March Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

It's been a few months, but we're finally ready for another edition of our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide. In this guide, we're looking for the best value in a gaming PC and trying to find the top configuration for the budget-minded gamer. The scenario is bit different than some of the other buyer's guides on Sharky Extreme, as we limit the budget to $1,000 in cold, hard cash while the goal remains the same: to assemble a kick-ass gaming system that will play today's hottest games and have some power in reserve for tomorrow's.

To do this, we pay special attention to the price-performance of each component, making sure to match them according to their value from an overall system performance standpoint. While not as fast or flashy as the Extreme or High-End Gaming Systems, our Value configuration may actually be the best deal of them all. If you're the type of gamer who counts your pennies before buying any new system, then get ready for an article tailored exactly to you.

Finding the best system components for a value gaming system is more difficult than just picking the very best hardware money can buy, and it entails a great deal of concessions on the part of the buyer. That $1,000 gets eaten up pretty quick, and slapping down the cash for a 21" flat screen monitor or 3.06 GHz Pentium 4 HT would eat it up in very short order. When compiling our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, we try and find that happy medium between spending a fortune on a new PC, and being "penny wise/pound stupid" and getting stuck with obsolete hardware. Our value gaming PCs will still allow high-end gameplay, include the CPU and 3D video power necessary to really push the framerates, while keeping an eye on quality and features to boot. Rest assured we don't scour the bargain bins for available hardware, and instead keep to name brand components that offer the best price-performance ratio.

This time out, we've taken a hard look at the hardware scene, and sat down to figure out exactly what mix of components really delivers the best bang for the buck. This is the usual procedure for any Guide, but due to a wealth of new product announcements and inherently lower prices, it has never been more important. Going through the different system designs with a fine tooth comb resulted in some impressive configurations, and there is no doubt that our current value gaming system recommendations may have a few hardcore users green with envy.

As with all of our buyer's guides, we have made every attempt to confirm that the selected hardware is available at one or more of the largest and most popular (with Sharky readers) online retailers. Although the price stated in the guide may not be exactly the same as in a specific online dealer, you can bet on finding a significant percentage of our component list in their catalogues. This factor did not limit our choices, but we do sleep easier with the knowledge that interested buyers can find this same hardware at many of the large online vendors.

Value Gaming PC Budget: $1000

Case: Antec SX630II

The system case is an important component, even for a value system, and we're sticking with the very popular Antec SX630II. This case fits our system requirements perfectly, while also coming in at a very attractive price. Not only is the Antec SX630II a quality unit with a bit more heft than low-end cases, it also features an Antec SmartPower 300W power supply that is certified for both AMD Athlon XP and Intel Pentium 4 operation.

The case internals of the Antec SX630II are laid out quite well and include enough real estate and expansion bays for future upgrades. The case features 8 drive bays (3 x 3.25" and 5 x 3.5") and space for 3 cooling fans (1 built-in, 2 optional), including one that blows over the removable hard drive bays. Add in a very smart design, along with current case and housing aesthetics, and the Antec SX630II has all the makings of a great value.