custom-built PC desktop

[kap]

My will pay someone to build her a none-gaming PC desktop for $1000. This machine is intent to be used for her medical billing and coding start-up. I don't want her to end up with a machine full of inexpensive components of poor quality. Of course, she does not expect the top of the line parts will be used at that cost either. What components do you think should go into a $1000 WinTel. TiA

Kap

[Jimmypoo]

a Tyan motherboard for starters.

[kap]

Thanks for such quick response Jimmypoo.
I am compiling a check-list of components for my friend so she knows what to expect. And, perhaps, can use it as a bargaining chip for prices and parts.

Kap

[New.Dad]

can't you get a dull PC for much much less than $1000 these days? you get warranty, some sort of tech support (if you don't mind the Indian accent and long wait on hold) and a working out-of-the-box PeeCee, you don't wanna figure out later that OOOPS, this video card is not compatible with this motherboard, etc...

I know, been there done that. I built a PeeCee for my sister back in 2000 from scratch trying to save 200 bucks or so vs. a brand name PeeCee. It came out OK, bu tthis is 2006 and you probably save 10 times less now if you go that route.

[endymion]

$1000 for a non-gaming PC desktop - for business? It better have SATA and hardware RAID at that price. PCIExpress, 2+ Ghz CPU, Windows XP Pro.

Check the Ars Technica budget box guide:

http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/syst...0511.ars/2

Basically, use the built-in video instead of a fancy more costly gaming card.

Although, in this case, honestly, probably better off either buying a Dell or using components that are cheap and replacing them as needed. A computer that's NOT used for gaming probably doesn't need to cost more than $500 to do the tasks you mentioned.

But yeah, if I were using a system for anything business related, RAID (avoiding downtime to disk failure) and backup are key components that ought to be in your budget.
g=

[kap]

New.Dad,
Personally, I totally agree with you. I have recommended my friend to go for a Dell but she flatly refused. She stubbornly believes that a custom-built is a better machine. It took me 7 years to get her to finally buy a Mac ... a G4 17 powerbook she now owns and VERY happy! Again, she has to get a PC because of the Windows only medical apps

Kap

[endymion]

Try to get her to hold on until someone figured out how to run Windows XP on the Intel Macs... then you'll be in support nirvana and she'll have the best of both worlds at her fingertips. (Alternately, whenever someone finally ships virtualization software for OS X on Intel - VMWare or VirtualPC...)
g=

[Refurbvirgin]

Make sure she gets the same sort of in-home, 24hr. service add-on warranty she can get with the Dull, or are you going to be her service-tech on call? New.dad has good points to consider. If the fancy home-built machine won't boot will you know enough to determine what's gone out, or will you end up taking it to an expensive local tech to have it diagnosed? Sounds like too much pain for me, but maybe she's a better friend than you let on and you don't mind running over to her place in the middle of the night when she can't get online.

[guitarist]

I thought he wanted to spend a thousand dollars to build a desk.

[TheTominator]

I built a very nice business-only machine from new parts mostly from Newegg.com -- motherboard (with on-board RAID, IIRC) , case including power supply, AMD Athlon64 CPU, AGP video card, and RAM for under $650. I chose quality parts and wanted speed and quiet. I was careful to make sure it was supported fully under Microsoft Windows and Fedora Core Linux. I did provide my own CD-ROM and IDE hard drive from parts I had surplus. The motherboard has SATA support but I haven't bothered to buy a new drive for it yet.

My DIY machine has been trouble-free and continuously folding since I first turned it on (aside from some relatively rare reboots). I don't use it as my primary machine. I have it primarily to prepare and test the Windows versions of FileMaker Runtime solutions which I develop on my Mac.

This was about a year ago (March 2005) and you can expect that the optimal choices have probably changed since then.

Here is what I settled on:

Antec SLK3700-BQE Black Quiet case (Amazon.com $77.89 free ship)

AMD Athlon64 3200 CPU

Soltek SL-K7TPro 939 motherboard

I don't remember the brand RAM added in pairs. It is PC3200 -- same as my Dualie G5.

I don't remember the vendor's brand video card, but the card is the same chipset as in my Dualie G5, GeForce FX 5200

Your budget of $1000 seems generous for a non-gaming machine. Did she provide you with minimum specs? Is your labor (assembly, time spent researching, shopping, tracking, etc) cost to be taken out of the price?