MaximumPC 2007 10

42 MAXIMUMPC OCTOBER 2007

The

$

500

PC Build-Off

MAXIMUMPC

CHALLENGE

ANOTHER

H

ot on the heels of our annual Dream

Machine—arguably the best hand-

built rig that money can buy—two of

our editors face a far more diffi cult undertaking:

building a desktop system where money is an

object and sacrifi ce is the name of the game.

Our intrepid staffers—Senior Editor Gordon

Mah Ung and Associate Editor David Murphy—

must navigate these unfamiliar waters with

just $500 apiece. Let loose in a local electron-

ics store, they’ll be given just 90 minutes to

choose all the parts they need (other than tools)

to build their respective budget boxes. We’re

graciously allowing them to transfer a Windows

XP license from a retired machine, so they can

save some dough on the OS.

Assuming they survive the purchasing

phase of the challenge, the editors will have

a single afternoon in which to build their PCs,

load the OS, and ensure their rigs’ stability.

Then it’s on to the fi nal phase: Each editor

must benchmark and review his competitor’s

fi nished product.

There are so many opportunities for mis-

haps and mayhem that we can barely stand the

suspense. Let’s get started!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMANTHA BERG & MARK MADEO