Hardware

The goal of this guide is to build the best gaming PC possible for a $1,000 budget. Not only will this system handle modern games, it’ll also hold its own for streaming, video editing, and graphics work. The Build CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 — $205 This is the heart of your system and you want something fast. The Intel i5 is the right choice for a gaming PC at this price. You may be tempted by an i7, but it won’t meaningfully improve gaming performance at this budget — spend that money on the GPU instead. ...

The goal of this guide is to build the best gaming PC possible for a $1,000 budget. Not only will this system handle modern games at this price point, it’ll also hold its own for everyday tasks. The Build CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 — $210 This is the heart of your system and you want something fast. The Intel i5 is the right choice for a gaming PC. Consider the K variant if you want overclocking headroom — if you can get it for the same price or less, it’s worth it. ...

So you want an HTPC (Home Theater PC / Media Center) but you’re not Mr. Money Bags? That’s fine — you can still build a great one. The goal of this build was to play HD content streamed over the network to an HDTV. The requirements were: Powerful enough to handle 1080p Blu-ray rips Fairly compact Fairly quiet Inexpensive The Parts Barebone System: Foxconn R10-G3 — $80 This kit comes with an HTPC case, 250W PSU, and an LGA775 motherboard. It’s a great value — the board has a gigabit Ethernet port (essential for streaming HD over a network), 6-channel S/PDIF audio out, and includes 2 SATA cables. Build quality is solid. ...