System Builder Marathon, August 2012: $500 Gaming PC

Case, Power Supply, And Optical Drive

Case: Rosewill R218-P-BK ATX Mid Tower

Desirable ATX mid-tower cases have started at $40 for the past two quarters. And, rather than dip into the money we'd rather use to bolster performance, we instead chose to snag a more attractively-priced microATX option. This quarter, however, we found the spacious R218-P-BK, which is capable of housing 12” expansion cards, in stock for $30.

The location of front-mounted USB 2.0 ports and audio jacks leaves the full-height drive cage with one external 3.5”, four internal 3.5”, and four 5.25” bays available. Rosewill populates the 120 mm rear exhaust fan spot with a cooler and provides room for an optional 120 mm intake up front.

Read Customer Reviews of Rosewill's R218-P-BK Case

Power Supply: Antec VP-450 450 W

Since MSI's GeForce GTX 560 includes a 12 V power adapter, we knew we could again count on Antec’s affordable VP-450 to power our system. The combined +12 V rating of 30 A is plenty for our needs, while a quiet 120 mm fan, protection circuitry, and Antec’s two-year warranty add peace of mind.

Read Customer Reviews of Antec's VP-450 Power Supply

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE 22x DVD Burner

Given our budget, we're always looking to spend as little as possible on a reliable SATA-equipped DVD burner. Grabbing the Samsung SH-222BB for just $14 was a quick and easy purchasing decision.

Read Customer Reviews of Samsung's SH-222BB/BEBE DVD Burner