Need Help with Super Cheap Build

[Catrpillar]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me with this. I need assistance with a very cheap non-gaming but upgradable build for my mother-in-law. I can figure out how to build a decent gaming computer with a semi-high budget, but the how-to of building a cheap computer (and what components are trash and what would be good) is entirely lost on me.

My budget is between $200-$400 (I guess we could go over that but it wouldn't be ideal). She mostly uses her computer for talking to friends on facebook, storing photos and word documents. She likes to play around on the internet. She goes yard-selling and then I think she posts some of the stuff she buys to ebay, craigs list, and her community has a facebook page where they sell stuff back and forth to other people in the community.

Anyway, any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated. After getting her some standard "motherly" things last night while Christmas shopping, I telephoned her to ask a question about something I was about to buy, and she informed me that she just wanted to "go to the Frys" with me because she wants me to get her the stuff to build a new computer. :P I'd rather buy stuff online and have it shipped to us though since...Fry's (or any other place like it)...the day after Christmas...seems like it would be not so fun.

Thanks for anyone who helps. It's super appreciated!!

[Denpepe]

You just need a computer or also peripherals?

You could also look into a cheap laptop for this kind of thing.

[Catrpillar]

You just need a computer or also peripherals?

You could also look into a cheap laptop for this kind of thing.

I was thinking laptop too, but I think she'd get really confused with one. That thought did cross my mind though since my husband got her an Amazon Fire tablet a few years back and she loves sitting in bed with the thing and "watching her stories." But, when we take our gaming laptops to her house and use them, she always seems really-really confused by them.

So, I think I just need the computer itself. I think her monitor is probably fine -- she doesn't need anything special; she doesn't understand refresh rates or anything like that -- and my brother-in-law bought her a cheap Lenovo last year, so I imagine her mouse and keyboard are already USB (if not my husband can go out to Frys or Microcenter or whatever they have in Hickory, North Carolina and get whatever she needs since I'm the one paying for and building the computer ^.^).

Thanks for the help very much too at such a last minute!!! My personal plan was to present her with a "Worlds Greatest Grandma" cup or shirt or something (figured it would be the most surprising and cheap Christmas present ever), but we're in our late 30's and apparently not being "young whippersnappers" makes plans like take longer than expected at our ages. XD

[Fascinate]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($57.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H110M PRO-VD PLUS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston ValueRAM 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($21.75 @ Directron)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow UV400 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($25.99 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($31.87 @ Jet)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Other: Windows 10 ($31.33)
Total: $275.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-23 10:33 EST-0500

This would be a nice PC for the use case. Went with 120gb ssd rather than a hard drive, assuming that is enough space given what the PC is gonna be used for. As for how to build a cheap PC, its really no different than a gaming PC.

If ya got any questions shoot, but this would be a blazing fast PC for day to day use for not much money.

[PhantasmagoriaX]

Fascinate did give a really good build but if you dont want to build a computer look into anything made by ASUS.

[Kagthul]

chromebase is an option, too.