Cheapest base unit build possible

[Scarlet Infidel]

I agree, this is better value, offers more performance and is straight forward. Depends how much hes willing to pay the extra 20% or if he'd rather build it himself.
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=86864

[kushtibari]

Dell Outlet

Just put a Dell 2400 spec as below in shopping basket
CPU: 2.4 celeron
Operating System: English - Win XP SP2 Home
Memory: 256MB (1x256) Single Channel DDR333
Hard Disk Drive: 40GB Hard Drive 7200RPM
Modem: V.92 Data Fax Modem UK
CD Read-Write Drive: 48X/32X DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
Software: Microsoft® Works® 7.0
MISC: Dell Standard PS2 Keyboard
Dell 2 Button PS/2 Scroll Mouse

Including £50 discount comes to £201 inc delivery and 90 day warranty. Some of the systems can be a lot cheaper than that but they tend to fly straight back out.

Edit: There was one a couple of minutes later at £208 which was the same but with 2.6 celly, 80gb HDD and a full gig of ram

[Bender316]

Dell Outlet

Just put a Dell 2400 spec as below in shopping basket
CPU: 2.4 celeron
Operating System: English - Win XP SP2 Home
Memory: 256MB (1x256) Single Channel DDR333
Hard Disk Drive: 40GB Hard Drive 7200RPM
Modem: V.92 Data Fax Modem UK
CD Read-Write Drive: 48X/32X DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
Software: Microsoft® Works® 7.0
MISC: Dell Standard PS2 Keyboard
Dell 2 Button PS/2 Scroll Mouse

Including £50 discount comes to £201 inc delivery and 90 day warranty. Some of the systems can be a lot cheaper than that but they tend to fly straight back out.

Edit: There was one a couple of minutes later at £208 which was the same but with 2.6 celly, 80gb HDD and a full gig of ram

Dell outlet? Do you mean PC world? Or is there a Dell 'outlet store' next to the Gap one?

I find with Dell, when you buy a 'cheap' PC, it suddenly gets a lot more expensive when you go through the options, even with the cheapest ones (some don't have a 'nothing' option)

[Bender316]

Dell outlet? Do you mean PC world? Or is there a Dell 'outlet store' next to the Gap one?

I find with Dell, when you buy a 'cheap' PC, it suddenly gets a lot more expensive when you go through the options, even with the cheapest ones (some don't have a 'nothing' option)

LOL, I have been on the outlet site before too, Forgot about it. Just googled it. Never mind me...

Anyway, a celeron is fairly poor compared to the Sempron. Would still stick with the AXP setup to run XP

[wedge22]

How about this setup.
LN10289 Asus Vintage P4 S478 Barebone System £55.98 £65.78

LN7627 320 Intel Celeron-D Socket mPGA478 (2.40 Ghz, 256k Cache, 533mhz 90nm) £41.24 £48.46

LN5547 Lite-On Beige & Black Bezels 52x32X52 CD-RW OEM £12.89 £15.15

LN9506 40Gb Hitachi (IBM/HGST) Deskstar 7K250 (7200rpm,8MB) - SATA £25.94 £30.48

LN5541 512 Mb Corsair Value Select, DDR, PC3200, non ECC, Lifetime Warranty £24.95 £29.32

LN8089 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Inc. SP2 OEM Single £50.99 £59.91

LN8061 256mb Connect3D Radeon 9550 (D-Sub, DVI, TV-Out) 128 BIT £33.49 £39.35

If you change any quantities, please re-calculate your bask

[wedge22]

How about this setup.
LN10289 Asus Vintage P4 S478 Barebone System £55.98 £65.78

LN7627 320 Intel Celeron-D Socket mPGA478 (2.40 Ghz, 256k Cache, 533mhz 90nm) £41.24 £48.46

LN5547 Lite-On Beige & Black Bezels 52x32X52 CD-RW OEM £12.89 £15.15

LN9506 40Gb Hitachi (IBM/HGST) Deskstar 7K250 (7200rpm,8MB) - SATA £25.94 £30.48

LN5541 512 Mb Corsair Value Select, DDR, PC3200, non ECC, Lifetime Warranty £24.95 £29.32

LN8089 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Inc. SP2 OEM Single £50.99 £59.91

LN8061 256mb Connect3D Radeon 9550 (D-Sub, DVI, TV-Out) 128 BIT £33.49 £39.35

£300 total

[Dark Horse]

How about this setup.
LN10289 Asus Vintage P4 S478 Barebone System £55.98 £65.78

LN7627 320 Intel Celeron-D Socket mPGA478 (2.40 Ghz, 256k Cache, 533mhz 90nm) £41.24 £48.46

LN5547 Lite-On Beige & Black Bezels 52x32X52 CD-RW OEM £12.89 £15.15

LN9506 40Gb Hitachi (IBM/HGST) Deskstar 7K250 (7200rpm,8MB) - SATA £25.94 £30.48

LN5541 512 Mb Corsair Value Select, DDR, PC3200, non ECC, Lifetime Warranty £24.95 £29.32

LN8089 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Inc. SP2 OEM Single £50.99 £59.91

LN8061 256mb Connect3D Radeon 9550 (D-Sub, DVI, TV-Out) 128 BIT £33.49 £39.35

£300 total

I think thats a sata drive and it won't be supported by that old motherboard.
If you wanted to put the budget up I go for something like:

Ebuyer 512mb DDR PC3200 400MHz 184pin Extra Value Ram 049447 27.99 inc VAT

Abit NF7 V2.0 nForce2 Socket A 63166 £38.96 inc VAT

Amd Sempron 2600+ 80282 £43.33 inc VAT

Inno3d 6200 AGP 128mb 93066 £45.28 inc VAT

comes to roughly ~£155 where the previous equivalents were ~£73 so adds £75.

At the end of the day though there is absolutely no need to do anything more than the very cheapest because if its only for word processing and browsing then there is no point in shelling out on faster ram or processor or graphics card which would make sthing work faster when they don't need to.

[Marcos]

Have you thought about a laptop? Whenever family members or friends ask me about getting a cheap PC for web and office i always recommend a laptop. Bargains on ebay or go with a new one from dell since they have been very cheap lately.

And its worth the price over a desktop just for the extra convenience and portability. Not to mention the monitor is much friendlier on eyes.

[wedge22]

I had not looked into laptops as I thought that they would be too costly.

[Scarlet Infidel]

I hate this obsession with laptops as home pcs, just get a real PC, please, for my sanity if nothing else. (we have to use laptops at school in our computing lessons, its a joke).

[Marcos]

I hate this obsession with laptops as home pcs, just get a real PC, please, for my sanity if nothing else. (we have to use laptops at school in our computing lessons, its a joke).

diehard desktop fan much?

Laptops are without a doubt a much better option for most users, especially less experienced people.

In a word, i'd describe them as the healthy way to PC

desktops are always whirring away, big boxes of stuff taking up room, huge monitors unless you pay for a TFT etc, and lets not forget the fact that you are tied down to one spot in the house and usually facing a wall.

With a laptop you lose some bang for buck but gain much more

[Jonny]

Yeah, I'd agree. I'd never swap my desktop for a laptop, and I wouldn't recommend the swap to any serious user, but in this case it could be just the ticket.

[Firelord]

Biostar 210V
Sempron 2500
512MB DDR400
80GB SATA HDD
DVD ROM
Win XP home

£289.38 inc VAT and del fro microdirect.

Nice and small, has onboard gfx, nic and sound. Very good stable systems. Obviously you could drop down to a smaller HDD or smaller CPU

[Marcos]

If you must go with a desktop you have to at least got for TFT, even if it is just a 15"

It plays on the mind in a big way, even if it is mostly subliminal

[Meiapaul]

Cheapest yet AFAIK: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=89079

£169.99 with Mandrake and Open Office (I think), but you can add XP to take it up to £220 ish

Edit: Now out of stock

[Squid0x]

Buy mine, simple.

http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=48438