Build Guide for Teens

[root]

The build that I put together is a quality build. People are telling you that you are settling for low end parts when you start saying you don't care about what your PSU is. Get something quality. I mean, really, are you going to waste your money by risking all of your components on a cheap PSU? Even if it DOESN'T take out any thing else when it decides to give way/blow, it'd be cheaper in the long run if you buy a quality one to begin with.

it's cheaper in the long run to buy something outright rather than buy something on finance or credit, just like it's cheaper to buy exactly what you want now than to settle now and upgrade later.

but it's often more immediately affordable to get something (anything usable) now, and settle to pay back more in the long run. and just like paying for something upfront rather than paying on credit, it's not always possible, and is dictated by individual circumstances.

If it's better to get the absolute best now and never settle then we'd all have rigs costing thousands of dollars, and there wouldn't be any budget machines... also it might be many years before the OP actually gets a computer at all.

if you're low on money now, I still think that it's better to start out buying something to get yourself going, whilst carefully planning your purchase to make upgrades possible in the longer term.

There isn't a problem. But you should get something halfway decent so you have some usable time (time to use whatever you buy before it becomes old and slow) to save up some money to upgrade again. It's why I recommended what I did.

What are you saying is usable? note that I'm posting from an old laptop, just a 1.8GHz single core pentium, with 1.5GB ram, and it's running windows 7 and all the applications that *I* want to run just fine...
why is there a need to immediately stick in the best and most expensive components?

there is a fine line of the budget dictating the build and the build dictating the budget...

Unfortunately, my friend, you don't have that worked out until you consider a quality PSU.

What's the problem with buying a case that comes with an OK PSU, (assuming it's good enough for what he wants to run now), then upgrading the PSU at a later date?

yes, he'll have more requirements at a later date, but also have more money.

No. Prices on monitors have been holding steady for quite some time. You could always just grab a $5-10 CRT somewhere to hold you over til you have money to purchase a flat screen.

or find one in a skip, or ask for one on freecycle, find out if your local school/college is upgrading their old CRTs to LCDs and see if you can get one for nothing... there is nothing wrong with having an old CRT, as a means to an end it can be a free monitor that you're using whilst you're saving.

It's another purchase that I'd suggest saving up for so that you can get a very nice one, instead of wasting $60 and then wishing you didn't buy it 6 months later.

indeed, there is no point in buying a mid price monitor just to get a flat screen if you could get a CRT for nothing. -especially if you're panning to upgrade later anyway

 

[dude_56013]

Some very good stuff there root.

I guess, to sum up your responses to some of what I had to say, I guess "to each their own". I'm the kind of person that makes very budget conscious purchases; what I mean is that if I'm going to spend any money at all, it's going to be something I consider decent-to-high quality, not something to "just get me by", because many, many times when I've done the latter, I've ended up regretting it. It's why I said some of the things that I did, and I stand by them. But, like I said, it's going to be up to the OP to decide what course of action to take.

At any rate, I'm glad you added what you did. At least the OP has a better outline of the "roads" he can take as he approaches this.

Also, free CRTs is the same thing as my "$5-10" CRT suggestion. I'm not really sure why I put a price tag on that, maybe just because I'm in such a small town, we don't have much free stuff around here (no shops that would have them, in other words). But in a world of Craiglist, I'm sure he can find some free ones. And they will most certainly hold him over til he can afford a quality monitor!

 

[nickelodeonn]

Some very good stuff there root.

I guess, to sum up your responses to some of what I had to say, I guess "to each their own". I'm the kind of person that makes very budget conscious purchases; what I mean is that if I'm going to spend any money at all, it's going to be something I consider decent-to-high quality, not something to "just get me by", because many, many times when I've done the latter, I've ended up regretting it. It's why I said some of the things that I did, and I stand by them. But, like I said, it's going to be up to the OP to decide what course of action to take.

At any rate, I'm glad you added what you did. At least the OP has a better outline of the "roads" he can take as he approaches this.

Also, free CRTs is the same thing as my "$5-10" CRT suggestion. I'm not really sure why I put a price tag on that, maybe just because I'm in such a small town, we don't have much free stuff around here (no shops that would have them, in other words). But in a world of Craiglist, I'm sure he can find some free ones. And they will most certainly hold him over til he can afford a quality monitor!

Wow, you guys are saving me a lot of money by letting me know that CRT's are okay, too! I am actually looking for one now. Unfortunately, I can't find them free. But, I have seen for some for about $10.

it's cheaper in the long run to buy something outright rather than buy something on finance or credit, just like it's cheaper to buy exactly what you want now than to settle now and upgrade later.

but it's often more immediately affordable to get something (anything usable) now, and settle to pay back more in the long run. and just like paying for something upfront rather than paying on credit, it's not always possible, and is dictated by individual circumstances.

If it's better to get the absolute best now and never settle then we'd all have rigs costing thousands of dollars, and there wouldn't be any budget machines... also it might be many years before the OP actually gets a computer at all.

if you're low on money now, I still think that it's better to start out buying something to get yourself going, whilst carefully planning your purchase to make upgrades possible in the longer term.




What are you saying is usable? note that I'm posting from an old laptop, just a 1.8GHz single core pentium, with 1.5GB ram, and it's running windows 7 and all the applications that *I* want to run just fine...
why is there a need to immediately stick in the best and most expensive components?

there is a fine line of the budget dictating the build and the build dictating the budget...



What's the problem with buying a case that comes with an OK PSU, (assuming it's good enough for what he wants to run now), then upgrading the PSU at a later date?

yes, he'll have more requirements at a later date, but also have more money.


or find one in a skip, or ask for one on freecycle, find out if your local school/college is upgrading their old CRTs to LCDs and see if you can get one for nothing... there is nothing wrong with having an old CRT, as a means to an end it can be a free monitor that you're using whilst you're saving.


indeed, there is no point in buying a mid price monitor just to get a flat screen if you could get a CRT for nothing. -especially if you're panning to upgrade later anyway

What does OP mean? What do you think of this case? I mean, I don't want to risk it, but I want to get a cheap PSU if it'll still run okay. Lookie here

Thanks for all of this! It really reassure me. I'm going to check out freecycle. Also, I was wondering: what makes a computer slow down? Do you think my 2.9Ghz Dual Core Athlon II will slow down tremendously after 3-4 years?

 

[Grantofhell]

It's normally because the OS gets cluttered. The only hardware I can think of that actually "degrades" in performance over time is NAND flash technology. And some HDD's.

 

[dude_56013]

OP means original poster, which would be you.

Computers slow down because of what grant said, and also because newer programs that are developed are more taxing (use up more RAM, more CPU power, more GPU power, etc.). For instance, if you put a fresh copy of Windows XP on an old computer that used to run Windows 95 it would probably run just fine if you just used it for internet. But, if you throw Adobe Photoshop on there, it'll probably run like a 90 year old grandma crossing the street.

 

[nickelodeonn]

OP means original poster, which would be you.

Computers slow down because of what grant said, and also because newer programs that are developed are more taxing (use up more RAM, more CPU power, more GPU power, etc.). For instance, if you put a fresh copy of Windows XP on an old computer that used to run Windows 95 it would probably run just fine if you just used it for internet. But, if you throw Adobe Photoshop on there, it'll probably run like a 90 year old grandma crossing the street.

Hahaha. I think I'll be okay, then. Ubuntu should work like a charm, from what I've heard. What's freaky is that you can run it on your PS3 too...!!! Weird...

 

[dude_56013]

Hahaha. I think I'll be okay, then. Ubuntu should work like a charm, from what I've heard. What's freaky is that you can run it on your PS3 too...!!! Weird...

Only on older versions, from what I understand.

 

[nickelodeonn]

Only on older versions, from what I understand.

Ohhh, okay. Don't think I can then. I have the newest version (Slim -- just got it for Christmas) I don't think I'm going to do that iPod thing. Too risky. Anyway, I think I'm going to post an ad in my newspaper about babysitting, tutoring, and shoveling. Whaddya think?

 

[VINMAN46]

dont those cost money for ads in paper so you will be in a hole if you dont get work

 

[nickelodeonn]

dont those cost money for ads in paper so you will be in a hole if you dont get work

like 2 bucks, ha. Cuz my town is small and so is the newspaper. Plus, I bet my mom will pay for it. So,, I'll advertise my "skills" at Kroger, in the newspaper, and around the neighborhood/church (tell peeps)