The P5B has proven to be a capable overclocker since its inception. Notice we've chosen the no-frills P5B versus its tricked out cousins like the P5B Deluxe, but the overclocking functionality should still be there. At $115, its price is a bit high to be considered a true "budget" board, but when you're overclocking you can't scrimp on everything. Sometimes you just have to pay the piper.
RAM: Wintec Ampo PC2-6400
This RAM made a spectacular showing in the price/performance category in our budget memory roundup, and the price only gets better: two 1 GB sticks of the stuff can now be had on Newegg for $81! This RAM performed like a champ in our testing, and worked with tighter timings than advertised.
Graphics: GeForce 8800 GTX
Hardly a "budget" part, the $500 8800 GTX is easily the most expensive component in our build. Frankly though, we're pitting this machine against high-end boxes with TWO 8800s in SLI. To make a decent showing against these monsters in the gaming arena, we can't afford to go less than an 8800 GTX, and then overclock it a bit to boot.
For a more appropriate fit from a budget perspective, an 8800 GTS 320 would have been more suitable at $280 or so, which would have brought the cost of this build under $1,000.
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Don Woligroski was a former senior hardware editor for Tom's Hardware. He has covered a wide range of PC hardware topics, including CPUs, GPUs, system building, and emerging technologies.
