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 in ways 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 as it is.

Processor
The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ is back from our previous system guides—and for good reason. Intel's Core 2 Duo line doesn't really extend below the $170 mark, and Pentium D chips priced to compete with the X2 3800+ have lower performance and/or higher power consumption. Once again, we're going with the Socket AM2 flavor of this chip. Socket 939 is more or less an upgrade dead-end at this point, and AMD has said Socket AM2 motherboards will be able to play host to its upcoming next-generation quad-core processors. Socket AM2 chips are also desirable for their support for DDR2 memory and AMD-V hardware virtualization technology.

AMD has recently added an even cheaper model to its Athlon 64 X2 line, the Athlon 64 X2 3600+. This chip is about $14 cheaper than the X2 3800+, and it appears to have some nice overclocking potential. However, it's also slower than the X2 3800+ at stock speeds. Since our part choices match our $500 budget almost exactly, and since the Econobox isn't exactly an overclocking machine to begin with, we're sticking with the 3800+.

Motherboard
Just as the Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 3800+ has managed to hang on for five system guides in a row, the Asus M2NPV-VM is now in its fifth consecutive Econobox. The board offers an affordable Socket AM2 solution with good integrated graphics from a quality manufacturer. It also happens to be the cheapest Socket AM2 mobo we've found that features an Nvidia GeForce 6150 integrated graphics chipset with a DVI monitor output—a great feature for budget users who need to drive a decent LCD monitor. The integrated graphics can handle some light gaming and video acceleration, as well, but don't ask too much of them. If you're building a budget gaming box, have a look at our alternatives section on the following page for a discrete graphics card recommendation. Graphics aside, the M2NPV-VM features PCI Express x16 and x1 slots, two PCI slots, four 300MB/s Serial ATA ports, two IDE channels, and FireWire.

We considered replacing our GeForce 6150 board with a model based on AMD's new 690G chipset, but decided to stick with the M2NPV-VM. The only 690G mobo currently available on Newegg is the Asus M2A-VM, and it lacks FireWire support and more importantly HDMI output—one of the 690G chipset's key features. The AMD chipset might have better gaming performance than Nvidia's GeForce 6150, but if you're looking to play relatively recent titles, you're still better off with a discrete graphics card. Since the 690G chipset also exhibits higher CPU utilization than the GeForce 6150 during HD video playback, the M2NPV-VM remains our recommendation.

Memory
Despite the fact that AMD's Athlon 64 X2 chips for Socket AM2 all have support for DDR2 memory speeds up to 800MHz, budget DDR2-800 RAM from major manufacturers is still surprisingly difficult to find. In light of this scarceness, we've once again selected OCZ's 1GB DDR2-800 "Gold" memory kit for our Econobox. This memory seems to be marketed more toward overclockers than budget users looking for a no-frills RAM choice. However, the kit's price is rather competitive, so we see no reason to downgrade to a similar offering from a lesser-known manufacturer just to save a few dollars. You might be tempted to go with cheaper DDR2-667 memory, but the savings are small, and the integrated graphics chipset in our recommended mobo should benefit from the extra bandwidth provided by DDR2-800 RAM.

Storage
The hard drive market moves relatively slowly, and Seagate's 320GB Barracuda 7200.10 has yet to be toppled as our pick for the Econobox. $89.99 for 320GB translates to just over 28 cents per gigabyte, and that's pretty difficult to beat unless you start hunting around for rebate deals. We don't really cotton to mail-in rebates, though, and their volatile nature makes them a poor match for our system guide.

Affordable pricing aside, the 320GB Barracuda 7200.10 is a very complete offering, sporting 16MB of cache, support for 300MB/s Serial ATA transfer speeds with Native Command Queuing, and a five-year warranty. Slightly larger drives cost significantly more, and slightly smaller drives aren't significantly cheaper, putting the 'cuda right in the sweet spot for our Econobox.

On the optical front, we've been forced to ditch Lite-On's SH-16A7S. The drive has been out of stock at Newegg and other stores for weeks now, so we've switched to Samsung's SH-S183L, which is one of the only other SATA DVD burners on the market today. Core logic chipsets are slowly losing IDE channels, so it would be a shame to select a drive that might not be compatible with your next motherboard. The SH-S183L is a tad more expensive than the old Lite-On, but it's also faster, with a maximum DVD-R and DVD+R burning speed of 18X. One of our editors has had good experiences with this drive's 16X predecessor, and reviews on Newegg and elsewhere are positive, as well.

Enclosure and power
We've decided to stick with the Antec NSK 4400 case and power supply bundle we recommended in our last few system guides. The NSK's price tag places it at the low end of quality case/PSU bundles, and it combines a very respectable power supply with a quiet and reasonably roomy case. The case includes three 5.25" bays, two 3.5" bays, three hard drive bays with rubber mounting grommets, and a speed-adjustable 120mm exhaust fan. The PSU is an Antec model rated for 380W that can supply up to 336W (28A) of power via a pair of +12V rails rated for 16A individually. That's more than enough juice for our Econobox, and you should have plenty of upgrade headroom if you decide to toss in a couple of extra hard drives and a discrete graphics card.

$80 may seem like a lot to spend on what seems like accessories in a budget system. However, a good power supply is an invaluable asset to system stability. You could get a $30 case/PSU bundle from a no-name manufacturer, and you might even end up with a halfway decent case out of the deal. However, PSUs bundled with inexpensive cases tend to be built with cheap, low-quality components, and that often translates into low power delivery, voltage fluctuations, poor stress tolerance, and short life spans. Cheap PSUs can jeopardize system stability, damage sensitive components over time, and potentially even flame out in spectacular fashion, taking several system components with them in the process. For an extra $50, the added peace of mind is definitely worth it.