$250 General Usage Build

[Chill_TheStormIsHere]

Any advice for a general purpose computer? (Web browsing, videos, itunes, etc) $300 is the absolute max I'll go.

[g12601]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QLNgBP

 

This should do nicely for that.

[Shiv78]

Pushing the budget, but should last quite a while. You could drop the CPU to a Pentium, but will experience the cheaper CPU's weakness.

 

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PhmpzM
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PhmpzM/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($46.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Avexir Core Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($41.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.78 @ OutletPC) 
Case: Fractal Design Core 1100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($29.89 @ OutletPC) 
Total: $303.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-18 19:34 EST-0500

[Herman Mcpootis]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($57.88 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($72.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Avexir Core Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($41.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: PNY CS1311 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($64.99 @ Jet) 
Case: Raidmax Element Mini ITX Desktop Case  ($33.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 350W ATX Power Supply  ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $300.71
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-18 19:37 EST-0500

[Zyndo]

21 minutes ago, Chill_TheStormIsHere said:

Any advice for a general purpose computer? (Web browsing, videos, itunes, etc) $300 is the absolute max I'll go.

go to best buy and nab the cheapest thing you can find, or consult the used market. You're not going to get anything worthwhile by going custom/new at that pricepoint. You may also consider just getting a good phone, and doing everything off that.

[Shiv78]

1 minute ago, Zyndo said:

You may also consider just getting a good phone, and doing everything off that.

That's stupid thinking tbh, phones can't replace desktops (yet)

[Zyndo]

3 minutes ago, Shiv78 said:

That's stupid thinking tbh, phones can't replace desktops (yet)

That's an ignorant comment tbh. I'm not saying a phone is better than a desktop or can replace a desktop, I'm saying everything he wants to do on a desktop, he can also do well on a phone. you can get a good phone in a 300 dollar budget (even better when you consider his existing phone budget and adding that in). you're going to have a very poor computer for 300 dollars. not to mention the additional cost of an OS, keyboard/mouse, computer desk, speakers, monitor, chair, and anything else he may want/need.

all I'm saying is if the name of the game is web browsing and listening to music, a phone vs cheap desktop will give you a comparable experience, but the phone will be a lot more mobile and versatile, making it more practical (with the exception of the handful of sites that have poor mobile device support). But like I said, if he wants a computer, he should check the used market or go to best-buy for a computer.

I'm under no delusion that phones are superior to desktops. what I was saying is that it may be more beneficial for his specific needs and budget to consider a phone instead of a desktop.

[Shiv78]

2 minutes ago, Zyndo said:

-snip-

1. i3, 8GB of RAM is no slouch at all, faster than pretty much all Ultrabooks
2. Getting actual work done on a phone is a terrible experience
3. Trying to work or browse for too long on such a small screen is bad for your eyes

[Zyndo]

1 minute ago, Shiv78 said:

1. i3, 8GB of RAM is no slouch at all, faster than pretty much all Ultrabooks
2. Getting actual work done on a phone is a terrible experience
3. Trying to work or browse for too long on such a small screen is bad for your eyes

You are absolutely correct about all this information. It does not change my suggestion. if we're doing pros and cons, the phone has a long list of pros as well, and we would be here all day. I made my suggestion to OP, he can do with it what he wishes, I see no reason to debate this with you further.