Ghoti_Fingers

I'd love to win a NUC!

MacBook Pro running Bootcamp Windows 7

Sorry guys but I don't think this is going to happen I negotiated a deal for an old Optiplex + Monitor for $140 and will pick it up tomorrow. I might end up building a Lego case for it anyway as it only has one HDD bay and requires low profile cards (the short ones) This does give me the possibility of getting a 750 though

That screen looks BEAUTIFUL and it has almost as much RAM as my laptop!

Thanks! I will once orders happen and things start to move.

sorry the pictures are rotated. It was tall enough that only about 5mm of the 3.5'' drive was visible from the side. Also you can see where I put space for a 120mm fan, but I don't plan on closing the system up so its kind of un-necessary.

Prototype Lego case. I finished it but I got the measurements wrong so I am disassembling it and will make improvements to the layout for v2.0. As is, it has space for a 120mm fan above the VRMs, space for 2 3.5" drives to sit snugly I will try and find a way to fit an ATX PSU and a bigger mobo with the pieces that I have. together

I'm pretty much decided. I am looking for something cheap that I can use for working and maybe a bit of gaming here and there. I think these parts should fill that role: AMD A4 5350 ASUS AM1M-A AM1 mATX G.SKILL RipjawsX 8GB SeaSonic SS-300TGW TFX 300W

Wouldn't I need an after-market cooler like a 212 Evo to stop it from melting? I want to keep costs down and adding another $40 isn't something I am really interested in doing.

Where I live its impossible to buy anything pre-built for less than $500 and I won't be able to take a PC case on a plane very easily when I come back from Australia.

When I say light gaming, I mean an occasional game of BF2 or Company of Heroes, games that the Intel HD 3000 IGPU on my laptop handles pretty well. Gaming really isn't the main focus though. I just want a desktop for as cheap as possible because I prefer them to laptops for working. Also, I need to be able to pick up or have delivered all of the parts to Tasmania, Australia.

Looking to build a really cheap desktop that I can use for school work and maybe a little bit of light gaming. I want to keep the cost below $300 I already have a couple of HDDs lying around that I can use and a spare monitor. I don't need a case. If worst comes to worst, I have a 13' MBP box can fit an ATX mobo and I have lots of Lego. I just need a CPU, Mobo, PSU and RAM. These are the parts i've picked out so far: http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/n2jWBm I have looked through Ebay a bit also and found this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Kingston-RAM-Memory-8GB-Kit-2x4GB-DDR3-1333MHz-/121359916262?pt=AU_Components&hash=item1c419d5ce6&_uhb=1 any advice or links would be greatly appreciated. I am currently not in Aus but will be in Tasmania in the last two weeks of July.

I like taking notes on my computer because that allows me to keep my stuff organised and make my school bag lighter. The problem is that typing just isn't the same as hand writing. I want to get a tablet that I can use to take notes using a stylus, however, I would prefer not to spend more than $175 dollars on the package as a whole. If you can suggest a tablet and sylus that would be appropriate please do. The budget is flexible to an extent.

At my school starting next year they are bringing in Macs, although all students must buy their own. As others have said, the idea that they don't need much maintenance is pretty accurate for UNIBODY MBPs and MBAs. The old MacBooks made of plastic are awfully built. I have had a MBP for 3 years now. I hate it through and through, but its lasted. I use it around 12 hours every day and I have had a few bicycle crashes with it in my bag. The only damage it has sustained is one of the rubber feet fell out so I taped it back on. Also the hinge on the left side is a little loose. There are some strange bumps on underside around where the HDD is though... Anyway. They last, build quality is incredible. I guess I can see that as an advantage for a school. In 3 years it hasn't needed any maintenance or replacement parts.