Best Configs Return, Powered By Tom's Hardware Forums

By Chris Angelini
published

A few months back, we introduced a feature called Best Configs, which included nine systems with components chosen by the Tom's Hardware staff. After considering your feedback on this new section, we're giving the community control over the picks!

Greetings Guys And Gals,

Best Configs is making a return, and this time, we want to feature your top picks for each of our nine configurations!

First, a little bit of background. The Best Configs feature first surfaced on Tom’s Hardware FR, consisting of monthly updates to 13 different builds with parts picked by the staff. We introduced a similar feature on Tom’s Hardware US and ran through a couple of different iterations. I followed the feedback on those carefully, and noticed that there were already very compelling configurations being posted to our forums by dedicated members of the community.

Rather than compete with those folks, I thought it’d be much more interesting to work with them, building the Best Configs section back up, but this time using your component recommendations.

Here’s how it works: we have nine sticky threads going in the forums, under the New Build category. If you see a configuration to which you’d like to contribute, we invite you to submit it. If you’d like to add a completely new configuration, feel free to post your idea here, and we’ll consider it for next month’s update.

At the end of three weeks, we’ll pick our five favorite recommendations in each thread and let you vote on them. The top build will become that month’s Best Config. We’ll lay it out on a new section featured on the front page of Tom’s Hardware, give you credit for the build, and make sure it’s accessible for the whole month before starting all over again.

In this way, Best Configs will be powered by our knowledgeable community. We’ll make sure to add system classifications that are currently missing, and I’ll get to work more closely with you—something I’ve been anxious to see happen for two years now.

The following are direct links to each of the existing nine builds:

Budget Intel-Based Gaming PC
Budget AMD-Based Gaming PC
High-End Intel Gaming PC
Intel-Based Office PC
High-End AMD Gaming PC
MicroATX Gaming Build
Home Theater PC
High-End Workstation
AMD-Based Office PC

See you in the forums!

Chris Angelini
Managing Editor, Tom’s Hardware US

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Chris Angelini
Chris Angelini
Chris Angelini is an Editor Emeritus at Tom's Hardware US. He edits hardware reviews and covers high-profile CPU and GPU launches.
45 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nforce4max
    Cool this might come in handy for building balanced systems.
    Reply
  • bustapr
    This is the best idea Toms has ever come up with. Thank you very much for this section, since it will help help a ton.
    Reply
  • rfox911
    Very nice idea, as already said this will def be a help to many people
    Reply
  • Misdissident
    Awesome idea, but just a gripe... When I think of "budget" PCs, I don't really think of a $1000 "budget"... more like a 600 dollar "budget" :p
    Reply
  • cangelini
    misdissidentAwesome idea, but just a gripe... When I think of "budget" PCs, I don't really think of a $1000 "budget"... more like a 600 dollar "budget"
    There's a good chance that we'll keep the top picks in the budget categories limited to $500 or so. If we need to adjust down the limit on the forum threads, that's the route we'll go! I'm with you--budget feels like something not much pricier than a gaming console.
    Reply
  • thechief73
    Great idea! This will also provide good comparison and insite into other techies build choices.
    Reply
  • Reynod
    Awesome Chris.

    I'll have to see if my new CF 2X5850 / 1090T refrigerated rig fits into what budget ...

    Weight wise it is a boat anchor ...
    Reply
  • tgsa
    I like the idea, it'll be good to see what comes out. Now to hear the gripes about people and their different definitions of budget!

    Hope we'll get some good feedback!
    Reply
  • lun4tic
    I wish I had this back when I built my current computer a few months ago.
    Reply
  • NeeKo
    I know this is a USA site, but just 40% of the visitors are american, the rest of the world has waaaay different prices (A lot more expensive tbh), so even though these things are nice it would be nice to see them on other countries maybe? Idk, with 1000 usd you barely make a C2D machine in my country.
    Reply