System Builder Marathon: Sub-$1000 PC
Table of contents
- 1. Cheap and Easy
- 2. Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E7200
- 3. Motherboard: MSI P7N SLI Platinum
- 4. Graphics: Two Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT
- 5. Memory: Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 (2 GB)
- 6. Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500 GB
- 7. Case: Cooler Master Centurion 590
- 8. The Problem of Bottom-Mounted Power
With so many of today’s high-value parts being directly derived from high-priced siblings, finding great components within our $1,000 budget was easier than ever before. Today’s component list even gives us some hope of taking a run for the performance level of the upper-mainstream system we tested yesterday, at least when we finally get to tomorrow’s overclocking competition. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at that component list.
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 | 130 |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler Master HyperTX 2 | 26 |
| Motherboard | MSI P7N SLI Platinum | 150 |
| RAM | Crucial Ballistix 2x 1GB PC2-6400 Kit | 55 |
| Graphics | 2x Gigabyte 8800 GT GV-NX88T512HPV1 (SLI) | 376 |
| Hard Drive | Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB ST3500630AS | 80 |
| Sound | Onboard 8-Channel HD Audio Codec | 00 |
| Case | Cooler Master Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP | 70 |
| Power | Silverstone ST400 400W | 47 |
| DVD-RW | Sony NEC Optiarc 7170 Serial ATA | 25 |
| Auxiliary Fan | 2x OKGEAR D12SL-12 (120mm/1350RPM) | 9 |
| Total Price | $968 |
If you’re not as impressed as us about these component prices, consider the fact that these are the up-front costs. Buyers of the same configuration can expect around $100 to come back to them in the form of rebates, which we’ll define later.
Just to put an emphasis on how radically improved the current $1000 system market is compared to the one we built just three months ago, here’s what similar dollars could buy back in March.
| CPU | AMD Quad Core Phenom 9500 | 200 |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler master HyperTX 2 | 26 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H | 90 |
| RAM | Wintec Ampo DDR2 PC2-6400 - 2 GB | 39 |
| Graphics | HIS Radeon 3870 ICEQ Turbo | 180 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital Caviar 500 GB | 80 |
| Sound | Integrated high Definition Audio | 0 |
| Case | NZXT Apollo | 70 |
| Power | NZXT PP600W | 75 |
| DVD-RW | Sony Optiarc DVD-RW | 25 |
| Total Price | $785 |
The current price listed above represents a savings of nearly $200 from when we built the system in March, but even after the savings we expect the performance levels to be incomparable in many regards. Today’s real questions then regard the level of improvement for our current $1000 build, and what its weaknesses are compared to the earlier quad-core effort.
Latest Build Your Own News
Latest Build Your Own reviews
- 30/03 – System Builder Marathon Bonus: Newegg Customer Choice PC
- 29/03 – System Builder Marathon, March 2012: System Value Compared
- 28/03 – System Builder Marathon, March 2012: $2600 Performance PC
- 27/03 – System Builder Marathon, March 2012: $1250 Enthusiast PC
- 26/03 – System Builder Marathon, March 2012: $650 Gaming PC
You started by asking if the new $1000 PC you built could compete with the big boys, and ended by comparing it to a previously built $750 machine. You paid 33% more for 14% increase in performance, and never did compare to bigger machines.
Wandering: Remember the price listed takes the depreciation into account, and even then the difference is $183, NOT $250. And seeing as the whole point is the OCing I think we'll see the different priced systems compared in full next week once they're fully stressed
But on that subject, I'm wondering how well this system WILL OC... Not a perfect setup, you blew a LOT on the graphics, fine but this is putting direct pressure on a component you seem to have underbudgeted in turn - PSU. Even a made-of-win Silverstone will have a fun time trying to run a loaded system of above spec (SLId 8800!!) on just 400W at stock clocks, and I fear there might be an explosive temper-tantrum in store when you try to run it with everything OCd to boot!
Solitaire, Thanks for the info on the coming week. Maybe I'll learn something then. Haven't so far.
As to the numbers, I wasn't making precise computations but making a point. That point stands whether you add 2% for inflation or use $183 rather than the heavily rounded $250. Either way you pay more to get more. Either way the systems are not comparably priced.
Have a good day.
Can anyone tell me performance and price difference from upgraded my G4/733 for about $400.00 worth of CPU VS. your March/June/July/Aug 2008 SBM $1,000 PC Component Cost running OSX. Other then the $600 bucks?