Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP
Based on Intel's H77 Express chipset, ASRock's H77 Pro4/MVP is designed to support third-gen Core processors based on the Ivy Bridge architecture. It features official DDR3-1600 memory and PCI Express 3.0 support.
Some of the features more relevant to our configuration include all-solid capacitors, four DIMM slots, native SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 ports, a handful of USB 2.0 ports, and legacy PCI expansion slots. The board also supports Intel's Smart Connect and Rapid Start features, along with Lucidlogix's Virtu Universal MVP technology. Even AMD's CrossFire is supported, though you'd need to accept a less-than-optimal x16/x4 arrangement.
ASRock's Combo Cooler Option gives you the flexibility to mount LGA 775-, 1155-, and 1156-based coolers, too.
Read Customer Reviews of ASRock's H77 Pro4/MVP
Memory: 8 GB G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT DDR3-1333 Memory Kit
The Pentium G850's dual-channel memory controller limits us to 1333 MT/s data rates yet again. This time, however, we have the money left over to splurge on an 8 GB kit from G.Skill's Value Series.
Read Customer Reviews of G.Skill's F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 8 GB Memory Kit
- Squeezing More Bang From The Same Buck
- CPU And Cooler
- Motherboard And Memory
- Graphics Card And Hard Drive
- Case, Power Supply, And Optical Drive
- Assembling Our Budget-Oriented Box
- Limited Overclocking Strikes Again
- Test System Configuration And Benchmarks
- Benchmark Results: Synthetics
- Benchmark Results: Battlefield 3
- Benchmark Results: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Benchmark Results: F1 2012
- Benchmark Results: Audio And Video
- Benchmark Results: Productivity
- Power Consumption And Temperatures
- Is This Our Best $500 Gamer Ever?


Exactly. Couldn't've said it better.
Linux for a gaming desktop I dont think so.
What about the Phenom II 965? It's only $75 at TigerDirect.
I think they'd be better off with a B75 motherboard, 4GB RAM and an i3-3220.
Exactly. Couldn't've said it better.
It's too expensive.
This was a hardware test. You're OS complaints are irrelevant and there's no practical difference between Home and Pro versions when it comes to simple performance tests. such as these.
Several Linux distros works pretty well with most modern popular games, just FYI. Also, getting Windows for free legally is easy if you care to do it. Dreamspark has many free versions available to college students and most people know at least one, even if by proxy. Even in the unlikelihood of not knowing any, there's still the eval copies that MS gives away for free on their own website.
I disagree. The current drivers for Windows 8 are pretty much on-par with the Windows 7 drivers. Heck, they're better than AMD's pre-Catalyst 12.6 drivers.
Meh, I would've preferred seeing at least an A8-5600K with a cheaper motherboard and memory kit or keep the same memory kit and get a cheaper case. It could have fit, IDK why Tom's didn't do it. Maybe there weren't good prices on other components at the time
Windows home still costs $100 which is still some how not part of the budget.