I wouldn't game with anything less than 2 GB. Not saying cutting edge, but many games that are unplayable on 1 GB with a weak proc come alive with 2 GB.
This also applies to the video card though. Other than that, not bad. I was pretty proud when I had a Quad core rig built for around $700 dollars.
What started out as a roughly improvised poor-man’s all-in-one PC (See gallery here) hanging off the back of an LCD display has turned in to two detailed schematics painstakingly drafted with the proper measurements ready for the cutting table. Download the schematics below by clicking on the images.
The first one is a modification and refinement of the of the first VESA mount PC using the miniature Intel D201GLY motherboard/CPU. The second one is an all new version that features full size MicroATX support, dual-core processor support, and full-sized PCI-Express support using a 90 degrees angle adapter for a full blown gaming or professional workstation.
Note: This entry is also available as a TechRepublic PDF download.
Mini-PC box: D201GLY with 1 half-height slot and 3 hard drive slots
This box when loaded with 3 hard drives when the D201GLY2 arrives with two SATA and one PATA port and a $15 gigabit PCI adapter would make a killer NAS (Network Attached Storage) and general purpose server. The box with only one hard drive is ~$200 and it will run faster than most NAS devices on the market at less than half the price. Using a one drive version for a poor-man’s PC might be a little under powered and you may want to look at the much more powerful version below that only costs $200 more.
Professional or gaming workstation: Dual-core with discrete graphics
If you ever wanted a cheap powerful workstation that you can take with you without having to carry it separately from the LCD monitor, this is the box for you. This larger box will fit and hide behind a 20″ or greater LCD display without being visible from the front and will only add 3.75″ of thickness to the entire LCD. It will take any MicroATX motherboard with enough cooling for a dual-core processor and dedicated PCI-Express graphics card.
With the 220W SPI220LE power supply, you’re limited to using 65W (Thermal Design Power) processors and graphics cards that pulls no more than 100W. Not to worry because you can get very powerful processors within the 65W power TDP such as the Intel E6750 2.66 GHz dual-core processor and the NVIDIA 8600GTS graphics adapter. We can load 3 hard drives, 4 half-height PCI cards, and use the on-board video card or we can load 1 hard drive and 1 full-height PCI-Express adapter. On the motherboard front, I look forward to reviewing NVIDIA’s 7150 integrated graphics chipset with an impressive features list and price.
| Part | Price* |
| Gigabyte G33 MicroATX with HDMI/DVI HDCP | $126 |
| Intel E2160 dual-core 1.8 GHz (very safe clocking at 2.4 GHz) | $85 |
| SPI220LE 220W 1U compact 80 Plus power supply | $60 |
| 1 GB DDR2-667 (two 512MB DIMMs) | $41 |
| 250 GB Maxtor SATA hard drive | $63 |
| Sub total (before monitor and tax if applicable) | $375 |
| 22″ Acer DVI-D w/HDCP and D-SUB (*exposed* flat VESA) | $234 |
| Integrated graphics total (before tax if applicable) | $609 |
| NVIDIA 8600GTS | $156 |
| Dedicated graphics total (before tax if applicable) | $765 |
* Includes shipping cost
Well there you have it, you have a powerful all-in-one workstation or LAN party machine. Get out your drill and saw and get ready for some fun!
