Case, Power Supply, And Optical Drive
Case: Rosewill Blackbone ATX Mid-Tower
Although it looks like we splurged and spent an extra $10 this quarter to get Rosewill’s Blackbone, the reality is that every one of the $30 ATX cases that we wanted was more than $40 with shipping added. Priced at $42, shipped, the Blackbone gave us two pre-installed 120 mm cooling fans, four front-mounted USB 2.0 ports, and plenty of room to house our components and route our wiring.
Read Customer Reviews of Rosewill's Blackbone Mid-Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec VP-450 450 W
Despite the fact that AMD says you need a 500 W power supply for its Radeon HD 7850, it only exposes one six-pin lead, and our fully-loaded system is going to sip power otherwise.
With a combined +12V rating of 30 A, the affordable Antec VP-450 could yet again cover our power needs, with reserve. A quiet 120 mm fan, protection circuitry, and Antec’s two-year warranty add additional peace of mind.
Read Customer Reviews of Antec's VP-450 450 W Power Supply
Optical Drive: LG 24x GH24NS90-OEM DVDN Burner
Given our budget, we look to spend as little as possible on a reliable SATA-based DVD burner. This time around, LG’s 24x GH24NS90 is just what we need to satisfy our optical needs.
