Hi, this will be a work in progress for a continuation of Wasper's
awesome budget quick picks.
These are different budget gaming computers from both Intel and AMD in incremental steps of $100. They are focused on mult-GPU when the budget is big enough, with a single card alternative most of the time. For parts that don't affect the performance of the system as much as the CPU/GPU/Motherboard (DVD/Case/Memory/Hard Drive/PSU), I've chosen parts that will work great and are compatible but are not nearly as high-end as the core three parts. If interested in spending a bit more on hard drive space, different style case, larger PSU, more or different memory, then all you have to do is take this increase into account when looking through the different budgets.
I also use 2x2GB kits of memory because we are moving towards this being the norm. If you are using a 32-bit version of Windows you may know that the OS doesn't see or use all of this memory somewhere from 3GB-3.75GB is normal (64-bit Windows can take as much as you can fit). Personally, this doesn't bother me and I like to have matching memory instead of 2x1GB and 2x512MB sticks. Of course this is just a suggestion and you can easily put in as much memory and whatever memory brand as you see fit. This is what I kept in mind when building these. If you have different intents for your computer and would like some help, feel free to PM me or any of the other regulars.
These picks are just the tower with no OS, and at the bottom are accessory combinations with
monitor/keyboard/mouse/speakers/OS.
If you have any build ideas that
you would like to get put on, PM me to bounce the idea off me. I read
news and reviews just about every day, so I should be pretty up to date
with these, but if there is a new piece of hardware that you think
would work better, PM me with that.
Note: All of these builds will be using Newegg's pricing.
People are free to change parts and buy search at other sites, but
these are just nice reference builds and ones that might give ideas to
people who aren't sure where yet to start.
Just for fun, here is a very nice home computer build. This system will not be a great performer in the gaming arena as it uses onboard graphics. Add on my cheapest accessories bundle for a quality, cheap, family computer build.
<$400 Budget Home Use Computer (AMD)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
GIGABYTE GZ-X2BPD-500 Black 0.6mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Antec Basiq BP500UB 500W ATX12V Version 2.01 Active PFC Power Supply
PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
AMD Phenom 8650 Toliman 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Triple-Core Black Edition Processor
This can be an Intel machine with this Motherboard and CPU.
$500 Budget (AMD)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
GIGABYTE GZ-X2BPD-500 Black 0.6mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
GIGABYTE GA-MA78G-DS3H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
Antec Basiq BP500UB 500W ATX12V Version 2.01 Active PFC Power Supply
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
pqi TURBO 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor
One of these GPUs:
PNY GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
PALiT Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 64 Pro
$500 Budget (Intel)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
GIGABYTE GZ-X2BPD-500 Black 0.6mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Antec Basiq BP500UB 500W ATX12V Version 2.01 Active PFC Power Supply
BIOSTAR TForce TP43D2A7 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard
pqi TURBO 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
One of these GPUs:
PNY GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
PALiT Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card * If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 7 Pro
~$600 Budget (AMD)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
GIGABYTE GZ-X2BPD-500 Black 0.6mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500AAKS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
GIGABYTE GA-MA78G-DS3H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
pqi TURBO 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
XCLIO STABLEPOWER 500W ATX 500W Power Supply
AMD Phenom 8650 Toliman 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Triple-Core Black Edition Processor
One of these video cards:
ZOTAC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
VisionTek Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 64 Pro
~$600 Budget (Intel)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
GIGABYTE GZ-X2BPD-500 Black 0.6mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500AAKS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
XCLIO STABLEPOWER 500W 500W ATX SLI Ready Active PFC Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
pqi TURBO 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
One of these video cards:
ZOTAC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
VisionTek Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 7 Pro
~$700 Budget (AMD)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
pqi TURBO 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 Power Supply
BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Phenom 8650 Toliman 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Triple-Core Black Edition Processor
One of these video cards:
POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 64 Pro
~$700 Budget (Intel)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 Power Supply
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
pqi TURBO 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
One of these video cards:
POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 7 Pro
~$800 Budget (AMD)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor
One of these video cards:
POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card* If interested in
overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan:
AC Freezer 64 Pro
~$800 Budget (Intel)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
One of these video cards:
POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 7 Pro
~$900 Budget (AMD) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor
For Crossfire-X capability:
BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X VisionTek Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI-e 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
GIGABYTE GA-M750SLI-DS4 AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X ZOTAC GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$900 Budget (Intel) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 Black Aluminum Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Active PFC Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
For Crossfire-X capability:
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X VisionTek Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI-e 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
ASUS P5N-D LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X ZOTAC GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 7 Pro
~$1000 Budget ( AMD ) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor
For Crossfire-X capability:
Foxconn A7DA-S AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
GIGABYTE GA-M750SLI-DS4 AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X MSI GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$1000 Budget ( Intel ) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
For Crossfire-X capability:
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
ASUS P5N-D LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X MSI GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: AC Freezer 7 Pro
~$1100 Budget ( AMD ) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER RC-690 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
For Crossfire-X:
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card For SLI:
GIGABYTE GA-M750SLI-DS4 AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X BFG Tech GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$1100 Budget ( Intel ) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER RC-690 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
For Crossfire-X capability:
ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X BFG Tech GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$1200 Budget ( AMD ) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER RC-690 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply
AMD Phenom 9950 BLACK EDITION 2.6GHz Socket AM2+ 140W Quad-Core Processor
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler
For Crossfire-X:
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X MSI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI:
MSI K9N2 SLI Platinum AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X BFG Tech GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$1200 Budget (Intel) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER RC-690 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
CORSAIR 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
For Crossfire-X capability:
BIOSTAR TPower I45 LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0
x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X BFG Tech GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI E 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$1300 Budget (AMD) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER RC-690 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply
AMD Phenom 9950 BLACK EDITION 2.6GHz Socket AM2+ 140W Quad-Core Processor
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
For Crossfire-X capability:
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
MSI K9N2 SLI Platinum AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
2 X MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
EVGA GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
~$1300 Budget ( Intel ) ( SLI / Crossfire )
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model
COOLER MASTER RC-690 ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
For Crossfire-X capability:
BIOSTAR TPower I45 LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X VisionTek HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
or
VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
For SLI capability:
EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
2 X MSI GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
or
EVGA GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
* If interested in overclocking, purchase this cost effective after market CPU heatsink/fan: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 HSF
Accessory Bundles ( Operating system/Monitor/Keyboard/Mouse/Speakers )
Tack these prices onto any of the builds above to get an idea of what a whole system would cost you. These are just to give you an idea, and the prices are grabbed directly from Newegg.
~$300 Budget Bundle ( Wireless )
Hanns·G Black 17" 8ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
Logitech S120 2.3 Watts (RMS) 2.0 Speaker System
Logitech Cordless Desktop EX110 Black USB + PS/2 RF Wireless Standard Keyboard Mouse
OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit DVD - OEM <- uses 4GB of RAM
or
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DVD - OEM ( or Windows XP/Linux )
~$300 Tight Budget Bundle ( Wired )
Hanns·G Black 17" 8ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
Logitech S120 2.3 Watts (RMS) 2.0 Speaker System
Microsoft Black PS/2 Standard Basic Keyboard and Mouse Mouse
OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit DVD - OEM <- uses 4GB of RAM
or
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DVD - OEM ( or Windows XP/Linux )
~$350 Budget Bundle ( Wireless )
Hanns·G JW-199DPB Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System
Microsoft Silver & Black PS/2 RF Wireless Ergonomics Optical Desktop 4000 Mouse Included - OEM
OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit DVD - OEM <- uses 4GB of RAM
or
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DVD - OEM ( or Windows XP/Linux )
~$350 Budget Bundle ( Wired )
Hanns·G JW-199DPB Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System
LITE-ON 2-Tone PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard
Logitech MX310 6 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Mouse
OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit DVD - OEM <- uses 4GB of RAM
or
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DVD - OEM ( or Windows XP/Linux )
~$400 Budget Bundle ( Wireless )
Acer AL2216Wbd Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP support - Retail
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System - OEM
Logitech LX310 Black USB Cordless Standard Desktop Laser Mouse Included - OEM
OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit DVD - OEM <- uses 4GB of RAM
or
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DVD - OEM ( or Windows XP/Linux )
~$400 Budget Bundle ( Wired )
Acer AL2216Wbd Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP support - Retail
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System
Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000
Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse
OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit DVD - OEM <- uses 4GB of RAM
or
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit DVD - OEM ( or Windows XP/Linux )
Sept '06 build:
Coolermaster Centurion 5 + Coolermaster Real Power Pro 750W
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L + Core 2 Duo E6300 @ 400x7
2x1GB G.Skill DDR2-800 + eVGA 7600GT
