Econobox alternatives
We're happy with the selections on the previous page, but not everybody will want an Intel processor or integrated audio. Since users' needs will invariably, er, vary, we've gathered a list of alternatives and extras on this page.

Processor
AMD can't quite match the performance and power efficiency of Intel's Pentium E5200 in this price range, but the 2.9GHz Athlon X2 5600+ looks like a solid alternative if you like your CPU boxes black and green. It also enables you to choose a motherboard based on the 780G chipset, which has surprisingly capable integrated graphics and a good all-around feature set—a fine choice for those who don't need a proper graphics card but still need a modicum of GPU power. We picked this particular chip because it's the fastest Athlon X2 with a 65W power envelope.

Motherboard
Our Socket AM2 processor won't plug into our primary system's LGA775 socket, so we've selected a matching motherboard based on AMD's 780G integrated graphics chipset. The 780G is blessed with a surprisingly competent Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics processor that can run recent games as long as you can live with lower resolutions and detail levels. Cinephiles will be glad to know that the Radeon HD 3200 can accelerate high-definition video decoding to facilitate buttery-smooth Blu-ray playback, too.

We have plenty of experience with Gigabyte's GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard, which we featured in our initial review of the 780G, so we're confident that it's a good match for our Econobox alternatives. The S2H also has great user reviews on Newegg.

As a side note, we should mention that motherboards based on Nvidia's GeForce 8200- and 8300-series integrated graphics chipsets have hit stores, and they're certainly interesting alternatives to the 780G. However, based on our experience with the GeForce 8300, we still favor the AMD chipset.

Graphics
On paper, the GeForce 9800 GT is effectively a re-branded 8800 GT that may or may not have a 55nm GPU. This BFG card is "factory overclocked" to 635MHz core and 925MHz memory speeds, however, so it should outperform vanilla 8800 GTs. Considering the affordable price and the fact that BFG offers lifetime warranty coverage with 24/7 tech support, this is a capable (albeit likely slower) alternative to the Radeon HD 4830.

Storage
If you're comfortable with paying a $15 premium to get five years of warranty coverage instead of three, then you'll want Western Digital's Caviar Black 640GB. This drive has twice as much cache as the SE16 on the previous page, too, so it may be a tad faster. We're avoiding the Seagate alternative here because we expect the WD drive will perform better and generate less noise. (The 1TB Caviar Black we reviewed did have higher noise levels than the competition, but the 640GB Caviar Black has fewer platters, and WD gives it the same noise ratings as the SE16.)