Cheapest possible build for smooth casual web browsing

[Wh0_Am_1]

System + 1060

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

4 minutes ago, Wh0_Am_1 said:

System + 1060

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-PRODESK-600-G3-DESKTOP-MINI-CELERON-G3930T-2-7GHz-NO-HDD-NO-MEMORY/283746474111?hash=item42109b987f:g:dzAAAOSwz4leINea

 

plus SSD and RAM.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Mine might be cheaper and fit the OPs requires better, huh?

[Wh0_Am_1]

6 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-PRODESK-600-G3-DESKTOP-MINI-CELERON-G3930T-2-7GHz-NO-HDD-NO-MEMORY/283746474111?hash=item42109b987f:g:dzAAAOSwz4leINea

 

plus SSD and RAM.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Mine might be cheaper and fit the OPs requires better, huh?

That computer is slower, and doesn't even ship with an HDD, PSU, or RAM, which will cost more in the end, my system works as is, and isn't even the cheapest variant, the OP could probably get away with 1080p on this system and still be better off.

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

 

12 minutes ago, Wh0_Am_1 said:

System + 1060

This system is older, slower (spinning HDD), more expensive (if upgraded to an SSD and 8GB RAM), is larger, uses more power, and doesn't fit OPs requirements.

[Wh0_Am_1]

3 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

 

This system is older, slower (spinning HDD), more expensive (if upgraded to an SSD and 8GB RAM), is larger, uses more power, and doesn't fit OPs requirements.

At least it comes with a HDD, RAM, and PSU. Even this option would be better than yours.

[Wh0_Am_1]

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

1 minute ago, Wh0_Am_1 said:

At least it comes with a Disk drive, RAM, and PSU. Even this option would be better than yours.

I would not buy that as a Youtube machine for my father-in-law. I would probably go with something with Skylake or newer. That way you have full hardware decode support for VP9. Even a Skylake Celeron would run smooth at 4k60fps.

[Wh0_Am_1]

Just now, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

I would not buy that as a Youtube machine for my father-in-law. I would probably go with something with Skylake or newer. That way you have full hardware decode support for VP9. Even a Skylake Celeron would run smooth at 4k60fps.

Indeed but you could grab a 1030 and stick it in there for cheaper than all the essential components that your system is missing and be better off in the end.

[ShortRouter]

6 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Even a Skylake Celeron would run smooth at 4k60fps.

How likely is OP's dad to have a 4K PC monitor?

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

5 minutes ago, Wh0_Am_1 said:

Indeed but you could grab a 1030 and stick it in there for cheaper than all the essential components that your system is missing and be better off in the end.

Yeah I think I'd just go with Skylake or newer. He doesn't need the extra CPU power, he certainly doesn't need a dedicated GPU... and as a kicker I think he'd be pretty impressed with the compact size, silent operation, and low power requirements.

 

1 minute ago, ShortRouter said:

How likely is OP's dad to have a 4K PC monitor?

My father-in-law has no blooming idea how to change the quality of the Youtube video. And if he does by accident, I'd rather the experience be smooth and easy no matter what. Skylake or newer is the way to go here.

 

Thanks for the input guys but I'm just going to go with my gut on this one. When my father-in-law needs a new PC for the Youtubes, I'm going to do what a smart, kind, educated son-in-law does, and get him a Skylake or newer.

[aisle9]

9 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Thanks for the input guys but I'm just going to go with my gut on this one. When my father-in-law needs a new PC for the Youtubes, I'm going to do what a smart, kind, educated son-in-law does, and get him a Skylake or newer.

I feel as though I should mention at this point that there are Raspberry Pi 4 kits with the 4GB model, a case, a power supply, a mini-HDMI adapter and a microSD with noobs preloaded for around $100. A cheap wireless keyboard/mouse combo is around $20. I mean, if you're looking for the cheapest 4K iGPU experience possible, that's it.

[ShortRouter]

Good point, I paid 70 € for my Pi 3 Model B+ complete with case, power supply and SD card. Office, browsing and YouTube 1080p no problem.