In addition to the usual three-tiered System Guide, we occasionally supplement it to bring you more specialized build-it-yourself machines. These will be designed with a specific purpose in mind, and the components will reflect that. The February 2006 edition marks the third appearance of the Ultimate Budget Box.

To all those people clamoring for a minimalist Budget Box: this is it. Look around inside most corporate offices, where most computers need to handle a few Office documents and light Internet use. They don't need to be able to burn CDs or handle 3D-intensive games, but they do need to be reliable and affordable. Lots of consumers out there probably want a similar box, an appliance that lets them get onto the Internet, take care of e-mail, and do a few documents . . . Low-cost, reliability, and quality are key. That is what the Ultimate Budget Box is about: not skimping on components, but not loading it up with features either.

This is the perfect system to build for your parents (unless you frequently find them on the same Unreal Tournament 2004 server you frequent), spouse, or anyone else who does not need bleeding-edge performance. Come see what you can build for under US$550.