November Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

Once again we've been handed $1,000 in cool, hard cash and been given the green light to spend it on the fastest PC gaming rig we can find. As in our SE High-End and Extreme Buyer's Guides, we match up each component's price and performance, then make the pick as to the best combination of red-hot gaming hardware. If you are the type of gamer who counts your pennies before buying any new system, then this is the buyer's guide for you.

As computer hardware prices continue to decrease, this opens up some interesting avenues for a value gaming system. It also brings with it some serious choices and concessions, as you could probably buy a high-end Pentium 4-2.0 GHz but with little else in the box itself. In our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, we try and go right between the extremes and offer a powerful system that provides excellent gaming performance from an overall sense. This translates into high framerates, lots of CPU power, excellent image and display quality, as well as not forgetting the gaming sound output and features. We also don't scour the bargain bins for available hardware, but choose from name brand components that offer the best price-performance ratio.

Last month we were finally able to move to the Pentium 4 processor for our Intel box, while AMD languished a bit behind in pure CPU power. This time out, AMD gets a nice shot in the arm from their new Athlon XP and we also take a close look at getting a value DDR motherboard to match. Both systems also get a 3D infusion through a brand new video card. This makes for some exciting times in the value gaming PC market this month, and both of these systems represent some serious power for under $1,000. In fact, both systems are almost getting too good, so be prepared for some natural "upgrade envy" while reading through this guide.

AMD Case: Enlight 7230 Case - $50

Why fix it if it ain't broke? That's our thought with the AMD case recommendation, since the 7230 line from Enlight continue to impress with a great combination of high quality and low price. The best buy this week seems to be the Enlight 7237, which comes with an 300W AMD-certified PSU and can be found for as low as $50. This is an excellent value gaming case and has both the internal real estate necessary for components and the design for easy upgrades. Plus, being a mid-tower case, you won't need a mini-van to lug it to the local LAN party.

Or...

Intel (or AMD) Case: IN-WIN IW-S508 Case - $54

In the area of value, yet still name brand, Pentium 4 cases, there is still not that wide of a selection. This crop is growing a bit larger, but for at least this month we're sticking with the tried-and-true IN-WIN IW-S508 as our best overall pick. The vast majority of its features are top notch and the task of motherboard installation or future upgrades should be handled with ease. The only potential issue is the use of sliding bracket attachments for internal floppy and CD devices, which can be a bit confusing at first. Other than that small caveat, the IN-WIN IW-S508 makes a great home for your Pentium 4 system and definitely won't break the bank.

When choosing any brand of system case, be sure to confirm the Power Supply wattage and ratings before making the purchase. Although both the Enlight and IN-WIN cases ship with certified power supplies, watch out for vendors who may substitute it with an inferior model. The Pentium 4 requires an ATX 2.03-compliant PSU, and if you are thinking of going the AMD route, make absolutely certain that the model is AMD certified for use with the rated speed of your processor.