Overkill Mom Mini Workstation

[Krocket]

Needs to

Be small (Would like to stay lower than 12inx12inx12in)

Last a few years

Be able to run 2 monitors, web applications, Word, etc.

Be able to hold more than 90GB of storage (Her current one is at 80GB even though she's had it for years)

Be quiet

Be less than $500 (could do a lot more or a lot less but I think around $350-450 is good)

Run Win7 and have all Word products (I would like to install OS with USB since I'm not getting an optical drive. What's the easiest way to do this? She's okay with spending a little more if it means getting safe/reliable purchases on these)

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A8-5500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($95.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($31.97 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard:  ASRock FM2A78M-ITX+ Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($90.38 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($41.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 

Case:  Silverstone SG05BB-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply:  Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply  ($86.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $447.30

 

I currently use !avast for security and scan every once and a while with Malware Bytes. What's the best solution to keep here PC protected? Should she back up via cloud or another drive and if so what's the best way to do either?

 

Notes: I know some of it is overkill (APU) and some is underkill (only 4GB of RAM?) so I need a good way to even that out. I think the Mobo and PSU are a little pricey but the Mobo has both VGA, DVI, and a lot of other features and seems pretty reliable, and the PSU is fully modular, well rated, and used it many HTPC builds.

[Krocket]

I could always just buy a pre built computer that I know for the most part will work but I really would like to build it for her.

[The Crazed Child]

You can get smaller cases than that. 

[Krocket]

You can get smaller cases than that. 

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-case-legacyv3plusb

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-rc110kkn2

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-cc9011047ww

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-case-sg05bblite

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-case-ml05b

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-case-ml03b

 

Were the main ones I considered and I feel the one I have on the current list is the best option. My step dad is big on machining however and the more I think about it the more I want to make my own case. It's only the mobo with everything on it, a small PSU, and an SSD which can all be stacked on top of each other. Could be a box with the W*H the same as the mobo and a height of the mobo+cooler+PSU. Would be cool but I'm sure more goes in to a case than I think.

[Krocket]

Got some helpful feedback on reddit but would still like some more from here.

 

Something like this?

 

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3K5pp) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3K5pp/by_merchant/) / [benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3K5pp/benchmarks/)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($114.99 @ Amazon) 

Motherboard:  ASRock H81M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($64.99 @ Micro Center) 

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case:  Antec ISK 110 VESA Mini ITX Desktop Case w/90W Power Supply  ($72.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $392.94

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-14 18:07 EDT-0400)