600 for faster speed at the same price as the other ram i had,.

Get 1866mhz RAM if you can afford it. RAM speed directly impacts the speed of the onboard GPU.

kumori wrote:

Get 1866mhz RAM if you can afford it

Ooh, yeah, I missed that. 1866 is ideal for AMD APUs. No real need to go any higher. Take your pick of 8GB kits.

srgramrod wrote:

around $400

Eh. You can do better than that build. I just built this machine last week for $411:

• AMD A10-5800K APU
• Biostar Hi-Fi A85S3 MicroATX motherboard
• 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance CL9 1866Mhz 1.5v
• Sandisk Ultra Plus 120GB SATA3 SSD
• TOPOWER TP-1687BB-400 MicroATX Case w/400W SFX Power Supply

It smashes most games at 720p, and can even run some at 1080p (like RAGE, which runs at 60fps in 1080p!) Boots in literally a few seconds, and is tiny and quiet. You could swap the SSD for an HDD (I wouldn't), or even add an HDD and/or optical drive later.

Notably, the onboard audio on that motherboard is pretty fantastic; leagues ahead of the onboard audio on my (much pricier) Gigabyte mainboard. Of course, that's kind of the point, being named "Hi-Fi" and all.

Amusingly, Windows Update does not automatically apply the Bulldozer hotfixes to APUs. Someone should probably tell them about that.

Oh yeah, and if you buy today, there's this for $299 after rebate...