I built my last one in 2009 and it was cheap even then, but it has low power consumption:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e
Mobo Asus M3A78-T with Radeon HD3300 onboard GPU with 128MB dedicated graphics RAM (+512MB assigned from the main RAM). In its times HD3300 was the fastest onboard GPU, I chose it to be able to choose a GPU later... Well, later has become a few years!
4GB RAM ECC
500GB SATA + 250GB PATA HDDs (when I still used Win XP I was forced to keep a PATA drive because XP, even building an install disc with updated drivers, had problems with my Mobo chipset/SATA drives combination)
DVD burner
Kubuntu 12.04 LTS + Windows 7 dual boot
Enermax Pandora case with two low noise fans blowing filtered air inside (I replaced the fan provided with the case and added another one)
Low-noise Cooler Master 400W PSU (bought separately, I wanted a low-noise one, so I bought a case without PSU)
Asus 22" 1080p LED display
Logitech Wingman Extreme Digital 3D Joystick
Flexiglow Cyber Snipa game pad
Trust Predator GM-3500R Force Feedback Steering Wheel with 2 Pedals
Universal Pro-Driving Simulator adjustable support for steering wheel and pedals
Several external USB HDDs, one of which is usable also as a standalone multimedia player.
As of now it can run almost all the games I play or I'm going to play in the near future well enough for my tastes, as my backlog is quite behind in the years, but I'll have to upgrade at least the GPU for The Witcher 2 (the only game in the last years that I bought shortly after launch, without waiting for a budget edition). Before upgrading the GPU I'll wait for a little more graphics power to become available on low power consumption GPUs.
Alas all my efforts to make a low-noise PC are partially ruined by an UPS with a small, noisy fan: it's more noisy than the PC itself with its 4 low-noise fans (PSU, CPU and 2 cas fans).







