$1250 Gaming PC: How does two Geforce GTX 460 1GB in SLI sound to you?
This Build features two Geforce GTX 460 in SLI. Note that the actual cards may look different, depending on the model that you pick.
Upcoming Updates
Last week, I updated the $400 Gaming PC, the $500 Gaming PC and the $600 Gaming Computer.
Earlier this week, I updated the $700 Gaming Computer, the $850 Gaming Computer as well as the $1000 Gaming Computer. Today I’m updating the $1250 Gaming PC.
Expect updates to the more expensive ($1500+) Gaming Builds, as well as a few new more powerful Gaming Builds ($2500+) starting in the second week of August, with updates to our Best Of type of articles next week.
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This version compared to the previous version of the $1250 Gaming Build:
- The CPU got a slight downgrade, from the Intel Core i7 860 2.8GHz Quad-Core HT to the Intel Core i5 760 2.8GHz Quad-Core. The only thing that you lose here is Hyper-Threading, which pretty much makes no difference in video games performance, as you can see in this iXBT Labs article.The story is different when it comes to say, video converting, but last time I checked, this was a Gaming PC. Of course, if you want the do video converting on this PC and want top-notch performance while doing so, you can upgrade the CPU to one with HT.Note that by doing this slight downgrade, you lose no performance in video games, yet save $80 that can be used on other parts.
- The Video card gets a major upgrade from a Radeon HD 5870 1GB to two Gigabyte Geforce GTX 460 1GB in SLI. For $460, you get more performance than the fastest single-GPU video card, the Geforce GTX 480 (which is faster than the Radeon HD 5870). Heck, you get performance close to the $700 Radeon HD 5970!! Talk about bang for your buck. P.S. Remember that $80 that you just saved on the CPU? This is where most of it went.
- The Motherboard was changed from a GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA1156 SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 Crossfire 8x/8x to an ASUS Maximus III GENE LGA 1156 P55 Micro ATX. Why?
- Well, first of all because the USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gb/s on the Gigabyte board only works with a single video card and this build will use two cards in SLI.
- Then, you should know that the ASUS board features nothing short of five fan headers, have dedicated buttons on the back for a CMOS reset for example (very useful for overclocking), has an extensive power delivery circuit, capable of handling heavy overclocking.
- Of course, it features Crossfire support, as well as SLI support.
- Finally, all of this is packed in a Micro ATX board, allowing you to use it in a smaller case if you wish to.
- The Hard Drive was upgraded, performance and capacity wise, from a Western Digital 750GB Black Caviar to two Samsung F3 500GB in RAID 0 (Total Capacity: 1TB), simply because the Samsung model performs better to begin with, no to mention the major performance gain when you put two in RAID 0!
- The Power Supply was upgraded from a Corsair 650W 80PLUS to an Antec 750W 80 PLUS Modular. With two Geforce GTX 460 in SLI, the power requirements of this build went up, hence the more powerful power supply.
- The Sound Card was upgraded from the Realtek ALC888 sound card integrated on the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 motherboard to the SupremeFX X-Fi sound card integrated on the ASUS Maximus III GENE motherboard. No, this won’t bring much, if any performance boost, but the enhanced sound quality is a pro.
- The CPU Cooler was downgraded from the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ to the Intel Stock Cooler. I know, the Intel Stock Cooler is no where as good, but it’s just fine if you don’t overclock your CPU, which most people don’t. If you do want to overclock though, feel free to upgrade the CPU Cooler to, say…A Cooler Master Hyper 212+?
- Other than that, the build is unchanged and now costs $1275 instead of $1234, a $41 increase, that is easily justified by the significant gain in performance compared to the previous version. Mind you, this is still well within the -/+5% margin that I give myself regarding the budget ($1250 + 5% is $1312.50).
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you’re looking for a PC to play video games, you’re at the right place. If this is not what you’re looking for, check out our other Computer Systems instead.
$1250 Gaming computer hardware parts recommendations, short version:
Explanation:
- In the left column, you have the component type, such as the Processor, Video Card, etc.
- In the middle column, you have the specific brand, model and a quick look at specifications for that part, as well as a link to buy it.
- In Bold, you’ll find my recommendations for the parts that you should buy in order to have the best overall performance while fitting the overall budget.
- In Italic, you’ll find the best possible upgrades if you have money to spare. These are the parts that offer better features or more performance, while still being relatively affordable in regard to the overall budget. In simple terms, if you want a more powerful video card, pick it from the list of recommended upgrades that are in Italic.
- In the right column, you’ll find the best price that I found after double-checking at various trustworthy online sellers such as Amazon.com, NewEgg.com, Buy.com and others.
- If upgrades just don’t cut it, visit the Gaming PCs page, where you’ll find our other gaming computer custom build designs.
- Note that all upgrades are compatible with the rest of the system, as well as other upgrades, meaning that you can choose one or many upgrades without a problem. Of course, please carefully read any note(s) that I may leave to clarify and avoid some possible issues.
Required components:
Accessories:
| Accessories | Make, Model and Specifications | Price |
| Headphone | Rosewill RH-40C 3.5mm Circumaural SONIC HP-259 3.5mm Circumaural PLANTRONICS .Audio 355 3.5mm Circumaural SENNHEISER PC31 Dual 3.5mm Supra-aural KOSS SB45 3.5mm Circumaural Logitech G330 3.5mm/ USB Circumaural ABS AZ1 Circumaural USB SENNHEISER PC151 3.5mm Binaural |
$7 $8 $20 $28 $30 $43 $50 $50 |
| Speakers | Logitech X-140 5 watts 2.0 Creative Inspire T3130 15 Watts 2.1 Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 |
$27 $50 $89 |
| Monitor | ASUS VH226H 21.5″ 2ms Full HD 1080P 1920 x 1080 Two ASUS VH226H 21.5″ 2ms Full HD 1080P 1920 x 1080 Three ASUS VH226H 21.5″ 2ms Full HD 1080P 1920 x 1080 |
$180 $360 $540 |
Computer Builds FAQs:
I often get questions such as:
- Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?
- Can you suggest me a step by step guide to build a computer?
- Why should I build a PC instead of buying one in a store?
- And many more…
You will find the answers to all of these questions and more in this article: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
Also, if this is your first build, here are 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
About Gaming PCs:
Gaming Computers are all about playing video games. Every year, new video games that pushes the boundaries of visual effects are released and demand more and more power from your computer to run. Being so powerful to handle cutting-edge video games, they are also very good all-around computers, capable of handling photo/video edition, web development, High Definition content playback and much more.
This is why our Gaming Builds Designs focus both on current performance for today’s games, as well as being ready to upgrade, to be ready to handle future games. For Gaming Builds Designs, a big portion of the budget goes to the Video Card and the Processor to ensure high performance in video games, as well as a solid power supply with a case with good cooling abilities, to ensure reliability.
Upgrades will usually focus on the processor and video card for enhanced performance, as well as on the power supply and cooling, to enhance overclocking capabilities. You may choose to upgrade the hard drive for more capacity, or change the case to get one that matches your personal preferences, such as look, cooling, size, etc.
$1250 Gaming Computer Hardware parts recommendations, detailed version:
Motherboard:
ASUS Maximus III GENE LGA 1156 P55 Micro ATX
This motherboard is filled with great features. On the back, it features eight USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, E-SATA, S/PDIF Out via Optical, one PS/2, Gigabit LAN and 7.1 Surround audio via the SupremeFX X-Fi sound card. Crossfire and SLI is supported, with two PCI-Express 2.0 16x slots running at 8x/8x (8x/8x offering similar performance to 16x/16x, even with the high-end Geforce GTX 480, see below). This motherboard supports/is compatible with everything in this system, including the two Geforce GTX 460 in SLI of course.
Performance difference between 16x/16x vs 8x/8x PCI-Express slots:
Wait, what do I hear? You NEED 16x/16x PCI-Express slots or the performance will crumble? Let me tell you this: That’s rubbish. Here’s an excellent quote that resumes the situation:
“NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 480 is a very fast graphics processor. To maintain its speeds, it would hypothetically require high system bandwidth, leading one to think that lesser PCI-Express configurations would cripple it.
The theory couldn’t be more wrong, as seen by the mere 2% performance loss going from x16 to x8 (which reduces bandwidth by 50%). To cite results from one of the latest and resource-heavy games in our bench, Collin McRae DiRT 2, that translates into something like 63.2 FPS vs. 62.1 FPS, at 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution – barely a difference.“ More information on it at techPowerUp.
As you can see, unless you use a dual-GPU card (GTX 295 or Radeon HD 5970), 8x/8x is just fine, unless losing 1.1FPS will kill you…
Ports:
Anyway, back to the motherboard: On the board itself, you have two PCI-Express 2.0 16X (Single at 16x, Crossfire or SLI 8x/8x, in Red), one PCI-Express 4X and one PCI slot, along with seven SATA 3.0Gb/s ports. Note that this motherboard does not feature an IDE port, which are getting rare on mainstream/high-end motherboards.
Best of all? This board is based on the Micro ATX form factor, allowing it to fit in smaller cases if you want to build a small LAN machine without sacrificing performance.
Note that it comes with nothing short of six SATA cables, so no need to buy any for the DVD Burner and the two hard drives.
Recommended upgrades:
- Reliable, great overclocking motherboard, Crossfire/SLI support are a few words that I can use to describe the ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 P55
- Similar to my recommendation, the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P LGA1156 P55 SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 ATX
- The ASUS Maximus III Formula LGA1156 P55 ATX w/ Sound Card
is one mad motherboard. Optimized for overclocking, it includes a dedicated sound card and supports nothing short of ten SATA devices. Considered by many, including myself, as the best motherboard for overclocking on the LGA 1156 socket.
CPU:
Intel Core i5-760 2.8GHz LGA1156 95W Quad-Core
In the same price range, AMD offers the Phenom II X4 965BE 3.4GHz at $180 or the Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz. I went with the Core i5-760 2.8GHz for the following reasons:
- The slower, 2.66GHz Core i5-750 outperforms the X4 965 in three out of four gaming benchmarks on Anandtech, with an average of 92.9 FPS for the Core i5 750 and an average of 87.1 FPS for the X4 965. I’m sure that you can imagine that the faster i5-760 will just outperform the Phenom II X4 965 even more.
- As for the Phenom II X6 1055T: It can’t keep up with the Core i5 750, let alone the faster i5-760, as you can see here at AnandTech. Even AMD’s most expensive processor at the moment, the $300 Phenom II X6 1090T, can’t keep up with the Core i5 750 when it comes to gaming. Imagine with the faster Core i5 760
- Unlike the AMD X4 965, you can upgrade the Core i5 760 to a faster gaming CPU (in real games tests that is, not synthetic benchmarks) on the same socket without a problem.
- The Core i5 760 (2.80GHz) has a lot more overclocking potential than the nearly maxed-out Phenom II X4 965 (3.4GHz).
Recommended upgrades (Compared to the Intel Core i5-760 main recommendation):
- Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz 8MB L3 LGA1156 95W Quad-Core w/ HT
- Intel Core i7-875K 2.93GHz 8MB L3 LGA1156 95W Quad-Core w/ HT Unlocked
- For additional options, check out our guide to The Best CPUs For Your Money. Make sure to double-check compatibility with sockets, chipsets and memory if you pick another CPU. You can also leave a comment to ask me
Video Card:
Two GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 460 1GB OC Edition in SLI
Overtaking my previous recommendation for this build, the Radeon HD 5870, the two Geforce GTX 460 in SLI setup is the logical choice here, considering their price ($460) and how much more performance they offer compared to the Radeon HD 5870. Of course, this is possible due to the release of this great card from Nvidia this month, at a reasonable $230 per card price point. Don’t you love technology advancements and competition?
For more information on the performance that you can expect:
Take a look at the following benchmarks, from Tom’s Hardware, for a comparison to a single Geforce GTX 460, the Geforce GTX 480 and the Radeon HD 5870:
With its release this month and the level of performance that you get for the price, you sure can expect this dual Geforce GTX 460 SLI setup to take the $450 price point when I update The Best Video Cards For Your Money article next week.
This setup is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1600 or even 3840 x 1080 (two 1920 x 1080 side by side) with high visual quality.
Finally, this setup is DirectX 11 compliant, HDCP Ready and will handle Blu-Ray and other 1080p content playback, with audio over HDMI as well.
Recommended upgrades:
- Other, more powerful options are available in our guide to The Best Video Cards For Your Money. Make sure to consider power requirements and the length of a video card if you decide to go with a different card. Also very important: A very powerful video card(s) will be useless with a slower CPU/System that would bottleneck the said high-end video card. Make sure to balance the system as a whole.
RAM:
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 CAS 9
4GB of RAM is pretty much mandatory to handle the latest video games along with Windows and background background such as your anti-virus, web browser, music/video player, etc.
Considering the price of RAM these days and the ever-expending memory use of games and programs, 4GB of high-speed DDR3 memory is a no-brainer.
I went with G.Skill for their high reliability and compatibility with the majority of motherboards. I chose these particular sticks due to their low price and regular 1.5V requirement for DDR3 1600MHz frequency.
Recommended upgrades
- If you want a kit that has lower latencies and needs only 1.35V to run at 1600MHz, take a look at the G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 CAS 7 1.35V
- CORSAIR XMS 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 2000MHz 9-9-9-24 1.65V
- G.SKILL 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3 1600MHz
Hard Drive:
Two Samsung F3 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s
in RAID 0, Total Capacity: 1TB
In this Tom’s Hardware hard drive article, the SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ (The 1TB version) finishes on top of all transfer rates benchmarks, even ahead of what used to be my recommendation for high-end builds, the Western Digital Caviar Black. Now, guess what happens if you take two of the 500GB version of this drive and put them in RAID 0 (Easily done via the BIOS)? You get a setup that’s nearly twice as fast compared to the F3 HD103SJ 1TB edition, for only $32 more, with also a 1TB capacity.
Considering that the hard drive is often the bottleneck in a system and that no ones likes waiting for their game to load, this is a simple and relatively inexpensive upgrade compared to a single drive, like the Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB featured in the previous version of this build.
Recommended upgrades:
- Two Samsung F3 1TB SATA II 3.0Gb/s
in RAID 0, Total Capacity: 2TB – Same as above, 300+MB/s transfer rates, except that you get a 2TB storage capacity this time.
- Interested in SSDs (Solid State Drives), or want a different drive? I invite you to take a look to our guide to the Best Hard Drives & Best SSDs For Your Money.
Optical Drive:
LITE-ON Black 24X SATA CD/DVD Burner
This drive is able to read and burn CDs and DVDs. Silent, compatible with all major formats including DVD-RAM.
Also, seeing as DVD Burners are often go out of stock lately, here are a two alternatives that you can use to replace it. All are SATA based.
Upgrades:
If you’d like to watch BluRay movies or TV shows, this LITE-ON 4X Blu-ray Reader SATA will do the job. However, note that it can only READ CDs, DVDs and Bluray disks, not burn any of them.
If you want the ability to burn disks as well, the LG 10X Blu-ray Burner SATA is what you want.
Regarding Blu-Ray playback:
As far as I know, you still require a specific software to playback Blu-Ray disks on a PC. Based on various reviews and feedback on various forums, PowerDVD 9 Ultra is the software that I recommend to you. It is fully compatible with Windows 7 and shouldn’t give you any problems.
Case:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922
For $90, this is an outstanding case from Cooler Master:
- Cooling wise, this case includes two 140mm and one 200mm case fans, insuring proper cooling for your Gaming PC.Important: I put money aside in the budget to add one COOLER MASTER 200mm Red LED Case Fan
Features wise, you get:
- A unique look with Red LEDs, not the common blue LEDs equipped on so many cases. Best of all, if LEDs annoy you, you have the option to turn them off.
- Support for up to five hard drives
- Enough space for the longest video cards .
- 2x USB, E-SATA Audio out, MIC in at the top
Recommended upgrades:
- Here are a few alternatives that are worth taking a look at:
- If you want a different case, take a look at the following article: Find Out the 88 Best Computer Cases For Your Money.
Power Supply:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W SLI/CrossFire/80 PLUS Certified
This power supply is capable of delivering up to 750W, not that should rely on this information only as I often point in posts such as Warning: 6 Surefire Ways of Blowing Up Your Computer Due to an Inadequate Power Supply, but more importantly 60A on the 12V line, the most important factor when it comes to choosing a power supply for a gaming computer.
Best of all, it is 80 PLUS certified, meaning that it’s always at least 80% efficient, resulting in less heat, more silence and a lower electricity bill for you, compared to a less efficient power supply.
Power Consumption:
According to the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator, it is estimated that this system will consume at load (peak usage):
- 483W with the recommended Intel Core i5 760 95W (Or any CPU Upgrade), the two Geforce GTX 460 on SLI, the two hard drives in RAID 0 and rest of this build without upgrades.
- 541W with an Intel Core i7 875K overclocked to 3600MHz 1.4V, four sticks of RAM, two hard drives in RAID and two Geforce GTX 460 in SLI. This is the worse case scenario.
The power supply will have no problem handling the base recommended setup, or any upgrade with or without overclocking.
- SeaSonic S12D 850W 80PLUS SILVER Certified
- If you’re not sure and need help to pick the right power supply, set some time aside and read Warning: 6 Surefire Ways of Blowing Up Your Computer Due to an Inadequate Power Supply.
Cooling: Stock cooling
To save on costs, I recommend using the cooler included with the CPU. While there are better coolers, the one that is included is good enough to handle the cpu under normal operation. The case includes cooling fans as well to help you keep your system cool.
However, there are two reasons why you may choose to upgrade your cooling system:
- To keep your computer components cooler, which in return extend their lifespan and allows you to overclock to higher speed.
- To keep your system silent, as the stock cooling can get noisy at times, especially during prolonged gaming sessions.
Alternatives:
- CPU Cooler: If you decide to give overclocking and/or unlocking cores, I cannot stress enough the importance of a good cooler.The COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus 120mm CPU Cooler
offers the best value regarding performance for the price.
- Thermal Compound: Use the ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound
- Case cooling: I put money aside in the budget to add the COOLER MASTER 200mm Red LED Case Fan
- If you pick a different case where you’d like to add 120mm case fans, take a look at the Rosewill RFX-120 Adjustable 120mm Case Fan
Sound Card: SupremeFX X-Fi: Integrated on the motherboard
Integrated with the motherboard, this sound card will handle many different sound setups, including headphones, a microphone and more.
Note that the ASUS Maximus III Formula motherboard upgrade includes a dedicated sound card.
Recommended upgrade:
For $35, you can get the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 24-bit PCI, which will definitely provide a nice boost in audio quality compared to regular integrated sound. However, the SupremeFX X-Fi integrated on the recommended motherboard will do just fine, consider this card if the motherboard you pick has “regular” integrated sound.
Network: Ethernet RJ-45 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN: Integrated on the motherboard
Integrated with the motherboard, this network adapter will allow you to access your local network and Internet.
Accessories:
Headphones – With a Microphone:
Headphones, with a microphones, are a must for many games, especially First Person Shooters (FPS), where a lack of team communication can break a team. However, I do realize that we all have different tastes when it comes to headphones, as in which size is comfortable, which brand sounds the best, etc. This is why I found eight great pair of headphones, with prices ranging from $7 to $50, for you to choose from:
- Rosewill RH-40C 3.5mm Circumaural
- SONIC HP-259 3.5mm Circumaural
- PLANTRONICS .Audio 355 3.5mm Circumaural
- SENNHEISER PC31 Dual 3.5mm Supra-aural
- KOSS SB45 3.5mm Circumaural
- Logitech G330 3.5mm/ USB Circumaural
- ABS AZ1 Circumaural USB
- SENNHEISER PC151 3.5mm Binaural
Speakers:
If all you want is a pair of decent, inexpensive speakers, the Logitech X-140 5 watts 2.0 at $27, or the Creative Inspire T3130 15 Watts 2.1
for $50 will do a great job.
Looking for higher quality speakers, without breaking the bank still? The Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 make for an excellent and affordable 5.1 setup.
Display:
For a long time, you’ve been asking for recommendations for a good monitor to play on. I’m listening to you and I’ve decided to include at the very least, one recommendation of a good monitor for every Gaming PC.
My recommendations are based on the following criteria:
- Price: I obviously won’t recommend a $1000 monitor if the budget for the PC is $1000.
- Resolution: The resolution of the monitor directly impacts the performance within video games, as higher resolution are more demanding on the system, resulting in lower FPS. Picking the right resolution for a particular system is crucial to achieve good performance.
- Response time: The lower the better, very important with video games.
- Brightness and Contrast Ratio: The higher, the better.
- With its resolution of 1920 x 1080, the ASUS VH226H 21.5″ 2ms Full HD 1080P 1920 x 1080
- With this $1250 Gaming PC as it is, you can consider two ASUS VH226H 21.5″ 2ms Full HD 1080P 1920 x 1080
- If you want the whole immersion experience of playing with three monitors side by side, get three ASUS VH226H 21.5″ 2ms Full HD 1080P 1920 x 1080
Recommended operating systems:
The operating system cost, if there’s one, is not included in the total cost. The two reason for this are:
- The budget only considers hardware.
- You may be able re-use a previous license, go with an open-source OS such as Linux or, if you’re so inclined and are aware of what you’re doing, use torrents.
If you decide that you need a need OS, here are some recommendations:
Windows 7
Despite Linux gaining more and more support, Windows still is the platform of choice for compatibility at the moment. Considering that you’ll have 4GB of RAM or more, along with a dedicated video that also has memory (512MB or 1GB), you’ll need a 64-bit version, as 32-bit is limited to 4GB of memory for the entire system, which is not enough now, nor in the future if you decide to upgrade.
Windows 7 is by far better than Windows Vista, looks better, more functional, less annoying, consumes less resources and brings DirectX 11 to the table.
Three Available Versions:
- Windows 7 Home Premium: The basic edition, with all the looks, most of the functionality and DirectX 11.
- Windows 7 Professional: If you want the virtual XP mode, you’ll need at least the Professional edition. Also required if you want to backup to a network, using the built-in backup mode in Windows.
- Windows 7 Ultimate: To help protect data on your PC and portable storage devices against loss or theft with BitLocker and to work and switch between 35 languages.
OEM vs Retail:
The OEM version allows you to only install it once on a computer. You cannot transfer the license to another computer in the future and you do not receive support from Microsoft. It’s the same type of license you get when you get Windows on a desktop or laptop that you buy from Dell, HP and such. It’s less expensive, but gives less flexibility. Ideal if you intend on keeping your computer for many years.
The Retail version is the full version, which allows you to transfer the license to another computer in the future and you can call Microsoft if you need any form of support. Ideal if you intend on upgrading/changing your computer down the road.
Other than that, you get the same features on both, only the license differs. The price between the two differs obviously.
OEM Versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OEM
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OEM
Retail Versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Retail
– $180
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Retail
– $258
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Retail
– $276
Linux
A lot of people these days boots more than one OS. Linux is a wonderful choice: powerful, cool, and cheap. Take your pick of distributions and have fun! For Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, and Mandrake, try Distrowatch.com, Cheapbytes.com, LinuxQuestions.org or one of the many others.
While Linux does not offer the wide compatibility of Windows with video games, gaming on Linux is still possible, through projects such as Wine, Cedega and Crossover. For more on the topic of Linux Gaming, I invite you to read this excellent article from AnandTech: Linux Gaming: Are we there yet?
What about Word processing, Excel and other Windows-based programs that you need? Linux being an open platform, there are many free alternatives that will answer your needs. For Word/Excel and such, try OpenOffice.
Cost: Free
Conclusion
What do you think of this updated version of the $1250 Gaming PC?
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Building this system?
Do you need a guide on how to build a computer or do you have some questions?
Consult our: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
Also, if this is your first build, here are 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
Finally, if your newly built computer won’t start, I invite you to read Help me: Why won’t my newly assembled PC start or boot?
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Category: Gaming PC
