PC Design Guide: Under $1000

A guide to purchasing the best machine for under $1000AUD

Building a new system can become tedious very quickly. Choosing suitable parts requires a fair amount of research, or there's the option of buying a pre-built OEM machine. Building a PC yourself can save a fair bit of money whilst ensuring maximum performance per dollar. Below is a build for under $1000AUD which is suitable for most home users, including gamers. Prices are from StaticICE, where the first 10 results (minus outliers) are averaged for the final price. The build does not include external peripherals or an OS.

CPU: Intel C2D E8500 3.16GHz - $254
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3L - $148
RAM: 2 x 2GB Kingston 1066MHz DDR2 - $92
GPU: XFX HD4770 512MB - $165
HDD: Western Digital 1TB - $116
DVD-RW: Pioneer DVR-217BK 20x - $42
PSU/Case: Antec NSK6580 - $163

Total: $980

This system includes the popular E8500 CPU which is famous for its overclocking ability. Even at stock speeds, it's quite the performer. 4GB of high speed DDR2 RAM is bundled to ensure that there's enough memory for memory intensive applications. XFX's HD4770 is also a great piece of kit for overclockers, it's fast at stock, but push it a little further and it puts higher end cards to shame.

For those who have a large collection of files and media to store, the Western Digital 1TB (1000GB) hard disk drive is essential. As for the optical drive, Pioneer have been producing high quality products for years. The DV-217 is no exception to this, it's quiet, reliable and fast.

Finally, the Case/PSU bundle is great for a budget build. Usually PSUs bundled with cases are dodgy, however Antec have provided a 430W EarthWatts unit to ensure a stable PC. It's also 80PLUS certified!

Well there you have it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments. Enjoy. :)