System Buyers' Guide: PCs for Under $1000

Anandtech ^ | February 12th, 2010 | Sean Hollister

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Introduction

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... it was a fantastic time to build a new PC. Last spring, with DDR2 memory prices in the toilet and budget Micro-ATX motherboards around every corner, we showed you how to piece together a quality dual-core PC for under $550—peripherals, monitor and operating system included. Then, we took the next logical step, and for the first time in Buyers' Guide history, we told you how to build a rig with no compromises—a fast chip, an overclockable motherboard, a 1080p LCD screen and even a gaming-quality graphics card—for just $300 more.

Needless to say, much has changed in the nine months since our last budget Buyers' Guide. Memory prices have risen drastically: the same exact 4GB of DDR2-800 we purchased for $27 last May would cost you $85 today. Intel has launched a series of exciting new 32nm processors—the Core i3 series in particular poised to offer serious value for mainstream computing—but at $125, they're too pricy for our budget box (though you'll find one in our mainstream config—see page 4). Windows 7 has completely supplanted Vista as the OS of choice for new PC builders and appears in all our suggested configurations, but even it comes at a $5 premium. And a number of the bang-for-the-buck parts we chose last year have been discontinued without a ready successor.

In short, it seems clear that you'll need to shell out a few more dollars if you want a new computer to match the high standards we set last year. But not all has changed for the worse. Even as DDR2 costs rise, quality DDR3 modules are close to finding price parity with their slower brethren.

[Chuck54]

bttt

[Oberon]

Pingferlater.

[Sloth]

Why would RAM go up so much?

[bicyclerepair]

You know, if you picked up a discarded pc and maxed out its ram you would probably be good to go. I do that all the time. They’re usually perfectly good computers. One I picked up just needed defrag and now works fine. I use that one for my CD collection and its connected to my stereo (never have to touch CDs again).

[Eye of Unk]

I have several functioning PC’s that are Win 95, 98, XP and Vista, as soon as a new system comes out I just buy another cheap disposable PC, I don’t bother building anything custom, my motto is this: If its current its too expensive, if its affordable its obsolete.

So all I can buy is an obsolete PC, its just a device that is not worth saving, when it has a minor problem it gets disconnected and I go get another.

I have never used one for more than two years, even in a six month period there are advances that make changes sometimes better. I know gamers, graphic artists and such are churning to defend what they own but I’m not into that.

And with all the nasty viruses and security issues its also another reason to have a timely expiration date. Trojans are so common and unique its almost impossible to detect them much less remove them.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

$1k?

I just put together a budget quad core AMD box for $419.63 shipped to the door. That’ll play HD video and do everything that most anyone outside of a hardcore gamer will need to do.

[Sloth]

Yeah, about the only reason to get the newest/fastest stuff is if you’re going to play the newest games.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Specs:

AMD Phenom 9750
Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H
4 gigs ram
750gig HD
DVD burner
Cheap microATX case.

[Nateman]

You want cheap? People throw out computers because they no longer are able to run the latest version of Windows. The same computers can however run up to date small versions of Linux. Can’t beat free.

[Dogrobber]

While it takes a bit of concentrated effort to get all of the functionality of Windows (especially the multimedia aspects - Microsoft and Hollywood lawyers making open source software codecs almost a crime to produce), Linux makes old PCs stand up and howl.

I am a new convert to Linux and am learning to debug Linux installations. Once properly setup, running Linux is a breeze. I have three computers in the house and only one is running a Microsoft product (XP). I have no intention of installing MS 7 and will presson with Linux distributions in place of MS.

Linux on an older processor and with the kind of RAM that MS products require absolutely screams. If I were to purchase a new machine I would install Linux and not MS from the get go.

[goldstategop]

Old computers can't run the latest version of Windows but they can handle Linux without choking.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Running Linux Mint 8 64 bit here...on a black AMD 7850 with 4 Gig of memory and a 500 gig Seagate HDD and a nvidia low end graphic card...

[ExTexasRedhead]

Meanwhile, everyone is broke and won’t be buying squat.

[AFreeBird]

Welcome to the *nix world.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Cheez...here is a combo offering from Newegg this morning with a Quad, case, power supply, memory, hard drive...:

AMD ATI CrossFireX Technology Starter Kit

Combo Price: $579.99

$549.99 after $30.00

Mail-In Rebate(s)

Gamers would need to add their choice of Graphics card.

Also would need to add Optical reader...

Motherboard has an ATI4200 IGA...

HDD is WD 1 TB...

Power Supply is 700 Watt....OCZ

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Reduced supply of DDR2 as manufacturers moving to DDR3....still lots of Mobos requiring DDR2.

[gura]

Welcome to the clan.

[Dogrobber]

I have long hair on my head but otherwise the picture is dead on.

[Big Giant Head]

ping for tomorrow