*Update 06/03/01 - Ever since I posted up this article on building a "bang for your buck" PC, I've received lots of letters from you guys with suggestions on even better deals with an even greater performance. Many of you also suggested that I should do both Intel and AMD systems since there is a huge dividing line between gamers who exclusively support one of these systems. So for all you hardcore AMD fans and all you hardcore Intel fans, I will gladly grant your wish! Very big thanks to the guys at the SharkyExtreme, Rage3D, and Mad Onion forums for all your help!*

I’ve received quite a few letters from some of you asking what the best hardware and configuration for hardcore gaming. There are also others wondering what system is “good enough” to run the latest games without having the need to spend a ridiculous amount of cash on all the latest and greatest of hardware. Well, since I was in the middle of writing an article of modding my case, I decided to take a break from drilling, cutting, and shooting the side panels with my .22 (it's a long story, I'll explain it to you in a future feature) to conjure up this little chart / guide on what’s good enough to run most of today’s games for you budget gamers, and what’s the best (and probably most expensive) stuff to get for you hardcore gamers.

Okay, lets start off with the perfect configuration for us budget gamers who just need a "good enough" system that will run most of today's game without a problem. Like a lot of people out there, I don't have $5,000 to spend on hardware so I had to run around major stores, Chinese PC shops, and do research on pricewatch.com to find everything that I need for less than $900. As you can see, top of the line soundcards, network cards, and modems are really unnecessary for the budget system (or any for the matter) just as long as it comes with a decent warranty and performs it's function. Besides, you don't need to spend $30 for the top of the line floppy drive, that's just plain ridiculous! If it's old, ugly, but it still works, it is good enough!  By now, you could probably get less for what I've found because prices fluctuate and usually drop at a pretty fast rate because new hardware always seems to pop up!*

Also note that you may need a case of at least 300 Watts because some of the new hardware such as the high-end videocards require a lot of the system power. Although you may get by with 250 Watts, it's better to be safe with 300 or more; besides, it couldn't hurt. For the videocards, a GeForce 2 MX is decent for those FPS games, but I would really recommend a Radeon 32 DDR because of the better image quality (Hyper Z and enviornmental bump-mapping features) in 3D, DVD, and 2D image as well as having comparable frame-rate performance to the GeForce 2 MX. Either card is an excellent buy. 

THE "GOOD ENOUGH" AMD SYSTEM! 

TOTAL: $894.00

THE "GOOD ENOUGH" INTEL SYSTEM!

I got a few bucks to burn! Take me to the hardcore machine! -->