Build Advice Blind user voice activated computer

Budget: £500

Main uses of intended build: Blind elderly client of IT Can Help Charity. Used to touch type and create spreadsheets. Has been blind for ten years. Wants back into computers to go on web. PC will use Dolphin Guide Handsfree software on Windows 7.

Parts required: Light easily transported case, Wifi, high quality headset e.g.sennheiser pc360, sound card.

Previous build information (list details of parts): This will be a new build without a monitor! All comand and interaction of this computer should be possible by VOICE ONLY!
We would like her home help to be able to connect to the tv if necessary to check the odd setting.... Online session support will be offered too

Monitor resolution: zero x zero

Storage requirements:Not Large... possibly solid for low power and noise.

Will you be overclocking: no want to keep unit quiet

Any motherboard requirements (no. of USB, Xfire/SLI, fan headers): Quiet...ish. Needs enough processor to run Win 7, Dolphin Guide Handsfree, Dragon naturally speaking 10, security suite and one or two other apps simultaneously.... good bit of RAM and multi core processor I guess.
Four USB should be plenty... not a requisite.
Onboard video is fine as will mostly be ignored.
PCI (or other) socket for good sound card.
Quiet!

Extra information about desired system: Quiet (not silent) running. sound probably best from a large fan on the PSU. Big Bright ON OFF Button contrasting with case... very limited vision.

I am quite a capable system builder and OK at modding...but nothing seems to be ticking all the boxes. I raised £500 in a half marathon for this client who is otherwise wholy dependant on near non existant council services for her situation in the Western Isles. Raising the cash to buy the Guide Software with local businesses is next step....

Please help, ... --- ...

 

IT Can Help---part of BCS

PS. if any of you folks are keen to geek for a worthy cause ...
look into IT Can Help

 

do you agree micro ATX

do you agree micro ATX would fit the bill?
Client is frail as blindness has come from type 2 diabetis

 

How small and quiet do you need this computer to be? We can certainly advise both on mATX and the even-tinier mITX. For mATX;

CPU: Intel Core i3 530 £85.22
CPU Cooler: Gelid Tranquillo £24.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H £67.62
RAM: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 C9 1333Mhz £69.44
HDD: Intel X25-V 40GB £79.88
GPU: Intel GMA HD
PSU: Silverstone Nightjar 300W £93.99
Optical Drive: Sony AD-5240S-0B £14.98
Chassis: Silverstone SG03 (inc. 2x120mm fans) £78.61
OS: Windows 7 x64 Home Premium

Total: £514.73 sans OS (you might well find a member here who will donate a license).

That's the quietest small build I can think of; it has only three fans as moving parts. The PSU is fanless, the HDD is solid-state, and the CPU cooler is one of the quietest around. If you need it to be even quieter, you could change the case's fans for Scythe's Gentle Typhoons or Noctua's NF-P12s (about £25 for two fans), or if you need it to be cheaper you can save £40-odd by downgrading to a Seasonic 520W PSU (more power, more noise, less money) and another £50 by downgrading to a mechanical HDD (more space, more noise, less money). The CPU is fast (and can be overclocked without increasing noise particularly) and the motherboard will output to a TV via DVI, VGA and HDMI, depending upon what input the TV requires (e.g., via a SCART-VGA cable). What d'you reckon? If it needs to be even smaller, we can also suggest an mITX build, though well-ventilated - and therefore quiet - mITX cases are not easy to find.

A further suggestion would be a modification to the case to insert a Bulgin Vandal-Proof Switch or similar - these are large, shiny, and brightly lit - good for the vision-impaired.

 

Pure silver ... You're a Gem!

That's the first realistic looking config I have come across after ages searching...

Still a bit on the high side of the price considering I am trying to fit in the headset in the cost... but not at all disheartening.

I presume that's the onboard GPU on the motherboard. well done. Almost every sales person I got to quote me a spec put a video card in. Unbelievable.

Will check out the the details on the rest and get back to the forum soon.

Thanks again and are you sure ? is anybody really likely to give us a win 7 license just like that?

here's hoping

 

there's sugo with a handle too

there's sugo with a big handle too...
comes at £20 ish more...

Silverstone SST-SG04B-FH, Sugo SFF Micro ATX, w/ handle bar, black


I generally don't find HDD noise as bad as processor fan noise.. I may opt for this handle and a standard HDD. The size 40GB is great as there's no video or pics...

thanks again...
win7 anyone?

 

Was there Wifi in the spec Pure Silver?

 

No WiFi. Add-in PCI-E cards are dirt cheap, though - USB fitments are even cheaper. If a mechanical HDD is OK, you can definitely get a decent pair of Sennheiser 'cans and a WiFi card, and still stick with the fanless PSU, and still come in under £500.

 

Personally I think that what PureSilver recommended is a bit high end for the computer you want to build.

 

Would definately need to be built in wifi as if a USB got knocked out... She may not be able to tell for ages...

sennheiser pc 360 g4me are not just any old cans... they retail at £130 GBP...

Ending Credits... what would you chop / change?

 

Ending Credits may well have a point, but within Intel's range 4GB of RAM and the G6950 are as low as a bit of RAM and multi-core processors go - it doesn't get any cheaper, and the i3 530 is only a few pounds more than the truly bargain-basement G6950, especially if you don't want to overclock.

I'm afraid I'm essentially AMD-illiterate, so there may well be mATX AMD options with onboard graphics that are cheaper, but someone else will have to suggest them.

 

I really don't think that 40gb will suffice, I think a better build for your requirements would have these changes:

PSU: Nexus Value 430W £64.37
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 250Gb £36.68
Chassis:Antec Sonata Elite Black Mid Tower Computer Case £69.64

Using the other parts from PureSilver's build gives a cost of £432.64, again not including OS. If you like, I have a msdnaa copy of Windows 7 (downloaded but legitimate) that I can give you as I can't upgrade my Vista with it and can't afford a new rig any time soon.

Edit: I should explain those choices.

The Nexus is a fantastic little PSU, you can find a review here.
The case comes with grommets for the HDD which is a very quiet operating one anyway and has good performance.
The remaining money could get you some Sennheiser PC-166s. Personally, I would just get the best Senn's you can afford.

 

OK will find an HDD somewhere between 40 and 250 GB

button on the chassis looks tactile enough to remember easily.

I'm all keen on AMD ... Must admit I was surprised it wasn't first choice....

will look up what on earth msdnaa is but it sounds really good for me.... thanks

 

The 40GB was the cheapest non-32GB SSD I could find, but for a mechanical HDD I'd rather take a Caviar Blue 160GB - I've got two SpinPoint F1s (640GB, 250GB) and both are a bit loud for my liking, especially if performance isn't the premier issue. Pricier, too. Is the Antec quiet? I've never used one, but I wouldn't combine it with the fanless PSU I recommended, it doesn't look like the airflow's up to scratch. If you're going for the Antec, it'll have to be a fanned PSU like DeadpunkDave recommended - the Nexus looks promising.

C'mon, who can spec an AMD dual-core on-board system?

 

That's a good point, give me 20 minutes and I'll spec an AMD build for you. Been so long since I thought of AMD as a decent company I just forgot about them.

 

I'm only occasionaly a supply teacher and I'm sure her student days are past... would a msdnaa copy of Windows 7 be legit?

yeah not a top end spec we need here .... but definately quite niche.

thanks for all the help so far quite a battle of good will developing here

Also.... No sound card has been mentioned yet has it? I read another forum on the sennheiser pc 360's saying they needed a good sound card......
Is the Asus Xonar DX strong enough?

 

OK, the AMD gets you down to £380. Using Passmark as a guide to general performance, the AMD scores 1702, compared to 2718 for the i3 530. That seems like a big difference but the PC I'm using now is plenty powerful for gaming and other use and has an E6750 which only scores 1680, less than the AMD I've recommended.

 

The antec comes recommended by http://www.silentpcreview.com, which is a great site IMO. I realised though that it has a door

WD would be fine for a HDD too I'm sure. I assumed there would be some music and large amounts of sound files associated with the specialist software, but maybe I'm wrong

 

Dolphin guide is not a huge download... it sits ontop of windows as a control layer giving navigation of ~7 simplified windows options at a time... eg. say 1 for write a document say 2 for read email....
Just some voice files and a simple windows sound scheme.
She expects to use the pc mostly for browsing, forums and letter writing.
you can try it for 30 days free if you want to find out how hard it is to geek without eyes.

 

in summary

OK to sum up so far... we are looking at...

Motherboard: MSI 785GM-E51 AMD 785G AM3 Motherboard £55.91 (claimed good sound... no need for seprate card for sennheiser pc360 correct? anyone disagree?)

cpu : AMD CPU Athlon II 250 Dual Core Processor £46.98 up to the job at passmark 1702 agreed?

Case: Sonata Elite Black Mid Tower Computer Case £69.64 (Still looks too large to be easily portable although button looks more obvious and tactile)

PSU: Nexus Value 430W £64.37 general agreement

the rest I can probably populate myself ...

Hope that not too many of you hardcore top end kit folk have not been put of your tea.