Need help choosing a family computer (probably desktop)

[Anonymous]

My husband and I both have laptops for work and personal use but we would like to get a computer for Christmas that would mostly be for the kids' use. DS (5th grade) wants one for homework and playing video games. We also have a first grader who might use it some. We would like something on the inexpensive side but with enough speed and memory (and whatever else you might need) for DS to play games. Any recommendations or tips? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe I've become "that" person, but you should seriously build your own. A year ago, I thought it was too complicated/expensive. Then I built one. It's 5-6 parts that all literally snap into place inside the case/tower. It took me longer to assemble the Ikea computer desk than it did to put the computer together. The biggest perk (besides the fact that it was way cheaper than buying one from a store) is that you'll know how to fix it should anything go wrong down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe I've become "that" person, but you should seriously build your own. A year ago, I thought it was too complicated/expensive. Then I built one. It's 5-6 parts that all literally snap into place inside the case/tower. It took me longer to assemble the Ikea computer desk than it did to put the computer together. The biggest perk (besides the fact that it was way cheaper than buying one from a store) is that you'll know how to fix it should anything go wrong down the road.

DP: Is there a “how to” manual/video/website that you used?

[Anonymous]

iMac is a simple one solution but a bit pricey.

Build your own can be fun as a learning experience. Watch some instruction videos on Youtube and then head to Microcenter in VA or MD (the geek superstore) and gather all the parts.

Raspberry pi is a barebones system but super cheap (i.e. $50). Can be used for web browsing and a few simple games but kids will outgrow it later when they need MS Word or something for school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe I've become "that" person, but you should seriously build your own. A year ago, I thought it was too complicated/expensive. Then I built one. It's 5-6 parts that all literally snap into place inside the case/tower. It took me longer to assemble the Ikea computer desk than it did to put the computer together. The biggest perk (besides the fact that it was way cheaper than buying one from a store) is that you'll know how to fix it should anything go wrong down the road.

DP: Is there a “how to” manual/video/website that you used?

This guy was extremely helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHY6ygHj80c

He talks a lot, and it can seem overwhelming when you see that it's a three part series, but that's only because he's showing you how to build different systems based on your price point. You would be just fine with the entry level system. Part 1 goes over the basics, Part 2 shows you how to put it together, and part 3 shows how to install the software.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the build-your-own if you want something that is built with good-quality parts and is repairable and upgradeable.

If you just want a cheap computer, look for Dell Optiplexes on Ebay. These show up all day long for pennies, and you can get a 3-year-old-ish machine pretty cheaply. These aren't high-quality machines and they use non-standard parts (notably, the power supplies), but they are good enough for kids to have fun with and quite cheap.