System Buyers' Guide: PCs for Under $1000
by Sean Hollister on February 12, 2010 2:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Final Words
Many people have preferences as to who makes a better product: AMD or Intel. There's a good amount of competition between the two, and while it's pretty easy to say that Intel has the fastest current CPUs, such processors cost too much for entry-level and mainstream system. There are pros and cons to any PC build, but realistically we have to give the win for the best overall entry-level builds to AMD right now. There's simply no beating the bang for the buck offered by the tri-core processors, at least not with an equivalently priced Intel CPU. Once we move into the mainstream category, the tables turn and we give the overall advantage to Intel, although the AMD setup remains viable. Of course, we've only touched lightly on some other aspects such as overclocking, so your interest in such endeavors may sway your vote one way or the other.
Astute readers of websites like AnandTech have long known that by building your own PC, you'll wind up with a system that's more powerful—and cost-effective—than any pre-built box a retailer could offer. The question has never been "if," but "when." When is the right time to invest in today's components, when tomorrow's will undoubtedly be better?
To be quite honest, when we began this guide we were inclined to think that our readers would indeed be better off waiting for tomorrow. In the months ahead, AMD will launch a brand-new series of CPUs, Intel will undoubtedly introduce new LGA-1156 processors, and NVIDIA will finally unveil their Fermi desktop graphics solutions, each of which might reduce the price on existing components. As the DDR3 memory supply increases to meet demand and memory manufacturers successfully make the transition to the cheaper 30nm process, memory prices will fall once more. But then, we realized, these are not the thoughts of a true PC buyer with a tight budget.
For the true budget buyer, the right time to buy a new PC is when their old machine no longer performs tasks to their satisfaction. These days, more often than not that happens when your old system goes to the great junk heap in the sky. Whatever the cause, for the true budget buyer, the right time to buy is always right now. We hope to provide the best information we can in regards to purchasing parts that will maintain their utility and provide fantastic value for money even as the tides of time bring "newer" and ostensibly "better" with each passing day. We've started with the budget sector once again, with upgraded options pushing into the mainstream price range. We'll be posting updated recommendations for more expensive builds as well in the coming weeks and months, and we'll do our best to update these guides regularly.
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poohbear - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Thank you for putting this article up, i was waiting for one of your system builder guides as a rough reference as they're usually on the money, this article was no exception.:) Alot of solid info there, will definitely use it as a reference for the next couple of months when people ask for advice (all my friends and family want a budget PC, i only know enthusiast parts! lol)juampavalverde - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Congrats for the first article Sean, it feels very "anandtech" like.papapapapapapapababy - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
all over the place. who makes this lame shopping list? example... the LGA 775 motherboard is a terrible choice, TERRIBLE for like 2 bucks you have this one > GA-EP43T-USB3 LGA 775 the difference ? nah not much, just that onboard NEC uPD720200 host controller ( that means USB3 support ) The funny thing, im just a guy from Argentina (cant even buy the dam board) even then i know how to build a better pc than the experts over here. great job Anad...piasabird - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
If you are going to look at an i3 530 why not also look at the E7500 and see which processor does best for the money.It seems like they would be fairly compatible at about the same price. Why go to a new somewhat experimental H55 motherboard if there is not enough of an improvement?
johnsonx - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
While it's true that MOST power supplies that come with cases are nearly worthless, there are some exceptions. Many Antec and some Coolermaster cases come with perfectly nice power supplies. The Antec NSK4480 comes with an EarthWatts 380 for only $70 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...There are other examples as well.
johnsonx - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
oops, the closing paren got included with the URL above, here it is again:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
JarredWalton - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
When we were putting the guide together, I actually looked at that exact system. You'll notice the regular price is listed at $100? That's what it was two days ago, which is why I didn't bother Sean with the change. I figure for the $20 extra, a 500W PSU was a better choice. For $80 (plus shipping), it's a much more attractive option, provided you don't want to upgrade to a high-end GPU down the road.The 380W is good for something like a 5770 with an i3/i5 CPU or Phenom II X4 level CPU, but if you overclock the CPU you're going to be pushing it very hard. Add in something in the 5850 class and you'd likely peak at close to 100% power draw, if not slightly more. On the other hand, if you just want to run at stock with IGP, such a setup is a great idea. (I wish more cases shipped with 80 Plus certified PSUs... a year ago, I recall a few cases like that falling into the $65-$75 shipped range.)
Bugler - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
I really enjoy reading these guides and the thought process that goes into your builds. My last build was 2004, which I am still using; however, I want to upgrade, the board, ram, cpu. etc.At the time I built back then, I tried to use some of the best components to make it easier to upgrade in the future. I am just not certain which parts I can retain with my rebuild.
I have a large Cooler Master Stacker full tower case, a OCZ Power Stream 520w power supply, a 7.1 channel Sound blaster Audigy2 zs gamer PCI sound card, and an eVGA nvidia geforce 6800 GT 256mb GDDR graphic card that I am hoping to reuse. Do you guys see any problems with me using these components in your mid level build package option?
I admit, I have not stayed up on the knowledge aspect of components specs the past few years. My video card is bus APG 4x/8x but does output to DVI.
Also, my CPU heatsink is the Theralright XP-90 which has been sitting on my 939 socket AMD for the fast five years. Is that something I can reuse in this build?
Thank you in advance guys.
FlyTexas - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Keep the case and power supply, maybe the Sound Blaster card and DVD drive if you really want, dump everything else.Why? First, AGP is long gone, PCI-Express is now how video cards are installed. Built in graphics won't be as good as your former video card, but they'll be close. For $100, the ATI 4850 will run rings around your old card.
Second, modern hard drives are a lot faster than they were in 2004, don't hobble a new system with a 5 year old drive.
You can probably reuse your old heatsink and fan if you go AMD, but do you really want to? The fan is 5 years old, it wasn't designed or certified for modern CPUs.
Bugler - Saturday, February 13, 2010 - link
Thank you.