Building a Gaming PC Under $2500 - Top Parts Recommendations

Written by:  • Edited by: J. F. Amprimoz
Updated Jun 7, 2009
• Related Guides: Gaming Pc | AMD

When I set myself to building my first gaming PC around 4 years ago, I wanted the very best of everything. Then I realized that it would cost me around 4000 USD. Times have changed, and you can get the best of the best for far less coin than ever. Here it is - the ultimate gaming PC for under $2500.

Gaming PCs

It seems that people's recreation is what ends up pushing the technological envelope more often than not. PC gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry, and having the best gear out there to put you at the top of your game is of the utmost importance to a lot of people. On the other hand, figuring out what the tried and true best parts are and what is compatible with eachother can be a challenge. That is why I created this part recommendation guide for the Gamer looking for the best. Here is the gaming PC to rule all others, and we didn't skimp on anything.

All This Great Stuff, for Under $2500

All pricing taken from Newegg.com, as of 2/20/09

CASE: COOLER MASTER COSMOS S RC-1100-KKN1-GP Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $199.99

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS M4A79 Deluxe AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - $199.99

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - $229.00

MEMORY: Mushkin 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $149.98

GRAPHICS CARDS: (2) SAPPHIRE 100251SR Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $828.00

POWER SUPPLY: Thermaltake Toughpower W0132RU 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $299.99

HARD DRIVES: Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $229.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $89.99

CD/DVD/BluRay Drives: ASUS Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe - $27.99

LG Black 6X Blu-ray DVD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner - $119.99

CPU COOLER: ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - $53.99

TOTAL BUILD COST: $2,498.90

The Case

Cooler Master S
click to enlarge
With the large format components I knew would be going into this beast, I wanted to make sure I selected a case with a ton of room, a reliable reputation, strong build-quality, as well as visual appeal. Tons of bright flashy LEDs and a viewport to show off all your gear has its place - in the redlight district of your favorite sleezy city.

This case is in no way boring, however. It does, in fact, feature more subtle LED tinting, in the less common red color. It also features aesthetic and functional handles to make transportation that much easier. Another notable feature is the bottom-mounted power supply, allowing for better cable management and air flow.

Cooler Master cases have an excellent reputation for durability, intuitive case design, and excellent airflow systems. I use them almost exclusively in all of my PC builds, both for myself and for clients and friends.

The Power Supply

When choosing a power supply I had three important things in mind: Reliability, Cable Management, and Lifespan. The 1000w Thermaltake Toughpower fit the bill perfectly. Coming from a highly reputable brand like Thermaltake, we know that the chances of this beast going bum on us any time soon are next to none. Additionally we can rest assured that with a full 1000w spec, it will be able to handle absolutely anything we throw at it now, as well as in the future. With "upgrades" in mind we want to make sure that our power supply can stick with us through several PC "rebuilds", and that is exactly what this is designed to do. Additionally, the modular cabling makes cable management and airflow optimization a cinch.

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