System Challenge Question

Inspired and curious I am, to see what the best system someone can build for under $500 Please read entire post.

The Ground Rules:
1. All parts must be new and available on the internet for sale, not on auction (eBay). OEM parts are acceptable.
2. Pricing does not include shipping charges, but must be in U.S. dollars
3. Links to parts need not be posted, but be prepared to defend pricing if the general consensus is that there is no way that anyone could get that part at that price.
4. Any system missing the minimum parts cannot qualify for the challenge
5. System must be a PC system
6. Each part must be described by Manufacturer, Model and Price
7. All systems must be posted by Midnight, Jan. 5th EST.
8. Please refrain from posting comments on systems until after the deadline Jan. 5th. If you think this is stupid, lame, etc., for the sake of others keep your comments out of this thread
9. If two identical-exact systems with exact same pricing for parts are posted, then the second system posted will not qualify for the challenge
10. Only one system per person
11. Please remember this is just good clean wholesome fun. Please do your own research on the internet and don't just copy someone else's system (remember how far that got you in school). Please play fair
12. In the spirit of fair play, because I am almost 100% sure that I probably left something out of the ground rules, please use your best judgement if you find a loophole. This isn't your tax return and no one's on trial, no life and death matters here.

The Minimum System:
1. The Case, Power Supply and Case Fan
2. Motherboard
3. CPU w/Heatsink and Fan
4. Memory
5. One Hard Drive
6. One Floppy Drive
7. One CD-ROM, CD Burner, DVD Player or DVD Burner
8. Video Card
9. Sound Card
10. Network Card or Modem
This is just the minimum. You can add more to your system if you want. Want two Hard Drives go for it. Want a DVD Player and a CD Burner go for it.

At the end of the challenge, everyone who submitted a valid system will get to vote on who has built the best $500 system. All votes to be considered valid must be posted by Midnight Jan. 6th EST. I am kindly asking that Jafo, who is wise beyond his years, kind to a fault and braver than most, to lend his fair, modest and impartial assistance in the moderation of this thread and also to announce at the end of this challenge, by 6:00PM Jan. 7th EST., whose system got the most votes and therefore the winner of the challenge.

No prizes, no rewards, no money, just the knowledge and recognition that the winner is the best $500 system builder

Legal Stuff (Just in case ) This challenge is not endorsed, sponsored, condoned, etc. by Wincustomize or Stardock or its Affiliates, etc. Yada Yada Yada

Have Fun
2,950 views 12 replies
Reply #1 Top
1. The Case, Power Supply and Case Fan


Case - Fudin ATX-268WBP 350W Black Mid Tower ATX Case - $59.99

2. Motherboard3. CPU w/Heatsink and Fan


Intel Celeron 2.5GHz Bare CPU W/ ECS L4VXA2 Ver 1.1D Motherboard - $119.99

Cooler Master: D14-7J74F-01 Areo 4 Lite, Support up to P4 3.06GHz - $17.99

4. Memory


Premium 512MB PC2700 64x64 DDR 184Pin - $52.99

5. One Hard Drive


Maxtor 80GB Diamond Max Plus 9 UATA133 Hard Drive - $74.99

6. One Floppy Drive


Synmicro 1.44MB INTERNAL FLOPPY DRIVE - BEIGE - $12.99

7. One CD-ROM, CD Burner, DVD Player or DVD Burner


BTC 52X CDRW/DVD-ROM COMBO DRIVE - $69.99

8. Video Card


ATI Xtreme 128MB DDR RADEON 9200 DVI+VIVO+TV AGP Video Card - $69.90

9. Sound Card10. Network Card or Modem


Onboard Sound and LAN

Total: $474.83
Reply #2 Top
1. The Case, Power Supply and Case Fan; 6. One Floppy Drive

STR8BUY 10GACS ATX Case w/Duro 400watt Power Supply, 80mm Case Fan and FDD $24.89

2. Motherboard; 3. CPU w/Heatsink and Fan; 4. Memory


ECS K7VTA3 VIA KT333 LAN/AUDIO On Board w/AMD XP2700+ (Retail Box)and MemLabs 512MB PC2700 DDR $247.99

5. One Hard Drive


Western Digital 100GB EIDE 7200RPM, 8.9ms, 2MB Buffer U-ATA100(OEM, MDT White Label) $66.00

7. One CD-ROM, CD Burner, DVD Player or DVD Burner


LG GCC4520BB 52X CD-RW/16X DVD Combo, 2MB buffer w/Nero Express and Cable $54.90

8. Video Card


AGPTEK GeForce FX5200 nVidia TVO+DVI , 4ns 256MB DDR, 8xAGP w/cooling fan (OEM) $77.00

9. Sound Card


CLI Sound Blaster Live 5.1 PCI OEM $26.00

10. Network Card or Modem


On Board LAN

Total $496.78
Reply #3 Top
This is a little off topic, but I hope you'll think it's a good idea.

I have a suggetion for you and any others out there that have made up contests, but have no prizes to give. Award to the winner one genuine, bonafide, honest-to=goodness, no doubt about it, highly saught[?] after "No Prize"!

In a comic book that I read as a kid (and occasionally still do), the editor would give a 'no prize' to the person whose question he answered.

'No Prizes' are cheap to produce (cause they aren't real), yet valued by those that win them (and those that want to win them ).

Just a suggestion.



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Reply #4 Top
Remember rule #8....
Reply #6 Top
First of all, I don't know if actually configuring a barebones PC counts, but here's mine anyway:

Case: Chenbro PC61169 Black w/300W Power supply $59
Power supply: included with case $0
Case fan: 1 included with case $0
Motherboad: Asus P4S8X-X $62
Processor: Intel Celeron 2.2 Ghz 400FSB $76
Heatsink & fan: Since CPU is retail box model, both are included $0
Memory: 512MB Corsair DDR33 VS612MB333 $80
Hard drive: Maxtor 40GB ATA133 6E040L0 $59
Optical drive: TEAC CDW522E 52x24x52 CD burner $49
Floppy drive: Mitsumi 1.44MB floppy drive $14
Video card: Gigabyte ATI Radeon 9200 GV-R92128DH $70
Sound: On-board
Network: On-board
Modem: Creative v.92 OEM part 5633 PCI modem $29

Total: $498



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Reply #7 Top
Xendre64 - I got a celeron 2.5 and 80 gig in my listing. Got you beat.
Reply #10 Top
Well...this kind of fell flat on its face

Kona and Xendre thanks for submitting systems

I think it is safe to say that we all created systems that beat Dell's pricing which is quite hard to do
Reply #11 Top
true. tough to beat dell is.



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Reply #12 Top
i coulda partifipated if i hadn't gotten so sick of pricing computers for being just before christmas

best bet in most cases is to get a kit cpu case.. one that comes with the case, powersupply, motherboard, and processor. you'll have the best match for board and processor, plus the PS to fuel it. usually, also an on-board sound card (and these on-board cards are getting pretty juicey!). just that will probobly get you under 250. spend what you will on a rockin video card, some ram, and an HD.

ps.. AMD's are cheaper then Pentiums.. and much faster [for 3d, at least].