- Sep 10, 2012
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GPU: GeForce GTX 550 Ti (MSRP: $149.99)
The first component on our list is the GeForce GTX 550 Ti. The GTX 550 Ti comes with 192 CUDA cores and 1GB of memory. Its $150 price tag makes it an ideal GPU to build a budget-friendly gaming PC around.
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz ($119.99 on amazon.com)
For our CPU, we debated between going with our AMD Phenom II solution and Intel's slightly more expensive i3-550 processor (+$10). While both are good performers, when we were making our purchasing decisions, the i3s were extremely short on availability and we heard rumblings that they may be phased out due to Intel's forthcoming, more expensive i3 Sandy Bridge solution. Because we wanted people to be able to recreate our rig by the time this story went up, we went with AMD's CPU. Fortunately, at the time of publication, people can still buy Intel's i3 on Newegg.com for $129.99. An affordable well-received motherboard that can go along with that is the ASRock H55M-LE LGA 1156 Intel H55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard, which retails for $64.99 on Newegg.com. Regardless, our AMD Phenom II CPU received five stars on both Newegg.com and Amazon.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-M68MT-D3 ($49.99 out of stock, Alternate: $45.99 on newegg.com)
In choosing our motherboard, we went with an affordable solution that complimented our CPU. Having a four-star rating from over 35 Newegg.com members gave us the impression that it was well liked. The motherboard we purchased just went out of stock. A similar motherboard readers can use is another GIGABYTE solution. It's compatible with our CPU and is currently on sale for $45.99, $4.00 cheaper than our board.
RAM: CORSAIR 4GB (2 X 2 GB) 1333Mhz Dual Channel 240-pin DDR3 ($42.99 on amazon.com)
Because most modern games make use of four gigabytes of RAM, we wanted no less for our rig. We decided to go with Corsair because it's a brand we trust. Featuring a four-star rating on Newegg.com and on sale at amazon.com for a very reasonable price, it just made sense to go with 4GB of Corsair XMS3 ram.
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500 GB ($39.00 on ctistore.com)
For our hard drive, we went with a 500GB Seagate Barracuda. The hard drive features a four-star rating on Newegg.com from over 980 reviews. While it's not the biggest hard drive out there, it's more than enough for us to play Crysis 2 and to install other applications. In addition, more space could always be added later.
Power Supply: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus ($29.99 after mail in rebate on newegg.com)
With Cooler Master being one of the most respected hardware brands out there, its affordable 500 wattage power supply immediately got our attention. With its four-star rating from over 175 people on Newegg.com, it isn't likely that the power supply unit will fry out on us anytime soon, unlike cheaper solutions.
Case: Antec Three Hundred Tower ($54.99 on microcenter.com)
For our case, we decided to go with Antec's three hundred model. The mid-tower case is light, but sturdy. While it is a mid-tower case, there's room for nine drive bays and owners have praised its spaciousness and airflow room. In addition, it's black, sleek, and sexy.
DVD Drive: ASUS DVD-E818A7T/BLK/B/GEN ($16.99 on Newegg.com)
At a really affordable $16.99, the ASUS black 18x DVD rom got our attention right away. Furthermore, from 10 reviews on Newegg.com, it received a positive 4-star rating. Did we mention its black finish goes well with our case?
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit ($99.99 on amazon.com)
For our operating system, we decided to go with the popular Windows 7 Home (64 bit edition). We went with the 64-bit version because the 32-bit version only supports up to three gigabytes of RAM and as previously mentioned, most modern games will take full support of four gigs.
Total: $599.92
Analysis: As you can see, by shopping around intelligently, our total came right under $600. Furthermore, all of the hardware we purchased received above average to top-notch review scores, ensuring we got the best bang for our buck.
It is worth reiterating that hardware prices are always subject to change. By the time you read this, the prices you see listed may be more expensive or cheaper than what we've purchased them for. These components are also susceptible to go out of stock or to become phased out completely. Regardless, our itemized list can still be used as a general shopping guideline.
The first component on our list is the GeForce GTX 550 Ti. The GTX 550 Ti comes with 192 CUDA cores and 1GB of memory. Its $150 price tag makes it an ideal GPU to build a budget-friendly gaming PC around.
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz ($119.99 on amazon.com)
For our CPU, we debated between going with our AMD Phenom II solution and Intel's slightly more expensive i3-550 processor (+$10). While both are good performers, when we were making our purchasing decisions, the i3s were extremely short on availability and we heard rumblings that they may be phased out due to Intel's forthcoming, more expensive i3 Sandy Bridge solution. Because we wanted people to be able to recreate our rig by the time this story went up, we went with AMD's CPU. Fortunately, at the time of publication, people can still buy Intel's i3 on Newegg.com for $129.99. An affordable well-received motherboard that can go along with that is the ASRock H55M-LE LGA 1156 Intel H55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard, which retails for $64.99 on Newegg.com. Regardless, our AMD Phenom II CPU received five stars on both Newegg.com and Amazon.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-M68MT-D3 ($49.99 out of stock, Alternate: $45.99 on newegg.com)
In choosing our motherboard, we went with an affordable solution that complimented our CPU. Having a four-star rating from over 35 Newegg.com members gave us the impression that it was well liked. The motherboard we purchased just went out of stock. A similar motherboard readers can use is another GIGABYTE solution. It's compatible with our CPU and is currently on sale for $45.99, $4.00 cheaper than our board.
RAM: CORSAIR 4GB (2 X 2 GB) 1333Mhz Dual Channel 240-pin DDR3 ($42.99 on amazon.com)
Because most modern games make use of four gigabytes of RAM, we wanted no less for our rig. We decided to go with Corsair because it's a brand we trust. Featuring a four-star rating on Newegg.com and on sale at amazon.com for a very reasonable price, it just made sense to go with 4GB of Corsair XMS3 ram.
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500 GB ($39.00 on ctistore.com)
For our hard drive, we went with a 500GB Seagate Barracuda. The hard drive features a four-star rating on Newegg.com from over 980 reviews. While it's not the biggest hard drive out there, it's more than enough for us to play Crysis 2 and to install other applications. In addition, more space could always be added later.
Power Supply: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus ($29.99 after mail in rebate on newegg.com)
With Cooler Master being one of the most respected hardware brands out there, its affordable 500 wattage power supply immediately got our attention. With its four-star rating from over 175 people on Newegg.com, it isn't likely that the power supply unit will fry out on us anytime soon, unlike cheaper solutions.
Case: Antec Three Hundred Tower ($54.99 on microcenter.com)
For our case, we decided to go with Antec's three hundred model. The mid-tower case is light, but sturdy. While it is a mid-tower case, there's room for nine drive bays and owners have praised its spaciousness and airflow room. In addition, it's black, sleek, and sexy.
DVD Drive: ASUS DVD-E818A7T/BLK/B/GEN ($16.99 on Newegg.com)
At a really affordable $16.99, the ASUS black 18x DVD rom got our attention right away. Furthermore, from 10 reviews on Newegg.com, it received a positive 4-star rating. Did we mention its black finish goes well with our case?
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit ($99.99 on amazon.com)
For our operating system, we decided to go with the popular Windows 7 Home (64 bit edition). We went with the 64-bit version because the 32-bit version only supports up to three gigabytes of RAM and as previously mentioned, most modern games will take full support of four gigs.
Total: $599.92
Analysis: As you can see, by shopping around intelligently, our total came right under $600. Furthermore, all of the hardware we purchased received above average to top-notch review scores, ensuring we got the best bang for our buck.
It is worth reiterating that hardware prices are always subject to change. By the time you read this, the prices you see listed may be more expensive or cheaper than what we've purchased them for. These components are also susceptible to go out of stock or to become phased out completely. Regardless, our itemized list can still be used as a general shopping guideline.
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