Build your own Vista gaming PC for under $1,000
It’s no secret that Vista likes high-end hardware to run on. But the line can be a little blurry as to what will run Vista and what will run it well. There are the computers that can run Vista, play games and perform other multimedia tasks and then there are the computers that can barely run Vista and not do much else except surf the web and run office applications. I don’t like computers that come with Vista Home Basic and I don’t like Home Basic itself. Those computers are low end and not likely to be any good except for the tasks mentioned earlier.
Vista Home Premium is the best “all around†version of Vista so that is what I tend to concentrate on but if a computer can run Home Premium, it can run Ultimate and Business Editions as well.
Now it comes down to the hardware needed to run it, especially if you want to experience the new “Aero Glass†interface. I have seen Aero Glass run on systems with as little as 1GB of memory and a Geforce FX5200 graphics card. For those who don’t know, those are fairly low-end in this day and age and I wouldn’t trust the FX5200 card to play a game as far as I could throw it but it will run Aero Glass.
Many off the shelf computers such as those available at Best Buy, Circuit City and FutureShop offer integrated graphics, while they are adequate for running Aero Glass they aren’t much good for anything else. If you do purchase an off the shelf computer make sure to purchase a good dedicated graphics card, gamers should keep in mind DirectX 10 capable hardware which is currently supported only in the nvidia 8 series of cards.
If you want to challenge yourself, I recommend building your own computer. When doing so you will be able to build a much better computer for cheaper than you could ever hope to buy off the shelf. Note you will have to consider a monitor separately as that is not part of the hardware cost, assuming you actually need to buy a monitor, if possible just reuse the one you have.
It is possible to build a computer more than capable for Windows Vista for right around $900 (not including monitor) and remember you have to build this one yourself so here are the components to consider:
Pentium D 820…………97.00 Processor
Biostar I945G-M7………78.99 Motherboard
A-DATA 2GB…………..134.99 Memory
Sapphire X1650XT…….137.99 Graphics Card
X-Fi Xtreme Audio…….45.99 Sound Card
Logitech MX3000………53.99 Keyboard/Mouse
250GB HD………………74.99
DVDRW Drive………….34.99
Thermaltake VB6000….60.00 Case
Coolmax 550W…………49.99 Power Supply
Vista Home Premium..119.99 Operating System
Total………………….888.91
The Pentium D 820 is quite a capable processor and in my opinion is better than the Athlon 64×2 series. 2GB of memory is almost a requirement if you want to run Vista well though Vista loves anything above 2GB even more.
That particular Sapphire X1650XT is HDCP enabled and provided your monitor is you will be able to watch protected content from an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drive right from your computer. Creative currently only offers finalized drivers for their X-Fi series of cards which led to that choice of sound card.
Logitech makes the best keyboards and combos, enough said. A 250GB hard drive should be enough to get you started but the addition of a second hard drive is highly recommended for backups and media storage. DVDRW drives are created equal for the most part but that Lite-ON offers a great value and more functionality than even the most avid user could hope for.
I have been a long time user of Thermaltake PC cases and I would go to no one else for a PC case. The power supply was chosen because it offers a good amount of power and efficiency for the system while keeping the cost below $900.
In other words, this configuration will run Vista and play the latest games at reasonable settings without breaking a sweat. The motherboard used does not support SLi but it can accept a single 8800GTX or 8800GTS card, though, a power supply upgrade would be required to support them.
Then again, if you aren’t into building your own system, PC Magazine has a list of computers under $1,000 that are capable of running Vista. That doesn’t mean they are nearly as good as the one I have built here, they aren’t but they will run Vista. They also claim a life span of 3 to 6 years for these computers, maybe if you aren’t a gamer, if you are a gamer, 2 years at best (with a graphics upgrade), maybe 4 with major upgrades.
This is only to prove you don’t need a $$$$ system to run Vista and have some fun too. I leave you with one last thought, building a PC is not for the feint of heart. If you have never looked at the inside of your computer, then you may be better off with an off the shelf system. If however, you have upgraded components such as the graphics card, memory, processor, sound card (or any combination of the above) then chances are good you can build your own system.
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