While Im waiting on the bank to get their act togethor so I can get my money to build my own computer I thought I might look at alternatives and building a gaming computer on budget. It seems pricey prebuilt behemoth speed machines rule the PC gaming world, but with ever-falling component costs (and color-coded cables), why not build your own gaming computer? If your desktop shipped this century, chances are the case, drives, and peripherals are still up to snuff. You can get everything else at wholesale prices from online retailers like Mwave,Newegg, or ZipZoomfly. Here’s what you need to create a Crysis-capable or Call Of Duty powerhouse gaming machine for less than a grand. So lets price some components.

Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P Motherboard – AMD 790X, Socket AM3, ATX, Audio, CrossFireX, PCI Express 2.0, Gigabit LAN, USB 2.0, SATA, RAID

Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P Mobo w/ 4GB PC12800 DDR3Get in on the AM3 revolution with this high-powered Gigabyte AMD Socket AM3 ATX motherboard. Built for AMD Socket AM3 Phenom II, the Gigabyte is an ideal platform for extreme PCs capable of spectacular gaming and multimedia performance.

Based on the AMD 790X/SB750 chipset, the Gigabyte is compatible with processors with up to 5200 MT/s FSB.

• Supports HyperTransport 3.0, DDR2 667, 800, 1066, & 1333 memory
• PCIe X16/x1, PCI, SATA 3Gb/s with RAID 0, 1, 5 and 0+1, Gigabit LAN
• high-definition 7.1-channel audio
• USB 2.0. And the Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P Motherboard offers numerous overclocking features , to provide unprecedented performance for a motherboard in this affordable price range.
• This mobo is loaded with CrossFireX support, and 8 rear panel USB ports!
• If you’re ready to build a powerhouse AM3 system, Gigabyte has the perfect motherboard to anchor your new PC – the AMD 790X Socket AM3 motherboard.

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 CPU

($230)
Nobody does parallel processors better than Intel (for now). After you socket the CPU and affix the heat sink, don’t forget to plug in the fan.

Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX DDR2 memory sticks ($34.99)

Corsair XMS2 4GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory
Special heat sinks keep these sticks from flash-frying.

EVGA e-GeForce 9800GT 512MB ($109.99)


EVGA GeForce 9800 GT Video Card
Per dollar, one of the fastest videocards ever made. Accept no substitutes.

Ultra X2 550W PSU ($85)
This power supply’s modular cables let you feed only what you need (like that smokin’ graphics card).

Ive also written about building home computer systems and gaming computers. Follow these links for more info.

Build a new gaming computer