Budget internet PC - October 2007
Budget internet PC
Configuration
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AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 | Processors |
| Recently AMD introduced the BE version of the Athlon X2, with as a most distinctive characteristic a high energy efficiency. And we have to admit, these dual-core CPUs produce very little heat indeed, which means reduced cooling needs and a silent system. More importantly, with a street price of about 82 euros, a BE-2350 has a truly excellent price/performance ratio. Even more so in view of the fact that mainboards for this CPU are quite affordable as well, this is the ideal choice for a budget internet PC. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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1 GB (2x 512 MB) DDR2-667 | Memory modules |
| For a budget PC, 1 GB of memory suffices. The specific brand is of no real import here, but do ensure to get an A-grade product to ensure smooth operation. Also, pick 2x 512 MB instead of 1 x 1 GB: thanks to dual channel access, this will result in increase performance. | ||
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AMD Boxed Cooler | CPU coolers |
| AMD's standard boxed cooler is a fine choice for useage in a budget PC. | ||
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ASUS M2A-VM HDMI | Mainboards |
| The ASUS M2A-VM is built around AMD's 690G chipset, which has a lot of functionality and a built-in ATI Radeon X1250 graphics card. According to our tests, this videocard works just fine in Windows Vista and is suitable for practically any purpose as long as you're not gaming. More importantly for this configuration, the 690G chipset is energy efficient and makes for inexpensive mainboards. Based on our comparison testing, the ASUS M2A-VM is the best board based on this chipset. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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Integrated | Graphics cards |
| A separate videocard is not needed for a budget internet PC, the one integrated in the AMD 690G chipset on the mainboard suffices nicely. | ||
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Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 160 GB | Hard disks (internal) |
| As this is a budget system, we recommend a 160 GB hard drive. Unless you will be downloading a lot of - independently produced, creative commons licensed - films, this will be more than enough. Based on our tests, the Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 160 GB offers the best price/performance ratio. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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Lite-On LH-20A1S | Optical drives |
| These days pretty much all DVD burners are equally affordable. So it makes sense to pick the best one: in our latest test this was the 20-speed Lite-On LH-20A1H, which won clearly in the burn speed and quality comparisons. For this system we take the LH-20A1S, the Serial ATA version of the same drive. Thanks to this interface, the writer is easier to connect. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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Procase Zirco | Cases |
| Even if a budget PC does not need an extravagant enclosure, it is still advisable not to go for the cheapest option, as quality in the lowest price categories tends to be insufficient. A good choice for budget PC's is the Procase Zirco, which is quite cheap, but at the same time well constructed and complete with a 300 Watt power supply. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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300 Watt bundled with Procase Zirco | Power supplies |
| The power supply that comes bundled with the Procase Zirco, is eminently suited to a budget system. | ||
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Logitech Cordless Desktop EX110 | Keyboard / Mouse |
| The Cordless Desktop EX110 offers an excellent combination of wireless keyboard and mouse for a relatively low price. Despite the asking price, the quality is excellent as we're used to when Logitech products are involved. One might wonder why we don't pick a generic 10 euro combination for mouse and keyboard, as this is a budget system. The reason is simple, these components will be used most intensively of all parts, a little extra investment in them will pay itself back hugely in hassle free computing. | ||
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Creative SBS380 | Speaker sets |
| Creative's SBS380 speakers won't bring down the house, but for very little money it is a fine set that matches a budget PC quite well. | ||
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Samsung 940NW | Monitors |
| 17 inch monitors are going the way of the dinosaur, with 19 inch models being only a little more expensive. Therefore even for a budget system a 19 inch screen is the right choice. Samsung's 940NW is a recent widescreen model with excellent image quality, minimalistic design and a very good price. A great match for this system. | ||
3D chips
All-in-ones
Barebones
Case fans
Cases
CPU coolers
Game controllers
Graphics cards
Hard disks (external)
Hard disks (internal)
Keyboards
Mainboards
Memory cards
Memory modules
Mice
Monitors
Mouse pads
NAS devices
Notebooks
Optical drives
Power supplies
Powerline adapters
Printers
Processors
Routers
Servers
Sound cards
Speaker sets
Storage controllers
Systems
USB flash drives
Video card coolers
Webcams
