The Ars Technica System Guide update for this month is all about gaming. We've got two systems to meet your budget, so if you've been thinking about upgrading, we're here to help.

The Budget Gaming Box falls somewhere between the Budget Box and Hot Rod, as an example of how a little more money goes a long way in graphics and gaming performance. Think of aiming for the 3D performance of the Hot Rod, without the price. The hard drive may not be as big, the case might not be as nice, and the system may not provoke as much geek envy among friends, but the performance is close enough.

The Performance Gaming Box comes in at around double the cost of the Hot Rod and is what the same enthusiast might build if he ahd the budget for a gaming machine that had one sole purpose in life: playing the most demanding games on hardware that that enables a gaming experience with all the bells and whistles turned on. The Performance Gaming Box may share core components with the Budget Gaming Box and other systems from the Ars System Guide, but it is taken to a higher level of performance.

Dive on in and see what's new in the gaming system guide!