
| Current $500 PC System Test Configuration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Base Settings | Overclock Setting |
| CPU | Intel Pentium G850 (Sandy Bridge), 2.9 GHz, LGA 1155, 3 MB Shared L3 Cache, Power-saving features enabled | Unchanged |
| CPU Cooler | Intel Boxed Heat Sink and Fan | Unchanged |
| Motherboard | ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP, Intel H77 Express, BIOS P1.40 (09-21-2012) | Unchanged |
| RAM | 8 GB G.Skill DDR-1333 Kit 2 x 4 GB, CL 9-9-9-24 1T at 1.585 V | DDR3-1333, CL 7-8-7-22 1T at 1.6 V |
| Graphics | PowerColor AX7850 1GBD5-DH Radeon HD 7850 860 MHz GPU, 1200 MHz (4800 MT/s) Memory | 1200 MHz GPU @ 1.205 V, 1310 MHz (5240 MT/s) GDDR5 Memory |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital WD3200AAKX 320 GB, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache | Unchanged |
| Sound | Integrated Eight-Channel HD Audio | Unchanged |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking | Unchanged |
| Power | Antec VP-450 450 W | Unchanged |
| Optical | LG 24x GH24NS90-OEM DVD Burner | Unchanged |
| Software and Drivers | ||
| Operating System | Windows 8 Professional x64 | Unchanged |
| Graphics Driver | AMD Catalyst 12.10 | Unchanged |
| Platform Driver | Intel 7-series Inf v. 9.3.1025 | Unchanged |
| August $500 Gaming PC System Test Configuration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Base Settings | Overclock Setting |
| CPU | Intel Pentium G860 (Sandy Bridge), 3.0 GHz, LGA 1155, 3 MB Shared L3, Power-saving features enabled | Unchanged |
| CPU Cooler | Intel Boxed Heat Sink and Fan | Unchanged |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3V, Intel B75 Express, BIOS F5 (03-27-2012) | Unchanged |
| RAM | 4 GB G.Skill DDR3-1333 Kit 2 x 2 GB, CL 9-9-9-24 1T at 1.5 V | Unchanged |
| Graphics | MSI N560GTX-M2D1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 810 MHz GPU, 1002 MHz (4008 MT/s) Memory | 950 MHz GPU @ 1.050 V, 1102.5 MHz (4410 MT/s) GDDR5 Memory |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital WD5000AAKX 500 GB, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache | Unchanged |
| Sound | Integrated Eight-Channel HD Audio | Unchanged |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking | Unchanged |
| Power | Antec VP-450 450 W | Unchanged |
| Optical | Samsung 22x SH-222BB/BEBE-OEM DVD Burner | Unchanged |
| Software and Drivers | ||
| Operating System | Windows 7 Ultimate Edition x64 | Unchanged |
| Graphics Driver | GeForce R300 Driver v.300.42 | Unchanged |
| Platform Driver | Intel 7-series Inf v. 9.3.1019 | Unchanged |
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Battlefield 3 | Version 1.0.0.0, DirectX 11, 90-sec. FRAPS "Going Hunting" Test Set 1: Medium Quality Preset, No AA, 4X AF, SSAO Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 4X MSAA, 16X AF, HBAO |
| Elders Scroll V: Skyrim | Version 1.8.151.07, Version 1.6.89.06 (Aug.), 25-Sec. Fraps Test Set 1: High Preset, No AA, 8x AF, FXAA Enabled Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, 8x AA, 16x AF, FXAA Enabled |
| F1 2012 | Version 1.2, Direct X 11, Built-in Benchmark Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Quality, 8x MSAA |
| Audio/Video Encoding | |
| HandBrake CLI | Version: 0.98, Video: Video from Canon EOS 7D (1920x1080, 25 frames) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds, Audio: PCM-S16, 48 000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile) |
| iTunes | Version 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s) |
| TotalCode Studio 2.5 | Version: 2.5.0.10677, MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s) Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV |
| Productivity | |
| ABBYY FineReader | Version 10.0.102.82: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages |
| Adobe Photoshop CS6 | Version 13 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 | Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080 |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.28, LZMA2, Syntax "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| WinRAR | Version 4.2, RAR, Syntax "winrar a -r -m3" Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| WinZip | Version 17.0 Pro, Best Method, ZIPX Benchmark: THG-Workload-2012 |
| Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
| 3DMark 11 | Version: 1.0.1, Entry, Performance, Extreme Suite |
| PCMark 7 | Version: 1.0.4, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks |
| SiSoftware Sandra 2012 | Version: 2012 SP5c-1872, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark |
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Summary
- 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?
Ask a Category Expert
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.