I have seen a huge amount of threads, with people asking if their specs for the future pc are good enough, or whats the best notebook they can buy under a certain budget, etc. I just decided to put up a guide which may help people to actually know what they want, and it may reduce unnecessary posts which often go unnoticed (thats true, sometimes these kind of posts get unnoticed)...
Anyways i just want to go through hardware for desktops and gaming notebooks for specific price range available in today's market...
Desktops:
Note - i have not gone into branded desktops in detail because personally i don't believe buying them is a good idea cause you can always assemble them and save quite a good amount of money; and this is only for GAMING pc's so not for entertainment pc's and stuff like that. And i just did not wanted to miss out on people looking for pre-assembled and after sales service savvy's.
High-End Gaming (Money is no Object ! - $4000+)
(I only include the recommendation in high end branded pc's, i may not have covered some other company's however the reasons justify themselve)
Dell XPS 720 H2C (from $4,899.00)
(http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsdt_720h2c?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19)
Intel® Core2 Extreme QX6700 (8MB,3.46GHz Factory overclocked)
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center 2005 Edition with re-installation CD
2GB Corsair Dominator DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz OC'd to 1066MHz-2 DIMMs
160GB WD Raptor 10000RPM,SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
Dual Drives: 48x Combo + 16x DVD+/-RW w/ dbl layer write capable
24 inch E248WFP Entry Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Monitor
Dual 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX
Sound Blaster® X-Fi XtremeMusic (D) Sound Card
Dell USB Enhanced Multimedia Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Area-51® ALX CrossFire (from $5,199.00)
(http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Area-51_ALX/area-51_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-AREA51-ALX-R7&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT)
Dual 512MB ATI® Radeon HD 3870 - CrossFire Enabled(Direct X 10.1 !!!)
Intel® Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3.0GHz 12MB Cache 1333MHz FSB - Over-clocked to 4.0 GHz!
2GB Low Latency Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB
Windows Vista® Home Premium
320GB (2 x 160GB) SATA 1.5Gb/s 10,000RPM 2 x 16MB Cache
20X Dual-Layer DVD±RW w/ LightScribe
Alienware® 1000 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply
Logitech® G15 Gaming Keyboard
Logitech® G5 Gaming Mouse
No Monitor
Area-51® ALX SLI (from 4,999.00)
(http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Area-51_ALX_SLI/area-51_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-AREA51-ALX-R6&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT)
Dual 768MB NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 GTX - SLI Enabled
Intel® Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.0GHz 8MB Cache 1333MHz FSB - Over-clocked to 3.33GHz!
2GB Low Latency Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB
20X Dual-Layer DVD±RW
320GB (2 x 160GB) SATA 1.5Gb/s 10,000RPM 2 x 16MB Cache
Windows Vista® Home Premium DirectX 10 Ready!
Alienware® 1000 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply
Logitech® G15 Gaming Keyboard
Logitech® G5 Gaming Mouse
No Monitor
Liquid Chilled Voodoo OMEN (from $6403.14 - "med" gaming, intel based, nvidia based)
(http://www.voodoopc.com/system/quotekitchenlast.aspx?spid=61##)
Core 2 Extreme Processor x6800
2GB Corsair PC6400C4D DDR2
160GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
20x DVD-RW w/LIGHTSCRIBE
Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX 768MB Liquid Cooled
Windows XP Professional
Voodoo Stealth 1000 Watt Modular Silent Power Supply
(Yes voodoo pc is the most expensive for these "BASIC" configuration, however you will not be dissapointed by voodoo)
Medium Range (I need bang for my buck ! - $2000 to $4000)
Alienware Area-51 7500 (from $2,699)
(http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Area-51_7500/area-51_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-AREA51-7500-BTS&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT)
Alienware® 1000 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply
Single Graphics Processors - 768MB NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 GTX
Intel® Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 4MB Cache 1333MHz FSB
2GB DDR2 Performance SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB
Alienware® Approved NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Extreme Performance (RAID 0) 500GB (2 x 250GB) SATA 3Gb/s 7,200RPM 2 x 16MB Cache
Single Drive Configuration - 20X Dual-Layer DVD±RW w/ LightScribe
Creative Sound Blaster® X-Fi XtremeGamer High Definition 7.1 Audio
Alienware® USB Full-Size Keyboard
Optical 3-Button Mouse with Scroll Wheel
Alienware Aurora ALX (from $2,999.00)
(http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Aurora_ALX/aurora_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-AURORA-ALX-R7&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT)
Dual 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800 GT - SLI Enabled
AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 6000+ Processor w/ HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB
Windows Vista® Home Premium – DirectX 10 Ready!
500GB (2 x 250GB) SATA 3Gb/s 7,200RPM 2 x 16MB Cache
20X Dual-Layer DVD±RW
Logitech® G15 Gaming Keyboard
Logitech® G5 Gaming Mouse
XPS 720 Red (from $2,489.00)
(http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/cto_xpsdt_720?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs)
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6750 (4MB L2 Cache,2.66GHz,1333 FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
Dual 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS
2GB Corsair Dominator DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz OC'd to 1066MHz-2 DIMMs
320GB - Seagate 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
24 inch E248WFP Entry Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Monitor
Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
Low End (I can't eat, i need to play games - below $2000.00)
Dell XPS 720 (from $1,499)
(http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsdt_720?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19)
Intel® Core2 Duo Processor E6750 (4MB L2 Cache,2.66GHz,1333 FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 DIMMs
250GB - Seagate 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 8MB Cache
Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
No Monitor
Alienware Area-51 7500 (from $1,399)
(http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Area-51_7500/area-51_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-AREA51-7500-R5&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT)
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce 8600 GTS
Intel® Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2GHz 2MB Cache 800MHz FSB
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 512MB
Windows Vista® Home Premium DirectX 10 Ready!
250GB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200RPM 16MB Cache
20X Dual-Layer DVD±RW
Alienware® USB Full-Size Keyboard
Standard Optical 3-Button Mouse with Scroll Wheel
Alienware Aurora 7500 (from $1,199)
(http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Aurora_7500/aurora_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-AURORA-7500-R4&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT)
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce 8600 GTS
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Processor w/ HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 512MB
Windows Vista® Home Premium – DirectX 10 Ready
250GB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200RPM 16MB Cache
20X Dual-Layer DVD±RW
Alienware® USB Full-Size Keyboard
Standard Optical 3-Button Mouse with Scroll Wheel
Custom Assembled PC's
Okay i tried to configure the best options in different price ranges from newegg.com website. I am pretty sure this will be a good help for people who want to have a look at different options available in the market before purchasing hardware.
note- i will try my best to keep this list up to date
Low end PC
(This PC actually has the cheapest components however it still is powerful enough to run latest games like crysis, etc. on medium settings on medium resolutions)
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 $25.99
Rosewill R604-P SL 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $38.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $79.99
MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-OC GeForce 8600GTS 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card ($20.00 Mail-in Rebate) $144.99
Linkworld LPG2-43-P4-IO ATX12V 630W Power Supply $25.99
Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR800D2K2/2GR ($10.00 Mail-in Rebate) $49.99
JetWay J966GDAG-PB LGA 775 Intel G965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard $76.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6550
UBISOFT Gift- Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII PC Game $169.99
Total - $612.92
Medium end
(This is performance based constitutes the best price-to-performance ratio)
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106228
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $25.99
Rosewill R604-P SL 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811147059
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $38.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136131 $149.99
GIGABYTE GA-MA790FX-DS5 AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128074
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $209.99
XFX PVT88PUDF4 GeForce 8800GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
Item #: N82E16814150264
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $209.99
Linkworld LPG2-43-P4-IO ATX12V 630W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817165004
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $25.99 (you may wanna upgrade it to 1000watt but 630 should be just fine)
CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145176 $159.00
AMD Phenom 9500 Agena 2.2GHz Quad-Core Socket AM2 95W Processor Model HD9500WCGDBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103226
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy $239.99
Rosewill RCX-Z5-Ultra 92mm x 2 Two Ball + Long Life Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835200037 $69.99
Total - $1,019.98
High End
(A bit towards the performance side of a Pc and for people who are ready to shell some extra bucks!)
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106228
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $25.99
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129021 $119.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148274 $299.99
EVGA 768-P2-N831-A3 GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130308 $549.99
CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145176 $159.00
MSI X38 Platinum LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813130135
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $249.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115017 $279.99
Rosewill RCX-Z5-Ultra 92mm x 2 Two Ball + Long Life Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835200037 $69.99
Subtotal: $1,754.93
Extreme Performance (Best of what money can buy)
COOLER MASTER CSX 830 CX-830DSPD-01 Blue Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811119127Return Policy:Manufacturer Warranty
$899.99
Seagate Cheetah 15K.5 ST3300655LW 300GB 15,000 RPM SCSI Ultra320 68pin Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822148284Return Policy:Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional $2,099.97($699.99 each)
BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXOCWCE GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814143085Return Policy:Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $1,659.98($829.99 each)
COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro1000 RS-A00-EMBA ATX12V / EPS12V 1000W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817171022Return Policy:Standard Return Policy $229.99
CORSAIR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1800 (PC3 14400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN3X20481800C7DFIN - Retail Item #: N82E16820145188Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
$554.00
ASUS MAXIMUS EXTREME LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813131235Return Policy:Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $39.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $59.99 $349.99
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Yorkfield 3.0GHz LGA 775 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569QX9650 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115034Return Policy:Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$1,295.00
Subtotal: $7,088.92
Note- Laptops will be added shortly.
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