Intel NUC and Rasperry PI kits have replaced barebones computer kits
By Stephen Pate – Update – None of these kits are currently available. The article was published 5 years ago. Most people are using Intel NUC kits or Raspberry pi kits.
Low priced computer kits don’t mean low performance or quality. Tiger Direct has two kits anyone with reasonable skills could make for less than $290.
Either kit would be fun to assemble and provide lots of computing power for desktop work and web surfing.
Windows 8 is more efficient than older versions of Windows. Either computer kit will be faster than many costlier computers if you use Windows 8
The first is an Intel Intel Core i3-2100 CPU. (in Canada ) This i3-2100 processor scores at 3862 on the Pass-Mark – CPU Mark test. Over 1,000 users rated this kit 4.3 out of 5 at TigerDirect.
While not the fastest game processor, you could fix that with a video card. The spec is decent and all you need is a monitor, keyboard, mouse and operating system.
UPDATE
The kits in this story are for illustration purposes. The real kits and their components change often at Tiger Direct.
If the kit in this story is not available, it always has a replacement with similar or better features and price.
For the operating system, install the Windows 8 Preview which is a free download from Microsoft. It’s still a beta but a very cool operating system that will work faster than Windows 7 or Vista on this computer. For details on Windows 8, click the link. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is no longer available. If you are transferring a license, use the upgrade. Otherwise you will need Windows 8 System Builder DVD 64-Bit
Full specs – GIGABYTE GA-H61M-DS2 Thermaltake Barebones Kit – GIGABYTE GA-H61M-DS2 Board, Intel Core i3-2100 CPU, Corsair 4GB DDR3 RAM, WD Caviar Blue 500GB HDD, 24x DVD Writer, Thermaltake V2 Mid Tower, 450W PSU. Link to TigerDirect. (in Canada )
AMD Athlon II X3 445 Kit
Save $60 and get a slightly less expensive AMD processor kit for $254 $199. (in Canada )This AMD processor scores at 2707 on the PassMark – CPU Mark test. 1,194 users rated this kit 4.1 out of 5 – not bad indeed.
Full spec – BIOSTAR N68S3B DiabloTek Barebones Kit – (in Canada) BIOSTAR N68S3B DiabloTek Barebones Kit – BIOSTAR N68S3B Board, AMD Athlon II X3 445 OEM, CPU Fan, Corsair 4GB DDR3 RAM, Seagate 500GB HDD, 24x DVD RW, DiabloTek Mid Tower Case, 400W Power Supply
The kit experience
If you’ve never assembled a computer from a kit, it’s a fun experience that requires only a screw driver and perhaps pliers for tools and the ability to follow the directions.
The trickiest part is putting the processor chip in the socket. The first time I was nervous but after a viewing the Intel instruction video, I did it carefully and slowly. There were no problems.
If it’s your first kit, explore YouTube or the vendor sites for videos on how to put your computer together.
There is a sense of pride in building your own. After a bare bones kit, you might want to join an online community and plan the ultimate computer. There are computer kits at all price ranges.
Ouroborus
Why would you recommend Windows 8? The general consensus is that Windows 8 is a horrible design for desktop computers.
bestlaptopsunder300
This is the right webpage for everyone who hopes to find out about this topic.
You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally will need to HaHa).
You definitely put a new spin on a subject that’s been discussed for decades. Excellent stuff, just excellent!
Stephen Pate
I like Windows 8 and have converted all my computers to it. It’s faster, different and has more features than Windows 7. My two kit computers upgraded to Windows 8 very easily and are super to work with every day.