Budget Gaming PC Setup Parts List: the External Components and the Operating System

Written by: Finn Orfano • Edited by: Eric Stallsworth
Updated May 19, 2011 • Related Guides: Gaming Pc | Operating System

In this second and final article of this series, I'll talk about the external components and the OS I selected to complete your sub-$1000 gaming PC system. All items come from Newegg.com. Many items of this system are not on sale, so the total price is highly likely to go down in the short term.

Monitor

Hanns·G Hi-221DPB ($159.99)

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You really get your money's worth with this monitor. Granted, there are low power and bad sounding speakers in this monitor, but you get a 22-inch display with a sharp picture and vibrant colors. Although a VGA cable is included in the package, I strongly suggest you get a DVI cable: you can find cheap and quality DVI cables at Newegg like the OKGEAR 6 ft DVI-D cable ($4.99). Both types of cables support the maximum resolution of this monitor (1680 x 1050), but the DVI cable can carry a pure digital signal to the monitor, and thus allows for a better picture quality than over VGA. The monitor's low response time of 5 ms all but eliminates ghosting problems, which is perfect for fast-paced screen action such as gaming.

Speakers

Creative Inspire T6100 5.1 ($79.99)

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The T6100 delivers a powerful sound of exceptional quality, at a price range often seen in 2.1 speakers sets, making this 5.1 set an even better value. The subwoofer has its own volume control knob, and the right-front speaker has the on/off/main volume control knob plus a convenient 3.5mm headphone jack. For a gaming setup, surround sound gives a definite advantage, as it opens a new dimension in gameplay. Whether it's an attacker crawling up on you or mortar shells coming in your direction, you can quickly pinpoint where the sound is coming from and react accordingly. Games like World of Warcraft, Crysis or Call Of Duty really come to life with such a setup.

Headphones

Plantronics GAMECOM 1 ($19.99)

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Don't let the low price of these headphones fool you, you get a lot for so little money. These are comfortable, very well made and provide excellent sound quality, for both the earphones and the microphone. I really like the volume controls right on the cord, and since the cord is really long (9.5'), you can step back from the computer a bit and watch videos or listen to music for example. The microphone is adjustable, noise-canceling (perfect for voice) and you can rotate it upwards out of the way when not in use. With the microphone being mounted on the headset, you can concentrate on gaming and not have to worry about being close enough to a desktop microphone.

Keyboard

Saitek Eclipse ($34.99)

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Even though it's perfectly adequate for general and everyday use, this keyboard has features definitely oriented towards the gaming consumers. The design looks very futuristic: it really shows with the pointed corners, the center LEDs and the extra large Space bar, which I think is a plus. As it is often used for jumping commands, a bigger Space bar will make you less likely to hit other keys by accident.The black and silver colors plus the beautiful blue backlighting all match the Raidmax Aztec case I selected in my previous article. The backlighting doesn't just serve an aesthetic purpose, it also lets you efficiently use your keyboard in dark lit areas (perfect for late night gaming sessions).

Mouse

OCZ Equalizer ($19.99)

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What caught my attention about this laser mouse was the 2500dpi maximum sensitivity. With such a high sensitivity, you can cover lots of screen estate with very little mouse movement, and thus in very little time. The less time you spend moving, the more time you have to attack, making you a more effective opponent in the process. Don't worry, if you don't want or need to operate your mouse at high speeds, you can instantly switch the dpi sensitivity level on 6 levels (400, 800, 1200, 1600, 2000 and 2500 dpi) at the touch of a button. One thing I especially like is that this mouse can be used left or right handed.

Operating system

Windows Vista Home Premium ($99.99)

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Once you've finished assembling your PC, you're ready to install Windows Vista. It will be the most supported operating system by Microsoft starting April 19, 2009: when their mainstream support for Windows XP will officially be discontinued. The bright side is that Vista is getting better, following a rough start (shoddy device compatibility was a major reason for the early consumer discontentment). Vista now supports a wide range of devices and drivers designed for it are now up to the task when it comes to gaming.

Conclusion

There you have it, a complete gaming PC setup for under $1000: case and internal components ($578.91) + external components ($314.95) + operating system ($99.99) = $993.85 ($998.84 if you add the aforementioned DVI-D cable). Despite that low cost, you still get a lot of components that can survive many motherboard/CPU/memory upgrades, for example: case, monitor, speakers, etc. That would make your purchase an excellent long term investment. Remember, buying a budget PC doesn't mean you have to contend with subpar quality parts. You can get higher quality components and save money by assembling the PC yourself.