Silent Budget PC - $1000

[DarkStar02]

A lady down the street asked me to build her a computer under $1000.

The game is for you guys to help me find parts to make a quiet PC for less than 1000.

Here's the challenge:

• She's used to her eMac- so this computer needs to be practically noise free.

• She needs a 17" LCD Monitor

• in the budget we need to include these things:

• Windows XP

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excell, etc.)

• Quicken

• Anti Virus

Let's Git'R'Done!

[EXreaction]

Well, I am to tired to search now...I will look into it tommarow if I have time...

Well, for an antivirus, get Avast Home 4, and get Sygate Personal Firewall...

I am guessing that this pc will not be used for gaming at all right?

[mateo leet-o]

Well to start, I would go with a64 or maybe a northwood p4 if you can find it. Both run somewhat cool.Go with something like a k8 slient boost for a heatsink.
No video card, that justs adds noise and she doesn't need it. Maybe 1 80mm and 1 120mm vantec silent fans. Also, don't use fan guards if you do use a fan that should need one, they add noise.

http://xoxide.com/thsibok8aopa.html

http://xoxide.com/cooler-master-120m...af-s12-e1.html
or
http://xoxide.com/aerocool-120mm-tur...000-black.html
either one with
http://xoxide.com/80vanstealfa.html

This for a case
http://xoxide.com/pc6070b.html
Not really because of the so-called quiet part of it, but since it looks sleek and not over the top
And this which will help you if she ever wants to upgrade
" Lian Li PC-6070B
Slidable M/B tray
Horizontal converter kit for HDD inner rack
Super bright HDD and PWR LED
Tool-less detachanle Aluminum Door"
The case comes with three fans, you might want to try them to see if they are better than the ones you can buy. If not then i guess you will have 3 extra fans(or she will).
http://xoxide.com/enegsf42nopo.html
Enermax is good and i heard these are quiet.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103537
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227037
x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144129

edit:forgot about the xp and 17" lcd
guess you can cut corners and get a less expensive case, a thermaltake tt (like $35@ newegg)
actually you could probably fit a 17"lcd and xp in the remaining $340
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824168006
$180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16837102151
$90

[DarkStar02]

Well, I am to tired to search now...I will look into it tommarow if I have time...

Well, for an antivirus, get Avast Home 4, and get Sygate Personal Firewall...

I am guessing that this pc will not be used for gaming at all right?

No gaming except for the built in Solitaire. Also, I think I'll do that for the Avast and Sygate.

Mateo- What would she need fans for?

[mateo leet-o]

Mateo- What would she need fans for?

If she thinks "Well it's my money so I'll take them". I think most people would just say keep em. Oh and see my edit above

[DarkStar02]

I have NO idea what you just said. "Well it's my money so I'll take them". What?

[DarkStar02]

This topic got down there pretty fast, how about a BUMP?

[bombledmonk]

I'll take a look at it tomorrow...

[GameManK]

$1000 is plenty so lets see...

a64 or sempron ~3000+ with Cool'n'Quiet $90-$130
mobo w/ integrated graphics $60-$100
heatsink + fan (NOT a thermaltake) $40-50
windows xp $100-$150
17" LCD ~$200
DVD burner $40
good case ~$70
+ seasonic s12 PSU (if the case doesn't include a good enough one) $60-$80 = ~$140 for case w/ psu
OR the best quiet case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...P=OTC-d3alt1me
$160 for case w/ psu
samsung p80 or p120 hard drive ~$80
nexus realsilent 120mm fan ~$20
2x 512mb pc3200 value ram ~$80

just about the quietest system you can get short of crazy fanless stuff and with over $100 left over for other software and anything else I missed

all knowledge courtesy of www.silentpcreview.com

[DarkStar02]

a64 or sempron @ 3000? I was making carts on newegg and I could get a 3.4 GHz with everything else including Microsoft Word Suite for $1030.

Anybody else?

[ck42866]

[rrcn]

For a motherboard with integrated graphics, I'd suggest one with the 6100/410 chipset.

Either the Biostar TFORCE 6100-939 or the Biostar GEFORCE 6100-M9. They're almost identical, but the TFORCE is the better of the two. Although she probably wouldn't need the OCing options it offers. The Geforce is a few bucks cheaper so you may want to go with that.

They go for about $70 for the GEFORCE and $75 for the TFORCE. And both of these boards use passively cooled heatsinks.


CPU wise, I say go with an A64 3000+ which is available for about $130.

[Micky758]

You could also use a foam damping kit, also use a case and PSU with 120mm fans. Rubber washers on the screws holding in the drives and fans will help dampen vibrations from them.

I would use a A64 3000 venice core as they are cool running chips anyway (even more so with Cool'n'Quiet enabled) with something like a TT silent boost (the panaflo fan is very quiet) or something like this zalman:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/usa/product/...x=146&code=005

You might be able to get rid of the northbridge fan and replace it with a fanless heatsink like one of these:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/usa/product/...t.asp?code=014

The bottom one is installed on my Athlon XP machine which runs fine with it and the northbridge has lot more to do on that machine.

[#43 fan]

You don't want a 3.4 GHz Pentium 4 for a silent PC. Because, since they have a lot of heat generation, you'd need some good fans. I'd go AMD.
As for fans, get 120 MM's and the Vantec Stealth fans. They push a lot of air for the noise.
Or, you could get a fanless card, like a GeForce4 card.

[Chuckiechan]

I start with the Antec "Sonata" case and build around that.

[EXreaction]

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3200BPBOX - Retail

Patriot Signature Series 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model PSD1G400KH - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-K8N51GMF-9 Socket 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 - OEM

SAMSUNG Black IDE DVD Burner Model SH-W162C/BEBN - OEM

Well, that is a start...

[bombledmonk]

Antec LifeStyle SONATA II $119
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129155

Athlon 64 3200+ Venice $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103537

BIOSTAR TForce6100-939 Socket 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $77
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138264

Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition $94
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16837102151

Acer AL1714CB-8 Black 17" 8ms LCD Monitor - Retail $239
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009036

ZALMAN CNPS7000B-ALCU 92mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan - Retail $36
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118112

Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 $54
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822135106

LITE-ON Black IDE DVD Burner Model SOHW-1693S Black - Retail $44
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106988
Considering she had an eMac she might be a teacher or have a child in school, then this would be a good office choice if she "Had" to have micro$oft office.

Microsoft Office Standard 2003 Student and Teacher - Retail $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16837116136


Total including MS office and XP is $932 shipped, you'll probably want a keyboard/mouse in there along with Quicken.

I might also suggest www.openoffice.org as a replacement for MS office, it's free and works every bit as well for what nearly everyone would need.

[DarkStar02]

Thank you for GREATLY contributing to my thread.


EXReaction- Thank a bunch. What you have going plus the Sonata II case and HDD I picked I'm still within the ballpark by at least $300.00 to buy software.

EDIT: I forgot the MONITOR! CRaP!

I'll take a look @ BumbledMonk's post.

[EXreaction]

Oh, for a monitor...I would watch for a deal from dell, their 17" ultrasharps are awsome!

...hey, I just had anouther idea...mabey you could buy one of the new BTX style of dells, every pc I have tried from them are extremely quite...and they usually have really good deals on them...

[DarkStar02]

A Dell? But they're such a rip off!

bombledmonk: Thank you, I think so far your options are the best. With Microsoft Student 2006 and Quicken 2006 included in your post the total comes out to roughly $910 (w/o Shipping and tax). How much do you think shipping and tax would be?