[Build Help] Should I just buy a prebuilt one?
I am planning to replace my general use computer (Dell E2000 bought in 2005, running XP SP3). It's quite outdated and doesn't run as smoothly as I wish it did.
I'm planning to start from scratch and build a computer with about a ~$300 budget.
I have a build selected here and a cheaper one here. Would like to have another opinion about it and would it also be more beneficial to just buy a prebuilt one and save myself the time of setting up a custom one?
I plan to use the computer for schoolwork/general internet browsing and also light gaming (think CS 1.6 etc)
Also I can wipe and use my old harddrive (most likely) but suggestions are of course welcome for that too
edit: here is the current pcpartpicker build: PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Athlon II X4 640 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $74.23 @ Outlet PC |
| Thermal Compound | Arctic Silver Arctic Alumina Premium Ceramic Polysynthetic 14g Thermal Paste | $4.98 @ Outlet PC |
| Motherboard | Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard | $79.99 @ Newegg |
| Memory | G.Skill Value 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory | $28.99 @ Newegg |
| Storage | Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $54.98 @ SuperBiiz |
| Video Card | Sapphire Radeon HD 5450 1GB Video Card | $19.99 @ Newegg |
| Case | Cooler Master Centurion 5 ATX Mid Tower Case | $59.98 @ Newegg |
| Power Supply | Cooler Master Elite Power 460W ATX12V Power Supply | $19.99 @ Newegg |
| Total | ||
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $343.13 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-13 19:17 EDT-0400 |
Posted Apr 13, 2013, 11:07 PM UTC · edited