The Budget Box: October 2009 Edition
- Tuesday, 27 October 2009 22:12
The Budget Box is an all-around box for those on a budget, and this includes gamers. For a more purist, truly minimal box, look at our occasional Ultimate Budget Box instead, which omits any pretense at gaming ability and keeps costs as low as reasonably possible.
As the most value-oriented of the main three-box System Guide, the Budget Box aims to stay under $800 with monitor, mouse and keyboard. Lately we've found that we can aim more towards $700, although we do spend a tad more than needed in a few places simply because we think the value is better. The wide choice in dual-core, triple-core, and quad-core processors is one example, as is the improved performance of video cards for just a few bucks more.
This update fails to stay around $700, instead creeping back up towards the upper $800 price cap, mostly due to a substanial increase in CPU power (and cost) that is starting to be used in more and more applications. A secondary issue is a jump in memory prices away from their record lows that marked the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009, a jump that put them easily at three times more than their lowest point. Consumers may weep, but we adapt as the market demands. Several other sight tweaks, including a chassis with a more efficient power supply, also raise the cost a smidgen. It adds up, so read on and see what makes the most sense for your individual build.
