Print
It’s been a while since we’ve posted a Parts and Price Guide on the site—okay, it’s been a long time. Now we’re back and better than ever, and so are the system specs we’re pairing you up with this month. We’re starting you off with a $1000 PC, which is a happy mid-way price point between the $700 recession special and $1500 budget surplus found in this year's Dream Machine roundup. $1000 may not seem like a steal for the truly frugal, but in a world of fluctuating economies and ever-changing technologies, getting the most “bang for your buck” is more important than getting rock bottom prices at the expense of performance. And in the time since we last posted a buyer's guide, new awesome technologies like Intel's Core i5 and ATI's Evergreen series of GPUs (which powers the Radeon 5870) have redefined our expectations of budget PC performance. With these computing advances in mind, we've carefully pieced together a sub-$1000 spec that doesn't break the bank or compromise performance.
Follow along for the secret to a hearty, healthy computer, for only a grand!
*All prices are as of October 29th and do not include rebates, sales, clearance, or whatever else makes computer parts really cheap these days.
Sometimes a cost-effective motherboard is a better long-term investment than a ridiculously pricey one. In this case, the Asus P7P55D, with Quad-GPU CrossfireX and DDR3 200 support, is like banking on Google's IPO. The board supports both Core i7 and i5 processors, though it’s Socket 1156 board, which means it's only compatible with the latest Lynnfield-based CPUs. Still, you have numerous upgrade options, since Intel is committed to the Socket 1156 platform for the next few years. A more expensive Socket 1366 board only makes sense if you want the jump on Intel's future hexa-core and octa-core processors, but X58 boards are still prohibitively expensive for budget builders.
The P7P55D doesn't skimp on features, though. It sports seven PCI slots (two PCI Express x1, two PCIe 2.0 x16 and three regular PCI slot) and four memory slots that max out at 16GB of memory. Memory can only be run in dual channel configuration using the appropriate slots. The I/O ports on the rear of the motherboard include 2 PS/2, 8 USB 2.0, 6 audio ports, one eSATA, and an S/PDIF incase, y’know, you ever want to start mixing some tunes and pursuing your dream of becoming a DJ someday.
Intel’s latest series of CPUs are sure to please budget users everywhere -- they effectively bring Nehalem to the masses. The new socket and infrastructure are nothing to be afraid of, and we certainly weren’t disappointed in our benchmarks. Our recommendation, the Core i6-750, is the cheapest in the Lynnfield family, but we were able to take the processor from 2.66GHz to a very stable 3.5GHZ without any strain (though the motherboard we paired you with may not be able to overclock as high). But even at stock speed, the 750 is far superior to any Core 2 chip and even a higher-clocked Phenom II X4. The lack of hyperthreading (a limitation of Lynnfield) doesn't affect the majority of applications, including games.
No surprise here. Simply drop in this pair of affordable, lightening fast sticks of memory to your motherboard. And remember that since DDR3 memory is so cheap these days, you can always grab an extra pair of 2GB DIMMs later to double your RAM. Corsair's XMS sticks are rock solid, but any name brand manufacturer (Crucial, OCZ, Patriot) will be just are reliable.
Comments are closed on this article
hath80
November 21, 2011 at 6:57pm
A more expensive Socket 1366 board only makes sense if you want the jump on Intel's future hexa-core and octa-core processors, but X58 boards are still prohibitively expensive for budget builders. dvd creator, dvd video tool
da_samman
March 05, 2010 at 11:47am
I had to change this post because it seems I was wrong. They have the RAM at Newegg listed in this article, it just looks different (it's blue instead of yellow. The total cost, to include the Samsung 223L burner, is 980.91 after the rebates. Budget build lovers, go for it! BTW, the Soundblaster X-Fi XtremeGamer is now retailing for $64.99 after rebate at Nweegg, so get it whilethe getting's good!
Sincerely yours, from Fort Lewis, WA
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
karkrashful
November 21, 2009 at 10:24am
Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $96.99 with $15 rebate
Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R $31.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690 $69.99
Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB $74.99
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4890 1GB $194.99
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W $79.99 with $20 rebate
GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD4P $169.99
Intel Core i5-750 $199.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade $109.99
Shipping: $6.98
Total: $1035.89
This is $35 more than 1k but look at the difference in parts, everything is better.
I used the upgrade because there is a tutorial on Maximum PC whereyou can install an upgrade package for the first time on a PC.
nsk chaos
November 09, 2009 at 7:23pm
reallocate some of the funds from the psu to the gpu. $1000 rig should need a $110 (100 after rebates) psu. chances of you upgrading it to the max is pretty small if you cant afford to get something for more than $1000.
ronf57
November 09, 2009 at 11:59am
ok, just before windows 7 came out i built my new machine based on some suggestions from maxpc.
asus P6T deluxe v2 motherboard ( i wanted 2 pci slots and overclockability)
Intel I-7 920 d 2.66 Ghz again overclock on stock air cooler upto 3.5
OCZ gold tri-channel 3 x 2GB 1600 memory 8-8-8-24 (exactly what that means???)
1.5TB Seagate barracudas (2) obviously for storage
now I can't seem to find the setup and overclocking guide from past issues for the I-7 and the ASUS board of choice.
Yes i considered the dual channel memory on a I-7 860 at 2.9 but couldn't get two pci slots i needed.(at that time)
so show notes? can't find them, back issue articles can't find em
elktondad
November 06, 2009 at 7:55am
Just looking at this article and was running a check of the parts, and sadly, they deactivated the graphics card and raised the price on the case by $9. I was saddened by that. But on the bright side, I saved a bunch of money on my Win7 by being in college!! Yay!
McDaniel
November 04, 2009 at 8:17am
@ mr. goldenmonkey ; i agree with you. this article is cool & helpful as well as it helps to get place for cheaper computer parts therefore. people should share their experience of getting those parts at a cheaper price & thus they may mention the source address. like i bought some parts with much affordable price from http://micropartsusa.com , & i can share this here for people who are searching a place like it.
GoldenMonkey
November 01, 2009 at 7:33pm
Why are so many people advertising in the comments section? Plz make it stop!
Thursday
November 03, 2009 at 10:24am
Can you tell it's getting closer to Christmas shopping season? Judging by the grammer we're getting bombarded with Chinese/Hong Kong scam sites again...
Denis63
October 31, 2009 at 5:08pm
I recently built a sub 1000$ computer for a friend, his bidget was 800 bucks, (i live in canada, and everything is more expensive, so..) i used an Antec Three Hundred (awesome case, i was dissapointed at MaxPC's review on it a while back, they gave it a 5...) anyway, mine had a Gigabyte P55-UD3, Core i5 750, 4gb OCZ gold DDR3 1333, WD black 500gb, Corsair HX 550watt PSU. He didn't need an optical drive. Anyway, it was a really good build. I love building rigs to a budget, and MaxPC's builds like this are really good at showing me just how much one can do on a lower budget.
-Denis
mesiah
October 30, 2009 at 9:13pm
You have officially mastered the fine art of anti-advertisement. You have made absolutely sure that even if there was actually something at that site that I might want to see.... I still wouldn't go there. Just like why I refuse to shop at old navy, because those annoying ass commercials they used to play made me want to give myself a lobotomy with a rusty butter knife.
Zazubovich
October 30, 2009 at 5:28pm
Simple doesn't mean stupid here, it means elegant. It might be fun to have all your files spread over a stack of hard drives, but they do fail, they do get corrupted, and putting all your eggs in one basket may be better than putting slices of your egg in four baskets. Macs aren't easy by any stretch either, or tiny Anchorage Alaska wouldn't have so many Mac fixing stores.
Gutter96
October 30, 2009 at 4:26pm
Sorry dude! But I just checked out your XPS 8000 and YOU'RE wrong. It was over 1K! And you don't get a lowly 5770.... you get a super awesome nVidia 240! :-/ sarcasm You also get all those awesome PROPRIETARY parts! But hey, it comes with 15 months of McAfee. It also comes with the usual CRAPWARE too. Now THAT'S a MAXIMUM PC!! WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO! (You said go ahead and flame you.) XD
jeremy39
October 30, 2009 at 3:56pm
So, just to be clear, you don't need to be a system builder to get an OEM version, but if you change MBs then you need a new key. What about if I upgrade my CPU in the future?
JohnP
October 31, 2009 at 1:22pm
Would Maximum PC really promote OEM Win 7 if it were a hassle or a shady deal? If you are building your own computer, you ARE an OEM!
OEM Op sys disks for MS products work just fine. I have used them for over 10 years now and in at least 15 computer builds. The WORST that you have to do is call MS in India and tell them that you had to reload your op sys, that the software came with the computer and that you are using the OEM software on only one computer. That it. Happens about once out of every three activations.
Thursday
November 03, 2009 at 10:30am
And M$ doesn't keep the info permanently. They used to hold it for only six months with XP. Not sure if that's changed with Vista/Win7 but my OEM NFR copy of XP Pro was used on at least 6 builds and I only had to call in once when a new MSI Mobo bit the dust after only 3 months and I purchased a DFI to replace it. I just called and told them exactly what JohnP posted above and they didn't even question me on it.
Microsoft gets a bad rap for customer support a lot of times but in all my experience with them they have always been very good with ensuring I hung up the phone as a happy customer.
dayooper
October 30, 2009 at 2:03pm
will the antec 300 hold a ati 5850 or 5870, im doing a 1200$ build in november/december just waiting on the right case which can hold huge cards and doesn't have huge glowing lights that will light up my room at night.
anyone have case suggestions?
Just Remember, STD's Are BoP
Thursday
November 03, 2009 at 10:38am
The case is 18.3" deep. Depending on the location of the PCIe slots on your motherboard in relation to where the Hard Drive bays you want to use are located, it may be a tight squeeze, but it should still fit. Still, you may want to get some 90 degree angle SATA cables and check the PCIe power cables on the PSU to make sure you have a bit more room to play with.
BullBuster
October 30, 2009 at 1:22pm
Dell XPS 8000 with the same specifications AND 15 month antivirus subscription AND one year on site warranty for...
$900
Flame away but, you're wrong.
Thursday
November 03, 2009 at 10:21am
...is that you can get even LESS for LESS (or MORE if you configure it appropriately!)
The Dell has:
- An inferior PSU
- A vastly inferior Video Card (even when upgraded to Dells top of the line (for that model) 260 that pushes the price well over $1000)
- An inferior motherboard (no SLI/Crossfire support, restricted BIOS, less BIOS update support)
- at $900 you're getting 3GB of slower, less reliable Hynix/Samsung memory. Only able to upgrade amount of RAM with Dell, you're still going to get cheaper RAM.
- at $900 you're getting a 500GB Hard Drive and a slower optical drive.
- tonnes and tonnes of bloatware
- a one year warranty as opposed to the usually longer OEM warranty for individual parts
Not to completely knock your post, as I assume you were trying to help people save $100, but you're way off base saying you can get more for even less. And trust me on this one, I am certified by Dell to repair units for a very large retailer. I see about 10-20 Dell desktops a week. The Dell build quality has gone up considerably in the last 4-5 years, but if you know what you're doing, they still cannot compete with a good DIY unit.
HeartBurnKid
November 02, 2009 at 12:53pm
That the XPS 8000 only offers DDR3-1066 RAM, not DDR3-1600.
And the best graphics card Dell offers on the XPS 8000 is an nVidia GTX260, which, while a capable video card, is not DX11 ready.
And the price, at the moment at least, for a XPS 8000 outfitted as close to this rig as possible is $1278.
So yeah, other than being completely wrong, you're absolutely right.
And this isn't even going into the potential differences in components...
codinchen
October 30, 2009 at 9:19am
The 750GB WD Caviar Black is on sale at Newegg for $69.99 proposing a higher price/performance value of $0.09332 per GB rather than $0.11 per GB for the 1TB WD Caviar Black. Additionally, swap the PSU for a combo deal that includes the ATI Radeon 5770 and the Corsair Modular 750W 80 Plus Silver PSU for a total price of $259.98 after rebates. That not only matches the price listed above for the two units but it also provides you with a more efficient, modular and higher wattage power supply. Finally, if you just happen to have an operating system laying around then you can build an X58/Core i7 system for $1000.
Asus P6T SE X58 $189.99 after rebates
Core i7-920 & OCZ Gold 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600 CAS 8 Combo $406.98 after rebates
Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 & Corsair 750W Modular 80 Plus Silver Combo $259.98 after rebates
WD Caviar Black 750GB $69.99
Antec 300 Case $51.95
Samsung SH-S223C Optical Drive OEM $25.99
That's $1,004.88 after rebates $1,064.88 before rebates and even comes with a free 4GB flash drive and notebook wireless adapter. But as previously implied that does not include the OS. Still not bad...$30 more for a X58 build sans Windows 7.
byte_code
October 30, 2009 at 4:40pm
The price point hardware wise is very appealing, and let's not forget, MS don't make the only operating system of choice.
When I look at a PC Build I'm thinking of putting Linux on there, NOT Windows.
Ubuntu 9.10 came out yesterday, and it is superb. It boots up in less than 20 seconds and it looks gorgeous.
Also, aside from the "native" games like Glest, Machinarium, Nexuiz, Racer, True Combat, Warzone, World of Goo, Yo Frankie, and such (Ok, most of them are cross platform) I can still play the likes of HL2, Portal, TF2, TrackMania (Insert version here) etc... on my Linux box through Wine. (How do you play it though wine? Usually, you install wine [go to the package manager, search for wine, tick/check it, tell it to install it - and that's it] and then install the game, then you just get on with plaing the game, forgetting that you ever had to install wine in the first place...)
And no - it's not about the "Windows Tax" it's about having a system that actually works beautifully and leaves you in control.
When I first boot up my machine after installing, I don't have X companies antivirus, firewall, ISP or any other commenrical interests trying to convince me that I have to buy their products - I just have a nice, warm, functional and friendly OS that lets me forget about the fact that there's an OS there - and lets me get on with enjoying my machine.
If I stray onto a website or a piece of media (music or video say) that requires a particular codec that isn't supported by the codecs that are installed already - then I'm offered a dialogue that lets me install one - should I need to.
I love the fact that I don't have to go off onto the web searching for some piece of software that may/may not exist, download it, install it etc.... I just let the system deal with it for me. Isn't that the way that it should be?
Oh dear - I've become an Ubuntu fan boy haven't I?
The latest version of Ubuntu - codenamed "Karmic Koala" was released yesterday - and boy is it superb.
Yummy yummy, OS Joy for my tummy.
Build the machine, download the Ubuntu CD image, Burn, install and enjoy.
arch20002013
October 31, 2009 at 8:05pm
I have had nothing but problems with linux since the 6.04 version. It has always been slow when it comes to the internet and the 9.10 will install, but will not boot. Says there is no system disc. So...I have left linux for the time being. Lets see if they get it right after a while with the new one
linkmaster6
October 30, 2009 at 6:52am
107 for Windows 7? Where are you finding that price on their site? Cheapest ones I'm finding around that price are upgrades or was this some sale that ended?
nekollx
October 30, 2009 at 9:19am
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=3%2050001149%2040000368%204804&bop=And&SpeTabStoreType=6&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Techrocket9
October 30, 2009 at 7:46am
The price is for the OEM edition. You can find it on Newegg. The catch is that you have to buy it again if you want to upgrade your motherboard.
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
Rob86
October 30, 2009 at 9:30am
according to the tech i spoke to at MS all i have to do is call back and tell them my mobo failed and that my computer is home built and that they can issue me a new OEM key for my OS. this was in reference to vista so cant say it would deff work for 7 but don't see why it wouldn't.
Techrocket9
October 30, 2009 at 9:46am
Yes, you can do that, but then you are cheating or maby even stealing.
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
Rob86
October 30, 2009 at 1:38pm
well in my case the mobo did fail so i upgraded, i was just providing the info thats all.
Techrocket9
October 30, 2009 at 10:18pm
Thanks for the clarification. Then you are positively ok (at least in my view).
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
mrvander
October 30, 2009 at 10:37am
Don't be dense.
How is it cheating or stealing if the company who makes the product authorizes you and gives you a new key?
Techrocket9
October 30, 2009 at 8:44pm
It's kinda like this: You rent a house, and your contract says that you get a fixed low rate if you agree not to modify the house in any drastic way because the owner doesn't want to pay more taxes. If you do, your rate will go up with the taxes. It does, however, have a clause allowing you to repair damage to the house (i.e. if a tree falls on it) any reasonable way you want and keep the reduced rate. Now, wouldn't you say it's dishonest if you cut down a tree and push it towards the house to wreak the kitchen, calling it accidental damage so that you can renovate without having to pay the higher rate required for the privilege? It's the same thing with an upgrade copy. You are agreeing to not do something (install sans owning a previous Windows) in exchange for a reduced rate.
Please note that I am not endorsing the crazy pricing scheme, I just think that doing a new install with an upgrade when you don't own an older version is stealing. In my view, the ultimate non-upgrade version should be $50.00 and be good for all the computers you own (within reason).
It's just my view, but I think it makes sense, don't you?
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
mrvander
October 31, 2009 at 6:48pm
Your argument analogy is flawed in a couple of ways.
1. The most obvious flaw is that you conclude your argument talking about the Upgrade pricing. The point of this post and subsequent responses was about a person getting a new OEM key after a motherboard failure. That has nothing to do with the Upgrade products.
2. Your analogy is flawed by assuming the "house you are renting" is said motherboard. By your analogy, a person purposely fries his mobo in order to get a replacement key from microsoft. Just ain't gonna happen. You don't need to argue in attempted parables to talk about motherboards and replacing a OEM key that was tied to said motherboard.
But since you started it, here's a more accurate parable using your analogies:
A person rents a house and obtains renters insurance paid in full for the year. That insurance is tied to this particular dwelling. A tree falls on the house before the policy lapses. The person rents a new house. After a phone call, the insurance company allows him to transfer his existing policy to the new house.
Now THAT makes sense and there is nothing wrong, cheating, or stealing about it.
Techrocket9
November 01, 2009 at 1:18pm
I agree with you. What I have a problem with is inducing fault to upgrade. You say "Just ain't gonna happen", but I know of people who have done so. That is my point. Let me clarify: There is nothing wrong with replacing a board that genuinely failed, even with an upgraded one, with an OEM license. What is wrong is purposely wrecking it or saying that it failed to get a new key from Microsoft when you have the OEM version. Let me reiterate: if the failure is genuine, there is no wrong in upgrading. But if you induce failure or lie and say that it failed, that is wrong.
I think that we are in agreement; we just had a communication error.
P.S. About the upgrade thing: my reference to upgrades is to upgrading the motherboard in OEM editions. It has nothing to do with upgrade editions of Windows. I hope that clarifies everything.
_____________________________________________________
An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.
mrvander
October 30, 2009 at 7:28am
And that compares to this build how?
Your comment is the equivalent of saying, "My son just bought a brand name computer for $1008.21 out the door." In other words, it tells us nothing. Do some research, what MacBook Pro did he buy - what are the system specs? How do those system specs compare to this? Then you might have added something to the conversation and one of two things will happen: we'll say, "Wow a macbook pro for a similar price that beats the crap out of this build." or you'll say "Wow. I can now see that my son paid way too much for an underpowered PC tethered to its hardware and software."
Heretushi
October 30, 2009 at 10:22am
Made an account to reply to you.
This is pure comment spam. And not in the sense that this time the dude had nothig to say. It's SPAM. The same type that pollute inboxes everywhere.
Do a simple search on google to match the signature and you'll see very well that every comment with that "RT www.someurl.com" is complete spam.
And if you wanna push your research further, you can surf the front page of social aggregators like Digg or Reddit, click on front page stories and every time a site does not moderate their comments, you'll see this spam apprear. I sincerely think it's sort of human/bot operated. A human create the account to bypass the captcha then bots spread the spam.
Ah well, I learned to mentally block these spams a while ago.
Take care.
mrvander
October 30, 2009 at 10:42am
Good info, thanks!
I don't do any of the social sites or even link aggregators, so I can honestly say I did not know this
However, if you click on the user ID, there are a few comments from this ID. They do seem to be relevant to the articles so I think there may be a human operator and not a bot. Doesn't mean it's not spam though.
Alibaba2k2
October 30, 2009 at 12:00am
I would preferably go with a GigaByte Socket 1156 motherboard rather than the ASUS. On some of the builds I've done so far, the Gigabyte kicks some serious butt especially on boot time and overclocking. The Smart 6 application is easy to use. I've also used the MSI 1156 boards but they both can't keep up with the GigaByte MB and it's only $5 more
kellyrx8
October 30, 2009 at 7:44am
Im not sure if you have built a new i5 or i7 build yet but Asus has some of the most stable boards on the market right now.
There is however a few changed I would make on this.
you can get the 750 Corsair at Microcenter for 106
the i7 920 D0 at Microcenter for 199.99
drop the samsung drive and get something else.
However then your increasing the mobo price more...but to me if im spending 1000 already, an extra 100 will not break me.
I would prefer to stay 1366 socket , so that in the future you can move up to a i9 for the cost of a CPU only.
you can also get 7 from Microsoft if you call them and tell them your a student at a university. I have had 4 friends ( not college students ) call and say that and they were quoted 37 bucks for 7 professional. Not a bad deal at all. The india support people dont check at all to verify your a college student.
-------------------------------------------
Antec 900 Case
EVGA x58 SLI LE bios v19
Intel i7 920 @ 4.2 ghz
Corsair XMS3 DDR3 6gb Triple (8-8-8-24@1.65v)
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216
Xigmatek No Rules 850w PSU
Custon WC loop.
Nipyf2
October 29, 2009 at 8:35pm
1 Terabyte for $110... I am running 2 seagate 500gb drives in raid 0 which cost $54.99 each. I am getting continuous reads just over 200mbs/second. The price is exactly the same as buying the single drive but with the 2 seagates you get twice the performance.
fnordfnord
October 29, 2009 at 8:50pm
Twice the heat, twice the needed power, and more than twice the chances of a failure too.
What happens if disk 1 has a problem? You don't lose 500GB of data, you lose 1TB.
Not to sound like a pompuous ass, but once you step up to higher levels of the computer world and you progress as a computer technician you learn something that is extremely valuable: Simple is better. The simpler you can do the better it is. Sometimes it's worth spending a bit more to sleep well at night or just keeping things simple. :)
Nipyf2
October 30, 2009 at 8:54am
The extra heat and power compsumption of an extra hard drive in a desktop is not really that much of a difference over 1 hd. If you are in to simple you should just go buy a mac and not comment here. As for failing hds really don't fail that often and you should be backing up your system anyway.
mesiah
October 30, 2009 at 9:41pm
Lol, you should go read some past seagate reviews before you make comments about hdds not failing very often. fairly recently alot of sites pulled any recommendation for seagate drives until they could fix their failure rate. Maybe they have it sorted out by now, but I definately wouldn't be making a comment like that while owning a seagate drive :D
In fact, here is a link to an article about the failure rate of 500gb seagate drives from january of this year. http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/41265/135/
Nipyf2
November 01, 2009 at 9:07am
My point wasn't to use to seagates but just to use 2 500gb drives in raid 0... its true seagate was having a lot of problems 9 months ago.
roninnder
October 29, 2009 at 8:48pm
And in RAID 0 you double your chance for total hard drive failure, which is always a very real possibility with Seagate drives.
Pentium 0
October 29, 2009 at 7:53pm
Well I can confirm that simply making a Windows.old folder in the root of your drive actually works for using an upgrade edition. Much easier than your guide.
fnordfnord
October 29, 2009 at 7:31pm
Dang DDR3 200. I'm glad we're over the 133 and 166 models... ;P
