- Joined
- May 24, 2010
- Messages
- 654
***This post is no longer updated by its original creator. Administrators and moderators may provide updates should they see it necessary***
Hey, everyone!
I have compiled a list of hardware which extends from meeting the needs of low-end users to enthusiasts. Anyone beyond this scope (aka extreme overclockers/gamers) should already know their way around which components meet their standard.
On all pricing - $[MSRP]/[Street Price of NEW item]
*Street Price valid as of June 2010*
*Note* The MSRP is a reference to the average prices of each product (to keep a pricing standard), and should NOT be the price you purchase the items at! For an estimated purchasing price, please check the street value of the item instead!
Updates:
07/05/10 - Locked by admin.
06/16/10 - Fixed some links and replaced motherboard due to audio compatibility issues, added Gigabyte's 9800 GT Silent Cell (thanks Lnx2Mac!).
06/19/10 - Replaced a motherboard due to lack of audio/firewire support. Added more CPU and fan selections. Provided a cheaper power supply option for those who will not be upgrading.
06/20/10 - Added comparisons to actual Macintoshes to get a taste of how much money you'll be saving! Created a "Personality Trait" for each build.
06/21/10 - Included a Home Theater Mac build and table of contents. Made the post more aesthetically pleasing.
06/22/10 - Fixed RAM compatibility issues (thanks Coutch!).
06/23/10 - Increase case options. Added non-modular PSU's for cheaper selections.
06/24/10 - Embedded all links. Reminder to self: never hard code in Notepad again.
07/02/10 - MOD edit: Added a warning on the low-end hack case.
So without further ado, a carefully-selected build for each price point:
*If a product is out of stock, any store with the same brand/model will be fine!*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents:
1. The Low-End Consumer: ($290-350; G31 Core 2 Duo)
2. The Average Consumer: ($570-700; P55 i3)
3. Today's Consumer: ($735-905; P55 i5)
4. The Enthusiast Consumer: ($945-1085; P55 i7)
5. Tomorrow's Consumer
$1295-1580; X58 i7)
6. The Home Theater Consumer: ($440-810; H55 i3/i5)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The Low-End Consumer:
Personality: Loves to browse the internet, update their Facebook account, and/or watch Youtube videos. Uses software like iTunes, iPhoto, and Quicksilver.
Good uses: Surfing the web, listening to music, using Microsoft Office, watching HD movies, online flash games.
Will work, but slow: Low-quality video editing, Adobe Photoshop, Starcraft II in high quality.
Case: $30/30 - Linkworld Silver Case + 400W PSU MOD edit: Removed based on a user's feedback viewtopic.php?p=25171#p25171
OR
Case: $60/60 - Cooler Master Elite RC + 350W PSU
Power Supply: $0/0 - Check Case for Power Supply Combo
*Note* Although it is highly not recommended to use no-brand power supplies, this is the cheapest build and therefore will use the cheapest methods.
Motherboard: $50/50 - Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L
Graphics: $0/0 - None (Optional, not recommended)
*Note* Check here for an onboard audio beta testing guide: http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2348
OR
Graphics: $50/30 - XFX 9400 GT 512 MB
CPU: $120/90 - Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93 GHz
RAM: $50/50 - Kingston HyperX 2GB
Hard Drive: $50/50 - Samsung Spinpoint 500GB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $0 - Not Required for Lower End Builds
*Note* If you will be overclocking, please know that an aftermarket heatsink and fan is recommended if not required.
Total: $320-400/290-350
Comparable Macintosh: Mac Mini - Core 2 Duo 2.66 Ghz, Geforce 320M, 2GB RAM, 500GB; $950
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. The Average Consumer:
Personality: Knows their way around some iMovie and gets their hands dirty in media projects every now and then. Possibly seen Photoshopping and burning family DVD's.
Good uses: Anything from Low-End uses, low-quality video editing, Photoshop, low-quality 3D-gaming, music writing/editing.
Will work, but slow: HD Video editing, graphical games, large data processing.
Case: $40/40 - Cooler Master Elite 360
OR
Case: $50/50 - Cooler Master Centurion 5
OR
Case: $70/70 - Cooler Master Centurion 590
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W
OR
Power Supply: $80/50 - Antec 550W Continuous Power (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $150/140 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
Graphics: $90/50 - EVGA 9600 GT 512MB
OR
Graphics: $130/120 - Gigabyte 9800 GT 1GB Silent Cell
CPU: $125/100 - Intel Core i3-530 2.93 GHz
OR
CPU: $150/120 - Intel Core i3-550 3.2 GHz
RAM: $110/110 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series
Hard Drive: $80/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $0/0 - Not Required for Lower End Builds
*Note* If you will be overclocking, please know that an aftermarket heatsink and fan is recommended if not required.
Total: $680-790/560-700
Comparable Macintosh: iMac - Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, HD 4670, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $1500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Today's Consumer:
Personality: Lives around Final Cut Express, Adobe Premiere, or the likes. Or maybe not. Portal for Mac is out, so everyone jump in!
Good uses: Anything from Average uses, HD Video Editing, medium data processing (under 2 GB), graphical games.
Will work, but slow: CGI, 3D animation, large data processing (over 2 GB), 8-threaded applications (if any exist).
Case: $70/50 - Antec 300
OR
Case: $80/65 - Apevia X-Cruiser
OR
Case: $100/90 - Cooler Master CM690 II
OR
Case: $110/100 - NZXT Tempest
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W
OR
Power Supply: $120/80 - Corsair 650TX 650W (Room to grow!)*
OR
Power Supply: $140/100 - Corsair 650HX Modular 650W (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $150/140 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
Graphics: $130/120 - Gigabyte 9800 GT 1GB Silent Cell
OR
Graphics: $150/100 - EVGA GTS 250
OR
Graphics: $215/150 - EVGA GTX 260 Core 216
CPU: $220/170 - Intel Core i5-655K 3.2 GHz
OR
CPU: $200/180 - Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz
RAM: $110/110 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $30/25 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
OR
CPU Fan: $50/35 - Scythe Mugen 2
Total: $850-1110/715-905
Comparable Macintosh: iMac - i5-750 2.66 GHz, HD 4850, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. The Enthusiast Consumer:
Personality: Flash developing, anyone? Oh, wait, Apple banned that. No worries, let's all go out and have a Starcraft II LAN party - of course with all settings on high!
Good uses: Anything from Today's uses, 3D animation, large data processing (over 2 GB), 8-threaded applications.
Will work, but slow: CGI, graphic-intensive gaming (ultra quality), long mathematical algorithms.
Case: $100/80 - Antec 600
OR
Case: $100/90 - Cooler Master Storm Scout
OR
Case: $140/100 - Antec 900
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W
OR
Power Supply: $120/80 - Corsair 650TX 650W (Room to grow!)*
OR
Power Supply: $140/100 - Corsair 650HX Modular 650W (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $150/140 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
Graphics: $215/150 - EVGA GTX 260 Core 216
CPU: $290/200 - Intel Core i7-860 2.8 GHz
OR
CPU: $350/250 - Intel Core i7-875K 2.93 GHz
RAM: $220/220 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series X2 (Total 8GB RAM)
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $50/35 - Scythe Mugen 2
Total: $1195-1370/945-1085
Comparable Macintosh: iMac - i7-860 2.8 GHz, HD 4850, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $2200
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Tomorrow's Consumer:
Personality: Whoo! Modern Warfare 2 never looked so good! Also, I'll be recording this session for Youtube. All while background-rendering my new Oscar-winning movie with Final Cut Pro, baby!
Good uses: Anything from Enthusiast uses, CGI, graphic-intensive gaming (ultra quality), long mathematical algorithms.
Will work, but slow: DirectX 11 Tessellation.
Case: $160/140 - Cooler Master HAF 932
OR
Case: $300/230 - Corsair Obsidian 800D
Power Supply: $80/50 - Antec 550W Continuous Power
OR
Power Supply: $190/150 - Corsair 850HX Modular 850W (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $210/210 - Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R
Graphics: $350/250 - Gigabyte GTX 285
OR
Graphics: $430/300 - EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 X2 (SLI)
CPU: $295/200 - Intel Core i7-930 2.8 GHz
RAM: $320/320 - G.Skill 12GB (6 x 2GB)
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $50/35 - Scythe Mugen 2
OR
CPU Fan: $90/80 - Noctua NH-D14
Total: $1570-1940/1295-1580
Comparable Macintosh: Mac Pro - Intel Xeon 2.93 GHz, HD 4870, 6GB RAM, 1TB; $3350
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. The Home Theater Consumer:
Personality: Movie night is every night! We should have movie mornings, too!
Good uses: Surfing the web, listening to music, using Microsoft Office, watching HD movies, online flash games.
Will work, but slow: Low-quality video editing, Adobe Photoshop, Starcraft II in high quality.
Case: $40/40 - Linkworld Black/Silver + 400W Power Supply
OR
Case: $170/140 - Antec Black Aluminum / Antec Silver Aluminum
Power Supply: $0/0 - If purchasing Linkworld case
*Note* It is not recommended to use no-brand power supplies, but it saves money, if you would like a quality PSU, please refer to the "Average Consumer" power supply options.
OR
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W (If purchasing Antec case)
OR
Power Supply: $80/50 - Antec 550W Continuous Power (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $100/85 - Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H
Graphics: $110/80 - Galaxy 9600 GT 512 MB (includes HDMI Port)
CPU: $125/100 - Intel Core i3-530 2.93 GHz
OR
CPU: $200/180 - Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz
RAM: $65/65 - G.Skill 2GB DDR3 1600
OR
RAM: $110/110 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series
Hard Drive: $50/50 - Samsung Spinpoint 500GB
OR
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
OR
Disk Drive: $60/60 - Lite-On Blu-Ray Reader
CPU Fan: $40/35 - Scythe Big Shuriken (Optional, recommended for hearing your movie and not your HTMac!)
Total: $510-955/440-810
Comparable Macintosh (with cheaper options selected): Mac Mini - Core 2 Duo 2.66 Ghz, Geforce 320M, 2GB RAM, 500GB; $950
Comparable Macintosh (with expensive options selected): iMac - i5-750 2.66 GHz, HD 4850, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following components may be freely changed as they do not affect Snow Leopard compatibility, but are the ones I would recommend for the respective price and consumer: Case, Power Supply, CPU Fan, Hard Drive (but keep the Hard Drive SATA), RAM (I don't recommend changing RAM unless you know what you're doing).
I hope these hardware combos provide an idea of what you need in your next Snow Leopard build, or at least give you an outline of what you're going to need to purchase for maximum Snow Leopard support. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I or the brilliant people of Tonymacx86 will help the best we can!
*Note about power supplies: The lower-wattage power supply is recommended if you don't plan on ever having an upgrade path for your computer. If you plan on upgrading in the future, however, please consider the higher-wattage power supply.
Hey, everyone!
I have compiled a list of hardware which extends from meeting the needs of low-end users to enthusiasts. Anyone beyond this scope (aka extreme overclockers/gamers) should already know their way around which components meet their standard.
On all pricing - $[MSRP]/[Street Price of NEW item]
*Street Price valid as of June 2010*
*Note* The MSRP is a reference to the average prices of each product (to keep a pricing standard), and should NOT be the price you purchase the items at! For an estimated purchasing price, please check the street value of the item instead!
Updates:
07/05/10 - Locked by admin.
06/16/10 - Fixed some links and replaced motherboard due to audio compatibility issues, added Gigabyte's 9800 GT Silent Cell (thanks Lnx2Mac!).
06/19/10 - Replaced a motherboard due to lack of audio/firewire support. Added more CPU and fan selections. Provided a cheaper power supply option for those who will not be upgrading.
06/20/10 - Added comparisons to actual Macintoshes to get a taste of how much money you'll be saving! Created a "Personality Trait" for each build.
06/21/10 - Included a Home Theater Mac build and table of contents. Made the post more aesthetically pleasing.
06/22/10 - Fixed RAM compatibility issues (thanks Coutch!).
06/23/10 - Increase case options. Added non-modular PSU's for cheaper selections.
06/24/10 - Embedded all links. Reminder to self: never hard code in Notepad again.
07/02/10 - MOD edit: Added a warning on the low-end hack case.
So without further ado, a carefully-selected build for each price point:
*If a product is out of stock, any store with the same brand/model will be fine!*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents:
1. The Low-End Consumer: ($290-350; G31 Core 2 Duo)
2. The Average Consumer: ($570-700; P55 i3)
3. Today's Consumer: ($735-905; P55 i5)
4. The Enthusiast Consumer: ($945-1085; P55 i7)
5. Tomorrow's Consumer
$1295-1580; X58 i7)6. The Home Theater Consumer: ($440-810; H55 i3/i5)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The Low-End Consumer:
Personality: Loves to browse the internet, update their Facebook account, and/or watch Youtube videos. Uses software like iTunes, iPhoto, and Quicksilver.
Good uses: Surfing the web, listening to music, using Microsoft Office, watching HD movies, online flash games.
Will work, but slow: Low-quality video editing, Adobe Photoshop, Starcraft II in high quality.
Case: $30/30 - Linkworld Silver Case + 400W PSU MOD edit: Removed based on a user's feedback viewtopic.php?p=25171#p25171
OR
Case: $60/60 - Cooler Master Elite RC + 350W PSU
Power Supply: $0/0 - Check Case for Power Supply Combo
*Note* Although it is highly not recommended to use no-brand power supplies, this is the cheapest build and therefore will use the cheapest methods.
Motherboard: $50/50 - Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L
Graphics: $0/0 - None (Optional, not recommended)
*Note* Check here for an onboard audio beta testing guide: http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2348
OR
Graphics: $50/30 - XFX 9400 GT 512 MB
CPU: $120/90 - Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93 GHz
RAM: $50/50 - Kingston HyperX 2GB
Hard Drive: $50/50 - Samsung Spinpoint 500GB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $0 - Not Required for Lower End Builds
*Note* If you will be overclocking, please know that an aftermarket heatsink and fan is recommended if not required.
Total: $320-400/290-350
Comparable Macintosh: Mac Mini - Core 2 Duo 2.66 Ghz, Geforce 320M, 2GB RAM, 500GB; $950
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. The Average Consumer:
Personality: Knows their way around some iMovie and gets their hands dirty in media projects every now and then. Possibly seen Photoshopping and burning family DVD's.
Good uses: Anything from Low-End uses, low-quality video editing, Photoshop, low-quality 3D-gaming, music writing/editing.
Will work, but slow: HD Video editing, graphical games, large data processing.
Case: $40/40 - Cooler Master Elite 360
OR
Case: $50/50 - Cooler Master Centurion 5
OR
Case: $70/70 - Cooler Master Centurion 590
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W
OR
Power Supply: $80/50 - Antec 550W Continuous Power (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $150/140 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
Graphics: $90/50 - EVGA 9600 GT 512MB
OR
Graphics: $130/120 - Gigabyte 9800 GT 1GB Silent Cell
CPU: $125/100 - Intel Core i3-530 2.93 GHz
OR
CPU: $150/120 - Intel Core i3-550 3.2 GHz
RAM: $110/110 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series
Hard Drive: $80/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $0/0 - Not Required for Lower End Builds
*Note* If you will be overclocking, please know that an aftermarket heatsink and fan is recommended if not required.
Total: $680-790/560-700
Comparable Macintosh: iMac - Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz, HD 4670, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $1500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Today's Consumer:
Personality: Lives around Final Cut Express, Adobe Premiere, or the likes. Or maybe not. Portal for Mac is out, so everyone jump in!
Good uses: Anything from Average uses, HD Video Editing, medium data processing (under 2 GB), graphical games.
Will work, but slow: CGI, 3D animation, large data processing (over 2 GB), 8-threaded applications (if any exist).
Case: $70/50 - Antec 300
OR
Case: $80/65 - Apevia X-Cruiser
OR
Case: $100/90 - Cooler Master CM690 II
OR
Case: $110/100 - NZXT Tempest
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W
OR
Power Supply: $120/80 - Corsair 650TX 650W (Room to grow!)*
OR
Power Supply: $140/100 - Corsair 650HX Modular 650W (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $150/140 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
Graphics: $130/120 - Gigabyte 9800 GT 1GB Silent Cell
OR
Graphics: $150/100 - EVGA GTS 250
OR
Graphics: $215/150 - EVGA GTX 260 Core 216
CPU: $220/170 - Intel Core i5-655K 3.2 GHz
OR
CPU: $200/180 - Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz
RAM: $110/110 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $30/25 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
OR
CPU Fan: $50/35 - Scythe Mugen 2
Total: $850-1110/715-905
Comparable Macintosh: iMac - i5-750 2.66 GHz, HD 4850, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. The Enthusiast Consumer:
Personality: Flash developing, anyone? Oh, wait, Apple banned that. No worries, let's all go out and have a Starcraft II LAN party - of course with all settings on high!
Good uses: Anything from Today's uses, 3D animation, large data processing (over 2 GB), 8-threaded applications.
Will work, but slow: CGI, graphic-intensive gaming (ultra quality), long mathematical algorithms.
Case: $100/80 - Antec 600
OR
Case: $100/90 - Cooler Master Storm Scout
OR
Case: $140/100 - Antec 900
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W
OR
Power Supply: $120/80 - Corsair 650TX 650W (Room to grow!)*
OR
Power Supply: $140/100 - Corsair 650HX Modular 650W (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $150/140 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
Graphics: $215/150 - EVGA GTX 260 Core 216
CPU: $290/200 - Intel Core i7-860 2.8 GHz
OR
CPU: $350/250 - Intel Core i7-875K 2.93 GHz
RAM: $220/220 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series X2 (Total 8GB RAM)
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $50/35 - Scythe Mugen 2
Total: $1195-1370/945-1085
Comparable Macintosh: iMac - i7-860 2.8 GHz, HD 4850, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $2200
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Tomorrow's Consumer:
Personality: Whoo! Modern Warfare 2 never looked so good! Also, I'll be recording this session for Youtube. All while background-rendering my new Oscar-winning movie with Final Cut Pro, baby!
Good uses: Anything from Enthusiast uses, CGI, graphic-intensive gaming (ultra quality), long mathematical algorithms.
Will work, but slow: DirectX 11 Tessellation.
Case: $160/140 - Cooler Master HAF 932
OR
Case: $300/230 - Corsair Obsidian 800D
Power Supply: $80/50 - Antec 550W Continuous Power
OR
Power Supply: $190/150 - Corsair 850HX Modular 850W (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $210/210 - Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R
Graphics: $350/250 - Gigabyte GTX 285
OR
Graphics: $430/300 - EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 X2 (SLI)
CPU: $295/200 - Intel Core i7-930 2.8 GHz
RAM: $320/320 - G.Skill 12GB (6 x 2GB)
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
CPU Fan: $50/35 - Scythe Mugen 2
OR
CPU Fan: $90/80 - Noctua NH-D14
Total: $1570-1940/1295-1580
Comparable Macintosh: Mac Pro - Intel Xeon 2.93 GHz, HD 4870, 6GB RAM, 1TB; $3350
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. The Home Theater Consumer:
Personality: Movie night is every night! We should have movie mornings, too!
Good uses: Surfing the web, listening to music, using Microsoft Office, watching HD movies, online flash games.
Will work, but slow: Low-quality video editing, Adobe Photoshop, Starcraft II in high quality.
Case: $40/40 - Linkworld Black/Silver + 400W Power Supply
OR
Case: $170/140 - Antec Black Aluminum / Antec Silver Aluminum
Power Supply: $0/0 - If purchasing Linkworld case
*Note* It is not recommended to use no-brand power supplies, but it saves money, if you would like a quality PSU, please refer to the "Average Consumer" power supply options.
OR
Power Supply: $65/30 - Corsair 400W (If purchasing Antec case)
OR
Power Supply: $80/50 - Antec 550W Continuous Power (Room to grow!)*
Motherboard: $100/85 - Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H
Graphics: $110/80 - Galaxy 9600 GT 512 MB (includes HDMI Port)
CPU: $125/100 - Intel Core i3-530 2.93 GHz
OR
CPU: $200/180 - Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz
RAM: $65/65 - G.Skill 2GB DDR3 1600
OR
RAM: $110/110 - G.Skill 4GB Eco Series
Hard Drive: $50/50 - Samsung Spinpoint 500GB
OR
Hard Drive: $85/70 - Samsung Spinpoint 1TB
Disk Drive: $20/20 - Sony Optiarc
OR
Disk Drive: $60/60 - Lite-On Blu-Ray Reader
CPU Fan: $40/35 - Scythe Big Shuriken (Optional, recommended for hearing your movie and not your HTMac!)
Total: $510-955/440-810
Comparable Macintosh (with cheaper options selected): Mac Mini - Core 2 Duo 2.66 Ghz, Geforce 320M, 2GB RAM, 500GB; $950
Comparable Macintosh (with expensive options selected): iMac - i5-750 2.66 GHz, HD 4850, 4GB RAM, 1TB; $2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following components may be freely changed as they do not affect Snow Leopard compatibility, but are the ones I would recommend for the respective price and consumer: Case, Power Supply, CPU Fan, Hard Drive (but keep the Hard Drive SATA), RAM (I don't recommend changing RAM unless you know what you're doing).
I hope these hardware combos provide an idea of what you need in your next Snow Leopard build, or at least give you an outline of what you're going to need to purchase for maximum Snow Leopard support. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I or the brilliant people of Tonymacx86 will help the best we can!
*Note about power supplies: The lower-wattage power supply is recommended if you don't plan on ever having an upgrade path for your computer. If you plan on upgrading in the future, however, please consider the higher-wattage power supply.
