Bare Bones Systems?

I am looking to build a new computer for my wife. I am looking to jump start the process with a decent bare bones system so that I can do the rest myself and avoid being forced into options that I don't want. Keeping with what I am trying to achive, I want to be able to fit the new system into my wife's desk space, so I would like a slim box, mini tower or cube that would fit into her desk space. I have very few requirements beyond that…small and inexpensive. A couple of USB ports in the front and we are good to go. My wife will be using it mainly for photo editing, web browsing, checking e-mail and the occasional light gaming, so we don't need anything heavy duty with lots of bells and whistles. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I will probably raid the wife's system for a few things that are in there, so I won't need much beyound the bare bones system. Thanks is advance.

Hi Russ,

Most mid-tower and full tower cases will fit into pre-built desk computer compartments.

But keep in mind that the desk pre-built computer compartment was built by a carpenter, and not by an IT Tech, and therefore is perhaps the worst place to put a computer tower.
This is because of "heat".
Many such compartments have only a front opening to slide the tower in, and then small round holes for wire exit at the back.
Thus the case cooling fans have no place to exhaust the hot air, which then gets re-circulated into the case causing damage.

If you insist upon using the pre-built desk computer compartment, then strongly consider cutting the back panel out of that slot so that the entire computer has air circulation at the back. Also be sure that the desk sits 8-12 inches away from any wall and that there is excellent circulation behind the desk for exhausting hot air. "Stuff" sometimes accumulates behind desks and should be cleared to assure circulation.

Here are some BareBones kits.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/ca…srkey=Barebones
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList….arebone+systems

I've been happy with purchases from either Newegg or TigerDirect, though I prefer NewEgg

Slim Line and Low Profile towers "really are small".
It is not possible to put just any PCI cards and AGP/PCIe cards into Slim Line and Low Profile Towers.

You may find that such cards are so large that they don't fit horizontally or may be so tall vertically that you can't close the case.

Good luck with your project.

Doug

My wife's current system is a Dell Dimension 8200. It doesn't fit into the desk…too big. So, at the very least it has to be smaller than that. Since we have an information server on the network that we store most of our files, the computer doesn't need lots of storage, a small hard drive works. Since its going to be used for basic tasks, it doesn't need to be super powerful. As far as cooling goes, I have that covered, even in the case. Instead of the standard "wooden" back to the desk, I replaced the back of the cabinet with a screen (then I discovered the 8200 didn't fit)… I was looking into the slimline, low profile or a cube because it would provide even more space for circulation. I am not concerned with not being able to fit in additional AGP or PCI cards…considering the basic nature of what my wife does (web browsing, basic photo editing, light gaming) expandibility isn't a huge issue…in short, she really needs a basic PC a little better, a little faster and a lot smaller than her current 8200. Thanks for your help.

Hi Russ, I run a Dell 8100 (older than your wife's 8200) It measures 8" wide x 17" tall x 17 1/2" deep….. and weighs more than an equal volume of bricks! By comparison most mid-tower HP and Compaq measure 6 3/8" wide x 14" tall x 15 1/2" deep, and weigh much less. Glad to hear that you've already anticipated the ventilation at the rear. I wouldn't even use screening, as dust will accumulate/clog, if left un-attended for long periods. Though I suppose better attention to my house-keeping duties would correct that. Slim Line or Low Profile units will meet the needs as you describe. Good luck with your project. Doug

Hi there, Are you still looking to purchase a barebones kit? I've never liked any of them… I always recommend to build your own complete unit. In your own words… "forced into options that I don't want". I've never found a barebones option yet that fit these requirements… Go figure. Would a mATX case and, subsequently, system fitted into such case suit your requirements? A light system built into such a case is smaller than the standard/typical ATX computer, yet needn't be any less powerful and/or create any extra heat. Cheers, and I look forward to hearing your responses. Troy

Troy, Still looking at my options, although I think I have arrived at a decision, that being to wait. For a while we looked at purchasing a new computer with everything we needed in it from Dell. All of our systems (execpt an old iMac that is kicking around) are from Dell. We have had no problem with their reliablity…one laptop (a Latitude C510 that I picked up off of freecycle) has taken a real beating but still works just fine. The probably with a new Dell is that you are pegged into Windows Vista. My wife hates Vista, and we think its silly to pay Dell an extra $100 to downgrade to XP Pro, so we looked at our own build. In short the option "we don't want" is Vista…with the Beta of Windows 7 out now and knowing that the Dimension 8200 isn't going to die anytime soon, we are now considering keeping the 8200 until the new computers start rolling off the lines with Windows 7 in them…it might be some time, but it might be worth the wait, too in saving us a few bucks and headaches. Hi there, Are you still looking to purchase a barebones kit? I've never liked any of them… I always recommend to build your own complete unit. In your own words… "forced into options that I don't want". I've never found a barebones option yet that fit these requirements… Go figure. Would a mATX case and, subsequently, system fitted into such case suit your requirements? A light system built into such a case is smaller than the standard/typical ATX computer, yet needn't be any less powerful and/or create any extra heat.

That doesn't mean I have given up the idea of building a system, either. I found a while back a site that had some starter kits…case, mobo and chipset…you supply the rest. If I could find such a kit I would be good to go and could build her something utilizing some old parts (like the newer, second hard drive from her current 8200 and a couple of the PCI cards she actually needs). A mATX case should fit the space, in short. Thanks for your input. Russ

Hi Russ, Since you decided to wait, your have the opportunity to follow along with other people's new builds and see what their experience tells you. Granted many of the system builders are looking to include higher performance, but the steps are similar. You can "get your feet wet" vicariously, and maybe accumulate some preparedness along the way. Eventually, your own plan may be an inspiration to others with similar computing needs. I look forward to seeing your project and hope you'll post when you get underway with it. Best Regards, Doug

It sounds like you're standing on the bridge, wondering which side you should head toward. I personally would go for the mATX build now. I have XP, Vista, and the 7 Beta, and I truly don't understand why people are looking to bypass Vista altogether. I find 7 Beta is, for the most part, similar to Vista. Either way you choose, let me know. Cheers Troy