James Moffat - Gaming PC

James Moffat is student at La Trobe University, Melbourne and always wanted to have a decent gaming computer that didn't break the bank. He says: "It's been my constant project that never seems to end. I like to be able to play around with overclocking a bit too. Looking back at the overall cost of my computer, it probably will add up to over $2,200. I must note that I didn't purchase all of these parts in a small time frame. It has been a constant stop-and-start process, buying only when I could afford things, over a number of years. This is why some of the components might seem a little older than others. I actually think my gaming system is a budget system compared to what is available these days and usually for much less!"

CORE SYSTEM

CPU: Intel Core Duo E8400 - $181
It's a fairly old CPU now but when I bought it, it was still quite new. I wanted something with two cores and good performance without being too pricey. The E8400 fit snugly in that category. It also lets me overclock it.

COOLING: Zalman CNPS9300 AT - $50
Again, looked for something with generally good performance that wasn't going to cost the earth. Zalman had a good reputation but I was still in the dark about what to buy so I asked for some guidance from my trusty computer shop and they recommended it. Keeps my CPU in the low 40s and that's with the system overclocked.

MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5Q-E WiFi-AP - $220
I really like ASUS boards but I specifically bought this one because I needed an on-board wireless card. Where I live, I can only access the net wirelessly, meaning a wireless connection is vital. I knew I wanted to install two graphics cards in Crossfire down the track and space was sparse, especially in keeping the airflow running freely against the cards. The board is well configured and has great additions too.

GRAPHICS: ATI Powercolor 4850 (2 in crossfire) - $200 each - $400
When I bought both of these cards, they were rated as solid all-rounders. They do not have the grunt of some of the more expensive cards but I am always on a budget and something mid-range suited me more. I added the second card in Crossfire just to get that little bit extra from the graphics.

RAM: 4Gb OCZ 8500 Reaper - $189
Wasn't sure what RAM to use, what with so many types out there with different performance. I did some research on some of the better ones and the Reaper kit results came out well with good timings and the ability to configure to squeeze out a little more from them. I originally was on a 32-bit OS thus 1 gig was being wasted but have since moved to a 64-bit system and the difference is noticeable.

AUDIO: Creative X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Pro Series - $200
I know that the onboard sound for most motherboards is top quality now, but I have had this card for a while and can't bring myself to replace it with onboard hardware. It does produce good sound though!

HARD DRIVE 1: Western Digital Black Caviar 1TB - $135
Would love to have a solid state drive or the Velocilraptor drive but both are too expensive and I really need the storage. The WD can be a little noisy sometimes but I never intended on making my computer ultra quiet. The drive is extra fast and large enough to store most of my data.

HARD DRIVE 2: Samsung 640 GB - $65
It was my original drive before I purchased the WD Black and that became my main drive. I've always found Samsung drives to be reliable and affordable. This Samsung drive was both and I still use it for extra storage and future use. You can never have too much space!

OPTICAL DRIVE: Pioneer DVR218 Sata - $42
Had a Sony DVD writer for longer than I could remember but I had to replace it recently because it was making poor DVD burns and wasn't reading a lot of burnt DVDs. It was also only IDE, and I wanted to rid my case of IDE components. The Pioneer series has a good reputation and was also SATA.

PSU: Antec TPower 650W - $152
I think the general public has been duped into buying massive power supplies when they just are not needed. I even suspect that 650W is overkill but I wanted to be on the safe side with my Crossfire cards without going overboard. I took into account my overclocking, USB dependent devices, two graphics cards and hard drives before choosing this PSU.

CASE: Antec P182 - $180
It's stylish and well cooled. The power supply at the bottom of the case can make for some interesting cabling but generally I like it. The space inside, its look outside, and its cooling (I added an extra 120mm fan to push air across the two graphics cards) make for a good case.

Core system cost: AUD $1,814

EXTRAS

MONITOR: 22in Samsung 226BW - $260
Great monitor for gaming with 8ms response times. The image is really good too. I actually have on my wish-list to get a second one, but it's not a necessity. Fits my budget and really is a great product.

KEYBOARD: Logitech G11 - $50
I really wanted a G15 at the time but they were all out of stock. Probably for the better, I don't think I'd use the LCD screen for any real purpose anyway. The feature of the G11 I love the most is the back-lit keyboard. Makes late night gaming a breeze and the LED colour (blue) matches my mouse.

MOUSE: Razer Deathadder V1 - $81
A good mouse really can change your game style and game play. I used to use cordless mice but found their response times in gaming to be a little slow. Razer provide some great gaming mouses and the Deathadder is excellent. I needed a mouse that was large and heavy as I use it more with my palm than my fingertips.

OPERATING SYSTEM:  Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - $
I had been using Windows 7 build 7000 32-bit since it was released to the public in Jan '09 followed by using the Release Candidate in July '09. When it was finally released I took the plunge and bought the 64-bit version of Windows 7. I bought Home Premium because I couldn't see me using the added extras of Ultimate, especially for nearly $100 more on the price tag.