Instead of being the cheapest possible combination of parts, the Econobox fills in as our affordable gaming and general use system. You won't find too many fancy extras here, but we've tried to select a balanced mix of peppy, reliable components with headroom for future upgrades.

Processor
Intel's 45nm dual-core processors have finally trickled down well under the $100 mark, which gives us the opportunity to select one for our Econobox. The Pentium E5200 totes a pair of 45nm Penryn cores clocked at 2.5GHz with 2MB of shared L2 cache and an 800MHz FSB. Considering the clock-for-clock performance (never mind the overclocking potential) of Penryn CPUs, that's an excellent starting point for our Econobox.

Motherboard
We're once again recommending a P45-based mobo over a P35 model, since the Intel P45 chipset draws less power, has better overclocking potential, and offers PCI Express 2.0 support. Asus' P5Q SE/R gets the nod this time because it's slightly cheaper than the Gigabyte equivalent, and because it offers RAID support for those looking to improve performance, redundancy, or both. RAID is a rare commodity on budget boards that use Intel chipsets, so it's refreshing to see it here.

Memory
In light of Windows Vista's memory demands and current prices, 2GB of RAM has really become the minimum for a modern PC. Our 2GB Kingston DDR2-800 dual-channel kit is one of the cheapest in its class at just over $30, so it easily fits in the Econobox's $500 budget. Kingston should have better quality control and customer service than you can expect from no-name module makers.

Graphics
We've swapped out the GeForce 8800 GT from our last Econobox for this BFG GeForce 9800 GT. On paper, the 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 for the core and 925MHz for the memory, however, so it should outperform vanilla 8800 GTs. Considering the low price and the fact that BFG offers lifetime warranty coverage with 24/7 tech support, we're happy with the upgrade.

Storage
This Caviar SE16 hard drive from Western Digital simultaneously delivers a 640GB storage capacity, excellent performance, very low noise levels, and a bargain-basement price. What's not to like? Well, some folks won't be too enamored with the drive's three-year warranty. For that reason, we're recommending Seagate's competing offering as an alternative on the next page.

As for our optical drive, Samsung's SH-S223Q fits in just as well here as in the Econobox Lite. Its Serial ATA interface should make it reasonably future-proof, and we like the combination of positive user reviews and low pricing.

Enclosure and power
Antec's NSK 4480B case and power supply bundle returns from the Econobox Lite, too. We're again going with the black 4480B model because Newegg charges more for the silver variant.

This bundle has everything the Econobox needs: a quality, high-efficiency power supply that provides a little upgrading headroom; a roomy case with good cooling; and a reasonable price tag. There are cheaper possibilities out there, but we don't think you'd be able to save a whole lot by going with lower-quality components. And as we've noted on the previous page, using a cheap power supply can have disastrous effects in the long run.