How to Build an inexpensive Vista PC (Aero Enabled)
Posted by J2 in PCFeb 16th, 2007 | 61 responses
This article was written on February 16th 2007. I’ve written an updated version of this article, which you can view by clicking here, it contains newer parts and better instructions on how to build your new PC. Please update your bookmarks accordingly and don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS feed.
[Edit 2/28/07] WOW…the digg effect, over 1000 diggs. Thanks for visiting my site. By the way, Dreamhost, my hosting provider has been keeping up…]. Also, thanks for all your comments and suggestions.
[Edit #2] Wow…made it to the front page of Gizmodo (click here to view it).
So with so many people out there saying that you need a very high end PC to run Windows Vista with Aero enabled (and so many misconceptions around Vista, I want to prove that you can build at around $500. At my office, I am running Vista with Aero Glass enabled on an old (4 year) system, I just installed a $58 video card PNY nVidia FX5200 256MB on my P4 2.66, 1Gb of RAM system.
I went out there and priced out a system (from Mwave.com, my favorite supplier), very decent in my opinion. Now you won’t be able to run the latest games out there smoothly, this is just to prove that you can take full advantage of Vista under a budget. All quality parts in my opinion and it all came out to $538.01 not including MS Vista Home Premium (which can be purchased here for $115, shipping and tax. Notice that all the parts aren’t the absolute minimum, nor the cheapest, I’m going for the “best-bang for the buck” factor.
Heres the breakdown of the system (prices don’t include tax)
Motherboard: Intel BOXD945GCCRL – $72.45. DDR2 667 memory capable. SATA 300. PCI-E and enough room for expansion.
Processor: Intel PENTIUM D 820 2.8GHZ – $88.9. Low-end, very fast and capable dual core processor.
Memory: KINGSTON VALUE RAM KVR667D2N5/1G – $75.60. Two of these sticks for a total of 2 GB. Good memory. Reliable (so far for me)
Video Card: MSI RX700SE-TD256E RADEONX700SE – $62.90. 256 Mb. DirectX 9.0. Plenty of power for everyday tasks and some light gaming.
Hard Drive: WD 250GB WD2500KS – $67.50. SATA300. 16MB. 7200RPM. Fast. Reliable. Plenty of space.
Case: ANTEC NSK4400. $61.05. Quality case. Plenty of room. Mini-ATX. 380-watt PSU
Optical Drive: SAMSUNG 18X SH-S183L. $37.90. SATA. Dual layer. Lightscribe. Fast and no messy IDE cable.
So there you have it. A very decent PC, built from quality parts, capable of running Vista (very well).
[Another Edit] – This does come with a PSU, a 380-watt one. And Vista isn’t $400. I suggest getting Home Premium for $115.
61 Responses to “How to Build an inexpensive Vista PC (Aero Enabled)”
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Sorry to disappoint you, but I did not plagiarize your article as you’ve accused me in the comments on my post. By coincidence we both wrote very similar posts a week apart, but the difference is I had the post on my todo list for 3 months before I got around to writing it. And if you look into the details: 1) all my parts are from NewEgg and different than yours, and 2) The system I configured cost almost $50 less.
wow great article.
You showed everyone how to build a crap PC.
Lets be fair, anyone with any interest in building a PC will either be enthusiasts, gamers, or novices.
I know that sounds a bit obvious, but…
I am an enthusiast gamer and would not be able to run many games on your system.
I only bought Vista for DX10 and your system could not run Crysis, Bioshock, CS:S, Assasin’s, etc etc etc… And Alan Wake isn’t even out yet.
If anyone is reading this thinking “Wow I could build a gaming PC, or enthusiast PC for $500″ you are wrong.
Very wrong.
The only person who could use this PC daily would be Surfers or teenage girls bitching on myspace.
In my honest opinion, if you have $500 to buy a PC, buy a system, don’t make one.
If you have 2 or 3 times that amount, want something a bit sexier and something to be proud of, while playing all the fourth coming games… Only then should you build.
My specs:
Antec 900 case
Corsair HX620w
4x 1gb Crucial Ballistix @ 8500
Zalman CNPS 9700 led
QX660 cpu
WD 250GB HDD
XFX Geforce 8800 GTX XXX
Logitech G15 Keyboard
Logitech G5 Mouse
and a new QPad XT-R Gamin Pad.
I rates 12,500 on 3DMark06 yet Vista uses 30+% of RAM, PERMANENTLY.
I’m not saying your article is rubbish, it’s not. It shows how Vista doesnt have to be expensive
But readers, don’t take the advice of this guy if you want to buy something that you will benefit from. The above system will be slow. It will hang. You will NOT be able to play much more than CS on it. Not with the resources vista will steal from you.
Also, why have Vista, I use Linux on my other PC, it has better effects than Vista, its prettier, you can run windows programs, its free, no viruses… etc… etc…
Any who, I must fight some bad guys in Zero G now. Night
x
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@Matilda.cs:
damn.. i know some of you “self-aclaimed-heavy-pro-gamers” always ridicule the idea of building up a low-end-cheap machine..
i dont think myself as a pro gamer, but my machine is a damn hot baby that could even smoke high-res crysis all the way to heaven! dont wannna brag about it’s spec though.. because i’m not stupid..
like it or not..this technology becomes cheaper everyday.. so there is no point of bragging by listing what you have and all..
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