PC Buyer’s Guide - Intel Entry level for Gaming $500

Our entry level PC is designed for the gamer on a tight budget. This system will play most modern games on high settings with 2xAA/8xAF and some at up to 4xAA/16xAF.

Intel Entry-level Gaming PC
$500
GPU:	ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850	$99.99
CPU:	Intel Pentium E6300	$87.99
Motherboard:	Gigabyte GA-EP43-UD3L	$79.99
RAM:	G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2-800	$46.99
Hard Drive:	Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB	$49.99
Optical Drive:	Samsung 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA	$24.99
Case:	NZXT Beta Series CS-NT-BETA-B	$49.99
Power Supply:	hec Orion XPOWER585 585W	$34.99
CPU Cooler:	Masscool 8WA741	$22.99
	Grand Total:	$497.91
Prices Sourced from Newegg

We’re sticking with the Radeon 4850 for our Intel budget setup for all the reasons outlined on the previous page. Intel CPUs are a little pricier than AMD’s though, so we had to step down from a Core 2 Duo processor to Intel’s Pentium E6300 CPU.

The E6300 is based on Intel’s dual-core 45-nm Wolfdale core and runs at 2.8GHz with 2MB of L3 cache and 1066MHz FSB. Like all Core 2 processors, the chip OCs like mad, but as we observed in our recent Phenom II/Athlon II article, performance takes a hit in comparison to the Core 2 Duo E7000 series due to the small L2 cache.

While we linked to the fully boxed Intel processor with heatsink/fan, the stock cooler Intel provides is junk. Throw it away and replace it with a nice cooler like the unit we mentioned from Masscool. Your processor will thank you.

For the motherboard we opted for Gigabyte’s GA-EP43-UD3L. We actually debated between this board and ASUS’ P5QL, but opted for the Gigabyte board due to its larger North Bridge cooling and Ultra Durable 3 features. The ASUS board is priced identically with somewhat similar features, so this was a close decision. The power supply is a tough call. We decided to highlight a different PSU than the Cooler Master used in the AMD build, honestly we trust the Cooler Master brand more, but if you’re willing to try an unknown brand, the hec PSU would be an interesting choice. Based on the user reviews, it’s biggest issue seems to be units that arrive DOA. Here we should also mention that name brand companies like OCZ offer 600W and 700W PSUs that sell for $50 after mail-in rebate. Honestly this is the route we would go if it were our money, but we also needed to stick to our $500 budget as closely as possible and we aren’t factoring mail-in rebates as some users just don’t like them.

Alternatives

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Besides the aforementioned alternatives on the motherboard and power supply, if you’re willing to splurge the Core 2 Duo E7400 delivers better performance than the Pentium E6300, only it will set you back about $120.

PC Buyer’s Guide - AMD Entry level for Gaming $500

Our entry level PC is designed for the gamer on a tight budget. This system will play most modern games on high settings with 2xAA/8xAF and some at up to 4xAA/16xAF.

AMD Entry-level for Gaming PC
$500
GPU:	ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850	$99.99
CPU:	AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition	$99.99
Motherboard:	Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P	$79.99
RAM:	G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 Dual-Channel Kit	$64.99
Hard Drive:	Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB	$49.99
Optical Drive:	Samsung 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA	$24.99
Case:	NZXT Beta Series CS-NT-BETA-B	$49.99
Power Supply:	COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-460-PMSR-A3	$34.99
	Grand Total:	$504.92
Prices Sourced from Newegg

As always when spec’ing out our upgrade builds, we start with the GPU we want to go with followed closely by the CPU, and then build the rest of the system around those two core components until everything works within the intended budget.

Right from the get go we knew we wanted to opt for ATI’s Radeon 4850 GPU. Launched over a year ago, the Radeon 4850 is a tremendous performer that can handle most games at high quality settings, even with antialiasing and anisotropic filtering enabled. We prefer the Radeon 4850 over the GeForce GTS 250 at this time due to its lower price tag and better performance under 8xAA. Yes, in older games you can crank the AA all the way up to 8xMSAA and the 4850 still delivers very playable performance. This is particularly feasible at the 1600x1200 (or 1680x1050) resolution our entry level PC would be gaming at. We chose the ASUS card in particular because of its low price, dual DVIs, and dual-slot cooler. If you’re willing to deal with mail-in rebates, MSI’s R4850-2D512-OC would be our top choice. It’s factory OC’ed, and has beefier 4+1 phase power, along with MSI’s seaweed blade fan.

As an added bonus, it’s actually slightly cheaper than the ASUS card after rebate: $89.99.

The next component, AMD’s Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition was another no-brainer. As its name implies, the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is based on the exact same 45-nm Deneb core AMD uses in their latest Phenom II processors. The only difference is AMD activates two processing cores, leaving two cores disabled. Because it’s based on the same core as AMD’s other Phenom II parts, the same key architecture features carry over unchanged. The chip features 64KB of L1 cache per core for data and instructions (256KB L1 total) and 512KB of L2 cache per core for a grand total of 1MB of L2 cache active on the processor. The L3 cache carries over unchanged, with the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition sporting 6MB of L3 cache shared amongst the processors two cores.

AMD clocks the chip at 3.1GHz, with the chip featuring a 15.5x multiplier. Keep in mind that as a Black Edition CPU, the multiplier is unlocked and can be adjusted to whatever setting you wish when OC’ing.

For the motherboard, we chose the Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P. We reviewed this motherboard a few weeks ago and found it delivered solid performance with a robust BIOS and good feature set.

G.SKILL’s DDR3-1333 memory kit is the cheapest available on Newegg right now. G.SKILL also offers DDR3-1600 memory modules that are priced similarly, but we opted for the 1333MHz modules due to their lower latency.

NZXT’s Beta case is pretty popular among enthusiasts on a budget right now. The case boasts a perfect score on Newegg and has room for up to four 120mm case fans. It’s also offered with a $10 mail-in rebate right now, bringing the total price down to $39.99 if you don’t mind waiting for your rebate check to arrive.

To go alongside the Beta case, we chose a slightly less powerful PSU from Cooler Master due to its better power ratings on the 3.3V and 5V rails. Note that ATI officially recommends a minimum of a 450W PSU for the 4850, so we’re just getting by in this regard, but again, the 460W Cooler Master actually has better specs than comparably-priced 500W PSUs. We acknowledge that this is one of the key weaknesses of our system, so if you can afford to spend a little more on this component, we’d highly recommend it. A 600W PSU would be a good starting point.

Alternatives

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In terms of the CPU and GPU, we wouldn’t recommend any other alternatives at this price point. However, as we mentioned you could save a little money by opting for the MSI 4850 card if you’re willing to deal with rebates.

Another big area you could save a little money on is switching from the AM3 platform we used, and reverting down to AM2+. Gigabyte’ GA-MA770-UD3 is actually $5 cheaper than the GA-MA770T. You’d also be able to save on the DDR2 memory. G.SKILL offers 4GB DDR2-800 kits for as low as $46.99.

In exchange, you could then opt for a more powerful PSU or get a good CPU cooler.

We actually debated long and hard about making this AM2+ setup the primary $500 AMD build, but ultimately opted for the newer AM3 platform. As DDR3 prices continue to fall, the AM2+ platform will be phased out. We figured we may as well go ahead and get on the boat.

2009 PC Buyer’s Guide for Better Solution

Both AMD and Intel have introduced a slew of new processors, while the GPU wars between ATI and NVIDIA intensified with the introduction of the Radeon 4890 and NVIDIA's counter: the GeForce GTX 275 GPU.

In more recent weeks, ATI has also cut prices on their Radeon 4800 line of GPUs in an effort to take share away from NVIDIA. The move also helps them unload old inventory ahead of the introduction of the first DirectX 11 GPUs in the next 2-3 months. Unwilling to concede anything to the competition, NVIDIA countered ATI with price reductions of their own shortly thereafter. The tit-for-tat battle between both IHVs shows no signs of slowing even as we head into the summer doldrums.

As a result of these developments, the insanely low prices hardware enthusiasts have enjoyed as a result of the economic downturn have only gotten lower. Remember the days when gamers longed for the return of the $300 high-end graphics card? Today you can find Radeon HD 4890 and GeForce GTX 275 boards selling for less than $200 after mail-in rebate.

On the CPU side, prices on Intel’s Core 2 Duo E8600 have remained flat, but the introduction of the Core 2 Quad Q8400 and Core 2 Duo E7400 have made things interesting for the Intel enthusiast on a budget. And AMD’s Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is the best CPU on the market right now if you’ve only got $100 to spend on a new processor.

Things are going to get even more interesting when Intel rolls out their new Lynnfield processors, which will reportedly take place in early September.

Not everyone can wait for Lynnfield and the arrival of the first DirectX 11 GPUs however. Some of you have to make a decision before the middle of August, when it’s time to go back to campus for school. With this in mind, we’ve prepared a fresh new summer upgrade guide for you. This new guide also includes some of the feedback we received from Yoshi, and as a result, we’ll now be including AMD and Intel builds.

Before we get started though, a few quick pointers. As always when building a new computer, the first question you have to ask yourself (besides price) is what you intend to do with the computer. A gaming PC has very different needs than a home theater PC, or a PC that will primarily be used for surfing the web.

Since we’re a gaming-oriented site, our focus will obviously be on gaming PCs. Every gaming PC needs a good graphics card. It’s also important that you pair it with a competent CPU. You don’t want to blow too much of your budget on any one component; especially when it comes to components that won’t affect your frame rate or compromise the stability/reliability of the system. Therefore if you’re on a tight budget, you may have to skimp a little on parts like the case, or settle for a smaller hard drive capacity.

An even better solution would be to recycle as many parts as you can from your current system so that you can splurge on better components for your upgrade: if forgoing a new case gives you the money to step up to a Radeon 4890 or GeForce GTX 275, by all means do it.

As always with these upgrade guides, our prices are coming from Newegg, which is one of the most popular etailers online among enthusiasts right now. To keep things simple, we’re also going to be taking prices before mail-in rebate.