Luxurious Performance?
System Builder Marathon, December 2010: The Articles
Here are links to each of the four articles in this month’s System Builder Marathon (we’ll update them as each story is published). And remember, these systems are all being given away at the end of the marathon.
To enter the giveaway, please check out this Google form, and be sure to read the complete rules before entering!
Day 1: The $2,000 Performance PC
Day 2: The $1,000 Enthusiast PC
Day 3: The $500 Gaming PC
Day 4: Performance And Value, Dissected
Introduction
Wouldn’t it be great if someone could invent a sports car that combined all the luxury of a Bentley with all the performance of a Bugatti? And wouldn’t it be great if that sports car was priced only as high as a fully-loaded Buick? This combination of performance, luxury, and price actually is possible, but only in the world of PCs.
This month’s $2000 build packs a full range of killer performance components (even a pair of top-end SSD drives), without sacrificing luxury features. SilverStone’s gorgeous unibody case promises to improve cooling and reduce noise at the same time, while a Blu-ray burner adds compatibility with the latest optical media. Could this be our most perfect build yet?
| $2000 Performance PC Component Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | Gigabyte X58A-UD3R LGA-1366 Intel X58 Express, ICH10R | $210 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-950 3.06 GHz Quad-Core | $295 |
| Memory | Mushkin 998586 6 GB, DDR3-1333 Triple-Channel Kit | $80 |
| Graphics | 2 x EVGA 012-P3-1470-AR, 1.25 GB GeForce GTX 470 | $520 |
| System Drive | 2 x A-Data S599 64 GB, SATA 3Gb/s SSD | $220 |
| Storage Drive | Samsung F3 HD103SJ 1 TB, 7200 RPM HDD | $70 |
| Optical | Lite-On iHBS112 Blu-ray Drive: 12x BD-R, 16x DVD±R | $120 |
| Case | SilverStone Fortress FT02B | $250 |
| Power | SilverStone ST85F-P 850 W Modular | $150 |
| Heat Sink | Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B | $62 |
| CPU Fan | Delta AFC1212D-PWM 3400 RPM, 120 mm | $23 |
| Total Cost | $2,000 | |
Someone probably noticed by now that we did not pick the fastest parts of each type. But overclocking just might be the secret to getting all that luxury performance into a mid-budget build. All that’s left for us to do is build it, tune it up, and test it!