 Building a gaming rig 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 do not include the LCD monitor, peripherals or the operating system, only the main PC parts for your build. Click here to watch PCWizKid's brief video explaining each system configuration.
Intel Entry Level - Mainstream System
This entry level system (Intel or AMD) is for someone who has a tight budget and cannot spend more than about $500 USD roughly. 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. So, if you don't want to spend that much , all you want is the best you can get for $500 USD, period! well this is it. Run Windows 7, play directx 9 / 10 games, watch movies surf the net, its all good. Anything can be changed for more expensive better components, but can you afford them? These are quality performing parts for the price $500 USD approximately and no more!
Aproximate cost - $650 USD
- COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Computer Case
- Intel Core i3-540 3.06GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor
- G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1333
- Foxconn H55MXV Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5550 100294L Video Card or save $65 and use the onboard video from the motherboard instead
- Antec BP550 Plus 550W PSU
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB
- LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe
AMD Entry Level - Mainstream System
Aproximate cost - $500 USD
- COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Computer Case
- AMD Athlon II X4 635 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor or AMD Phenom II X2 555 3.2Ghz Black Edition
- JetWay HUMMER JHA-09-LF ATX AMD Motherboard
- G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5550 100294L Video Card or save $65 and use the onboard video from the motherboard instead
- Antec BP550 Plus 550W PSU
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB
- LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe
Intel Gamer System
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 7 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.
Aproximate cost - $1100 USD
- Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid Tower Case or Antec Nine Hundred or NZXT Tempest Evo Mid Tower Case
- Intel Core i5-750 2.6Ghz 4-Core CPU
- Tuniq Tower 120 Universal CPU Cooler 120mm Cooling Fan and Fan Controller/Heatsink
- Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3
- ASUS P7P55D EVO Motherboard
- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5830 100297L Video Card w/ ATI Eyefinity Technology
- Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W
- Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB
- PLEXTOR 24X DVD/CD Writer Black SATA Model PX-880SA LightScribe
2010 AMD Gamer "Leo" System
Aproximate cost - $1100 USD
- Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid Tower Case or Antec Nine Hundred or NZXT Tempest Evo Mid Tower Case
- AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor
- Tuniq Tower 120 Universal CPU Cooler 120mm Cooling Fan and Fan Controller/Heatsink
- MSI 890FXA-GD70 ATX AMD Motherboard
- Patriot Gamer Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3
- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5830 100297L Video Card w/ ATI Eyefinity Technology
- Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W
- Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB
- PLEXTOR 24X DVD/CD Writer Black SATA Model PX-880SA LightScribe
Intel 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 starts at aprox $1900 USD and UP. It all depends on what you want to customize and add. Do you want 2 Video cards in crossfire or 3 in SLI? Do you want them to be cheaper performing HD5850's? or do you have the $$$ to get several HD5870's? Will you use water cooling throughout or just modify (mod) the system fans? Do you want one hard drive or several, or even do you want a SSD drive? These are examples of what an enthusiast will go through to kick it up a notch. Every notch means more $$$.
Aproximate cost - $2100 USD
- Antec Twelve Hundred Full Tower or Thermaltake Xaser VI Full Tower or COOLER MASTER HAF 932
- Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
- CoolIT ECO or CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler
- ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 ATX Intel Motherboard
- CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 8-8-8-24
- Two GIGABYTE Radeon HD 5870 GV-R587UD-1GD Video Card in crossfire
- Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W
- Western Digital RE4-GP WD2002FYPS 2TB
- LG Black 10X Blu-ray Burner - Bulk SATA Model WH10LS30 LightScribe Support
2010 AMD Enthusiast Leo System
Aproximate cost - $2100 USD
- Antec Twelve Hundred Full Tower or Thermaltake Xaser VI Full Tower or COOLER MASTER HAF 932
- AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 3.2Ghz 125W Black Edition
- CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler or the CoolIT ECO
- ASUS Crosshair IV Formula ATX AMD Motherboard
- OCZ AMD Black Edition DDR3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin 8-8-8-24
- Two GIGABYTE Radeon HD 5870 GV-R587UD-1GD Video Card in crossfire
- Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W
- Western Digital RE4-GP WD2002FYPS 2TB
- LG Black 10X Blu-ray Burner - Bulk SATA Model WH10LS30 LightScribe Support
PCWizKid's Wish - Extreme Dream Machine
What can I say about this system? If you can give me the parts for it I'd be grateful :-)
Aproximate cost - $6410 USD
- Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition 3.33GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor
- CoolIT ECO CPU Cooling Kit
- ASUS P6T7 Motherboard or EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED
- Two DIAMOND 5970PE52G Radeon HD 5970 in crossfire
- Kingston HyperX 12GB (3 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty
- LIAN LI PC-A70F Full Tower Case
- Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W PSU
- RAID Setup 4 x Western Digital RE4-GP WD2002FYPS 2TB
- Pioneer CD/DVD Writer Black SATA Model DVR-S18M LabelFlash
- Pioneer Black Blu-ray Disc/DVD/CD Writer SATA Model BDR-205BKS
NOTE: Approximate pricing on each system is based on newegg.com sale parts as of May 16, 2010. Prices are subject to change and total's are approximate in US dollars and do not include taxes and shipping.
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