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The price on the Radeon HD 4850 has dropped again, so we've decide to keep it in the budget system. If you're not into gaming, drop the videocard and enjoy a new Athlon II computer system for $460... PCSTATS ShoppingList is a guide to help you get good PC gear, because it's filled with suggestions we'd actually buy ourselves.
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September 2009
PC Hardware Shopping Guide - Recommended Gear Lists |
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.
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UPDATE: This will likely be the LAST edition of the PCSTATS ShoppingList. Sometimes ideas like an impartial list of suggested hardware at three different price points works, sometimes it doesn't. Unfortunately the ShoppingList hasn't reached an audience big enough to sustain itself, so PCSTATS will be refocusing its resources onto new areas.
You can leave your feedback here about this change, if you wish
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| PCSTATS
Shopping List Assistance | |
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$500
Budget System Parts List |
September
2009 | |
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Avg. Price* |
Description / Model No. |
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Review |
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$85 |
AMD Athlon II X2 245 Dual Core Processor |
Get $ Price |
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$94 |
MSI 785GN-E65 Motherboard |
Get $ Price |
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$104 |
MSI Radeon HD 4850 512MB Video Card |
Get $ Price |
Click |
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$35 |
Buffalo Select DDR3 1333MHz 2GB Memory |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$60 |
Seagate 500GB 7200.12 Hard Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$20 |
Lite-on 20x DVD Rewriter |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$38 |
LinkWorld Black Midtower Case w/ 430W PSU |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$129 |
ASUS VH196T Black 19" Widescreen LCD monitor |
Get $ Price |
- |
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($112) |
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System OEM |
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- |
Also Consider: Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem,
Speakers. |
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$566 |
Estimated Overall Price |
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| * All prices are
approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity. |
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Notes: The price on the Radeon HD 4850 has dropped
again, so we've decide to keep it in the budget system. If you're not into
gaming, drop the videocard and enjoy a new Athlon II computer system for
$460. |
| PCSTATS
Shopping List Assistance | |
|
$999
Mainstream Parts List |
September
2009 | |
|
Avg. Price* |
Description / Model No. |
|
Review |
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$169 |
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor |
Get $ Price |
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$93 |
Gigabyte EP45 UD3L Motherboard |
Get $ Price |
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$65 |
Corsair XMS2 4GB DDR2 800MHz memory |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$185 |
MSI Radeon HD 4890 1GB Videocard |
Get $ Price |
Click |
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$92 |
Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$22 |
LG GSA-H54N 18X Write DVD Optical Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$100 |
Raidmax SMILODON black case with 500W PSU |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$270 |
Samsung 245B 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor |
Get $ Price |
- |
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($112) |
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System OEM |
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- |
Also Consider: Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem,
Speakers. |
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$996 |
Estimated Overall Price |
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| * All prices are
approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity. |
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Notes: The prices on mid-range components have dropped
so quickly that we've been able to fit our mainstream system with a 24"
monitor capable of 1920x1200 resolution! The Radeon HD 4890 videocard
that's also included in this build is designed for
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| PCSTATS
Shopping List Assistance | |
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$2000
High-End Performance Parts List |
September
2009 | |
|
Avg. Price* |
Description / Model No. |
|
Review |
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$310 |
Core i7 920 2.66GhHz Processor |
Get $ Price |
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$210 |
Gigabyte EX58-UD3R Motherboard |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$100 |
Patriot Extreme Viper 6GB DDR3-1600 memory |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$400 |
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 X2 |
Get $ Price |
Click |
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$91 x 2 |
Western Digital Caviar 1TB SATA2 7200RPM Hard Drive |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$180 |
LITE-ON Black 4x Blu-Ray Rewriter |
Get $ Price |
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$240 |
Lian Li PC A71F Black Aluminum Case |
Get $ Price |
- |
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$85 |
Sunbeam PSU-HUSH680-US-BL 680W PSU |
Get $ Price |
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$360 |
Asus VK266H 25.5" 2ms HDMI LCD monitor |
Get $ Price |
- |
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($199) |
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Operating System OEM |
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- |
Also Consider: Operating System, Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy
Drive, 56K Modem, Speakers. |
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$2067 |
Estimated Overall Price |
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| * All prices are
approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity. |
| Notes:
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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
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