Desktop Unit Only, Cheap, Any Advice

[MacB]

Okay been having a play on DinoPC and have this as latest spec:-

Customizations:CPU:02028 - Intel Celeron Dual Core E1500 CPU Cooler:03006 - Coolermaster Hyper TX2 Motherboard:04022 - Asus P5KPL-AM (Intel G31 chipset, onboard video) Memory:05015 - 2GB DDR2 800mhz (1x 2GB) Hard Drives:06002 - 160GB S-ATAII 3.0Gb/s Second hard drive:06002 - 160GB S-ATAII 3.0Gb/s Optical Drive:07002 - 20x DVD±RW DL Graphics card:08032 - Onboard Intel GMA3100 Sound card:10001 - Onboard 7.1 Audio Operating System:11001 - No Operating System - I will install my own Internet:13002 - Wireless 802.11G USB dongle Peripherals:14003 - Logitech Wireless keyboard and mouse PSU:18007 - 400W Case:17013 - EZCool H601 Warranty:1000 - 3 Year Bronze Warranty


Basic box and I added wireless dongle - is that easier than a wireless card?

Wireless keyboard and mouse - coz I fancied them

Second hard drive - based on their recommendations that you load OS to one and save all your data on the other. So that if you have to reload the OS anytime you don't lose your data.

£260 SEEMS REASONABLE IF YOU THINK THIS WILL MEET MY NEEDS

 

[peanut]

sounds fantastic Mac. That has got to be upgrade proof for at least 2-3 years I should have thought.

You could always partition a single drive but 2x drives gives you greater flexibility.

I would definitely recommend a wireless card rather than a dongle. You'll get considerably greater signal capture from a card. Get the shop to install it with the drivers and you won't need to do anything else hopefully. Netgear are one of the best

 

[nigelnorris]

Eclipse is dirt cheap for bits, prebuilt boxes start from under 200 delivered

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/products.aspx?cat=7&subcat=154&brand=1

This is the cheapest I could find, meets all your specs £150 + P&P

http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=SYS-ECO-AS115

Long way from you though, pita if something goes wrong.

 

[accountantpete]

I might be a bit late but I'd have upped the PSU spec and made sure it was a good make as it's the single most important part of the pc.

 

[MacB]

I might be a bit late but I'd have upped the PSU spec and made sure it was a good make as it's the single most important part of the pc.

interesting Pete, the standard option is 400W, I can up that to 500W Eagle for another £12 or 700W EZCool Tornado for an extra £31. I'm planning on ordering tomorrow but wouldn't mind some inof on this first....Al

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I'm not sure it's the wattage that matters, it's rather that the 'standard' PSU that comes with the case is normally *****. You want a fairly decent brand that's been made well, not a generic type one. Of course having spare watts handy is normally a good thing too...
I've not heard of EZCool so can't really comment - did just find a forum hit suggesting they were junk, but you can't trust everything posted on a forum - looking at what DinoPC offers (that's where you were shopping, no?) ThermalTake was a fairly decent brand when I was last in the market (which is quite a while back). Does up the price a bit though...
I'd also recommend Antec but DinoPC don't seem to do them.

 

[MacB]

well after all that I went and bought one from e-bay, item No 140313539049, I spoke to them on the phone first. Made a couple of changes to spec and seems to fit the bill, total came in about £230.