Consult on a build for a friend

[FlightSimBoy]

So, a good friend of mine was asking me about buying a computer today. I think I talked him into getting a custom built one, because it would be cheaper, easier to upgrade, and probably have better parts. I also told him that I would be able to get a price estimate for him as soon as I got the time. I told him I could get something pretty good for the $400 to $500 price range. I think he accepted this offer, but I need a consult with other knowledgeable people before I print a hard copy of the list and see how he likes it.

So, here we are, I compiled a part list on Newegg for him. He wants a computer that is good for Internet browsing, mabye a few non-graphics intensive Internet games (flash games and what not) and also a place to store LOTS of music. He has his own band, so hard drive space shall be important.

Motherboard: ASUS M2A-VM AM2 AMD 690G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131172 $65

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Brisbane 2.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103774 $60

Memory: GeIL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144047 $46

Power Supply: Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC ATX 430W Power Supply 115/ 230 V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023 $40

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136098 $75

DVD/CD Drive: SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154 $34

Case: Rosewill R218-P-BK Black 0.5mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147073 $21

OS: Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116056 $90

Estimated cost before accessories and shipping: $440

Keyboard and mouse set: APEVIA KI-COMBO-BK Black 104 Normal Keys 22 Function Keys PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard and Optical Scroll Mouse Combo Set Mouse Included
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823165014 $19

Floppy Drive: SAMSUNG Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Model SFD321B/LBL1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16821103203 $7

Extra Fans: KINGWIN F-01B 4PIN 80mm Case Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999964 $2.50 x2

SATA cable for CD drive: Silverstone 19.68" SATA II Cable Model CP03 $5

Estimated cost after these items: $470
Estimated after shipping: $520

Thats what I got so far. I think it is a nice build, and is within his price range. I decided to go with an AMD board/ CPU because they are cheaper, but offer the same if not more than Intel does. The CPU I picked may be slow, but he is not a gamer like most of us, and he does not want Vista. Onboard graphics should be fine for his needs. The onboard graphics chipset isn't too bad, actually. I chose 2 GB of memory because he might need it in the future. It will make the PC run smoother and faster, and allow for upgrades. 430w PSU for future upgrade ability. Like I said, he doesn't want Vista right now. He might be interested in it when SP2 comes out, but until then, I would rather give him XP. He is used to Windows 98. (lol) and I had to get a 3.5 floppy drive, because he is old school and still uses those occasionally.

So, how does the build look? If you can make it cheaper with the same parts, or better parts then post the revised list. I really don't want to get anything less than this, unless you can come up with a pretty good reason why I should. He wants a really good computer for what he wants to use it for, and I plan on doing that.

 

[worshipme]

That looks pretty good for $500, but you might want to have a look at a different CPU/mobo combination.
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116036
mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128084
That might be a tiny bit more expensive than the AMD platform, but the pentium dual cores are actually core 2 duos with 1MB of L2 cache. They can reach 3.5GHz which would make it waaay faster that the 4000+ X2. There is an article about it here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Intel-Pentium-Dual-Core-E2140-overclocking,review-29816.html