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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2013: System Value ComparedFeb 28, 2013 - in Reviews
We've long claimed that the sweet spot for value was somewhere around $800. So, we narrowed this quarter's System Builder Marathon from $600 to $1,000. Which one of our three configurations gives us the most performance for our budget?
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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2013: $1,000 Performance PCFeb 27, 2013 - in Reviews
With his budget cut in half, Thomas is trying to take the value crown by building the highest-end PC in this quarter's System Builder Marathon for $1,000. Can he out-do the value of Paul's $600 config or Don's $800 effort using solid-state storage?
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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2013: $800 Enthusiast PCFeb 26, 2013 - in Reviews
Last quarter, Don had $1,000 to spend on a mid-range enthusiast-oriented PC. This time around, we challenged him to build something better with $800. Is that even possible? Our System Builder Marathon continues, as we benchmark three hand-picked setups.
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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2013: $600 Gaming PCFeb 25, 2013 - in Reviews
After one quarter after another of Pentium-based budget-oriented gaming builds, Paul Henningsen is ready to put together something a little more potent. We gave him an extra $100 and asked him to show us how to spend that money. He obliged, gladly.
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System Builder Marathon, Q4 2012: $500 Gaming PCDec 3, 2012 - in Reviews
We were hoping to kick this quarter's System Builder Marathon off with AMD's new Athlon X4 750K. But a lack of availability compels us back into the arms of Intel's dual-core Pentium. Happily, an affordable Radeon HD 7850 promises great performance.
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System Builder Marathon, June 2012: $500 Gaming PCJun 6, 2012 - in Reviews
After stripping $150 from his already frugal budget, Paul is forced to make a tough gamble in order to hit his build goals. Will the decision to spend big on graphics bite him in the rear when he has to cut back on everything else, or is the choice sound?
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System Builder Marathon, June 2012: $2000 Performance PCJun 3, 2012 - in Reviews
After a little inflation over the past few quarters, we chop $600 off of the most recent build. Is there such a thing as more performance from a smaller budget? Thanks to Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture and GeForce GTX 680, the answer is: sometimes.
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System Builder Marathon Bonus: Newegg Customer Choice PCMar 29, 2012 - in Reviews
We've shown you our three System Builder Marathon picks. Now it's time for something new. Using Newegg's user ratings as a guide, we picked the site's most celebrated components, built a PC, and overclocked it. Can this "Customer Choice" setup compete?
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System Builder Marathon, March 2012: System Value ComparedMar 28, 2012 - in Reviews
Three different builders took two different approaches this quarter. Paul and Don struck out in search of more graphics performance, while Thomas gave up some GPU horsepower in favor of a stronger CPU. Whose strategy paid off? It's time to compare!
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System Builder Marathon, Dec. 2011: $600 Gaming PCDec 20, 2011 - in Reviews
You've already seen our first two System Builder Marathon configurations, both of which are more expensive than last quarter's. Our entry-level build costs a bit more too, but we think it's a much more capable collection of parts.
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System Builder Marathon, Sept. 2011: System Value ComparedSep 25, 2011 - in Reviews
Big changes to a few components radically alter the performance profile of every machine in this quarter's competition. We’ve already seen how these changes affect the value of each machine, but how will they compare to each other?
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System Builder Marathon, Sept. 2011: $500 Gaming PCSep 21, 2011 - in Reviews
A few months ago, we built our $500 gaming PC using Intel's Sandy Bridge-based Core i3 processor, and it was a real screamer. This time around we're switching back to an overclockable Phenom II X4 and hoping threaded performance helps our case.
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System Builder Marathon, Sept. 2011: $2000 Performance PCSep 19, 2011 - in Reviews
Falling memory prices make it easier to spend our $2000 budget on the fastest available components. How much faster is a pair of GeForce GTX 580s than two Radeon HD 6970 cards? Noticeably. But is the value any more compelling? You're about to find out.
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Hands-On: Antec Bias LED Lighting KitSep 7, 2011 - in News
This "kit" consists of a strip of LEDs that attaches to the back of your monitor, creating a halo effect that helps reduce eye fatigue.
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System Builder Marathon, June 2011: Value ComparedJun 23, 2011 - in Reviews
With so little happening in the hardware world since the beginning of this year, our second-quarter System Builder Marathon sees only minor hardware changes. But each builder unquestionably comes closer to dialing in ideal setups at each price point.
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System Builder Marathon, March 2011: $2000 Bonus BuildMar 29, 2011 - in Reviews
We used our second chance opportunity to hand-pick a $2000 PC with even more graphics power, at a lower cost. Getting more powerful GPUs means compromising elsewhere to maintain the same budget, though. Will that decision affect this config's value?
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System Builder Marathon, March 2011: Value ComparedMar 28, 2011 - in Reviews
Day 4 of our System Builder Marathon compares performance achieved to money spent. With outright speed the top priority, can either of our high-end systems beat the low-cost build when it comes to value? Or will the middle machine strike the best balance?
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System Builder Marathon, March 2011: $500 Gaming PCMar 24, 2011 - in Reviews
The last two System Builder Marathon configurations centered on Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture. But AMD still seems to rule the budget-oriented segment. This quarter, Paul buys an upgraded CPU and a Radeon-based graphics card for more performance.
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Bringing Home The Bass: 2.1-Channel Speaker RoundupJan 5, 2011 - in Reviews
Is it just us, or are 5.1- and 7.1-channel speaker systems impractical for PCs? In our 2.1 speaker roundup, we look at the Corsair SP2500 and Antec/Soundscience Rockus 3D|2.1, along with the Creative Gigaworks 3D, Klipsch Promedia 2.1, and Logitech Z623.
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System Builder Marathon, December 2010: Value, ComparedDec 19, 2010 - in Reviews
New benchmarks, new test methods, and new hardware mark exciting updates to this month’s System Builder Marathon. Today, we cover the most exciting part of all: the value competition. Remember, we're giving all three systems away, so enter to win them!
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System Builder Marathon, March 2010: System Value ComparedMar 19, 2010 - in Reviews
Budget enhancements to this month’s SBM finally reflect last year’s price increases, allowing the return of liquid cooling at the high-end and Core i7 for the mid-priced systems. With big improvements to its bigger brothers, can the low-cost PC still win?
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System Builder Marathon, March 2010: $750 Gaming PCMar 18, 2010 - in Reviews
The last machine in this quarter's System Builder Marathon, Paul's $750 Gaming PC certainly isn't least. A triple-core Athlon II X3 didn't necessarily overclock well, but a fourth-core unlock gives this system a huge efficiency advantage in our suite.
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System Builder Marathon, Dec. 2009: System Value ComparedDec 25, 2009 - in Reviews
Our mid-priced and high-end systems are ready to challenge the notion of value supremacy for low-cost parts. Will Intel’s latest architecture provide enough performance to break the $700 machine’s value winning monopoly? How do ATI's new GPUs factor in?
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Tom's Intl. $750 Cheap Computing ChallengeJan 22, 2009 - in Reviews
Given $750, we embarked on a mission to build the most efficient, best-performing PC we possibly could. Then, the French, German, and Italian offices did the same, trying to beat our results with their own components. Meet our contender.
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System Builder Marathon: $625 Gaming PCDec 29, 2008 - in Reviews
Unsurprisingly, hardware prices have dropped since our System Builder Marathon last month, which means we have access to more processing power at our same $625 entry-level price point for gamers. Come check out the configuration Paul put together!
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System Builder Marathon: Performance & ValueOct 30, 2008 - in Reviews
Three dramatically different builds face off in a show of performance, defining the real value of each. Our mainstream system is designed to meet the needs of most users. Who should spend more and who can live with less?
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System Builder Marathon: $500 Gaming PCOct 29, 2008 - in Reviews
For the second to last day of our System Builder Marathon series, we add a $500 gaming PC to the mix. It's not going to be as quick as our other two builds, but we think Paul was able to get some serious value from this thing.