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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mfenn - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
I would like to point out that, while I am a fan of quiet GPUs, I think you were referring to separate GPUs on page 5.Check out:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discreet">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discreet
vs.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discrete">http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discrete
SeanHollister - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
You're absolutely right, and in this particular context, "discreet" is quite inaccurate, as both the discrete GPUs I'm referring to have a fan while the onboard IGPs are cooled by passive means.Thanks, and I'll see if we can take care of the typo in a future revision.
JarredWalton - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Fixed. I guess I only saw one of the three uses on that page. :-|Mr Perfect - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Just thought I would throw this out there, but have you looked at a system as only the tower itself? Personally, I know a lot of people who don't start from scratch like that. They reuse the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers. Sometimes even the case and PSU if they bought good ones. Doing that will put your $1000 upgrade into i7-860 with a 5850 territory.SeanHollister - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Personally, that's how I build all my home PCs (I don't even know how old my plain old vanilla CD drive is at this point) and we actually did consider something similar for this guide, but decided to go the traditional route in case buyers wanted recommendations for all the items in a complete setup.But since we also provide complete price breakdowns, those who want to can optionally pick and choose individual components from the list at their leisure.
hombre - Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - link
I did exactly that. I already have keyboard, mouse, and monitor, so I skipped those.I will probably upgrade to a new monitor in a few months in order to take advantage of a DVI connection rather than VGA. I'm a bit limited in how large (wide) a monitor I can use with my computer desk though, so I shall have to choose one that fits. (Or maybe it's time to upgrade my furniture too.)
rivethead - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
As an alternative to the ASRock motherboard on the entry level list I'll suggest the MSI 785GM-E65. It's another mATX board that's a bit more expensive than the ASRock but packed with features.rivethead - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
On the totals of each entry it says "less applicable taxes". I believe it should say "plus applicable taxes".Taxes. The only certainty in life, other than death!
JarredWalton - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
It's a phrase meaning "this price doesn't include taxes", where "plus applicable taxes" might suggest to some that taxes are part of the price. We could say "not including sales tax" to make it clearer, I suppose, but I just went with Sean's phrase since I've seen it used that way before.rochlin - Friday, February 12, 2010 - link
Useful article but missing some stuff:Benchmarks: Why not benchmark these machines against each other?
How much more oomph do you really get? AMD vs Intel? Put your recommendations side by side.
Also, you need to "benchmark" your own skills. Compare your home built machine to a comparable Dell - with whatever their current sale is. The Dell i3 machine comes out much cheaper than yours (albeit sans extra vid card - but still it's like 750 w mon vs $950 for yours. That's something your readers ought to know.
Building a machine is NOT usually the cheap route anymore.