If he's not overclocking and has a good case, you shouldn't even need an aftermarket cooler. The cpu already comes with one.
I'd suggest this NZXT case instead...the cooling on it is really hard to beat. Cheaper, too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146059
Will he have a lot of open programs? An Athlon II x4 might be more useful here. Two more cores means better multitasking.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706
I was going to ask about the cooler. They should not need one if the one it comes with is fine.
up your RAM to 4GB, you won't be sorry. definitely gonna help multitasking and the longevity of the PC
All around, this will be very fast for his needs
Here is my final build. https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=17383967
Here is my final build. https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=17383967
Looks good! Great price for all those parts
If you switch for Windows PRO 7, you'll get XP compatibility mode. Just a thought...
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx
Also, you'll want to pick up an additional fan for exhaust at the back, or move the front fan to the back (comes with 1x front LED fan) "Support for up to 6 120mm fans with the option of dual 140mm at the top"
Good build!
It already has compatibility mode. What pro has is XP mode, where it runs the program in a virtual XP environment. Much cooler.