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$1,600 Challenge: DIY versus Branded PC

By Aloysius Low - 1 Mar 2008

Paint Me A Picture

Paint Me A Picture

So now that you're all keyed up and ready to see what we've chosen, this segment will mostly be in pictorial format, as we believe that while we could speak a thousand words, sometimes a picture is enough. Just note that all prices quoted here are in Singapore dollars and are valid at the time of piecing this article.

The MSI G31M-F is our budget motherboard for the DIY rig (similar to the Intel G31 motherboard in Acer) and comes bundled with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor for only $534, which is about $10 bucks cheaper than getting both components separately.

Having previously reviewed the ViewSonic VX2235WM, we knew that this 22-inch monitor would be a good choice for our DIY rig despite it being slightly more expensive than other models at $399. As a bonus, we also saved on getting a pair of speakers as the VX2235WM comes with built-in speakers.

The Leadtek GeForce 8600GT gives us good value and performance for just $159. This certainly overthrows the Radeon HD 2400 Pro on the Acer system. But will this meet our budget? Read on.

At $123, the Hitatchi Deskstar T7K500 HDD was the cheapest 7200RPM 320GB internal disk drive we could get our hands on.

The Cooler Master Elite 330 is the casing of our choice, being extremely affordable at $59 and is decent all around. Another $59 was spent on a Cooler Master Xtreme 390W PSU (not pictured here). While still less wattage than what most DIY builders would like to have, it certainly has more juice than the sub-300W unit on the Acer and will meet our needs.

The Crucial 1GB DDR2-667 sticks were the cheapest we could find, costing us only $65 for a pair to get a total memory size of 2GB - equivalent to the Acer Aspire machine.

Our total costs so far add up to $1425, and the remaining monies go towards getting an OEM version of Windows Vista Home Ultimate ($144), a Samsung DVD-RW drive ($41) and a Microsoft Keyboard and Mouse set ($28) for a grand total of $1,611, just a little bit over the $1,600 mark, which is fine.

*Prices listed here may change depending on the market fluctuations. Please refer to our online price guide for the most up to date figures.

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