Damien Pedler builds an all-round PC good for various computing asks.
Core System
CPU: AMD X3 Phenom II 720 Black Edition - $188
I picked this processor due to its great value. It has the advantage of an extra core over the other processors in its price range, it will outperform or equal an E8500 and it will thrash the E8500 in multithreaded games.
MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P - $126
This motherboard is a no brainer at the moment, it has a great feature set if you are looking into a single card setup and it is one of the cheapest AM3 motherboards, which takes DDR3 RAM.
RAM: 4GB Kit (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz G.Skill Pi - $92
This isn’t the cheapest 4GB DDR3 kit you can get, but it is a great balance of performance and value. It is less than $15 more than the cheapest 1333 kits and you get much better RAM.
GRAPHICS: Gigabyte GTX275 896MB - $299
This card will handle pretty much anything, and at under $300, it’s a steal! It is on par with the 4890, and depending on which review you read, either one of them is better. The only reason I picked this card over the 4890 is because for a Gigabyte it is $10 cheaper. Gigabyte is great for graphics cards due to its great warranty.
HDD: WD 640GB 16MB Sata II – $95
This a great drive for the price, go for the black or the blue if speed is your goal.
CASE: Antec 300 - $98
This is a very good case for under $100, which leaves you a good amount of money to spend on the power supply, without needing to skimp on the case.
POWER SUPPLY: Vantec ION2+ 600w - $95
Vantec are a good company that has been making a name for themselves with budget and enthusiast builders alike. They offer good quality power supplies at great prices. 600w is major overkill for this box, but the ION2+ is better than the rest of the Vantec range, so it is worth the extra.
OPTICAL DRIVE: Pioneer 218BK - $55
This disk drive seems expensive due to the price, but it is really about the same price as the rest due to the current disk drive shortage. Pioneer have long had a name for good quality burners, and this drive is no different.
Core system cost: $1,048
EXTRAS
MONITOR: Samsung 2494HS/Dell 2209WA - $340
The Samsung is a 23.6in 1080p TN panel. It is great value for money, and has decent picture quality. If picture quality is your goal then the 1680X1050 Dell is the way to go, due to its E-IPS panel, IPS is the best type of LCD panel, which means the monitor offers near perfect colours and viewing angles.
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE: Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 - $109
To me, on a great computer, the keyboard and mouse are not the place to skimp. I use this package myself, and it has a great feel to it. The mouse is right handed only though, so this is not the package for lefties.
OPERATING SYSTEM: OEM Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit SP1 – $152
Vista has been great since SP1, though with Windows 7 fast approaching, I would either make sure you can upgrade, or use Windows 7 RC1 until the retail comes out.