Now just a small disclaimer, I actually know very little about building a computer, pretty much every thing here is just stuff I've collected from trawling through countless other threads. There's also the fact that this sort of stuff goes out of date pretty quickly, so I'll try and keep it updated as much as possible. I've put the date that the builds were posted up where possible, its definitely something you should take into account. There's also a lot of sections that aren't filled in, hopefully people can let me know what's good and bad so I can fix that.
I've divided it up into 3 categories:
-Computer Builds that people have posted
-Individual parts with prices and comparisons.
-Websites where you can buy the parts.
Computer Builds:
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Cheap Builds:
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Under $500
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Mahani's Build
$330 From Newegg
11th July 2009
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CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G
RAM: PNY OPTIMA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0
Graphics: on board
$500-$750
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Flow.Of.Soul's Build
$600 Shipped From Newegg
6th August 2009
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CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor
Motherboard: ASUS M4A78 Plus AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
PSU: Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Videocard: VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB
DVD Drive: LG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD
Burner
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Spoolinoveryou's Build
$700
July 2009
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CPU: Intel i7 quad-core
GPU: Nvidia 9800GTX
RAM: 2GB
PSU: 600watt
HDD: 500GB
$750-$1000
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Brood's Build
$820 From Newegg
11th April 2010
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R1ch's Hotbid Build
~$800
19th February 2010
Uhgotosleep's Build
$1000 Budget
3rd March 2010
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Computer Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129058
Motherboard: ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402
Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858
CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 555 Callisto 3.2GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276
POwer Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175
KOFgokuon's Build
$900 with reused parts
9th January 2010
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ASUS P7P55 LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - $104.99
Core i5 750 Processor Boxed $160.35
OCZ Agility Series 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $129.99
OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $34.80
OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $87.99
(My first set of RAM was backordered so I ordered another pair from newegg because I'm impatient..and then the other one shipped =p_
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW $44.99
Gateway FHD2401 Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - 179.99
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM $99.99 newegg
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS 500W $54.99 obtained
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $29.99
Reusing:
18X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
SONY 16X DVD-ROM
PNY Vertigo 9600 GSO 768 MB
Total: $898.99
Romance_us's Build
$760
6th January 2010
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CPU: i5-750 2.66ghz (quad core) = $195
GPU: Radeon 4870HD (this is probably too high end a graphics card for you) = $155
RAM: Crucial 4GB (2x2) DDR3-1333 SDRAM = $95
MoBo: Foxconn Micro Mobo = $90 (1156 socket, like the CPU)
Case: Azza Orion = $35
Hard drive: Samsung spinpoint F3 250GB @ 7200RPM with a 16MB cache = $55
PSU: Diablotek 650w = $50 (on sale at newegg right now I think)
ROM: Sony Optiarc DVD burner (has decent speeds) = $30
Cooler: Noctua 92mm cpu cooler = $55
Bobilon's Build
€970
6th November 2009
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130E - Antec Three Hundred + Corsair VX550W
or
130E - Xigmatec Midgard + Corsair VX550W
110E - Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3
260E - Core i7 860
60E - Noctua NH-U12P SE2
80E - 4Gb DDR3 PC12800 Corsair/Kingston/OCZ/…
50E - WD Caviar Blue 640GB (AAKS)
250E - HD5850 1Gb
30E - Graveur DVD
970E - TOTAL
Haduken's Builds
$750/$777
4th November 2009
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Yenta's Build
$750
20th August 2009
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Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P
AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE
ASUS PCI-E GeForce 9600GT 512MB DDR3 256bit EN9600GT/HTDI/512M/A
Kingston 4GB(2*2GB)DDR3 1066MHz CL7 KVR1066D3N7K2/4G
Antec Gamer Three Hundred B/Z
Seagate 500 GB Barracuda 7200.12 (16MB, Serial ATA II) ST3500418AS
Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 460W PFC
Samsung SH-S223F Black
Ghermination's Build
$950
20th August 2009
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Case/Power Supply: XCLIO Godspeed Two Advanced + XCLIO Goodpower 500w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.233818
$74.98
CPU/Motherboard: Core 2 Duo E8400 @3.0ghz + Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.241196
$302.98
CPU Fan/Heatsink: Xigmatek Dark Knight 120mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029
$44.98
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433
$89.99
Memory: A-Data 4gb (2x2gb) DDR2-800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211188
$46.99
Video Card: GTX 260 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150398
$159.98
Computer Components: $704.91
Monitors: 2x Hanns-G HW-191ApB Black 19"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254023
$229.98
Mid-Range:
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$1000-$1250
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Zgl's Build
Just over $1000
3rd May 2010
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http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=18855188
With following differences.
1. Intel Xeon X3440 ( = cheaper Core i7 860 in disguise, 4 cores, 8 threads, awesome performance with TurboBoost and/or OC)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819117225
2. Appropriate motherboard to accommodate CPU change
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813128425
3. Lian-Li Case (aluminum = lighter, the fit and finish is far above the Antec 300)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112249 or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112218
4. G.Skill Eco RAM instead of Rip Jaw (because Core i5/i7 platforms really benefit from lower voltage ram)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820231319
5. Seasonic M12II 520w (modular version of the S12II suggested above)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817151093
$1250-$1500
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Top End:
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$1500-$2000
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Maareek's Build
$1800
29th April 2010
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Monitor: ASUS MS226H with this HDMI cable: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812339005
Speakers: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121006
Processor: i5-750
Motherboard: ASUS P7P55
DVD Burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160&cm_re=haf_932-_-11-119-160-_-Product
SSD: X25-M 80GB
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284 Caviar Black 1TB
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180 G.Skill, 4GB kit
Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102883 Radeon HD5870 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?
Item=N82E16814121372 Gefore 470.
Cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
Wr3k's Build
$1636 From Newegg
24th December 2009
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i7 920 (Preferrably one of the D0 stepping batches, because they overclock better, but with newegg.com you can't choose): $310
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202&cm_re=i7_920-_-19-115-202-_-Product
Asus P6T mobo: $255 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131359&cm_re=asus_p6t-_-13-131-359-_-Product
G.Skill 3x2GB 1600MHz Ram: $159 ttp://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225
XFX 5870: $454 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150456&cm_re=5870-_-14-150-456-_-Product
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX: $110 (AMAZING DEAL) http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&cm_re=corsair_650-_-17-139-005-_-Product
Prolimatech Megahalems heatsink: $63 http://www.jab-tech.com/Prolimatech-Megahalems-CPU-Cooler-775-1366-1156-Rev-B-pr-4557.html
Scythe Slip Stream 1900rpm for the heatsink: $8 http://www.jab-tech.com/Scythe-KAZE-JYUNI-SLIP-STREAM-120mm-Case-Fan-SY1225SL12SH-1900rpm-pr-3945.html
Seagate 7200rpm HDD: $94 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433
Sony Optiarc Black Sata: $33 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030
Antec 902: $150 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129058&Tpk=antec 902
TOTAL COST: $1636 Before Tax/Shipping.
$2000-$2500
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$2500+
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Parts:
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As of now, this section is empty. Hopefully people can recommend various parts and then I can put them in here with prices and performance comparisons. The CPU section is taken from http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/267801-10-buyer-guide and is only a placeholder to show what I hope to have for all sections eventually.
CPUs
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Low-End
AMD Athlon II 250: This CPU is cheap and very fast at stock speeds. For around $60 bucks you can have a CPU that will run almost any game and make for a very snappy operating environment. This CPU runs very "cool 'n' quiet", and runs in a current socket. It overclocks decently, but not like the e5200. Recommended for running at or around stock speeds for a sure thing.
AMD Athlon II 435: This CPU is cheap and quick, and just over $70. It's fast, it OCs a bit, and isn't very warm. Like the rest of the Athlon II line, it runs in Socket AM3, a modern socket. Recommended for gaming or a compromise between gaming and threaded performance.
Intel Pentium Dual-Core e5200: This CPU is very cheap as well, also around $70. It performs poorly at stock speed, but is a formidable OCer. Of course, OCing is a tossup, you will need a decent motherboard and cooling that will handle the overclock, and you could always get a bad CPU. But if you don't, and you probably won't, you will get some of the best value available. Recommended only for big overclockers.
AMD Phenom II 555: This CPU can be had for around $100, and it smokes both the Athlon II and the Pentium Dual-core at stock and OCd. It brings tremendous value to the table, it will run any current game very well, and there is a decent possibility you can unlock disabled cores on a SB710 or 750 motherboard. A good performer at stock and overclocked speeds. NOT recommended for productivity or media editing PCs, this is all about the gaming.
AMD Athlon II X4: Again, an excellent value low-end quadcore. Can be had for around $100. Outperformed by the Q8400, but cheaper than either that or the Phenom II 720. Not an excellent gaming CPU, it has poor performance-per-clock, but four physical cores allow it to excel in heavily multithreaded applications. Not a great overclocker. Recommended for home and work PCs not used for gaming.
Mid-End.
Intel Core i3 530: This CPU can be had for around $120. Games tremendously, and OCs quite well, if not with the best reliability. Beats the Phenom II 555 just well enough to justify the price premium. If you need more threaded performance, consider the Phenom II 720 (before it's phased out), or the Athlon II X4, which performs much better in more parallel universes.
AMD Phenom II 720: This CPU can be had around $120, and performs very well in gaming, and adequately in encoding or productivity tasks. Overclocks generally well, does not unlock consistently. Will run any game, again, not a great productivity unit. Recommended for gaming and all-purpose PCs.
AMD Phenom II 955: A very solid performer. Can be had for $165, or less with good combo deals. Good overclocker, but can be a bit warm as well. Needs its voltage. Excels in gaming at stock and overclocked, performs well in other areas too. Does not perform at the level of the Core i5 at stock, gains some ground back at higher clocks, but still doesn't consistently win, but it's unit and system cost make it very attractive. Recommended for all medium-end systems. For more performance in this class, look to a Core i5 750 for a little extra dough.
Intel Core i5 750: An excellent performer. Can be had for $200. Excellent overclocker, tends to need alot of voltage. Only real drawback is platform limitations, and to a lesser extent, platform cost. CPU cost can be misleading; the price for a Core i5 systemis generally higher than that of a Core 2 or Phenom II system. Quad-threaded and under performance is excellent, but loses badly to the Phenom II X6 and Core i7s once more threads are in play, and concerns have been raised about the longevity of the LGA-1156 platform relative to LGA-1366 and AM3 platforms, possibly valid. Limited to 8X-8X SLi and Crossfire, not much of an issue outside of top-end GPU configurations. If these are issues, get an AM3 or LGA-1366. Under these conditions, recommended for mid-high-end gaming PCs. Note: requires memory with voltage of 1.65V or lower.
AMD Phenom II 1055T: For $200 the cheapest hexa-core processor out now performs admirably for it's price tag. Comepetes with the more expensive i7 860/920 in more multithreaded applications, but loses quite badly once in less mutithreaded situations. Not a gaming CPU, but a fantastic buy for more productivity-oriented machines. OCing seems good, but I'll update this soon when more results come in. Very strongly recommended for middle-end non-gaming machines.
The LGA1156 platform has issues with Foxconn sockets that are prone to burning under (very) heavy load. As of now, all hell hasn't broken loose, and most if not all failures have been on well-overclocked systems. As always, buy and OC with care.
The High-End.
Intel Core i7 860/920: Here is the big performance - the fastest CPU architecture on the planet. The 920 Can be had for $280, and with a much noticeably more expensive platform cost than the LGA-1156 and AM3 platforms. This architecture has an outrageous performance lead when clock-for-clock, and OCs very high under the right cooling. Be willing to pay a price premium for a D0 stepping processor, which are the best overclockers. The i7 series provides exceptional SLi and Crossfire performance in gaming, and own all non-gaming benchmarks. Recommended for all high-end productivity or top-end, multi-card gaming systems. The 860 has some mild SLi/Crossfire scaling issues, as it only supports an 8x8 interface, but on top-end current-gen cards, this is a <10% performance loss, and usually <5%. If you plan on Crossfiring HD5XX0s, or SLiing Fermis if and when they're released, maybe go with the LGA-1366 platform.
The LGA1156 platform has issues with Foxconn sockets that are prone to burning under (very) heavy load. As of now, all hell hasn't broken lose, and most if not all failures have been on well-overclocked systems. As always, buy and OC with care.
AMD Phenom II 1090T: A monster CPU. A blunt-force counter to Intel's superior architecture, this is a very large piece of silicon, with MOAR TRANSISTERS!!! For $20-$30 more than the cheaper i7s, the 1090T tends to outperform them in multithreaded apps, but loses more often than not otherwise. Should overclock well, but we'll see. Recommended for all high-end machines, but pure gamers would likely be better served with an i5 or i7.
Motherboards
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GPU
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RAM
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Power Supplies
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Cases
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Hard Drives
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Optical Drives
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Monitor
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Others
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Websites:
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Other links:
Fragkrag's SC2 Benchmark Thread
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/categories-list.htm
Newegg Value Widget