The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is for demanding users who want the current fastest quad-core performance on the market.

The Inno3D I-9600GT (H5GTCD) is a top notch graphics card when judged on its own merits, delivering plenty of processing power at a price anybody can afford. However, when compared against similarly priced equivalent cards from other vendors, its performance is left slightly wanting.

Software imperfections aside, the E800 is a functional card with good hybrid functionality, and it can boot up your PC to initiate a recording.

The Galaxy 9600GT Overclocked is an excellent mid-range graphics card that easily stacks up against anything else on the market. With the inclusion of Xtreme Tuner overclocking software, it's value remains unmatched.

Its performance isn't stellar, but it doesn't consume much power and it runs almost silently. This makes the 4850e desirable for a media centre, or any PC where noise and heat issues need to be tackled.

Gigabyte's latest motherboard is small, but it packs plenty of punch. It includes modern connectivity options and even allows you to run two monitors off its integrated graphics. If you're on a budget and want to build a small, yet potent PC, this board is a worthy choice.

An excellent single-card SLI option with a tonne of rendering power up its sleeve. The potential for quad-SLI is mouth watering, and the single-card SLI design means space savings for cramped PC cases.