cleeve :
clide005 :
I kind of feel like only focusing on the price comparison vs performance of the core performance parts is a little like cheating.
I don't agree. We make it pretty clear that a builder could nab a cheap case and DVD drive for significantly less.
Those items are very subjective... one builder might not consider a budget case an option, while another might consider it a complete frivolity.
I also think it's cheating, but possibly in a different way; it inflates the budget. Exclude all the common items, sure, but then tighten up the remaining budget considerably. I like the idea that
all parts are fair game for trade-offs in overall value.
I do recognize that you're in a no-win situation, as there
will be complainers either moaning about a cheap case, or wondering if you lost your mind for not moving $30 from the case to the graphics card. Still, if you're going to avoid those things, you need to keep the budget scaled appropriately. This makes me think that tomorrow's "$750" build may actually be a $950 build, which doesn't help anyone trying to figure out what to do with $750.