Econobox alternatives
We're happy with the selections on the previous page, but not everybody will want an Intel processor or integrated audio. Since users' needs will invariably, er, vary, we've gathered a list of alternatives and extras on this page.

Processor
The Athlon X2 5200+ likely outruns the Pentium E2180 in our primary config overall, but we find the socket's upgrade path considerably less appealing. Still, the Athlon is a decent choice for folks who don't overclock and have no interest in upgrading to a Core 2 Quad CPU down the road.

Motherboard
Our Socket AM2 processor won't plug into our primary system's LGA775 socket, so we've selected a matching motherboard based on AMD's 780G integrated graphics chipset. The 780G is blessed with a surprisingly competent Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics processor that can run fairly recent games as long as you can live with lower resolutions and detail levels. Cinephiles will be glad to know that the Radeon HD 3200 can accelerate high-definition video decoding to facilitate buttery-smooth Blu-ray playback, too.

We have plenty of experience with Gigabyte's GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard, which we featured in our initial review of the 780G, so we're confident that it's a good match for our Econobox alternatives. The S2H also seems to have more positive Newegg user reviews than other 780G boards.

As a side note, we should mention that motherboards based on Nvidia's GeForce 8200- and 8300-series integrated graphics chipsets are trickling onto the market, and that they're certainly interesting alternatives to the 780G. However, based on our experience with the GeForce 8300, we still favor the 780G.

Graphics
Some users may prefer Sapphire's Radeon HD 3850 Ultimate to the GeForce 8800 GT. The AMD-based card doesn't perform as well, but it costs less, draws less power, and features a near-silent cooler. This is a decent alternative for die-hard AMD fans who hate Nvidia's control panel software, too.

Storage
The 640GB Caviar SE16 is a sweet drive, but maybe you'd rather have the extra two years of warranty coverage Seagate offers with its 500GB Barracuda 7200.11. This drive also costs $5 less than the WD, although it has a lower capacity, slower performance, and higher noise levels.

Sound card
Those who've read our review of the Xonar DX will likely understand our motives for picking this as our optional sound card. Compared to Creative's similarly priced X-Fi XtremeGamer, the Xonar offers superior sound quality, useful features like real-time Dolby Digital Live encoding, and a PCI Express x1 interface. It also does a nice job of emulating Creative's EAX 5.0 positional audio effects, ensuring compatibility with a broad range of games.