Christmas Computer Build
My kids have too much stuff. Like most of us. So, we’ve decided that we aren’t planning on getting them a bunch of stuff for Christmas. We’re already working with them to eliminate the excess stuff they already have.
So, instead of the usual presents that are fun to give but eventually lose their luster, I’m going to build them their own PC. The initial plan was to build two, one for each of them, but since my son’s birthday is so close to Christmas anyway, we’re going to build one for now and then another one in about a month so they can each have their own. This will have the additional effect of them not using my and my wife’s computers!
This is the build I’m looking at for them initially:
| Component | Model | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Case | RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WB | $80 |
| Power Supply | Rosewill RV350 350W ATX 1.3 | $32 |
| Power Supply (alternative) | Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 460W ATX Power Supply | $30 |
| Processor | Core i3-540 | $107 |
| Motherboard | ASRock H55M-LE LGA 1156 Intel H55 Micro ATX | $65 |
| Memory | 4GB DDR3 1333 | $65 |
| Storage | Samsung Spinpoint 500GB 7,200RPM SATA 3.0 | $43 |
| Input | 8X6 Inches Graphic Drawing Tablet This is mostly for my daughter who loves to draw |
$40 |
| Total | $432 |
Things like a mouse and keyboard I can scrounge from my boneyard as well as some HUGE 19″ CRTs that haven’t been used since I got my LCDs.
The question remains, though – should I build it for them and present it altogether? Should I let them unwrap each piece and then build it with them – or would this be too cruel since (in their eyes at least) unwrapping PC parts really isn’t special?