Budget upgrade

[GN85]

Hi guys, need a little help figuring out what to buy for my father's PC upgrade, since the motherboard on his P4 system went kaput. I would like to get him something noticeably faster that will last him at least a good 4-5 years. This is what I was thinking of getting:

$52 Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W
$126 Intel Core i3-2105
$60 ECS H61H2-M2(1.0) Intel H61 HDMI Micro ATX
$40 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 1066

Total shipped: $304.23 CDN

One thing I'm really uncertain about, and have always got good recommendations on is the mobo. Is ECS any good? I really need something reliable and trouble free. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Btw: What I currently have is an older 400w Antec psu. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's close to a decade old and only has a 4 pin CPU connector. Should I really upgrade it, or am I fine just buying an adaptor for it? Edit: nvm, that mobo takes a 4 pin connector. So I guess I'm fine without a PSU upgrade?

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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mostly internet browsing, office apps. Maybe light gaming for when my brothers install games without permission.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Less than $350 CDN shipping included.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Montreal, Canada

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
PSU
CPU
RAM
Motherboard

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
All computer peripherals as well as a SATAII hard drive will be reused.

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Not sure, but it's small, so this is not an issue. Probably 1024x768.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within a couple of weeks.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? etc.
Onboard video.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Already have Windwows 7.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

The i3 2120 is cheaper and faster.
Get RAM rated at DDR3 1333 for SB, not 1066.

 

[GN85]

I was thinking of getting the cheapest SB i3 actually, but but the 2105 has HD Graphics 3000 instead of 2000. Considering I'm not going to buy a GPU for this computer, and want it to last a fairly long time, do you think I'm better off with the HD 3000 graphics?

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Intel HD graphics suck, not really worth buying for that reason. It will handle web browsing and office programs. Gaming wont be worth a damn on either.

I don't know enough to make a comment on the motherboard and Im researching on my phone. Will have too wait till I get home.

 

[tiraides]

The ECS board will be fine for your father's needs. The only "liabilities" are the lack of SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 slots, but they're not deal-breakers for the price. Just remember that you only have two RAM slots and four SATA 3Gb/s ports to work with. (Is it safe to assume that your father only has a SATA HDD and SATA optical drive?)

I personally recommend that you buy a new PSU to go along with a new system. The Neo Eco 400C is a good choice. There is the chance that your old Antec PSU may not last much longer or is unable to handle the increased load that may come from a video card that's purchased later. (If the PSU is based on the older TruePower or SmartPower series, it definitely needs to be replaced. Many Smart-/TruePower 2.0 PSUs had bad capacitors that wore them out faster over time.)

 

[GN85]

Yeah my father has a SATA II hard drive, and I don't know what he'd possibly need USB 3.0 for. I just checked the PSU, and he actually has a 350 watt one, so I think I'll get the Neo Eco 400C.