Presenting The BestConfigs Poll Results
Why should Tom’s Hardware editors have all the fun? That’s (partly) the premise behind the system builder competition known as BestConfigs. Based on the popular quarterly System Builder Marathon, in which three of our editors (Paul Henningsen, Thomas Soderstrom and Don Woligroski) build systems at certain price points, for BestConfigs we invite the community of readers on Tom’s Hardware's Forums to dream up their own rigs. The ten current BestConfigs categories are:
- Home Theater PC @ $700
- High-End Intel Gaming PC @ $2000
- High-End AMD Gaming PC @ $2000
- Budget AMD-Based Gaming PC @ $1000
- AMD-Based Office PC @ $500
- Budget Intel-Based Gaming PC @ $1000
- Intel-Based Office PC @ $500
- MicroATX Gaming PC @ $1200
- NAS PC @ $1000
- High-End Workstation @ $4000
BestConfigs system builders submitted their PC specs via the Tom’s Hardware Forum, and the community voted for their favorites. The rules specified that each build should include the components required for a complete system (processor, motherboard, memory, storage, power supply and enclosure). A number of setups included optional components such as coolers, discrete graphics, SSDs and optical drives. Peripherals like monitors, keyboards and mice were not included.
Note that prices and availability may have changed since these builds were originally configured. Current prices can be found on the BestConfigs shopping pages.
With no further ado, it’s time to check out this quarter’s winners.
We start with an HTPC setup, followed by a couple of high-end gaming PCs, two budget gaming builds and a well-equipped mATX rig. Next, we have a pair of low-cost PCs for the office and a NAS-oriented PC for storing and streaming media. Last, but certainly not least, is the most exorbitant build of all—a professional workstation with a price ceiling of four grand!