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PCSTATS April 2009 ShoppingList Assistance
PCSTATS April 2009 ShoppingList Assistance - PCSTATS
There are finally some affordable SLI-capable X58 motherboards, which seemed like a good reason to switch from running one Geforce GTX 260 videocard to a pair of them in SLI mode. Crucial also has DDR3 memory for dirt-cheap, pick it up while it's hot! PCSTATS ShoppingList is a guide to help you get good PC gear, because it's filled with suggestions we'd actually buy ourselves.
Filed under: Business / Industry Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: PCSTATS Apr 01 2009   Max Page  
Home > Reviews > Business / Industry > PCSTATS

PCSTATS
April 2009 ShoppingList Assistance

Picking the right components for a new computer system or upgrade can be a daunting task. The PCSTATS ShoppingList is a guide to help you get good PC gear, because it's filled with suggestions we'd actually buy ourselves. Below you'll find three ShoppingList's which you can use as a general set of guidelines for what to get, or where to start looking. PCSTATS covers the basic components needed to assemble a full PC system and lists the average $USD price each part retails for. Use the ShoppingList as a guide to build a better "white box" system, or follow our recommendations to the letter - it's totally up to you.

The ShoppingList is updated on the 1st of each month so as prices drop and new computer hardware is released it reflects the changes. However, just because something newer and faster has come to market, it doesn't mean it's worth getting right away! Be sure to read the "Notes" section for a brief explanation of why some hardware made it onto the list, and why other gear didn't.

$449 Budget PC System
$999 Mainstream PC System
$2000 High-End Performance/Gaming System

The PCSTATS ShoppingList covers three different types of desktop computers to reflect differing consumer budgets, and requirements. Each system contains a full list of the most important hardware you'll need which is widely available in stores, or online. If you've every wanted to ask "what should I get", then the PCSTATS ShoppingList is your answer. Each list contains recommended hardware that we would actually consider getting ourselves. When we've reviewed the hardware in question, we'll also include a link so you can get an in-depth perspective.

PCSTATS Shopping List Assistance

$500 Budget System Parts List

April 2009
Avg. Price* Description / Model No. Review
$59 Intel Celeron-D 430 Processor Get $ Price -

$44

Foxconn G31MV-K LGA775 Motherboard Get $ Price -
- On Board Video
$28 G.Skill 2GB DDR2 800MHZ Memory Get $ Price -

$69

Seagate 500GB 7200.12 Hard Drive Get $ Price -
$20 Lite-on 20x DVD Rewriter Get $ Price -

$38

LinkWorld Black Midtower Case w/ 430W PSU Get $ Price -

$130

ASUS VH202T Black 20" Monitor Get $ Price -
($112) Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System OEM
- Also Consider: Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem, Speakers.
$369 Estimated Overall Price
* All prices are approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity.

Notes: Even more price slashing madness! The Asus VH202T is a 20" LCD monitor that can be had for a mere $130, and the Foxconn G31MV-K can be expanded to hold up to 4GB of memory.

PCSTATS Shopping List Assistance

$999 Mainstream Parts List

April 2009
Avg. Price* Description / Model No. Review

$153

AMD Phenom X3 710 2.6GHz Socket AM3 Get $ Price
$87 ECS A780GM 780G Motherboard Get $ Price -
$45 Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 Get $ Price -
$316 His Radeon 4890 1GB Get $ Price -

$69

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB Hard Drive Get $ Price -
$22 LG GSA-H54N 18X Write DVD Optical Drive Get $ Price -

$74.99

Sunbeam Freezing-Storm Black ATX Mid Tower Case 450W Get $ Price -
$199 Acer X203HBD 24" LCD 1080p Monitor Get $ Price -
($112) Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Operating System OEM
- Also Consider: Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem, Speakers.

$967

Estimated Overall Price
* All prices are approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity.

Notes: We had to put in the latest and greatest AMD videocard, the Radeon HD 4890, in our new mainstream system. Coupled with the AMD Phenom X3 processor and this system should be able to handle pretty much any game out there.

PCSTATS Shopping List Assistance

$2000 High-End Performance Parts List

April 2009
Avg. Price* Description / Model No. Review

$350

Intel Core i7 920 Quad-Core Socket LGA1366, 2.66Ghz Processor Get $ Price
$238 Zotac X58SLI-A-E Motherboard Get $ Price -
$99

Crucial 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 Memory

Get $ Price -
$210 x 2 EVGA GTX 260 576MHZ 896MB Video Card Get $ Price -

-

$90 x 2

Western Digital Caviar 640GB SATA2 7200RPM Hard Drive

Get $ Price -

$34

Pioneer 216D 20X Optical Drive Get $ Price
$90

Cooler Master ATCS 840 Full Tower Case

Get $ Price -
$85 Sunbeam PSU-HUSH680-US-BL 680W PSU Get $ Price

$240

Acer X233H 23IN LCD Widescreen Monitor Black 1920X1080 40000:1 5MS VGA DVI HDMI Get $ Price -
($199) Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Operating System OEM
- Also Consider: Operating System, Keyboard, Mouse, 3.5" Floppy Drive, 56K Modem, Speakers.
$1863 Estimated Overall Price
* All prices are approximations and are listed in $CDN for simplicity.
Notes: There are finally some affordable SLI-capable X58 motherboards, which seemed like a good reason to switch from running one Geforce GTX 260 videocard to a pair of them in SLI mode. Crucial also has DDR3 memory for dirt-cheap, pick it up while it's hot!

Operating systems, keyboard / mouse, floppy drives, 56K modem, 10/100 network cards, and speakers are not listed separately or included in the overall target budget since they are very common requirements, or may not be needed.


 

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