Is this the best solution?

[hermeticist]

Hi

I have offered to build a PC for a friend who's at college.

He mainly wants it for Photoshop and Pinnacle - but it can't cost more than £300.........

My thoughts were:

Athlon quad £75
M/board £? Suggestions please.
Memory £30 (2gb either DDR2 or DDR3 - there's not much in the price now & he can add more).
DVD/RW £15
HDD £55 (1TB) Hitachi/Samsung
PSU £30 (Have scan had the FSP 700w on cheap lately?)
GPU £? (just a cheapy for now?)
Case £30 (something with flashy lights - he`s only 18 - going on 12)

Any help appreciated, particularly with regard to the mainboard, because I haven't got a clue!

Looking back at the price, maybe integrated graphics with the option to fit a G/card later?

Or should it be Intel?

Or maybe reduce the HDD size?

Please help!

[Behemoth]

Seriously you won't need a 700 watt power supply in that if its only going to be used for photoshop and a bit of pinacle. A 400 watt will be more than enough for that build, especially as your putting a cheap graphics card in there.

This PSU

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152505

And this GFX card

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/175341

I know that XFX isn't the preferred brand around here but £40 it looks like it will do the job.

Not sure on motherboard, but for DDR 3 you'll need and AM3 socket board and CPU. This doesn't look half bad, you could almost not bother with the GFX card and add one later

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/170281#

[hermeticist]

I do realise it's overkill (PSU) but it's fairly efficient (83%) & people do seem to rate it for longevity. It used to be on "todayonly" fairly regularly for £30 (usually around £70).

[Behemoth]

Just pointing out that it would probasbly be wasted unless later on he was planning on shoving in something like a 5870 and overclocking the CPU then fine.

[vti_786]

sorry to jump in here op, but can you give a link for he psu(700watt)

and is fsp a good brand, my cooler master stopped working recently

[hermeticist]

I agree, it's just good value. Pasty Land, you can't be far from me!

vti - you have to look out on: scan/todayonly - I haven't noticed them recently, that's why I was asking.

[Grymdawg]

That OCZ PSU is good, i put one in a rig i built 3 weeks ago, and funnily enough it was with the graphics card Behemoth linked too! FSP i have no experience with so i cant really comment .

But that card and PSU will do a good job.

[Behemoth]

I agree, it's just good value. Pasty Land, you can't be far from me!

vti - you have to look out on: scan/todayonly - I haven't noticed them recently, that's why I was asking.

Thats fair enough Yup I'm in Redruth in rainy old Cornwall, where abouts are you ?

That OCZ PSU is good, i put one in a rig i built 3 weeks ago, and funnily enough it was with the graphics card Behemoth linked too! FSP i have no experience with so i cant really comment .

But that card and PSU will do a good job.

I have an OCZ supply, 500 watt and it's been brilliant, almost silent too

FSP are a very good brand, but they tend to be quite pricey.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

This thread may be of use:

http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hardwa...350-build.html

[hermeticist]

Plymouth, but we've lived all over the area - Mylor, Stoke Climsland......

[hermeticist]

How about:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Asus-...-SATA-RAID-VGA

And ignore the graphics card for now?

Also, does anyone know what the most suitable memory speed is for this CPU?