How To Build a Future-Proof $1500 Gaming PC

By Norman Chan on March 15, 2011 at 7 p.m.

We build a PC for Jeff that will last him a couple years.

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Building a new gaming PC is much easier than you think. All you really need is a screwdriver and the eight components that make up a modern PC: CPU, motherboard, case, RAM, video card, storage drive, optical drive, and power supply. Picking out these components isn't so difficult either, since we've just seen product refreshes in the CPU and GPU markets that makes choosing those core parts a no-brainer. So when Jeff from Giant Bomb told us he was in the market to upgrade from his dated Core 2 machine, we seized the opportunity to spec out a reasonably-priced rig that would last a couple years and build it live to show you just how easy PCs are to assemble.

 

Category	Part	Price
CPU	Intel Core i5 2500K	$230
Motherboard	Asus P8P67 Pro	$190
Memory	Corsair XMS3 8GB DDR3 1333MHz	$95
Video Card	Nvidia GeForce GTX 570	$360
Storage	Western Digital 2TB Black	$170
Optical Drive	Samsung SH-223	$20
Case	Fractal Design R3	$110
Power Supply	Corsair CMPSU-850HX 850 Watt	$165
OS	Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (OEM)	$100
Total		$1440

 

(Update: Asus contacted us to clarify their P8P67 Pro pricing. Turns out that Rev 3 model is only $190 MSRP, not the $250 we originally listed. We regret the error.) 
 
The system leaves plenty of room for upgrading, since we included an ample power supply and used the cutting-edge Sandy Bridge platform from Intel. Jeff can always add in an additional GPU a year down the line or even overclock his processor if he feels like he needs more speed.
 
And if you don't have $1500 to spend, you can make the cost easier on your wallet by making a few reasonable cuts. For example, you can get the Intel Core i5 2500 (non-K version) for an $11 savings, only use 4GB of RAM to save $45, opt for a Geforce GTX 560 Ti (the sweet spot card) to save an addition $110, go with a Western Digital 2TB Green drive for $70 off the Black version, and choose the 650 Watt version of the Corsair HX series PSUs for a $40 price difference. Combined, those adjustments net you a total system cost of $1224, or $276 off the price of the rig we built. 
 
Have you build a new system lately or are you in the market for one? Share your PC building experiences below, and let us know what parts you would pick for your own $1500 machine.