|
There are finally some affordable SLI-capable X58 motherboards, which seemed like a good reason to switch from running one Geforce GTX 260 videocard to a pair of them in SLI mode. Crucial also has DDR3 memory for dirt-cheap, pick it up while it's hot! PCSTATS ShoppingList is a guide to help you get good PC gear, because it's filled with suggestions we'd actually buy ourselves.
|
|
|
|
Home >
Reviews >
Business / Industry >
PCSTATS |
|
|
PCSTATS
April 2009 ShoppingList Assistance |
Picking the right components for a new computer system
or upgrade can be a daunting task. The PCSTATS
ShoppingList
is a guide to help you get good PC gear, because it's filled
with suggestions we'd actually buy ourselves. Below you'll find three ShoppingList's which you can use
as a general set of guidelines for what to get, or where to start looking.
PCSTATS covers the basic components needed to assemble a full PC system
and lists the average $USD price each part retails for. Use the ShoppingList as a
guide to build a better "white box" system, or follow our recommendations to the
letter - it's totally up to you.
The ShoppingList is updated on the 1st of each month so as prices
drop and new computer hardware is released it reflects the changes. However, just
because something newer and faster has come to market, it doesn't mean it's worth getting
right away! Be sure to read the "Notes" section for a brief explanation of
why some hardware made it onto the list, and why other gear didn't.
$449 Budget PC System
$999 Mainstream PC System
$2000 High-End Performance/Gaming System
The PCSTATS ShoppingList covers three different types of
desktop computers to reflect differing consumer budgets, and requirements. Each
system contains a full list of the most important hardware you'll need which is
widely available in stores, or online. If you've every wanted to ask "what
should I get", then the PCSTATS ShoppingList is your answer. Each list contains
recommended hardware that we would actually consider getting ourselves. When
we've reviewed the hardware in question, we'll also include a link so you can
get an in-depth perspective.
| PCSTATS
Shopping List Assistance | |
|
$500
Budget System Parts List |
April
2009 | |
|
Avg. Price* |
Description / Model No. |
 |
Review |
|
$59 |
Intel Celeron-D 430 Processor |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$44 |
Foxconn G31MV-K LGA775 Motherboard |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
- |
On Board Video |
|
|
$28 |
G.Skill 2GB DDR2 800MHZ Memory |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$69 |
Seagate 500GB 7200.12 Hard Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$20 |
Lite-on 20x DVD Rewriter |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$38 |
LinkWorld Black Midtower Case w/ 430W PSU |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$130 |
ASUS VH202T Black 20" Monitor |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
($112) |
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System OEM |
|
|
|
- |
Also Consider: Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem,
Speakers. |
|
|
|
$369 |
Estimated Overall Price |
|
|
| * All prices are
approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity. |
|
Notes: Even more price slashing madness! The Asus
VH202T is a 20" LCD monitor that can be had for a mere $130, and the
Foxconn G31MV-K can be expanded to hold up to 4GB of
memory. |
| PCSTATS
Shopping List Assistance | |
|
$999
Mainstream Parts List |
April
2009 | |
|
Avg. Price* |
Description / Model No. |
|
Review |
|
$153 |
AMD Phenom X3 710 2.6GHz Socket AM3 |
Get $ Price |
|
|
$87 |
ECS A780GM 780G Motherboard |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$45 |
Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$316 |
His Radeon 4890 1GB |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$69 |
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB Hard Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$22 |
LG GSA-H54N 18X Write DVD Optical Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$74.99 |
Sunbeam Freezing-Storm Black ATX Mid Tower Case 450W |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
|
|
|
$199 |
Acer X203HBD 24" LCD 1080p Monitor |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
($112) |
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System OEM |
|
|
|
- |
Also Consider: Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem,
Speakers. |
|
|
|
$967 |
Estimated Overall Price |
|
|
| * All prices are
approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity. |
|
Notes: We had to put in the latest and greatest AMD
videocard, the Radeon HD 4890, in our new mainstream system. Coupled with
the AMD Phenom X3 processor and this system should be able to handle
pretty much any game out there. |
| PCSTATS
Shopping List Assistance | |
|
$2000
High-End Performance Parts List |
April
2009 | |
|
Avg. Price* |
Description / Model No. |
|
Review |
|
$350 |
Intel Core i7 920 Quad-Core Socket LGA1366, 2.66Ghz Processor |
Get $ Price
| |
|
$238 |
Zotac X58SLI-A-E Motherboard |
Get $ Price
| - |
|
$99 |
Crucial 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 Memory |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$210 x 2 |
EVGA GTX 260 576MHZ 896MB Video Card |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
|
|
|
- |
|
$90 x 2 |
Western Digital Caviar 640GB SATA2 7200RPM Hard Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$34 |
Pioneer 216D 20X Optical Drive |
Get $ Price |
|
|
$90 |
Cooler Master ATCS 840 Full Tower Case |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
$85 |
Sunbeam PSU-HUSH680-US-BL 680W PSU |
Get $ Price |
|
|
$240 |
Acer X233H 23IN LCD Widescreen Monitor Black 1920X1080 40000:1 5MS VGA
DVI HDMI |
Get $ Price |
- |
|
($199) |
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Operating System OEM |
|
|
|
- |
Also Consider: Operating System, Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy
Drive, 56K Modem, Speakers. |
|
|
|
$1863 |
Estimated Overall Price |
|
|
| * All prices are
approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity. |
| Notes: There are finally
some affordable SLI-capable X58 motherboards, which seemed like a good
reason to switch from running one Geforce GTX 260 videocard to a pair of
them in SLI mode. Crucial also has DDR3 memory for dirt-cheap, pick it up
while it's hot! |
Operating systems, keyboard / mouse, floppy drives,
56K modem, 10/100 network cards, and speakers are not listed separately or
included in the overall target budget since they are very common requirements,
or may not be needed.
Contents of Article: PCSTATS
|
|
|
|
|
RSS Newsletter
