Performance Per Dollar, Conclusion
The $500 Gaming PC cost only 63% of the System Builder Marathon’s “Low Cost” configuration’s current price, yet provides 76% its stock-speed performance and the same “overall” overclocked performance. That gives the overclocked $500 machine a huge 73% value advantage over the stock SBM system, and a significant 63% lead when both systems are overclocked.
Success?
Graphics cards are expensive, so it’s really hard to build a gaming system with a $500 budget limit. Our $500 Gaming PC shined more in applications than games, yet it played the majority of our games well at medium resolutions and settings. Thus, we must call it a success even if we’re not quite ready to pat ourselves on the back.