Our low-end Econobox isn't designed to be the cheapest possible combination of parts. Instead, it's a solid and affordable foundation for enthusiasts on a budget. We've avoided cutting corners that would have limited future upgrade options, and at the same time, we've tried to ensure that the system doesn't actually need any upgrades to deliver relatively peppy performance

Processor
We've stuck with the dual-core Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 3800+ for this build. For less than $150, this processor provides some very serious budget firepower without breaking the bank. Some might have preferred a Socket 939 flavor of this chip, but AMD's Socket AM2 infrastructure brings a number of advantages. For one, Socket AM2 allows the use of DDR2 memory, which is faster and more likely to come in handy down the road than plain old DDR400. Socket AM2 processors also have support for AMD's AMD-V virtualization technology, and AMD has said Socket AM2 motherboards will be able to house its next-generation quad-core processors.

The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ has no really direct competition from the Core 2 Duo at this price point. Rather, it sits in the same class as Intel's older Pentium D chips, situated between the Pentium D 915 and the Pentium D 930. The X2 3800+ outclasses both of those chips in performance and power consumption.

Motherboard
We're also staying with the Asus M2NPV-VM motherboard. The M2NPV-VM is outfitted with an Nvidia GeForce 6150 integrated graphics chipset and its associated nForce 430 south bridge. This board's other features include PCI Express x16 and x1 slots, a couple of 32-bit PCI slots, four 300MB/s Serial ATA ports, and FireWire. The integrated GeForce 6150 graphics sports both VGA and DVI outputs, making it rather handy for budget users who may want to drive an LCD monitor.

If you like to watch movies on your PC, the GeForce 6150 also has PureVideo hardware acceleration support for some high-definition video content. You may need third-party software to take advantage of PureVideo, but it's a nice addition nonetheless. Don't expect to do much gaming on the GeForce 6150, though. The 6150 is rather anemic when it comes to gaming performance, and you're much better off with our alternatives section's discrete graphics card recommendation.

Memory
Our memory choice is slightly fancier than usual. OCZ's Gold line of memory is aimed chiefly at enthusiasts, as its gold-mirrored copper heat spreader attests. This OCZ Gold 1GB DDR2-800 kit is the cheapest DDR2-800 dual-channel bundle we can find from a big name brand, and it's reasonably priced. "Value" DDR2-667 memory may be a few bucks cheaper, but we don't think the savings are worth it in this machine; our motherboard's integrated GeForce 6150 graphics could use the extra bandwidth available with faster memory.

Storage
We're quite happy with Seagate's new Barracuda 7200.10 line, and considering the 320GB model's low price, it'd be a shame not to include it here. With the drive's $94.99 price tag, you're paying a scant 30 cents for each gigabyte. Cheaper models from other companies may save you one or two cents per gigabyte, but we feel the 320GB Barracuda 7200.10 is the smart pick for a budget machine given its 16MB cache, support for 300MB/s Serial ATA transfer speeds and Native Command Queuing, and five-year warranty. What's more, this drive's implementation of perpendicular recording technology allows it to squeeze all 320GB onto just two platters. Drives with fewer platters generally consume less power and have lower noise levels, and Seagate is currently the only manufacturer we know of shipping a two-platter 320GB drive.

The NEC ND-3550A is still our DVD burner of choice, because to our knowledge, nothing significantly better has come along yet. That's a little disappointing, because despite Intel's decision to ditch IDE support in its latest chipsets, there are still almost no DVD burners that use Serial ATA. Plextor has a couple of models that are exceptions to this rule, including the PX-755SA, but they both cost more than $100—a little too rich for our tastes.

That said, the NEC ND-3550A is still a fine drive. It burns DVDs from the "plus" and "dash" standards at 16X, as well as + and - dual-layer DVDs at 8X and 6X, respectively. NEC's line of DVD burners has a reputation for high quality burns with low error rates, and with its bundled copy of Nero, the ND-3550A offers excellent value.

Enclosure and power
Budget users too often spend all of their money on a fast CPU and a large hard drive, and then throw in a $30 case and power supply bundle as an afterthought. While inexpensive cases aren't usually too bad, their bundled power supplies are almost always made with cheap, low-quality components. Iffy power supplies can exhibit low power delivery, voltage fluctuations, poor stress tolerance, and short life spans. In fact, a cheap PSU is not only liable to fail, it could also cause system instability and damage sensitive components over time.

We're going with Antec once again due to the company's solid reputation as a builder of reliable power supplies and quiet, high-quality cases. The new NSK 4400 case includes a quiet 380W power supply with dual 12V rails as well as three 5.25" drive bays, three internal 3.5" bays with rubber grommets to isolate hard drive vibration, and a 120mm exhaust fan with three speeds. Considering its price, the NSK 4400 offers a fine mix of power, expansion, and noise reduction features.