Our Hand-Built Systems: Cost and Performance
Photograph: Marc Simon
Value PC Shopping List
- AOpen AK89 Max motherboard: $115
- AMD Athlon 64 3000+ CPU (retail version): $230
- Kingston ValueRAM 512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM DIMM: $86
- Seagate Barracuda ST3200822A hard drive: $130
- Lite-On SOHW-812S DVD±RW drive: $90
- Abit Radeon 9600XT graphics board: $195
- Antec SLK3700-BQE case: $90
- Windows XP Home (OEM edition): $87
Total: $1023
Media PC Shopping List
- Shuttle XPC SN41G2 barebones system: $270
- 1.83-GHz AMD Athlon XP CPU: $90
- Kingston 256MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM (two): $144
- Seagate Barracuda ST3160023A 160GB hard drive: $140
- TDK IndiDVD 440N 4X DVD+-RW drive: $145
- ATI All-In-Wonder 9200 graphics board: $149
- Windows XP Home (OEM edition): $87
Total: $1023
Power PC Shopping List
- Asus SK8N motherboard: $180
- AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 CPU (retail version): $800
- Corsair 512MB PC3200 Registered DDR SDRAM DIMMs (two): $310
- Western Digital WD Raptor WD740GD 74GB hard drive (two): $420
- Lite-On SOHW-812S DVD+/-RW drive: $90
- ATI Radeon X800 XT graphics board: $480
- Aspire X-Alien ATXA7AW case: $91
- Creative Audigy 2ZS sound card: $80
- Windows XP Pro (OEM edition): $139
Total: $2590
Quiet PC Shopping List
- Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000-G motherboard: $95
- Intel Pentium 4 2.6C CPU (OEM version): $150
- Zalman CNPS7000-AlCu heatsink: $35
- Kingston ValueRAM 512MB PC3200 DDR SDRAM (two): $220
- SpinPoint P SP1614N 160GB hard drive: $105
- Lite-On SOHW-812S DVD+/-RW drive: $90
- Asus CRW-5232AS CD-RW drive: $35
- Gainward Silent FX Powerpack Ultra/980XP graphics board: $180
- Coolmax CF-400 silent power supply: $120
- Antec P-160 case: $110
- Windows XP Home (OEM edition): $87
Total: $1227
Eric Dahl and Richard Baguley are senior associate editors for PC World.
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