Buyer's Guide - Entry Level, January 2005

System Summaries

We end up with a total of four system configurations, not counting the SFF case options. As we mentioned earlier, we have stuck with integrated graphics on the "true" budget platforms, while we opt for more powerful discrete graphics as a performance upgrade. Think of the "Performance" listings as something in between the budget and mid-range platforms. They're still cheaper than what we typically suggest for the mid-range, but they're quite a bit more than the $500 budget target.

Of course, we overshot the $500 budget with even the "cheap" platforms by $100 or so. If you really want to cut costs further, dropping the RAM to 256 MB and going with a CD-RW or DVD-ROM would get your pretty close to the $500 mark. In contrast to earlier Budget Guides, note that we included a floppy, keyboard, and mouse into the final total. If you can make do with your current monitor - assuming you have one - that would also lower the price quite a bit. We could make other excuses, but the simple answer is that prices have been pretty much stagnant in the budget sector, we've increased some areas of performance, and we would rather spend a little more than get less out of the system.

AMD Budget Summary

Budget AMD Socket A System
Hardware	Recommended Component	Price
Processor	AMD Sempron 2400+ 256K 1.67 GHz 333 MHz bus	$63
Motherboard	MSI K7N2GM2-LSR Nforce2 IGP	$72
Memory	2x256 MB Corsair Value Select CL3	$68
Video Card	NVIDIA GeForce4 MX440 (Nforce2 IGP)	$0
Hard Drive	Seagate 80 GB 7200 RPM 8MB SATA	$69
Optical Drive	NEC DVD+/-RW Drive Model 3500A/3520A	$65
Floppy Drive	NEC/TEAC/Sony/Samsung/etc.	$8
Case and Power Supply	RaidMax Elite ATX-208BP with 380W PSU	$46
Display	Samsung 793DF/793MB 17" CRT	$145
Speakers	Creative Labs SBS270 2.0	$27
Keyboard and Mouse	Logitech Internet Pro Keyboard and Mouse	$25
Bottom Line		$588

AMD Performance Summary

Performance AMD Socket 754 System
Hardware	Recommended Component	Price
Processor	AMD Athlon 64 2800+ 1.8 GHz	$127
Motherboard	Chaintech VNF-250 Nforce3 250	$73
Memory	1x512MB Mushkin Basic 2.5-4-4	$70
Video Card	Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB DDR 128-bit 400/600 MHz	$105
Hard Drive	Samsung 160 GB 7200 RPM 8MB SATA	$92
Optical Drive	NEC DVD+/-RW Drive Model 3500A/3520A	$65
Floppy Drive	NEC/TEAC/Sony/Samsung/etc.	$8
Case and Power Supply	Antec SLK1650B with 350W PSU	$76
Display	Samsung 997DF 19" CRT	$215
Speakers	Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers	$61
Keyboard and Mouse	Microsoft Basic Keyboard and Optical Mouse	$30
Bottom Line		$922

Intel Budget Summary

Budget Intel Socket 478 System
Hardware	Recommended Component	Price
Processor	Celeron D 320 2.4 GHz 256K L2 Cache (478)	$72
Motherboard	Intel D865GBF i865G	$86
Memory	2x256 MB Corsair Value Select CL3	$68
Video Card	Intel Extreme Graphics 2 (i865G)	$0
Hard Drive	Seagate 80 GB 7200 RPM 8MB SATA	$69
Optical Drive	NEC DVD+/-RW Drive Model 3500A/3520A	$65
Floppy Drive	NEC/TEAC/Sony/Samsung/etc.	$8
Case and Power Supply	RaidMax Elite ATX-208BP with 380W PSU	$46
Display	Samsung 793DF/793MB 17" CRT	$145
Speakers	Creative Labs SBS270 2.0	$27
Keyboard and Mouse	Logitech Internet Pro Keyboard and Mouse	$25
Bottom Line		$611

Intel Performance Summary

Performance Intel Socket 775 System
Hardware	Recommended Component	Price
Processor	Intel Pentium 4 520 2.8 GHz 1024K L2 Cache	$158
Motherboard	Chaintech V915P i915P	$96
Memory	2x256 MB Corsair Value Select CL3	$68
Video Card	Albatron GeForce 6600 128 MB DDR 128-bit 300/550	$122
Hard Drive	Samsung 160 GB 7200 RPM 8MB SATA	$92
Optical Drive	NEC DVD+/-RW Drive Model 3500A/3520A	$65
Floppy Drive	NEC/TEAC/Sony/Samsung/etc.	$8
Case and Power Supply	Antec SLK1650B with 350W PSU	$76
Display	Samsung 997DF 19" CRT	$215
Speakers	Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers	$61
Keyboard and Mouse	Microsoft Basic Keyboard and Optical Mouse	$30
Bottom Line		$991

You'll still need an Operating System as well, unless you plan on running some free OS such as one of the many flavors of Linux. XP Home runs about $90 for an OEM version, which you can pick up from most online sites if you buy qualifying hardware, while XP Professional will run about $135. The Professional version includes a few networking and security extras that we like to have, but most people will be fine with Home. Running an older version of Windows is also possible, but we don't recommend it due to outdated drivers and other usability enhancements that are only available with XP. There's no point in buying new hardware and then using an old OS, especially considering that XP itself is now over three years old.

Conclusion

That takes care of our current recommendations for the budget sector. For the performance enthusiast, sifting through the many potential parts and coming up with a reliable selection is difficult to do. There's always a part that's just a little bit more expensive, but also a little bit faster, and while sufficient for everyday computing, most of us would prefer some upgrades. Pre-built systems do offer a viable alternative, but most of the best bargains also have built-in obsolescence due to their lack of AGP/PCIe expansion slots. CPU upgrades are also more difficult (i.e. they may not be supported due to an outdated BIOS), and driver support tends to lag far behind what an off-the-shelf system will get you. Trade offs are made in every facet of a system, so in the end, a lower price is always achieved by cutting some corners. As always, let us know what you think in the comments section.