Component List
System Builder Marathon, May 2009: 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!
- Day 1: The $2,500 Performance PC
- Day 2: The $1,300 Enthusiast PC
- Day 3: The $600 Gaming PC
- Day 4: Performance and Value Dissected
The SBM contest is live! Enter to win one of our three systems right here.
Introduction
In coming up with components for this month’s $1,300 enthusiast Micro-ATX system, we had a hard time deciding on which platform to choose, as the Core 2 Duo, Phenom II, and Core i7 CPUs were all viable choices and brought their own strengths and weaknesses to the table.
We asked our forum users for their opinions and got a lot of constructive dialogue in return. The consensus was that while AMD's Phenom II was very compelling and had a lot of support, the $1,300 price bracket allowed us to stretch our legs into Core i7 territory.
With the CPU decided upon, everything else started falling into place. Here’s our component list:
$1,300 Enthusiast Micro-ATX PC Parts Prices | ||
---|---|---|
Motherboard | DFI LANParty Jr X58-T3H6 Micro-ATX Intel X58/ICH10R, LGA1366 | $220 |
Processor | Intel Core i7-920 Four Cores, 2.66 GHz, 8 MB Cache | $289 |
Memory | G.Skill 10666CL7T 6GBPKTriple-channel memory kit 3 x 2 GB | $90 |
Graphics | 2 x BFG GeForce GTX 260 OC in SLI 896 MB GDDR3-1998 Per Card 590 MHz GPU, 1,296 MHz Shader | $340 |
Hard Drive | Western Digital Caviar Black 640GD, 640 GB, 32 MB cache | $75 |
Optical | Lite-On iHAS422 DVD±R DVD Burner SATA | $28 |
Case | SilverStone TJ08-B Micro-ATX Mini-Tower | $99 |
Power | PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750 Quad S75QB, ATX12V 2.2, 80-Plus Certified | $120 |
CPU Cooler | Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 | $40 |
Total Cost | $1,296 |