System Builder Marathon, Sept. 2011: $500 Gaming PC
Case, Power Supply, And Optical Drive
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic Series GAMA-001BK
Appealing features on the NZXT Gamma include its black interior, bottom-mounted power supply, and abundant cooling potential.
Unfortunately, only a single 120 mm exhaust fan is included. But the chassis is fitted with ventilation and mounting holes for up to five additional coolers. For more information and artwork, see this gaming enclosure comparison by Thomas Soderstom.
Read Customer Reviews of NZXT's Gamma Classic Series GAMA-001BK
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts EA-430D Green
Read Customer Reviews of Antec's EarthWatts EA-430D Green
We’ve often relied on Antec’s quiet and efficient EA-380D Green to deliver power in our budget gaming system builds. This month, we were able to grab the 430 W version for just $45.
While a single six-pin PCIe power lead means we’ll need to utilize one of the graphics card’s bundled power adapters, a 32 A combined +12 V rating is far higher than you’ll find on most entry-level 500 W units.
Optical Drive: Samsung 22x DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222AB
Read Customer Reviews of Samsung's SH-222AB SATA DVD Burner
At this budget, we look to spend as little as possible on a reliable SATA DVD burner. Thus, we're picking this well-reviewed 22x Samsung unit to fill the system’s optical needs.
Current page: Case, Power Supply, And Optical Drive
Prev Page Graphics Card And Hard Drive Next Page AssemblyStay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
-
alchemy69 Time to bring on the usual motley crew of fanboys and everyone who just knows that they could do better.Reply -
Outlander_04 The i3 2100 is a remarkable cpu , but it just cant beat 4 physical cores and a bit of overclocking .Reply -
slicedtoad very nice article, i was wondering how the 955 oced would do against the i3.Reply
While there are many unthinkable things in this build, the low price of $500 is also unthinkable. That's less than an ipad.... -
zooted This is my favorite build this sbm. I just love the fact that you can have a true 1080p gaming experience for $500 bucks.Reply -
bobfrys This is a tad bit better then the one I built off of the earlier build i used from toms. (Built it soon after school ended).Reply -
lunyone This is probably the ONLY $500 build (except for the very 1st one) that I've agreed on mostly (not liking the case too much, but it works in this budget).Reply
The last $500 build just was crap generally (micro-ATX and not many options on the mobo, IMHO).
This budget gaming rig is really close to what I'd build for a friend/family member that wanted to have a gaming rig. I'd change a few things, of coarse, but the overall direction (and selection of parts) is SPOT ON, IMHO!! Good job guys at TH!!!