System Builder Marathon, March 2011: The Articles

Here are links to each of the four articles in this month’s System Builder Marathon (we’ll update them as each story is published). And remember, these systems are all being given away at the end of the marathon.

To enter the giveaway, please fill out this Google form, and be sure to read the complete rules before entering!

Day 1: The $2,000 Performance PC
Day 2: The $1,000 Enthusiast PC
Day 3: The $500 Gaming PC
Day 4: Performance And Value, Dissected
Day 5: Tom's Hand-Picked SuperCombo

Introduction

Few times has Intel’s old “Leap Ahead” slogan been more appropriate than with its Sandy Bridge launch, its new processor offering moderate performance gains simultaneous to huge power reduction. Yet, CPU competitor AMD hasn’t been lying motionless, its old “Leap Beyond” campaign similarly suited to new graphics cards that, thanks to superior multi-GPU scaling, speed past Nvidia’s competing parts while consuming far less power and selling for a far lower price. With all these advancements only a few easy mouse clicks away, all we needed was a real-world complete build to compare today’s advanced parts to the pathetic antiques of last year.

Here’s what our $2000 budget was able to purchase, using Newegg’s prices. 

Extra value in the power supply and CPU cooler allowed us to go overkill on these items without breaking the bank.