Updating a friend's build

[E4g1e]

My friend is in need of a new PC. Her current PC - a 3.0GHz Pentium 4 with AGP graphics and 3GB of DDR400 RAM - is starting to feel sluggish. And I tried to install Windows 7 on that PC, only to lock up or crash every time (this means that the system does not support Windows 7 at all - likely because it has one or more non-defeatable onboard components that cannot be turned off at all and have compatibility issues with the newer OS).

So, I was thinking of either a new pre-built or a motherboard/CPU/RAM/HDD/DVD/case/PSU overhaul.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
She will be doing mostly Web surfing

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Between $300 and $400 (not including tax or shipping)

3) Where do you live?
She lives in Wisconsin; however, I'll be buying the parts since I live reasonably close to a Microcenter and a Fry's (in Chicagoland)

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Mobo, CPU, RAM, HDD, DVD burner, case, PSU

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
No major components. Only the keyboard, mouse, printer, speakers

6) Will you be overclocking?
No

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
18.5" 1440x900 LCD

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next few weeks

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Must have onboard video (IGP) since a discrete GPU would have been wasted for her intended use

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
Most likely Windows 7 64-bit

I've looked at the pre-builts, and discovered that I would have had to pay at least $450 (tower only) for a configuration with at least a dual-core CPU and 4GB of RAM. Unfortunately, nearly all of the pre-builts in my stated price range have only single-core CPUs and 2GB of RAM, which would not have been much, if any, improvement over her current P4.

My preliminary list for a DIY build is as follows:

$150 - AMD Athlon II x4 640 plus Asus M4A88T-M (from Microcenter)
$70 - G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-4GBNS
$55 - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$50 - COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$52 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W Continuous Power ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
$17 - LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

$394 plus tax (shipping is included).

I am not sure where to start. Maybe someone could give me some suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[Dangman]

If going prebuilt route:
- Hit up www.gotapex.com or slickdeals.net for prebuilt deals. There should be a decent one in the next few weeks
- Also check Fry's ads every Friday morning. Fry's does have the occasional awesome prebuilt PCs for around $400.

If going DIY route:
- Check Fry's ads every Friday morning. As you know, they do have those good CPU+mobo combo deals.

And just for the hell of it, here's a DOY setup:
$153 - AMD Athlon II X4 640 CPU + Biostar TA785G3HD AM3 AMD 785G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard Combo
$70 - G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$20 - LG GH22NS40 DVD Burner
$50 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
---
Total: $398 plus tax and shipping

If going the prebuilt route, those are the specs you would have to beat in order for that DIY to be a good deal.

 

[E4g1e]

If going prebuilt route:
- Hit up www.gotapex.com or slickdeals.net for prebuilt deals. There should be a decent one in the next few weeks
- Also check Fry's ads every Friday morning. Fry's does have the occasional awesome prebuilt PCs for around $400.

If going DIY route:
- Check Fry's ads every Friday morning. As you know, they do have those good CPU+mobo combo deals.

And just for the hell of it, here's a DOY setup:
$153 - AMD Athlon II X4 640 CPU + Biostar TA785G3HD AM3 AMD 785G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard Combo
$70 - G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$20 - LG GH22NS40 DVD Burner
$50 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
---
Total: $398 plus tax and shipping

If going the prebuilt route, those are the specs you would have to beat in order for that DIY to be a good deal.

That build is very close to what I had in mind. I did find a deal at Microcenter where I can purchase select AMD CPUs (including that Athlon II x4 640) and get any compatible AMD mobo at a $40 discount from their advertised sale prices.

And locally or through Dell, I could not get a pre-built or build-to-order PC that even matches that BYOPC setup for that price. They want more than $400 plus tax and/or shipping and still offer only a dual-core CPU at such prices.