Budget system - September 2006
Budget system
Looking for the best all-round performance for a low price? Check out our budget configuration.
Configuration
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Intel Pentium D 805 | Processors |
| With the Pentium D 805, Intel unleashed a true revolution in the budget segment. The original plan was to make it possible for computer vendors to offer dual-core systems for less than $ 500. The CPU has an extremely low price, but is a full featured dual-product with ditto performance. Due to its low clock frequency (2.66 GHz with a 533 MHz frontside bus) the Pentium D 805 is slower than all more expensive dual-core processors, but many users proved that the chip can work flawlessly at much higher clock frequencies. Without a doubt the ultimate processor for budget systems! | ||
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Intel Boxed Cooler (v. 1) | CPU coolers |
| Intel's boxed cooler offers more than enough cooling performance for the Pentium D 805 and is relatively silent. | ||
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1 GB (2x 512 MB) DDR2-667 | Memory modules |
| Memory prices keep falling and even for a budget PC there is no point in selecting less than 1 GB anymore. The chosen mainboard supports DDR2-667 memory, which makes this the ideal choice. | ||
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ASUS P2LD2 SE (Intel 945P chipset) | Mainboards |
| De ASUS P5LD2 SE is a proper and affordable mainboard based on Intels 945P chipset, with support for the dual-core Pentium D processors. The board features all technologies included in the 945 chipset, without much fuss. A great choice for a budget PC. | ||
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ATI Radeon X1600 Pro 256 MB PCI-E | 3D chips |
| As the graphics card for the budget PC we choose a ATI Radeon X1600 Pro this month. This modern chip support all technologies in the newest 3D games and also features great video quality. When we compare the card to nVidia's GeForce 6600, the Radeon X1600 Pro is definitely a great performer. Be sure to pick a card with 256 MB memory; that way you are up and running for Windows Vista! | ||
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Multifunctional cardreader | Cardreader |
| An internal card reader is a cheap and very convenient addition to your computer; with the popularity of digital cameras it is very convenient when you can insert your memory cards directly into your PC. There is no point in including a 3.5" disk drive in a mid-range system nowadays. | ||
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Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 160 GB | Hard disks (internal) |
| For the budget system we choose a Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 hard disk with 160 GB capacity. Our tests prove that this drive combines great performance with a very reasonable price. | ||
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Samsung SH-S182D | Optical drives |
| The Samsung SH-S182 is one the first DVD writers that can write DVD discs at a maximum speed of 18x. According to our tests the avarage writing speed of this drive surpasses 13x. Only a few types of DVD+R and DVD-R discs can be written on this high speed, but the Samsung drive still proved to burn all other DVD+R and DVD-R discs we have tested at 16x. When we average all our benchmarks, the Samsung SH-S182 turns out to be the fastest DVD writer currently available. With an average quality score of 58.6 points in our tests, the drives performs better than most other DVD writers. To make your choice even easier, the price tag of the SH-S182 is very low, which means that the Samsung drive has an unbeatable price/performance ratio. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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Creative Inspire P380 2.1 channel | Speaker sets |
| The Creative Inspire P380 is dirt cheap, but still offers very fair sound quality. Ideal for a budget PC. | ||
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Logitech Optical Pilot Wheelmouse | Mouse |
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Logitech Deluxe Access Keyboard | Keyboard |
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Belinea 10 17 20 | Monitors |
| Our tests prove that the Belinea 10 17 20 is one of the most affordable 17" TFT monitors. The screen features an 8 ms. response time and gets good scores in our brightness and contrast test. Even though the price is low, Belinea offers a DVI connection and a nice design. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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Procase Zirco | Cases |
| The Procase Zirco casing combines a nice design with great ease of use, enough room for all your hardware and a very reasonable price tag. For the budget system we recommend the case together with a 350 W power supply. | ||
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Click here for the detailpage of this product. |
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3D chips
All-in-ones
Barebones
Case fans
Cases
CPU coolers
Game controllers
Graphics cards
Hard disks (external)
Hard disks (internal)
Keyboards
Mainboards
Memory cards
Memory modules
Mice
Monitors
Mouse pads
NAS devices
Notebooks
Optical drives
Power supplies
Powerline adapters
Printers
Processors
Routers
Servers
Sound cards
Speaker sets
Storage controllers
Systems
USB flash drives
Video card coolers
Webcams
