It's completely possible to build a very useful bargain PC today for under $500. In this section of the site, I've already done the leg work for you as far as planning and design. The only things left for you to do are order the parts and put together your new bargain computer. Now, keep in mind that I've assembled a list of parts that should come in under $500, but I'm not including a monitor in this total. If you're in need of one to accompany your new bargain PC, feel free to check out my page on monitors to get an idea of what you'll need.

Since computer technology is constantly changing, I'll be updating this page as time goes on. My goal is to provide a complete listing of compatible parts that will allow you to build your own bargain computer for around a current market price of about $500 (excluding your monitor, speakers, and printer). Of course, you can always tweak the parts list to help you keep your costs down (or upgrade components as well). However, if you do decide to modify the list, make sure your alternate choices will be compatible with the rest of your hardware!

For more information on choosing bargain PC components, follow the Quick Links for each listed component on the left-hand side of this page.

As of Dec 4th, 2008 here's my parts list for a $500 Bargain Computer Kit

Component	Price	Description	Comments
CPU	TigerDirect $80.99	AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Processor - 3.0GHz CPU	This is a retail version (i.e., shipped in a box with heatsink/fan included).
Motherboard	TigerDirect $94.99	Asus M3A Motherboard - AMD 770, Socket AM2+, ATX	This board is a great buy and will allow you to upgrade your system later on.
Memory	TigerDirect $24.99	Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 2048MB)	This package gives you two 2GB memory chips - total 4GB. Note: The price of $24.99 is after a $30 mail-in rebate.
Computer Case	TigerDirect $49.99	Thermaltake WingRS 101 Black Mid-Tower ATX Case	There's plenty of expansion room in this case. It includes a 120mm chassis fan, but you'll need to purchase your own power supply.
Power Supply	$39.99 TigerDirect	Thermaltake PurePower 430-Watt Power Supply/ATX	430 watts - Plenty of power for your new computer (Note that it's SATA and PCI-E ready)
Hard Drive	$64.99 TigerDirect	Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM	Nice drive! Fast, quiet, and 500GB... What's not to love?
CD/DVD	$39.99 TigerDirect	Sony DRU-V200S/BR DVD Rewritable Drive SATA Retail	This drive pretty much does it all. Just about every CD and DVD format is supported.
Floppy Drive/ Card Reader	$29.98 TigerDirect	Ultra Internal 3.5" Floppy Drive w/Multi Card Reader - Black	A floppy drive and media card reader combined. This is perfect for cases with only one 3.5" external bay.
Keyboard	$14.99 TigerDirect	Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500 PS/2 (Black)	A very basic keyboard. This is a bargain PC, right?
Mouse	$12.99 TigerDirect	Microsoft Basic Optical USB Mouse	Again... basic bargain stuff.

Now, let's examine the steps I followed to choose my parts:

Step one: Choosing my processor. For my bargain PC, I've chosen to purchase an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Processor - 3.0GHz CPU . It's a dual-core processor running at 3.0Ghz with 1MB of SRAM cache. It has a 1000Mhz Front-Side Bus (FSB) and includes a fan and heatsink. Be sure to purchase the RETAIL version, otherwise you'll have to purchase your own fan and heatsink. Now that I've chosen my processor, this clears the way to decide on a motherboard that will support it.

Step two: Choosing my motherboard. I've chosen a quality, name-brand board that supports my processor type and also allows me to install up to 8GB of RAM (with a 64-bit OS). My board of choice for this project: the Asus M3A Motherboard - AMD 770, Socket AM2+, ATX. This board has plenty of USB and SATA connections to support additional peripherals, and a PCI Express 2.0 slot allowing for expansion of video functionality. The board has integrated video and audio capabilities thereby eliminating the need to purchase separate sound and graphics cards. This isn't the cheapest board out there, but for the money, it gives you a lot of room for future upgrades.

Step three: Choosing memory. Memory prices have dropped dramatically over the past year, so this will be extremely helpful in keeping our costs down. My choice: Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 2048MB). The memory configuration is 2x2048, meaning you get two 2GB DIMMs per package, for a total of 4GB of RAM.

Step four: Choosing my case and power supply. I wanted a case that is easy to work with and provides adequate ventilation to keep my computer running cool. My choice: the Thermaltake WingRS 101 Black Mid-Tower ATX Case. It includes front-panel audio and USB ports for convenience. For my power supply, I chose the Thermaltake PurePower 430-Watt Power Supply/ATX/120 mm Fan/SATA and PCI-E Ready. It provides plenty of power for my configuration and includes SATA and PCI-Express connectors.

Step five: Choosing my Hard Disk (HDD). I chose the Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM . Since a Retail version wasn't available, I had to ensure that I would have a SATA cable to connect the drive to my motherboard. Fortunately, I chose to purchase the retail version of my motherboard which includes one SATA cable that I can use to connect my Hard Drive.

Step six: Choosing my CD/DVD Burner. I went with an all-purpose DVD Burner, the Sony DRU-V200S/BR DVD Rewritable Drive SATA. Again, I made sure to purchase the RETAIL version. This drive is capable of reading and writing just about any CD or DVD format out there. The price for this drive is extremely reasonable, and I'm considering installing two of them to make copyng from disk-to-disk more convenient.

Step seven: Choosing my Video Card. Well, this was an easy choice since my motherboard already has on-board video capabilities. However, you will be in a good position to upgrade your video at a later date since this mainboard already has a PCI-Express slot

Step eight: Choosing a Floppy drive and Media Card Reader. I wanted the convenience of being able to plug meory cards from my digital camera directly into my computer without the hassle of breaking out the cable to download photos. This is a very cheap add-on to your bargain PC and is well worth the small cost. I chose the Ultra Internal 3.5" Floppy Drive w/Multi Card Reader. It will install nicely into one of my cases 3.5" floppy bays. And, as an extra bonus, I get a 1.44MB floppy drive, just in case I ever need it.

Step nine: Choosing a keyboard and mouse: For my bargain PC keyboard, I chose the Microsoft Wired Keyboard 500 PS/2 (Black). For my mouse, I chose the Microsoft Basic Optical USB Mouse.

Don't forget to choose a monitor for your new bargain computer!

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