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
Prices for processors in the sub-$100 range have continued to drop since last year, so we're now able to squeeze a Pentium E2180 comfortably into our Econobox. This chip may be affordable, but it's not lacking in horsepower thanks to a 2GHz clock speed and the very same architecture as more expensive Core 2-branded offerings. Overclocking headroom should be quite decent, as well, and our recommended motherboard should give you plenty of options on that front.

We think the E2180 is the best choice for this build, but if you prefer AMD processors, we have selected an AMD alternative on the next page.

Motherboard
Gigabyte's GA-P35-DS3L gets our vote for this build because of its price tag, feature set, and great user reviews. Despite costing less than $100, this motherboard delivers fine overclocking potential, a solid upgrade path, passive cooling, and plenty of connectivity options. You also get four 300MB/s Serial ATA ports, Gigabit Ethernet, S/PDIF audio inputs and outputs, and a full array of PCI Express and PCI slots. We'd be happier if Gigabyte had included RAID support with an ICH9R south bridge rather than the vanilla ICH9, but that's an omission we're inclined to forgive considering the board's price tag.

Memory
Until now, we've stuck with DDR2-667 RAM for the Econobox on grounds that the price premium for DDR2-800 wasn't worth it in a system like this. However, the price difference between the two memory types has become largely insignificant of late. We've selected Kingston as our provider of cheap DDR2-800 RAM, and we've gone with a 2GB kit. Two gigs of RAM is really the lowest amount we recommend in light of today's prices, and Kingston has a strong reputation for both product quality and customer service.

Graphics
We've splurged a little for the Econobox's graphics processor, causing the build to tip over our $500 target price point. Considering the performance delivered by Nvidia's new GeForce 9600 GT, though, that kind of indulgence makes sense. A cheaper yet still-game-worthy graphics card would trim the price of our system by $70 or so, but it would also seriously reduce gaming performance with recent titles. We don't think that kind of savings makes any sense, especially when you look at the wealth of good PC games that have come out recently (and the many games still to come). If you really can't afford the extra $70, or you're not much of a gamer, check out our alternatives list on the next page for a cheaper recommendation.

We've picked eVGA's flavor of the GeForce 9600 GT. The card is "factory overclocked" 25MHz above the stock core clock speed, yet it costs the same as other, slower models. eVGA covers it with a lifetime warranty and under the company's step-up program.

Storage
Western Digital's 320GB Caviar SE16 is our hard drive of choice for the Econobox. We're passing on Seagate's 320GB Barracuda since the Caviar has a lower price tag, higher performance, and lower noise levels. The only trade-off is in the warranty department, where Seagate delivers five years of coverage and Western Digital offers only three. We don't think a warranty alone is worth going with a more expensive, slower, and louder drive, though, so the Caviar SE16 has become our primary selection. If you favor longer warranties above all else, the 7200.10 is still listed in our alternatives section on the next page.

For our optical drive, we've chosen Samsung's SH-S203B. There are slightly cheaper drives with Serial ATA interfaces and similar features, but this model is faster and only costs a couple of dollars more.

Enclosure and power
Antec's NSK 4480 case and power supply bundle houses our Econobox. This enclosure includes three 5.25" bays, two 3.5" bays, three hard drive bays (housed in a removable cage with rubber mounting grommets), and a speed-adjustable 120mm exhaust fan. Bundled with the case is Antec's high-efficiency EarthWatts 380W power supply, which is rated for 17A of power delivery on each of its two +12V rails. The power supply costs $55 on its own, and the case is well-built and a pleasure to work in, so this bundle delivers pretty good value for the price.

Our recommended case and PSU bundle may seem pricey for a budget system, but 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. PSUs bundled with inexpensive cases tend to be built from cheap, low-quality components, though, 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 $60 or so, we'd recommend sticking with a name-brand PSU like this one.