THE TRUE TEST OF A SKILLFUL PC BUILDER
WITHIN THE WALLS OF OUR OFFICE, people often say “go big or go home” when it comes to building a system. Multiple graphics cards, unnecessary amounts of memory, and irresponsible volumes of storage space. And while it’s fun and entertaining to build monster systems, there are times when a compact, practical, and affordable system can equally be a beast in a different manner.
People generally try to aim for the $700 mark. For the most part, this is a good price for a budget system. A cheap build may come in at $500, which is pretty svelte when it comes to keeping money in your pocket. So, what if it were possible to have a full-fledged PC that is as potent as it is thrifty?
When money’s no object, things actually become fairly easy. Pick the best parts or choose the most expensive stuff you can get your hands on. It’s a greater challenge to be strategic about component selection in order to achieve a low price. How low? We’re talking an obscenely low $300.
Building such a system, however, requires a bit of careful planning, not only in parts selection, but prices, discounts, and other factors. You basically have to put on a bargain hunter’s thinking cap, and be smart about how and where to source your parts. Shipping charges are re accounted for. Rebates are tallied. And nd price-history tools are an invaluable le asset with which to arm yourself.
Once you’ve mastered the art of being ng frugal, it’s time to learn how to squeeze ze the most performance out of the system. Everything matters, and learning how to control what goes on when you’re using your PC is critical. Which is why we show you how to dish out an exacting command of Windows’ Task Manager.
Often overlooked, Task Manager is more powerful now than it has ever been. Sure, you can use it as a tool for seeing system load and resource usage, but it can do so much more. We show you how to control individual processes, and how to give jurisdiction over their utilization of your CPU’s precious cycles. Then learn the ins and outs of services and start-up applications, so you can ensure nothing is running that isn’t needed.
Due to the nature of our jobs, our team of editors is often swimming in pools of hardware. We’re always just an arm’s reach away from some piece of gear that, by itself, costs many times more than our challenge build. Have I ever built such a system myself? Yes, but not nearly at the skill level that Zak and Alan exerted this issue. The cheapest system I ever built was a measly $600, which doesn’t even hold a candle to their builds. If I were to build such a system, I would more than likely hunt for pre-owned parts—which is absolutely acceptable, and is actually part of timing your purchases.
There’s little doubt that a $300 system will deliver maximum value for maximum savings. Go small or go home. Tu an Nguyen is Maximum PC’s editor-inchief, also known as“the pointy end of the stick .” He’ s been writing, marketing, and raising hell in the te chi nd us try for 19 years.