I'm looking to build a hackintosh for a friend who does very little on the internet except email and internet. I tried to keep the cost lowest as possible (because I'm paying for this) while not sacrafising performace. Tell me what you think.

Mobo $72.77 GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3G [~$10 shipping] $82.77 total

Case: $89.98 Antec 380w [shipped]

CPU: $77.97 E2160 1.8ghz core2duo [Free shipping]

Mem: $00.00 from my collection 2gb Corsair XMS2-5400
For reference $45.98 Kingston 2GB 2 x 1GB rated very high on Newegg

DVD: 31.99 Lite-on Lightscribe 20X DVD-R SATA [free shipping]

HD: $46.54 120gb 8mb cache Seagate SATA [free shipping]

Vid: $00.00 from my collection ATI x1650pro
For reference $44.99 PNY 7300GT [Shipped]

Total: $329.25

$420.22 total if I were to buy a video card and memory and not use the ones from my collection.

Not bad. I strongly recommend upgrading that CPU to a Core 2 Duo. Far faster, more OSX86 compatible. I'd also suggest not using a case with a window to reduce radio interference (worse than it sounds).

I'd suggest buying a proper PSU separately, but that'll increase the cost. Consider the cost if the cheap PSU blows up.

I don't know about that motherboard compatibility, but the gigabyte P35 boards are very compatible in general. If you're not doing gaming, and if the videocard is compatible, stick with it.

It is a core2duo it was just mislabed on that site. Updated with a new site.

Seems like a pretty sweet low-budget rig... I'd recommend you overclock your CPU. On a friend's rig, which has very similar specs (including same CPU and similar Gigabyte mobo) we got the CPU up from 1.8GHz to 2.7GHz with very little effort (tho with a slightly better cooler, an Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7)... I was really impressed.
I'd like to point out as well that low-end, no-brand PSU's aren't very trustworthy, and are likely to break down... A 380/430W brand PSU will be more reliable than the one you're planning on getting (i.e. that comes with that case). If you're willing to spend about $30 more on a case, i'd recommend you get something like this. Reliable PSU, and very quiet, and a very decent case overall. Quiet's always important for me

All the best,
3phemeral

Recommandation applied. I bought an antec ninhundred recently and it seems to have a high quality build. And yes, I have that same CPU and I maxed out at 2.7 also. It's less than haft the price I paid last year now.

I'm sure you won't regret it. But the Nine Hundred doesn't come with a PSU, or am I mistaken? What PSU did you get?

I saw the Abit IP35-E for like $65--though it seems like the deal ended. I know some Gigabyte motherboards lack the 1:1 memory division for the E21x0 processors. Any generic ATX case will be fine with any modern power supply. The EarthWatts in the case you linked to is a nice power supply. Newegg had EarthWatts on sale by itself for $5 AR or so a while back. The Lite On drive may be okay, but after research I landed on the $29 Samsung SH-S203B.

My E2140 is happily running at 3.2GHz in my IP35-E, but that does require DDR2 800 or faster. I would splurge on memory with it being so cheap. You can pick up 8GB of DDR2 800 for $140 right now.

that should be fine..I reccomend a GA-P35-DS3L.. 90 bucks on newegg..

also if it makes any different, that processor is NOT a Core 2 duo. It is a pentium Dual Core

Pentium Dual Core = Core 2 Duo with 1MB L2 cache. Intel is also selling a version of the Core 2 Duo as a "Celeron" with 512kB L2 cache. Certainly a Pentium Dual Core is more like a Core 2 Duo than a Core Duo is like a Core 2 Duo. Who cares what they call it?

E8x00 = 6MB L2 cache, 45nm
E6x00 = 4MB L2 cache, 65nm
E4x00 = 2MB L2 cache, 65nm
E2x00 = 1MB L2 cache, 65nm
E1x00 = 512kB L2 cache, 65nm

The smaller L2 cache really kills performance in some applications, but there is also diminishing benefits of larger cache sizes. The E2x00 Pentium Dual Cores are pretty good deals for $75. At least one of them can run more than twice its rated clockspeed, which helps performance some.