Ho-Kyung Lee (Benjamin) - Ultra-affordable PC

Benjamin says his PC does everything he wants, at minimum cost. He asks:  "How many people actually play the latest RPG games that require a 512MB video card and 4GB of RAM or use Adobe Premiere to edit HD movies all the time?" He points most people go on their computer to either browse the Internet, check Facebook, send email, or use a word processor such as Microsoft Word. That's what he does, and this system suits him perfectly, letting carry out his tasks "without any delay or lag."

Benjmain is a third year university student and has been building PCs since 2000. "I much prefer building my own PC than buying a pre-made PC from manufacturers, as they can be up to five times more expensive with similar specifications."

CORE SYSTEM

CPU: Intel Dual Core E2200 - $101.82
One of the cheapest CPUs in the dual-core range. It's enough to perform all the basic tasks at reasonable speed. I don't need Core 2 Duo or higher as I do not perform memory-intensive tasks on this computer.

MOTHERBOARD: MSI FSB 1333 - $50
One of the cheapest in the range with an HD audio driver. It supports up to Core 2 Duo.

GRAPHICS: Asus PCI-E 512MB 8400GS - $48
Perfect to run anything you want. It even caters for HD videos and latest games.

RAM: Kingston Value 2GB DDR2 800MHz - $29
Cheap and powerful RAM, enough to run everything you need, nice and quick. No more lagging or unexpected freeze.

HARD DRIVE 1:  Seagate 160GB SATA 7200RPM 8M HDD - $66
Not too big, not too small. 160GB is more than enough to store your photos, documents, music and videos.

OPTICAL DRIVE: ASUS PATA LightScribe 20x DVD+/- RW - price   $33
This DVD writer supports up to 20x DVD writing and 48x CD writing. It even provides LightScribe printing on top of your burnt LightScribe discs. I can design semi-professional music CDs for friends and family.

PSU: SHAW Silent Dual Fan 720 Max - $25
It is extremely cheap for 720V. I do wonder whether it can seriously provide up to 720V.

CASE: Atrix - $ n/a
I am using the case from my previous computer.

CORE SYSTEM COST: AUD $432.82 (without case)

EXTRAS:

MONITOR: Samsung 953BW - $174
Affordable 19 inch monitor with bright and clear LCD screen. I don't need to stare at a tiny screen when I am doing my assignmentd. It is perfect for watching movies.


KEYBOARD/MOUSE: Logitech Ultraflat - $25
Neat keyboard with ultra flat keys. It is compactly designed, so it does not take up much space on your desk.

MOUSE: Gigabyte GM M5100 - $7
Extremely cheap and comfortable mouse for general use.

OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows XP Pro SP3 - $ n/a (no longer sold)
 It was one of the most reliable Windows operating system at the time of purchase. XP SP3 allows the PC to boot in 20 seconds or less.