March Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

Now that spring is just around the corner, it looks like another good time for an update to our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide. True to its name, the Value Guide takes both system performance and price into consideration, and pinches every penny in search of a high-performance computer for gamers on a budget. In a nutshell, the Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide delivers the desktop and gaming performance you want, but at a price that certainly won't break the bank. The overall scenario is bit different from 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 pair of kick-ass systems that will play today's hottest games and still have some power in reserve for tomorrow.

To do this, we pay special attention to the price-performance ratio of each component, making sure to match the hardware 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 a buyer's guide right up your alley.

Finding the best system components for a value gaming system is more difficult than simply picking the top hardware money can buy, and it entails some concession on the part of the buyer. The $1,000 budget can get eaten up pretty quick, and slapping down the cash for a 21" LCD, Pentium Extreme Edition 955, or Athlon 64 FX-60 would take care of it in one shot. When compiling our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, we try to find that happy medium between spending a fortune on a new PC, and being "penny wise/pound stupid", thus getting stuck with obsolete or low-end hardware. Our value gaming PCs will still allow high-end gameplay, and have the CPU and 3D video power necessary to really push the framerates, while keeping a close eye on overall quality and features. Rest assured we don't scour the bargain bins for out-of-date hardware, and instead stick to a current, name brand component mix that offers the best overall value.

The start of 2006 has not been as kind to value-oriented systems as late-2005 was, but we can still count on a few price cuts moving higher-end hardware down a few notches. Now that the mid-range has finally been defined for both NVIDIA and ATI, it helps us spell out what the best entry-level video card is for our money. This is the most important area we did improve this month, along with an upgrade to one of the motherboards, as well as switching a component or two. In order to get this much-needed video card upgrade, we needed to make a slight concession in terms of CPU speed. But at the end of the day, our value gaming systems are faster and provide a more well-balanced system, primarily for gaming, but also for standard home entertainment and office use.

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 not all of the prices stated in the guide will exactly match that of a specific online dealer, you can bet on finding a significant percentage of our component list in their catalogues and at similar price levels. The availability factor did not limit our choices, but we do sleep easier with the knowledge that interested buyers can find the same hardware selection at most of the large online vendors.

Value Gaming PC Budget: $1000

Case: X-Dreamer II (with 420W PSU)

Current Cost: $50
Months on list: 16
Price Change: $0

The system case provides the foundation of any new configuration, and it is one of the most important components in the overall design. This is true no matter the budget, and the case should be given equal weight whether you're spending $1,000 or $5,000. Although we do get a bit more freedom with our High-end and Extreme Buyer's Guides, even an entry-level gaming computer deserves a quality case with a nice mix of features and real estate. When it comes to value system enclosures, there is still a need to balance retail price against case options, aesthetics and potential upgrade space, and this month is certainly no different, as we're looking to stretch our budget as far as possible.

Although we keep an eye out for a $50 or lower system case with the same level of quality, features and online availability, we keep coming back to the X-Dreamer II. The X-Dreamer II has the aesthetics, design and overall features you'd expect to find on a higher-priced model, as well as the real estate and specifications of a mid-range enclosure, all for about $50. The X-Dreamer II has also been part of our value system configuration for a very long time, but as we add or upgrade our performance components and our budgets tightens up, it has been incredibly tough finding an adequate replacement at this price range. This is especially true now some online retailers have upped the value quotient even more by offering the latest revision X-Dreamer II with an upgraded 420W power supply.

The X-Dreamer II may be an affordable case, but it is not a "budget case" by any definition. Aspire certainly offers a great-looking case at this price range, and its slick metallic housing and side window give it the look of a more expensive unit. But this system enclosure is more than just another pretty face, and the X-Dreamer II has a ton of expandability, including 4x5.25", 2x3.5" (external), and 4x3.5" (internal) expansion bays. The X-Dreamer II's outer housing certainly looks good, but it is also quite functional and includes very useful onboard options. The unit has USB and audio jacks, automatic drop-down side doors, a see-through window panel, blue LED case fans, 6 LED indicator lights, a removable motherboard tray, and even a temperature display LCD for the hardcore enthusiast.

Some of these features may seem daunting at first, but Aspire also provides a helpful online PDF install guide (complete with detailed pictures) that covers off the important areas of the setup process.

The X-Dreamer II now includes an Intel Pentium 4/AMD upgraded 420W ATX power supply, which is easily on par with competitive entry-level units, and at only $50 for the whole package, it's a perfect match for our budget. This PSU is the standard 20-pin variety, but so far no 24-pin PSU+case configuration has been available at under the $50 mark, This model is also available in a wide range of colors, including blue, yellow and green, so you have far more options than just the standard beige or black.

Of course, the choice of system case is sometimes a personal one, and we'll offer a few alternative choices here. The Rosewill TU-155 is also a very good value in this range, and after we used one for a system build, our opinions quickly changed in regards to this "value system enclosure". The case itself is made from 0.8mm SECC steel, and at 24 lbs, it is certainly not light, but its features, internal real estate, bundled 400W ATX12V power supply, and low price make it a very nice value at this range.

For those with more conventional tastes, the Antec SLK1650 Mini Tower offers a standard case design that will allow for a more unobtrusive desktop system. The Antec case also ships with an Antec 350W SmartPower (SP-350) power supply, which is easily on par with a generic 400W PSU. This unit is available in both black and beige, so there is some opportunity to add some panache to the standard beige outer shell.