Captain of the Universe
Legend
Finally got around to re-creating the PC Buying guides, and decided to only go with 2 builds this time.
The first is a Budget Gamer build. It is the most cost-effective build which is still able to play even the most demanding games out there at high settings.
The second is the Enthusiast Build, which is basically an extreme gaming PC with the best "bang-for-buck" components. I could not in good conscience recommend anything higher than this, because there honestly is no point. I will however be providing alternatives to further increase performance.
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Budget Gamer Build
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808 - $120
ASRock M3A770DE Newegg.com - ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - $60
Crucial Ballistix sport 4GB DDR3 1333 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148418 - $30
XFX HD 6870 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561 - $170
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027 - $60
SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151233 - $17
Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701 - $45
NZXT GAMMA Classic Series http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061 - $36
Total Cost = $538 with $30 worth of mail-in rebates.
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Enthusiast Build
Coolermaster HAF http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233 - $60
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185 - $60
XFX 2GB 6950 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150549 - $280
Corsair 750W modulated http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139030 - $130
Mushkin Blackline 8GB 1600MHz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226184 - $55
EVGA P67 SLI Micro http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188081 - $150
Intel i5 2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 - $220
OCZ Agility 3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227725 - $110
Corsair H60 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015 - $75
Total cost = $1,140 with $110 worth of mail-in rebates.
The first is a Budget Gamer build. It is the most cost-effective build which is still able to play even the most demanding games out there at high settings.
The second is the Enthusiast Build, which is basically an extreme gaming PC with the best "bang-for-buck" components. I could not in good conscience recommend anything higher than this, because there honestly is no point. I will however be providing alternatives to further increase performance.
---
Budget Gamer Build
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808 - $120
ASRock M3A770DE Newegg.com - ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - $60
Crucial Ballistix sport 4GB DDR3 1333 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148418 - $30
XFX HD 6870 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561 - $170
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027 - $60
SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151233 - $17
Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701 - $45
NZXT GAMMA Classic Series http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061 - $36
Total Cost = $538 with $30 worth of mail-in rebates.
---
Enthusiast Build
Coolermaster HAF http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233 - $60
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185 - $60
XFX 2GB 6950 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150549 - $280
Corsair 750W modulated http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139030 - $130
Mushkin Blackline 8GB 1600MHz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226184 - $55
EVGA P67 SLI Micro http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188081 - $150
Intel i5 2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 - $220
OCZ Agility 3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227725 - $110
Corsair H60 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181015 - $75
Total cost = $1,140 with $110 worth of mail-in rebates.
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