What are the rules and performance testing methods used in the Scrapyard Wars budget PC building challenge?

The Scrapyard Wars challenge follows strict guidelines where contestants must build gaming rigs under $300 without using pre-purchased parts or leveraging personal connections like friends, social media contacts, or coworkers. The competition involves an eight-hour scavenger hunt to find the best deals on computer components. Performance evaluation is conducted using multiple benchmarking tools including 3DMark Firestrike, Tomb Raider 2013, and Dirt 3 to measure gaming performance. Overclocking is permitted, allowing contestants to maximize their systems' potential within the budget constraints. This format creates a fair competition that tests both sourcing skills and technical knowledge, demonstrating how to build effective gaming systems on extremely limited budgets while maintaining rigorous performance standards.