Custom Gaming Desktop Computer
Builds For September 2010
Here you will find my own personal recommendations for the best value gaming desktop computer builds. I update this page often to make sure that it stays with the times, because we all know how fast the computer hardware world changes. Below I have carefully selected all the parts you need for three gaming PC builds in different price ranges, depending on your budget. First off there is the budget gaming PC, then the mid-range gaming PC, and then lastly the high-end gaming PC. Most of us fall into either the budget or mid-range PC, as these are quite affordable systems to build. I have selected all these parts for a specific reason, mainly because of their excellent quality for great value. All three of these systems will be perfect for gaming in 2010. For each build all the parts work well together too.
The Budget Gaming Desktop Computer
MotherboardAsus M4A785TD-V Evo ($100) CPU AMD Phenom II X2 555 3.2 GHz ($100) RAM Corsair XMS3 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM ($100) Video Card Diamond Radeon HD 5670 1024MB ($130) Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Black 750 GB ($75) DVD Burner LG GH22NS50R DVDRW Drive ($45) Case Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case ($35) Power Supply Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450-Watt ($45)
TOTAL COST: $630 (USD)
This budget gaming desktop computer is for gamers looking for a decent gaming rig at a very affordable price. At a total cost at just under 650 (US Dollars), most people will be able to afford this build. But just because it's cheap doesn't mean it lacks quality. You will find it capable to play all of the latest games at decent quality. The Asus motherboard I chose for this build is a popular board amongst gamers and is chock-full of great features for a great price. Matched with the great value of the AMD Phenom II X2 555 CPU, and you have a very powerful base for your system. Also, 4 Gigs of quality Corsair dual channel DDR3 RAM will go a long way for a very fast PC. Now to my graphics card choice, the Diamond Radeon HD 5670 1024MB. This card is very capable and is going around for a great price, hence why I included it in this build. With this beast on-board you will experience excellent performance in the latest games. A major plus is this video card supports the latest DirectX 11 technology too. Now, you may have noticed I didn't include a dedicated sound card for this budget build and have just gone with integrated audio on the Asus motherboard. For the majority of people, this is good enough. But, if you are a massive sound buff and have an extra hundred or so dollars to burn then go ahead and buy a sound card. A good choice that comes to mind is the Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer, which is recommended in the next gaming desktop computer. Now to the case and power supply. Both are quality yet very well priced components. This particular case offers a lot of features including great cooling and LED lights, and the 450 Watt power supply is good enough to support the whole system quite nicely. Finally, the hard drive and DVD drive are both popular choices. 750 GB is ample space for all your files and games, and Western Digital is a great brand to buy. The LG DVD burner is also great, and for under 30 bucks you can't go wrong with it. So that makes up the core system for the budget gaming desktop computer build. You may be wondering "what about the monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard?". These choices I ultimately leave up to you, but at the bottom of this page I give some recommendations for these parts.
The Mid-Range Gaming Desktop Computer
MotherboardAsus P7P55 Deluxe Motherboard ($150) CPU Intel Core i5 750 ($200) RAM Corsair XMS3 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM ($100) Video Card Diamond Radeon HD 5850 1GB ($320) Sound Card Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer ($90) Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Black 750 GB ($75) DVD Burner LG GH22NS50R DVDRW Drive ($28) Case Cooler Master HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case ($90) Power Supply Cooler Master GX Series 650W ($70)
TOTAL COST: $1123 (USD)
Well, what can I say, this build is awesome. You will experience spectacular gaming performance with this gaming desktop computer, but even at great value. Expect to play all the latest and greatest games in amazing high quality, even with all the video and game settings turned on high. All the parts for this awesome mid-range gaming build have been chosen with value and performance in mind. First off there's the Intel Core i5 750 processor, which I've worked out is the best bang for your buck right now for gaming. The Asus P7P55 Deluxe Motherboard is a great companion for your i5 750 and boasts a full range of awesome features. Like the budget gaming system, I've gone with Corsair 4 GB DDR RAM for this build too. If you can afford to spend a little bit more, you can opt for 6 GB of RAM instead for even faster performance, but most people will find that 4 GB of the latest DDR3 memory is plenty for now and into the near future. Now to the beast of a video card, the Radeon 5850. This is one amazing card and it will handle any game you throw at it, even with game settings turned on high. At this moment in time, the 5850 is one of the best value cards in the mid-range video card market and that's why I chose it for this build. It also fully supports DirectX 11 gaming so it's future-proof for the next few years. For this build I have included the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card. This is a great card from a reputable company, and will have your games sound amazing in your speakers or your headphones. The hard drive, DVD burner, and case are the same as the budget build because they are all great value and do their job well. The PSU is different though, and I've included a slightly more powerful Cooler Master GX Series 650 Watt to accommodate for the extra power needed for this build. Once again, these are all the core parts you need for a working system, apart from the monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard. But I do give my recommendations for these parts next:
Peripherals, Monitor, and Speakers
For the budget and mid-range gaming PCs I haven't included any peripherals such as the monitor, speakers/headphones, mouse, or keyboard. Here are my top picks for these parts, and simply choose one that fits your budget and needs:
Mouse
Logitech MX518 Gaming Mouse $43 Logitech Gaming Mouse G500 $65
Keyboard Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard $85 Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard $180
Speakers LogitechZ-2300 $140 Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Speaker System $373
Monitor ACER X223WDbd 22" Widescreen LCD $160 Samsung P2570HD 25" Widescreen LCD $300 HP 2709M 27" Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor $380
The Dream Gaming Desktop Computer
I've saved the best until last, and this build will blow you away. If you have some decent money to spend on a gaming computer, then this build will show you how to spend it wisely on only the best parts. Check it out here:The High End Gaming Computer Build.
Conclusion
There we go, all three high-quality and high-value gaming desktop computer builds to suit all types of budgets. Keep in mind that a lot of my recommendations can be mixed and matched to suit your taste. If you have a question about any of these builds you can ask them at our Custom Desktop Computers Q&A section. Or if you have followed my advice in these guides and built one of these gaming rigs yourself then let me know how it all goes by using the contact form here. Note that I have recommended TigerDirect.com as the place to buy all these parts simply because they have the lowest prices and their shipping is fast and reliable. I've always bought my hardware from them and will continue to do so. Might I add their customer service is also top notch. Happy PC building everyone!
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