Desktop for $500 - $600 HELP

J6 on 13/04/2015 - 10:20
Last edited 13/04/2015 - 11:18

My parents need a new desktop and im currently looking to buy them one before they go blow 1.5k at somewhere like harvey norman. We do not need peripherals. We have speakers/moniter/keyboard ect already.
Just a basic desktop is fine. It wont be running games. It will be mainly used for web browsing, Microsoft office and some downloading.
Im not comfortable building it on my own as ive never done it before. Im all for making a custom pc at umart/msy and getting them to build but im not sure of everything that i need. How do i know im not going to miss something important?

OR

what are some good reputable sites with premade builds on them in my price range? or any particular builds in my price range then please let me know!

Thanks a bunch!

Computing

Comments

  • IceCreamBandit on 13/04/2015 - 10:25

    You'll need to give us more info so we can give you better advice.

    1) Do they need peripherals? Monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, wifi dongle? If so, is that part of the budget?
    2) What do they need it for? Just browsing, media consumption, gaming?

    • J6 on 13/04/2015 - 11:19

      post updated! thankyou.

      We do not need peripherals. We have speakers/monitor/keyboard ect already.
      Just a basic desktop is fine. It wont be running games. It will be mainly used for web browsing, Microsoft office and some downloading.

  • mrmarkau67 on 13/04/2015 - 10:27

    MSY have some builds in your price range:

    http://www.msy.com.au/viconline/content/31-system-packages

    Free advice: Do your parents a favour. Spend an extra $60 or so to get them an SSD boot drive.

    • J6 on 13/04/2015 - 11:20

      thanks, checking them out now.

    • battler on 13/04/2015 - 12:01
      -1

      can't entirely agree with the SSD advice.
      'Parents' (with basic requirements) don't necessarily need fast boot up times. A modern hard drive will give them adequate performance.
      Up to the OP whether he feels the cost is worth it.
      For me (for my recent parents build) it wasn't.

      • mrmarkau67 on 13/04/2015 - 12:25
        +2

        SSDs aren't just about fast bootup. They make the PC overall much smoother because of the little file operations Windows is almost-constantly doing.

  • Richardc on 13/04/2015 - 11:26
    -6

    I would just get a laptop and connect to the monitor, cheaper than buy a desktop with os.

  • Yummy on 13/04/2015 - 11:26

    Get a NUC.

    • scrimshaw on 13/04/2015 - 12:28
      +2

      Why though? It's not particularly cost effective, can't take upgrades, lacks enough IO ports and won't take more than a single internal drive.

      The barebones unit itself is cheap, but once you factor in the additional costs of HDD, RAM, Wifi chip and OS it becomes just as expensive as a regular ATX desktop.

      • Yummy on 13/04/2015 - 22:24

        http://www.mwave.com.au/product/diy-bundle-deal-intel-celero…

        Something like this, less than $450 if you included OS, Wifi dongle, etc. Mount behind the monitor & just forget about it. You don't need to upgrade it if only use it for browsing & office, just enough for a non IT savvy people.

        • scrimshaw on 13/04/2015 - 22:31
          +1

          Just because a user is non-IT savvy doesn't mean they want very low performing ultra-compact desktop computer.

          The NUC offers:

          1. Small compact size
          2. Lower power consumption
          3. VESA mount capability
          4. Generally inobstrusive design allowing for a neater looking office

          It does not offer:

          1. The ability to upgrade innards asides from memory and storage
          2. Expand storage beyond a single HDD, other than adding on a USB drive
          3. A vast array of expansion ports
          4. Any sort of significant saving, or if any, over a traditional ATX form factor machine.
          5. Considering the performance of the N2830 processor, this is most likely slower than the desktop they are replacing. Does the user want a spec downgrade or upgrade?
        • Yummy on 13/04/2015 - 22:51

          @scrimshaw:

          Uh ah… I'm only showing the less headache method. :P

  • Mumbles on 13/04/2015 - 12:01
    +1

    I like MSY because the prices are great and they can assemble any PC for a small fee.

    If your parents don't need a very fast computer, another place to shop is OfficeWorks. They have tonnes of entry level PC's including monitor that start from ~$400:

    http://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/technology/de…

    If they need a high performance machine then consider second hand from auction/classifieds. I think Dell and other manufacturers also sell refurbished/re-conditioned PC's with limited warranty.

    • J6 on 16/04/2015 - 09:40

      thanks!

  • jennkei on 13/04/2015 - 23:31
    +1

    Whirlpool has some configs for you to look at. http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/rmp_sg_whirlpoolpcs_basic_confi…

    I've thrown together a quick $563 build on pcpartpicker for you based on the last config on that list — http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/QkTCVn But with $70 or $80 build fee, would be past $600. Anyway, just for consideration. Use PcPartPicker if you're not sure what you need to include; bare minimum you need a case/power supply (some package both together), cpu, hard drive, and motherboard. and I forgot to include Wifi in the list if you need it, USB dongle is extra about $20. :)

    If you're looking at prebuilts, check to see if the parts are worth what you're paying. :) Good luck!

    • J6 on 16/04/2015 - 09:36

      wow thanks!

      although when im looking at your build on partpicker it says

      "Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case has front panel USB 3.0 ports, but the MSI B85M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard does not have onboard USB 3.0 headers.
      Some Intel B85 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs."

      Will these two compatibility notes have an effect on my build?

  • ezarc on 14/04/2015 - 08:15
    +2

    Where abouts are you OP?

    I've built dozens of computers (4 in the last year) for myself, friends and family.

    I'm about 45 mins from Adelaide and if you are in the same area I can walk you through all the buying options and assemble it for you, and you could just shout me lunch or something in return.

    • J6 on 16/04/2015 - 09:36

      thanks for the offer but im in brisbane! cheers!

  • bradsmrbetty on 14/04/2015 - 08:26

    As others said SSD is the way to go. Unfortunately small SSDs fill up fast because most users save to the default documents folder or desktop.
    Using a SSHD or something like the Sandisk Readycache which works with your existing hard drive.
    Neither the SSHD or the Readycache will be faster than a SSD but it does give you a much larger hard drive.
    Checkout SSHD vs SSD vs Hard Drive on youtube; it does a side by side comparison of how they perform.

    • J6 on 16/04/2015 - 09:36

      ok thanks, researching them now.

  • pclyne on 14/04/2015 - 08:56
    +1

    May I suggest you contact your local freecycle chapter (freecycle.org) and see if anyone is offering a free PC that meets your requirements.

    Heck - if you were Newcastle/Maitland based - I know of at least one person who would gladly give you a complete PC system for NIL.

    • J6 on 16/04/2015 - 09:37

      its a shame im in brisbane but im looking now!

  • Edsanwong on 11/05/2015 - 22:05

    I am on the same boat here. Looking for a desktop for work from home. Not for gaming, just MS Office, internet browsing and watching movies.

    As OP, I am not capable to build my own.

    What Ozbargainers opinion about Dell outlet? Is it better to buy non brand or branded like HP, Dell?

    Many thanks,

    • scrimshaw on 12/05/2015 - 12:19

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/193713

      is a good option. You seem to be in Victoria and they're located in Melb.

      • Edsanwong on 12/05/2015 - 13:45

        Thanks scrimshaw.
        Just about to PM you, asking for advice.

        I am deciding with this one and waiting for Optiplex from Dell outlet like what this ozbargainer got https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/191776

        What is your opinion?

        • scrimshaw on 12/05/2015 - 14:17

          There doesn't to be any Optiplexes in stock at this time, if you want a machine that is backed by a 3 year warranty I'd suggest the HP, otherwise both machines will meet your needs.

          The HP obviously has far more storage than the Dell Optiplex with a 1TB drive, and it is also quite a bit larger in size. Performance wise the Dell optiplex with an i5 and SSD will beat the HP.

          Although there is a difference in CPU and Graphics performance it is unlikely you will ever experience the difference, unless you are playing games.

        • Edsanwong on 12/05/2015 - 20:43

          @scrimshaw:
          Many thanks. I will wait for Dell then.
          Thanks mate

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