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Build Or Buy? Five Sub-$500 Store-Bought Systems Compared

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Have you ever claimed you could build a faster machine than top-tier vendors, but needed proof? We dig into five off-the-shelf sub-$500 configurations to figure out what they can and cannot do. The results probably won't surprise Tom's Hardware regulars.

Benchmark Setup

Graphics Drivers
Intel15.17.16.64.2302
AMDCatalyst 11.4
NvidianForce 15.49
Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
Crysis 2Test Set: High Quality, Fraps, DirectX 9 Rendering, A Walk In The Park
Just Cause 2Steam Version, Built-in Benchmark "Concrete Jungle" Test Set: Custom High Details, No AA, 8x AF
World of Warcraft: CataclysmFair Quality Settings, No AA, From Crushblow to The Krazzworks, Fraps, DirectX 9 Rendering
Audio/Video Encoding
BlenderVersion: 2.54 beta Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, Resolution: 1920x1080 Anti-Aliasing: 8x, Render: THG.blend frame 1
Handbrake 0.9.4Version 0.9.4 Convert first .vob file from The Last Samurai (1 GB) to .mp4, High Profile
LameVersion 3.98.3 Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min. Convert WAV to MP3 audio format Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kbps)
Productivity
WinRAR 4.00 x64Version x64 4.00, Benchmark: THG-Workload (334 MB)
Adobe Photoshop CS5CS5 Extended (64-bit) Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates filters
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMark VantageVersion: 1.1.0, Performance
PCMark VantageVersion: 1.0.1.0 x64
120 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jeff77789 03 June 2011 11:12
    the first paragraph got me........
    Reply
  • jeff77789 03 June 2011 11:27
    Also, on another note, the money that you have to pay just to get an operating system like Windows simply takes too much out of your budget if you are going for $500 as your max. i wouldn't suggest building unless your budget is >$550
    Reply
  • JohnnyLucky 03 June 2011 11:49
    Grandma's idea of gaming is a few rounds of Solitaire. The pre-builts will do for her.
    Reply
  • cknobman 03 June 2011 11:53
    hmmm what is up with the crappy big vendor choices only? If you ordered these online why not go with a "boutique" vendor.

    I just configured an iBuyPower rig for $489. It has Athlon X2 250, 4gb Ram, 500GB HDD, 500w Power Supply, Liquid cooling, Radeon 6570. For $24 more bucks I could get a 6670.

    I know its not a killer machine but it puts these big box vendors to shame.
    Reply
  • sinfulpotato 03 June 2011 11:54
    On a real budget I wouldn't get a 6850. Even more so if you are staying below 500 clams. There are power house GPUs that can be had for less then 100 dollars. My 4850 still runs strong and as shown by Tom's very own review a Athlon x4 will compete with the Phenom x4.

    Also if you already have windows OEM you can get it reactivated on a new PC if you get the right Microsoft rep, also lie about motherboard dieing and not replaceable... Some will choke up a code.
    Reply
  • lordravage 03 June 2011 11:55
    I have a real problem with this article. It isn't comparing a $500 prebuilt system to a $500 home build at all. It compares 5 computers from Best Buy that range from $299 to $409, versus a $500 machine that lacks an OS, mouse and keyboard. Factor everything in and the home build costs almost TWICE as much as the cheapest competitor.

    I know you mentioned the discrepancies in the article, but if you aren't going to try a little harder to make a good comparison you shouldn't even make the article. Shop around online at better retailers than Best Buy, find the very best systems you can that cost about $550, THEN compare those to your own system.

    I still expect the prebuilt systems to fall behind, but the article we have here isn't even a real comparison.
    Reply
  • deadcold94 03 June 2011 12:06
    constructive criticism but on i think its page 5 your adobe photoshop graph has a 1 instead of an 11. thanks for fixing it; when and if your do.

    sincerely,

    Mackenzie
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN 03 June 2011 12:06
    If you're a serious FPS gamer, don't waste your money on a pre-build. Do the research and have a computer built for you or build it yourself. You'll spend the same price most likely and come out with a much better machine. The difference is the cost of the name brand.
    Reply
  • vaughn2k 03 June 2011 12:16
    I can build a better system for U$450.00
    Reply
  • cmcghee358 03 June 2011 12:18
    Why wasn't the $500 Homebuilt PC placed on the chart to show comparison?

    All you did was compared the systems performance and then list the Custom-built specs at the end without any benchmark comparison.

    I was going to use this article for ALL of my friends to understand why they should build their own. But, since you guys compared the rainbow of feces available at Best Buy without showing the splendor that is home build, it's useless.

    Come on...
    Reply