PC Buying Guide offers an in-depth list of today's best hardware, spanning four unique yet typical budgets. Whether you're a first time builder seeking guidance or a seasoned enthusiast, we have you covered.
After working on this guide for many years, we learned the biggest pitfall of our previous work along with many other buying guides online: they expire shortly after publishing. Prices change daily, components come and go, and the guides simply degrade in worth until they're eventually rewritten a few months later. Recognizing this, we're taking an alternative approach.
We will add and update new hardware to the mix as it's released. All four builds will be updated on major product launches and we'll keep monitoring components and their prices over the course of weeks and months to catch anything in-between. We wholly welcome your support and input to keep this guide as fresh as possible. With that out of the way, let's take a look at our four price points:
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The Budget Box
• Decent performance
• Good for everyday computing
• Gaming with add-on GPU
Granted, if you just need to create a few documents and check your email, you can get by on much less than a $500 desktop. However, if you follow our Budget build to the T, you'll have a system acceptable for any role apart from running graphically intense applications -- which could also be attainable by investing in a dedicated video card.
The Entry-Level Rig
• Good performance
• Fast for everyday computing
• Casual gaming
Our Entry-Level Rig should be an excellent companion for running general applications and a sufficient solution for even the newest games on the market, albeit with some of the eye-candy dialed down.
The Enthusiast's PC
• Excellent performance
• Great Multitasker
• Perfect for gaming
Our Enthusiast's PC incorporates the perfect blend of both the Entry-Level Rig and Luxury System, making this the most harmonious of builds. Our intent is to keep this system within the grasp of the average computer enthusiast, offering a fully-loaded PC minus some of the unnecessary bells and whistles that could set you back an additional grand or two.
The Luxury System
• Workstation-like performance
• Heavy multitasking
• Extreme gaming
The Luxury System is a screaming-edge machine lacking any virtual price cap. Every component in this guide is thoughtfully scrutinized, offering the most horsepower for your greenback. If a component's premium price isn't justified, it simply doesn't make the cut.
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The Budget Box
If you follow this build you'll have a system acceptable for any role apart from running graphically intense applications. Throw a budget video card into the mix -- which can be had for less than a $100 these days -- and you'll have a humble solution to gaming as well.
| Component | Product | Price |
| Motherboard | ASRock FM2A75M-DGS | $55 |
| Processor | AMD A10-5800K | $130 |
| Memory | 2x2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3 1866MHz | $30 |
| Graphics | Integrated | $0 |
| Sound | Integrated | $0 |
| Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB | $65 |
| Optical | Lite-On iHAS124-04 | $17 |
| Power | Antec Neo Eco 400C | $40 |
| Case | NZXT Source 210 Elite | $50 |
| Monitor | Acer G205HVbd 20" | $100 |
| Speakers | Logitech S220 2.1 | $25 |
| Peripherals | Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 | $30 |
| Core System Total | $387 | |
| Core System + Monitor and Peripherals | $542 | |
Motherboard, Processor, Memory
AMD reclaimed a seat in our Budget Box in 2011 with its Llano-based desktop APUs, and it has maintained that position with its new Trinity chips. In our recent review of the A10-5800K, we found the chip's general execution to be slower than Ivy Bridge, but its integrated graphics core was significantly faster, exceeding entry-level discrete graphics cards. At ~$130, we believe the A10-5800K is a great solution for budget system builders, especially if you intend to run some lightweight games without a discrete graphics card.
However, if you do plan to employ a discrete GPU, or if CPU performance is crucial to your needs, we'd opt for Intel's $130 Core i3-3220 as it's a little quicker and costs the same. Although it's mostly useless for gaming, the i3-3220's integrated HD 2500 IGP is more than suitable for basic tasks. We'd pair it with the ASRock B75M-DGS.
Although you could save a little cash by purchasing 2GB of RAM for basic productivity and browsing, the chosen ASRock FM2 board only has two RAM slots. That being the case, it seems like a better idea to fill them with 4GB instead of potentially shorting yourself. Better safe than sorry as they say, and DDR3 RAM is incredibly cheap at the moment with a 2x2GB kit running as little as $20. Likewise, given how Trinity scales with higher-frequency RAM, you might as well spend an extra $5 and buy 1866MHz modules over 1333MHz ones.
Graphics, Sound
This build is not intended for graphically demanding tasks, but adding a relatively low-cost GPU like the Radeon HD 7750 will do wonders for your framerate, transforming this into a practical solution for casual PC gaming. We recently published a tech tip with a list of the top budget and mid-range graphics cards available, which should offer some guidance. Along with the A8-3850's integrated graphics, the chosen motherboard has a Realtek ALC662 audio chipset and integrated sound is more than sufficient for a basic machine.
Storage
The way hard drives are priced these days, a few extra dollars can literally yield a 50% increase in storage space -- and gigabytes disappear faster than you think. But if you're certain you won't need the additional storage, you're welcome to save a couple bucks by choosing a less capacious drive. The 500GB Caviar Blue currently offers the best bang for your buck.
Power, Case
You wouldn't put diluted gas in your car and you shouldn't feed your PC dirty power. The instability offered by your typical no-name PSU will lead to an untimely failure, leaving you with an unglamorous paperweight. In short, friends shouldn't let friends buy cheap power supplies. Antec's Neo Eco 400c will not only provide this build with all the power it could ever need, it should also meet the requirements of most entry-level video cards in circulation.
There are plenty of basic chassis donning a sub-$50 price tag, and the NZXT Source 210 Elite is our personal pick with a front USB 3.0 port, plenty of space for expandability and stock 120mm/140mm fans, which should be more than sufficient for a system with no discrete graphics and perfectly fine if you decide to add one later. It's almost always available with free shipping, which is a major plus if you're buying a 14lb metal box.
Monitor, Speakers, Peripherals
A 20" display doesn't sound like much these days, and there's no denying it's toward the smaller end of desktop monitors. The Acer S200HLAbd features a native resolution of 1600x900 and unless you've already been spoiled by high-res displays this should prove adequate for general computing tasks. No sub-$150 screen is going to boast superb imagery and most are comparable enough in quality that you're safe buying anything with decent reviews. We recommend just finding something that fits your required size and resolution.
It should be noted that the chosen display doesn't have built-in speakers and such a "luxury" will cost a few bucks more. Frankly, you might as well buy a pair of budget external speakers. Logitech's S-220 2.1 speakers are only $20 and will sound infinitely better than an integrated solution.
Unless you intend to use this machine for prolonged productivity or heavy gaming sessions, you can probably get by with a basic wired or wireless keyboard and mouse set. We recommend Logitech's budget MK260 wireless combo, which features 128-bit AES encryption, a handful of multimedia and web keys, as well as a spill-resistant design. The keyboard gets up to two years of battery life and the mouse can last about five months.
The Entry-Level Rig
| Component | Product | Price |
| Motherboard | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M | $110 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3450 | $200 |
| Memory | 2x2GB G.Skill DDR3 1333MHz | $27 |
| Graphics | Radeon HD 7770 | $125 |
| Sound | Integrated | $0 |
| Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB | $65 |
| Optical | Lite-On iHAS124-04 | $17 |
| Power | Antec Neo Eco 520C | $55 |
| Case | Cooler Master HAF 912 | $50 |
| Monitor | Acer S231HLbid 23" | $160 |
| Speakers | Cyber Acoustics CA-3602 | $35 |
| Peripherals | Logitech G400 + Lite-On Standard Wired | $40 + $8 |
| Core System Total | $654 | |
| Core System + Monitor and Peripherals | $887 | |
Motherboard, Processor, Memory
At $200, the quad-core Core i5-3450 is a little pricier than we'd usually pick for our Entry-Level Rig, but given the impressive performance of Intel's latest architecture, it's hard to recommend investing in anything else -- including AMD's Bulldozer chips. The i5-3450 is clocked 300MHz slower than the $250 i5-3570K and it has a weaker integrated graphics core (HD 2500 versus HD 4000), but you likely won't notice the former or use the latter.
If you intend to overclock heavily or plan to rely on Intel's integrated graphics, we suggest upgrading to the i5-3570K and motherboard in our Enthusiast's PC.
Assuming you don't already have a 6-series H67, P67 or Z68-based motherboard on hand, you might as well shoot for a 7-series board. As of writing, ASRock is driving a hard bargain in the $110 range with its Z77 Pro4-M, a Micro ATX board with one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, two PCIe 2.0 x16 slots (wired for x1 and x4), four DIMM slots supporting up to 32GB of RAM, two USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s ports, one 6Gb/s eSATA port, optical S/PDIF out and more.
Graphics, Sound
The ~$100 bracket isn't usually associated with gaming graphics cards, but that's precisely what you get with the Radeon HD 7770, assuming you can live without maxed quality settings. For about $130, you get a card that outperforms the HD 5770 and 6770 (our previous picks) by a wide margin in most titles while consuming substantially less power. In our testing, the card achieved very playable frame rates in various games including Crysis Warhead, Crysis 2 and Civilization V.
Opinions vary when it comes to the necessity of a dedicated sound card. While integrated solutions were less viable for serious computing setups a decade ago, in our opinion they're absolutely fine for entry-level or even mid-range usage today. If you're of the opposing mindset, by all means buy an audio card if you have $100 to burn. If you're going to invest in a sound card, you might as well go the full mile with a SB X-Fi XtremeGamer, Asus Xonar DX, or HT Omega Striker.
Storage
Building a new rig in the $800 range is a bit of a bummer because there's no wiggle room for an SSD. However, if you have about $100 to spend on storage you'll be within the range of Seagate's 500GB Momentus XT hybrid drive. Granted, it's not as quick as a full-fledged flash drive, but it performs like a quieter, less power-hungry VelociRaptor (Western Digital's 10,000RPM drives). Being only a tad more expensive than our chosen 500GB drive, it's a luxury well within reach of the average user and we suggest you make the jump if at all feasible.
Power, Case
You're probably thinking Atec's Neo Eco 520W power supply isn't up to snuff for a new gaming rig. If that's the case, we invite you to take a look at some of our recent GPU reviews which show system power consumption rates. Our X58-based Core i7-965 Extreme Edition and Radeon HD 5670-packing test system pulled about 154W at idle and 243W at maximum load. If you need a little more proof, electricity load meters start at about $20. The Neo Eco 500C offers solid Seasonic internals, 40A on the +12V rail, long, flexible cables and a three-year warranty.
The Cooler Master HAF 912 comes with two 120mm fans, one for intake and another for exhaust, and supports up to three additional blowers. Like its pricier siblings, the HAF 912 has plenty of room for high-end components and touts many of the same quality features. Highlights include a top-notch cable routing, a CPU retaining hole, removable dust filters, and liquid cooling outlets -- not to mention the same aggressive design, which we happen to be fond of.
Monitor, Speakers, Peripherals
There are tons of monitors on the market suitable for the Entry-Level Rig, but making the right choice simply boils down to your budget and taste. We firmly believe that a 23-24" display is worth the money and will provide a better experience than something in the 20-22" range, especially if you're considering high resolutions. At $120 it's easy to see why 21.5" 1080p displays are so appealing, but the fact is, unless you're sitting right on top of the screen or have spectacular vision, the small text can be too difficult to read. That said, we understand the value of such displays and if you know it's going to suit your needs, don't let us scare you off.
If you're super strapped for cash, Hannspree's SL231DPB or Acer's S231HLbid is about the best you're going to do for $150. Unless you're going to make the jump to an IPS panel, most of the budget-oriented ~24" TN screens are of a similar quality. In other words, it's safe to buy one of the cheaper options. Hanspree's unit has marginally better horizontal viewing angles, has integrated speakers and is LED backlit (weighs slightly less and consumes a bit less power), whereas Acer's is a tad brighter and has more ratings.
As convenient as it may seem to have speakers built into your monitor, it's one of those things that is just too good to be true. In most instances, integrated speakers are barely a step above not having any sound at all. Budget 2.1 setups from reputable companies such as Logitech, Altec Lansing and Cyber Acoustics can be found at $20 to $40 and some of the more popular models include the S120, VS2621, and our recommendation, the CA-3602.
If this system will be used for any serious gaming, a mouse that ships with cheaper combo sets won't cut it. The Logitech MX518 is a solid gaming mouse that has been around for a while and at less than $40 it's among the cheapest options. Our pick (the G400) is a revamped build of the MX518 with an improved sensor (1800DPI versus 3600DPI), a less restrictive cable and more.
We recently published a round-up review of 12 popular gaming mice if you're looking for a more in-depth look at what's available. The keyboard is a less crucial element for most and a no-frills $8 model from Lite-On seems to be keeping a lot of people happy. If you are more picky about keyboards (and some of us TS staffers definitely are) check out the Enthusiast's and Luxury builds for other choices.
The Enthusiast's PC
| Component | Product | Price |
| Motherboard | ASRock Z77 Extreme6 | $140 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3570K | $230 |
| Memory | 2x4GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600MHz | $48 |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 660 Ti | $300 |
| Sound | Asus Xonar DX 7.1 | $80 |
| Storage | OCZ Vector 128GB + Western Digital Black 1TB | $140 + $100 |
| Optical | Lite-On iHAS124-04 + LG WH14NS40 | $17 + $70 |
| Power | Corsair Enthusiast Series 650TX | $90 |
| Case | Cooler Master Storm Trooper | $145 |
| Monitor | Acer H274HLbmd 27" | $270 |
| Speakers / Headset | Logitech Z-623/ Sony MDR-V6 | $137 / $70 |
| Peripherals | Logitech G500 + G110 | $55 + $60 |
| Core System Total | $1,360 | |
| Core System + Monitor and Peripherals | $1,849 | |
Motherboard, Processor, Memory
In our review, we found the third-generation Core architecture (codenamed Ivy Bridge) to offer more performance and consume less power than its predecessor. The $250 quad-core Core i5-3570K is a suitable replacement for our previous pick, the i5-2500K. It's worth mentioning that the i5-3570K has an unlocked multiplier so it's easier to overclock, but if you don't plan to take advantage of that feature, you can probably safely downgrade to the i5-3450 or i5-3550. If you intend to do heavy multitasking, you may want to jump up to a Core i7-3770K for HyperThreading.
In our recent four-way Z77 shootout, the ASRock Z77 Extreme6 made a great impression as it kept pace with pricier solutions from Gigabyte and Intel. The board houses two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (x16/0 or x8/x8 for SLI or Crossfire), one PCIe 2.0 x16 slot (x4 speeds), an assortment of other slots (PCIe x1/Mini PCIe/PCI), four USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s ports, an eSATA port and tons more.
Graphics, Sound
Nvidia's Kepler architecture is finally inching toward mainstream pricing via the GeForce GTX 660 Ti, which we've found to be today's best-value performance graphics card. In our testing, we determined the GTX 660 Ti to be about 13% slower than the GTX 670 while being 33% cheaper, and it was about 6% faster than the GTX 580, last generation's single-GPU flagship. Similarly, the new arrival averaged about 13% faster than the Radeon HD 7870 while costing about the same at launch, and it was only about 5% slower than the HD 7950 while being 14% cheaper. Aternatively, if you can get by with slightly less horsepower, the GTX 660 and HD 7850 are an even better value, offering enough muscle to handle most games on high while saving you $70+ over the GTX 660 Ti.
Despite its grasp on the computer audio market, Creative's sound cards and drivers have left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. For that reason, we've selected Asus' Xonar DX. Some people still prefer a card that's more mainstream or simply need support for the latest EAX titles, in which case the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer should be suitable.
Storage
With cutthroat pricing like OCZ's, it's increasingly easy to squeeze a solid-state drive into the budget of a system like this. The new Vector has proved to be one of the fastest SSDs available, despite competing on price with older units from Samsung, Crucial, Kingston and Intel. With prices falling, we recently upgraded this build's SSD from 64GB to 128GB for some extra elbowroom, but the former should offer enough space for Windows 7 and applications, especially if you disable Windows features such as hibernation mode. Samsung's 830840 Pro Series, Crucial's m4 and OCZ's Vertex 4 are fantastic alternatives with similar pricing and capacities.
The Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB is a tad pricier than competing HDDs from Seagate and Samsung, but has a lengthier five year warranty, which is worth a few bucks to us.
We've chosen to pair a standard DVD burner with LG's affordable Blu-ray burner to give your Enthusiast's PC that extra mile of functionality, but if you want to save a few bucks, feel free to drop the spare DVD drive. Likewise, if you have no use for a Blu-ray burner, exclude it from your purchase or downgrade to a Blu-ray reader (around $30 cheaper).
Power, Case
Although you could probably get by with a solid 500W PSU, that would cutting it close with some multi-GPU configurations, so spending a few bucks more now to have headroom later makes the most sense to us.
Having fallen head over heels for Cooler Master's previous full tower designs (namely the HAF 932 and HAF X), it should come as no surprise that we have a strong affinity for the company's latest creation. The CM Storm Trooper represents the culmination of the company's efforts, featuring a new chassis handle, revamped drive cages, an integrated fan controller, excellent stock cooling and the same mildly aggressive aesthetics.
If a full-tower chassis is too large for your taste, the CM M HAF 922, Antec Nine Hundred are worthy purchases -- though they're a bit showy and that's a deal breaker for some folks. For something a bit tamer, see Antec's Three Hundred or Lian Li's cases.
Monitor, Speakers, Peripherals
It's our opinion that a 23" to 24" monitor should be the absolute minimum for the average enthusiast system. Although TN-based displays start at about $210, we strongly encourage you to splurge on an IPS panel for the added color depth and overall higher quality image, and if you're a graphics professional, this is a must. Both HP and Dell offer great products in this category (ZR2440w and U2410).
We've found the proverbial "sweet spot" to be in the 27" range and fortunately, both TN and IPS panels are increasingly affordable. LG, HP, Asus, Acer and many other brands currently offer 27" displays in the sub-$350 territory. Most TN units have virtually identical features with a few minor differences (slightly varying response times, different warranty terms, and there's even some LED-backlit models in the mix). We've opted for the Acer H274HLbmd as it's among the least expensive models available for less than $270 and it has the lowest power consumption among its rivals courtesy of LED backlighting.
If you can spare a couple hundred more dollars you may want to take advantage of the affordable high-res 27" IPS offerings from South Korea. They're similar in form and function to the popular US offerings from HP (ZR2740w) and Dell (U2711), except they're half the price. Generally, situations like that are too good to be true, but many enthusiasts have taken the gamble with no regrets, who has purchased eight of them this year. The displays vary in features, especially in connectivity, so you'll have to see what fits your needs best, but it seems you can't really go wrong no matter which you buy. Read this lengthy thread at Overclock.net along with this review by pcgadget Report.
Speakers are a tricky component to shop for because a higher price and wattage doesn't necessarily equal better sound accuracy. As long as you don't expect studio-quality reproduction or to rattle your neighbor's walls, the $40 CA-3602 should be fine (also recommended for the Entry-Level Rig).
If your budget allows it, Logitech's Z623 200W 2.1 speakers should exceed your expectations in movies and games, especially when you consider the countless positive reviews received by their predecessor (the Z-2300). More of a headphone person? The Sony MDR-V66 and MDR-V7506 have stood the test of time and are a personal favorite.
Even if you're not a hardcore gamer, Logitech's G500 mouse is an excellent choice at $60, and the G15 keyboard is somewhat of a de facto among gamers. The G500 is in a sweet spot as far as price for performance goes, but if you need something less expensive take a look at our Entry-Level Rig or our Recent round-up review of twelve popular gaming mice.
Other gaming-oriented keyboards include mechanical options from Razer, Corsair, Mionix, and Cooler Master, while Filco, Leopold and Das offer less flashy boards.. Non-mechanical options include Razer's Arctosa, Logitech's G110, SteelSeries Merc Stealth, and Microsoft's SideWinder X6.
Those working long hours in front of a computer may want something more ergonomic. The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 has been used by some of the staff for years and can be found for less than $40 these days, and the company recently launched its $20 Comfort Curve Keyboard 3000.
The Luxury System
| Component | Product | Price |
| Motherboard | Asus Sabertooth Z77 | $240 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-3770K | $318 |
| Memory | 4x4GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600MHz | $100 |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 680 | $470 |
| Sound | Asus Xonar Essence STX | $186 |
| Storage | OCZ Vector 256GB + Western Digital Black 4TB | $240 + $330 |
| Optical | Lite-On iHAS124-04 + LG WH14NS40 | $17 + $70 |
| Power | Corsair HX Series 850W | $160 |
| Case | Cooler Master Cosmos II | $350 |
| Monitor | Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" | $1,400 |
| Speakers / Headset | Logitech Z906 / Audio-Technica ATH-M50 | $393 / $120 |
| Peripherals | Logitech G500 + G19 | $55 + $150 |
| Core System Total | $2,481 | |
| Core System + Monitor and Peripherals | $4,343 | |
Motherboard, Processor, Memory
With Ivy Bridge, Kepler and Southern Islands fresh on the menu, it's a great time to start a new build. In our review of Intel's latest architecutre, the Core i7-3770K proved to be 17% faster than the last-gen Core i7-2600K (with the biggest gains in encoding) while consuming 11% less power -- mostly what everyone expected. Ivy Bridge ranked high in our graphs, taking second only to the $1,040 Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E chip in most tests.
There are various high-end Z77 boards available and unless you're hunting for a particular feature (such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 on the Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe), you'll probably be equally satisfied with anything you pick. It currently seems like a toss up between the $230 ASRock Z77 Professional and the Asus Sabertooth Z77. The former has more USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s ports, the latter touts a lengthier warranty, an extra eSATA port and, debatably, superior aesthetics courtesy of Asus' "Thermal Armor."
Most people won't tap 4GB during standard use, but if you're looking to spend over $3,000 on a desktop PC, you probably aren't a "standard" user. Having 8GB of RAM is likely the current "ideal" for heavy gamers and power users, but if you're building with Ivy Bridge, you might as well go to town with 16GB (four 4GB modules -- preferably in a single kit), considering we're talking about a fraction of the total system cost.
Graphics, Sound
If you're shopping for a $500+ graphics card, we can only assume you're after the best-performing product available. As of writing, Nvidia's GTX 680 t title proudly, offering more performance and consuming less power than the HD 7970 while costing approximately $50 less. This one's a no-brainer unless AMD makes some drastic price cuts, but even then, we imagine folks seeking cards in this territory won't mind spending a few extra bucks for Nvidia's Kepler architecture.
Storage
Although the Crucial m4, Intel 520 Series, Kingston's HyperX 3K and Samsung 83 0/ 840 Pro Series remain viable options, OCZ's Vector is our current pick. In our recent review, the Indilinx Barefoot 3-powered drive delivered top notch performance across the board and offers competitive pricing to boot, exceeding the value of OCZ's previous flagship SSD, the Vertex 3.
This wouldn't be much of a Luxury computer without a Blu-ray burner, and at under $100 the LG drive we've chosen is among the most affordable you'll find.
Power, Case
Corsair's HX Series 850W PSU ought to supply your dream PC with enough juice. Noteworthy specifications include a 140mm thermally-controlled fan, 70A on a single +12V rail, 80 Plus Silver Certified, and lengthy cables with connectors for 12 SATA drives, six PCI-E graphics cards, and 12 peripheral devices. What's more, the unit features a modular cable design, so you'll be able to keep your system free of unnecessary clutter.
Although the HAF 932, HAF Xand CM Storm Trooper are fully capable of housing top-notch hardware (all three have served in our Luxury System guide at some point), we think the throne rightfully belongs to Cooler Master's Cosmos II. We're still waiting on a review unit, but based on everything we've seen, the jumbo-sized chassis is well worth its $350 asking price for hardcore system builders.
Other worthwhile aggressive looking chassis include the Antec's Twelve Hundred and Lanboy Air, while a sleeker and more subtle enclosure can be had with Corsair's Obsidian 800D. Meanwhile, if money is no object, the Thermaltake Level 10 is among the most unique (and expensive) PC cases available.
Monitor, Speakers, Peripherals
At 30-inches, the Dell UltraSharp U3011 is nothing short of excellence. Displaying 1.07 billion colors at a native resolution of 2560x1600, it has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, 370 cd/m2 brightness, 7ms gray-to-gray response time, .2505mm pixel pitch, viewing angles of 178/178-degrees and is backed by Dell's premium panel guarantee. It also has five USB ports, along with two HDMI, two DVI, one VGA, one DisplayPort, component connectors, a 7-in-1 card reader, and sits atop an adjustable base (height, swivel and tilt).
As sweet as the U3011 is, $1,500 is a lot of bacon to drop on one monitor, though it shouldn't be too difficult to snag one for $1,300 or less if you're patient as Dell runs semi-frequent sales. We realize 30" monitors aren't for everyone, and there are countless worthy alternatives in the 24" to 27" ($200 to $600) range. If you have the cash, we'd suggest opting for a display that boasts an IPS panel such as HP's LP2475w or Dell's U2410.
There aren't many 5.1 computer speaker systems around and although Logitech's Z-5500 has been a favorite among gamers for years, the set is being rapidly phased out by the company's new Z906. Unfortunately, the Z906 has received has received a lukewarm response from consumers, but the audiophiles over at Soundnews.ro has given the set two thumbs up for movies and gaming. Meanwhile, headsets don't get much better than Audio Technica's ATH-M50 unless you're going to spend hundreds or thousands more. Frankly, if you require better audio quality than the ATH-M50s can provide, you probably already know what you're looking for.
Between the number of possible keyboard and mouse combinations in the high-end price range, and the various uses you could be making of this system it's virtually impossible to recommend a single component. That said, we think Logitech's G500 mouse and G19 keyboard are suitable for just about any build, but if you prefer something more sleek, the Logitech diNovo Edge or the Logitech MX Air Silver mouse may be worth investigating. Other popular keyboards include the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 and Logitech's recently launched G510.
If you're looking for a mechanical keyboard, Filco, Das, Leopold, Deck, XArmor, Razer, Corsair and SteelSeries offer respected options, while WASD Keyboards provides customizable mechanical packages. Be sure to read up on the difference between each keyswitch before making a purchase. Geekhack.org offers a fantastic resource on the subject if you're interested.
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