Building a PC can be a challenge if your not sure what to get for the games you plan to play or the application software you plan to use. There are several ways at approaching building your power house PC, you can work within a budget and stay within your limits or you can build according to the preferred system configuration the manufacturer of the games or software you use suggest. Otherwise if you want to make sure you can run anything and everything just build an Enthusiast PC. Below PCWizKid has setup by category from Mainstream to Extreme Gaming Rig configurations some recommendations for you to chose from and decide from there.To makes things easy for you, PCWizKid has put together 3 main configurations to meet each budget and category and given it a approximate price for each. If money is not an issue then check out PCWizkid's Extreme Dream Machine at the bottom of the page.
Remember the pricing for each configuration is approximate and in USD* but will give you a good idea on what to get and what works well together. For the most recent pricing and hardware list click the links beside each hardware component below. Please note the prices may not include the LCD/LED monitor, peripherals or the operating system, so check the description details of each system.
Entry Level Gamer System - Price range $500 - $600
This entry level system (Intel or AMD) is for someone who has a tight budget and cannot spend more than about $500 USD roughly. Or perhaps you just need a PC for the office and using an integrated video card is enough. Yes you could always get something better if you spend another $50 here and there and before you know it the initial system that you had planned to only spend $500 is now $750. If you dont mind running Windows 7 a little slower, play games (at lower graphic settings), and you just want to watch movies surf the net, its all good. Anything can be changed for more expensive better components later on too. These are quality performing entry level parts for the price $500+ USD approximately and no more!
AMD FX-4130 3.8GHz Processor Main Features: 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor: 4MB L2 Cache Memory: 4GB DDR3 1333 Hard Drive: 500GB SATA II 3.0Gb/s 7200RPM
Intel Core i5-3550 3.3GHz Processor Main Features: 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor: 6MB L3 Cache Memory: 8GB DDR3 1333 Hard Drive: 1TB SATA III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Optical Drive 1: 24x DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
Gamer System - Price range $900 - 1300
This Gamer system (Intel or AMD) caters to those who want higher performing parts that can take advantage of the latest technologies and software. For example, a system like this can do video editing, play directx 11 games, run Windows 8 smoother and multitask better while watching movies, surfing the net and doing more than average. With a system like this you have the option to later upgrade easier to a more extreme system easily. A gamer system will extend the life and usage of it for a longer period than a entry level system without the need for immediate upgrades, so in the long run this is the most popular choice.
AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz Processor Main Features: 64 bit Eight-Core Processor Cache Per Processor: 8MB L2 Cache Memory: 16GB DDR3 1333 Hard Drive: 2TB SATA II 3.0Gb/s 7200RPM
Enthusiast System
An enthusiast gaming rig system by definition is a high end PC. The hardware components are premium parts which are on priced higher as you would expect. A system like this takes the Gaming system to the next level by pushing the boundaries of the hardware beyond the default advertised limitation. These systems outperform and exceed expectations making them the top performers in every category. However, owning an enthusiast system does not have to be costly. Even though you may find many so called enthusiast gaming rigs out there, the cost of owning one averages at aprox $1300 USD. It all depends on what you want to customize and add. Do you want 2 Video cards in crossfire or in SLI? Do you want them to be lesser performing AMD HD7770's? or do you have the $$$ to get several Nvidia GTX680s? Will you use water cooling throughout or just modify (mod) the system fans? Do you want one hard drive or several, or even do you want a SSD drive? These are examples of what an enthusiast will go through to kick it up a notch. Every upgraded part means more $$$!!! The rewards in speed and performance are really noticable.
Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Processor Main Features: 64 bit Quad-Core Processor Cache Per Processor: 10MB L3 Cache Memory: 16GB DDR3 1333 Hard Drive: 2TB SATA III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM
Intel Core i7-3930K 3.2GHz Processor Main Features: 64 bit Six-Core Processor Cache Per Processor: 12MB L3 Cache Memory: 16GB DDR3 1333 Hard Drive: 1TB SATA III 7200RPM Optical Drive 1: 12x Blu Ray Combo Drive
NOTE: Approximate pricing on each system is based on newegg.com sale parts as of Spring 2013. Prices are subject to change and total's are approximate in US dollarsand do not include taxes and shipping or a display monitor (unless specified). Cant find what you need here? Post your question here on PCWizKid's Twitter page
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