The benefits seem numerous. Since the PC would be connected to a TV, I don’t have to bother with a monitor or speakers – which instantly frees almost £70 from my budget – and the motherboard I’d already picked out is mATX anyway, and so will fit into most of the cases I spent last night gazing at. It would also be full of Blu-ray technology to make movies look fantastic.

So, here’s my current shopping list:

· Ebuyer Extra Value Black/Silver Cube Case with 650W PSU and LCD – £48.93

· Celeron Dual Core E1200 – £36.91

· ABIT I-945V socket 775 motherboard – £25.53

· 2GB 667MHz DDR2 RAM – £15.99

· 500GB hard disk – £38.10

· Radeon HD 4350 – £29.61

· Blu-ray ROM drive – £67.46

That adds up to £262.53 – a mite over twelve pounds too expensive. I’m aware that I could drop to 1GB of RAM and reduce the size of the hard disk to save cash, but it still feels awfully close to the bone.

Other issues present themselves when putting together a media centre rig, too. I’ve not included an operating system because shelling out for XP or Vista – even an OEM version – is just too big a chunk of my budget. Whatever PC I decide to build, then, will be using Ubuntu, which is the only version of Linux I’ve had any experience with. I’ll have to check whether legal Blu-ray playback is possible with Ubuntu – a couple of quick searches reveal that the issue has certainly had a murky past, and it doesn’t seem that the question of Open Source Blu-ray hasn’t been resolved yet. More searching is required – and, as usual, tips from anyone reading are more than welcome.

The other issue is cost. If anyone can find these components for less cash – bearing in mind that the cost of delivery has to be factored in, too – then I’d be absolutely delighted. If you know of any possible solutions, then please let me know.

And, if this doesn’t work out? I plan to ditch the monitor and speakers and build an overclocked, Open Source gaming rig with a ludicrous case and, hopefully, a few bells and whistles. Tomorrow, hopefully, is ordering day.

Every machine that we review has two things in common, though: none of them cost £250, and not one of them has suffered the indignity of being thrown together by my unsubtle and leaden hands.

Nevertheless, I’ve been asked to put together a serviceable and usable PC for £250. It didn’t initially sound too challenging, but the more I explored the challenge the more I discovered that huge corners would have to be cut and I’d have to be extremely canny with my purchasing.

However, I do also think that I have an instant advantage over some of my colleagues. For one, I don’t have to include a profit margin in my rig’s spec-list and, for another, I can indulge in some enthusiastic overclocking. I can also seek out parts from big-name manufacturers rather than relying on the lesser-quality, proprietary components that may be used elsewhere. To that end, I spent some time seeking out some of the cheap parts that I’d need for my PC, and came up with several possibilities:

· The processor would be an Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200, costing £57.60

· An Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT is a budget card, and would set me back £44.72

· 2GB of RAM at £16.43

· A 250GB hard disk that I’d found for £31.99

· A 17in monitor for £65.23

After a busy morning’s surfing, my shopping list already totalled £215.97, and I hadn’t factored in a case, keyboard, mouse, optical drive or even a motherboard. It looks as if my ambitions are going to have to be severely reigned in if I’m going to cram everything into this machine.

However, a bit more time on some of the big shopping websites reveal that there are some bargains to be had. I’ve managed to find an Intel Celeron E1200 processor for £36.91 – it may not be a Pentium Dual Core, but it’s still dual core and still very, very overclockable. I’ve paired this with a £32 ABIT motherboard, but I’m still furiously searching for plenty else to install into this super-cheap machine.

And that, dear reader, is where you come in: at the moment, my vision for this PC is as wide and open as the Windows XP default wallpaper, and as malleable as putty. I’m open to any suggestions as to how I can make this rig the best on offer come the end of the £250 challenge – so whether you envisage it being a budget gaming beast or a tiny, silent media centre, please let me know what’s on your mind.

I’m also open to suggestions as to where I can find the multitude of components that I need for this machine – so the cheaper and more reliable the supplier the better. With emphasis on the cheaper, of course, given the stringent budget that’s been laid down by our supreme Editor.

So, if you have any comments or suggestions regarding my machine – any tips on component choices, where to buy them or any building advice – then I’m happy to hear them. I’m looking forward to reading your feedback and proving that you can build a PC on a £250 budget – and get a better rig that can be found anywhere else.

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