Mainstream Gaming PCs v3.8.1: Faster CPU, faster video card, faster SSDs and lower prices!
Version 3.8.1 : Updated on February 15th 2013
What’s new in Version 3.8.1:
- New motherboard for Tier 5-6-7, the previous one was discontinued.
- CPU upgrade from Core Intel Core i5-3550 3.3-3.7GHz to Core i5-3570K 3.4-3.8GHz, for Tier 3-4. The i5-3570K is 100MHz faster, has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking and only costs $6 more than the i5-3550.
- Faster video card for Tier 3.
- New recommended SSD for Tier 4 to 7.
- New PSU for Tier 3 and 4, the previous one is out of stock.
Never built a PC before and need help? No problem.
You don’t have to be a Geek to build a PC!
Building a PC has never been easier. We have hundreds of readers who had no experience and who built their first PC with the help of Hardware Revolution. If they can do it, so can you!Start by reading our “Building Your First PC?” article, which covers everything that you need to know to get started. We also have videos on how to build a PC and on how to install Windows/software a bit further down in the article.
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you’re looking for a Mainstream Gaming PC, to play video games at a 1080p resolution, you’re at the right place. Otherwise, check out our other Do-It-Yourself Computer Systems or The Best Laptops For Your Money instead.
The Bitfenix Prodigy case, available in black, white, orange and red colors, is one of the recommended alternative Mini-ITX cases. With a Mini-ITX motherboard, it allows you to build a powerful Gaming PC in a case that's much smaller than a big ATX case. Despite its small size, it still supports five 3.5" or nine 2.5" drives.
Click on a section to jump to it:
- Five Tiers to choose from
- Recommended parts summary
- Computer Builds FAQs
- Recommended parts in details
- Budget/High-End Gaming PCs
About Hardware Revolution Mainstream Gaming Computers:
High-End Performance and Features at a Mainstream cost
Our mainstream gaming PCs feature parts that were chosen to offer the best balance between performance and features possible at a given price aka the best bang for your buck.
Designed with reliability and low-noise in mind
They feature a high-quality power supply, a case with a good balance between cooling abilities/low-noise and a quality after-market CPU Cooler, so that your PC will last you many years and to ensure that it will not overheat nor sound like a jet engine either.
Tier System:
Instead of having several articles that each cover one specific build, there are Tiers, allowing you to pick one of several systems at broader price points.
The Tiers are color coded as such:
Choose from five Tiers:
Tier 3 (Identified by a Red color): $863
Our lowest cost Tier that includes an Intel Ivy Bridge Quad-Core CPU. Tier 3 is the only Mainstream Gaming PCs Tier that does not include a SSD in its budget but it’s ready for one if you want to add one, you’ll just need an extra SATA cable.
Tier 4 (Identified by a Green color): $976
Our lowest cost Tier that’s equipped with a 120GB SSD. Also equipped with a powerful Intel Core i5-3570K processor and an equally powerful Geforce GTX 660, Tier 4 is one heck of a powerhouse PC at a relatively low price considering the performance that it offers!
Tier 5 (Identified by an Orange color): $1177
Tier 5 offers a more powerful video card and an upgraded case. It offers not only a step-up in performance from Tier 4, but also improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard and improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler.
All of this results in a Tier that’s not only powerful as it is, but that’s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Tier 6 (Identified by a Dark Red color): $1447
Tier 6 offers a more power video card as well as more storage capacity, with larger 250GB SSD/2TB HDD and just like Tier 5, Tier 6 features improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard, improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler and better case cooling.
All of this results in a Tier that’s not only powerful as it is, but that’s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Tier 7 (Identified by a Fuchsia color): $1597
This Tier takes performance to the next level, with the a video card equipped with the fastest single GPU available: The Geforce GTX 680 2GB.
Just like Tier 5/6, Tier 7 features improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard, improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler and better case cooling.
All of this results in a Tier that’s not only powerful as it is, but that’s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Need a Tier recommendation for a specific video game?
Ask us on the forums: Tell us about the video game, the level of details that you want (i.e. I just want to be able to play the game, medium, high or maximum details) and finally the resolution (e.g. 1920 x 1080.) of the monitor (HDTVs are usually 720p/1080p) that you’ll use.
Recommended Parts Summary:
Main recommendations, upgrades and alternatives:
1. Recommended Components are in Bold, with one or more colors/symbols for the Tier(s).
2. Suggested Alternatives and Upgrades are in Italic. You can upgrade as many parts as you want to, including parts from higher Tiers.
3. All Parts are interchangeable/compatible with each other, except for smaller Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX cases that don’t support larger Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards respectively and may not support some large after-market CPU Coolers. Ask us on the forums if you want us to double-check your build.
4. If this is your first build and if you just a simple template to follow, stick to the recommended parts for a Tier.
Building a PC, Got a Question, Need Help?
Computer Builds FAQs:
I often get questions such as:
- Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?
- Can you suggest me a step by step guide to build a computer?
- Why should I build a PC instead of buying one in a store?
- And many more…
1. You will find the answers to all of these questions and more in this article: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
2. Is this your first build? Start by reading our “Building Your First PC?” article, which covers everything that you need to know to get started. Here are also 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
3. Newly built computer won’t start? I invite you to read Help me: Why won’t my newly assembled PC start or boot?
4. Visit our forums here, where you can join our helpful community and ask questions.
Recommended step-by-step guides to build your PC:
Newegg TV has three great videos on how to build your PC. The first covers choosing your parts, which we help you with in this article, so I chose not to include it. The second one, below, shows you in detail how to assemble your PC. The 3rd one shows you how to install Windows and software.
If you prefer a text version with pictures, here are two great guides by ArsTechnica, the first one covering the assembling and the second one covering Windows and software:
- Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Hardware (Building the PC)
- Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Software (EFI/BIOS, Windows, etc.)
Free Assistance
If you have any question(s) about the build, simply head over to the forums and our community will be there to assist you.
No worries, there are no stupid questions here on Hardware Revolution. We all started from scratch and learned through our mistakes. We”ll just help you make sure to avoid those mistakes 
If you want to have your final build double-checked and get my opinion on it before ordering, or for anything else, don’t be shy, just post a thread on the forums.
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Recommendations in details:
Motherboard:
Socket: LGA1155
Ivy Bridge CPUs (Core ix-3xxx) use the LGA 1155 socket and the following chipsets:
7 series Chipsets: For Ivy Bridge CPUs, you have the H77, Z75 and Z77 chipsets.
- H77 supports the integrated GPU found in the CPU and thus allow for video output without a discrete video card. However, they do not support CPU overclocking.
- Z75 does support the integrated GPU found in the CPU, as well as CPU overclocking. However, it does not support Intel SRT (SSD caching), which I don’t recommend anyway (see note below).
- Z77 is the high-end chipset. It supports the integrated GPU and overclocking just like Z75. It also support Intel SRT (SSD caching).
While some older LGA1155 motherboard, based on the H61, H67, P67 and Z68 chipsets do support Ivy Bridge after a BIOS/UEFI update, this is not the case of all of them.
Also, the 7-series chipset equipped motherboards bring native USB 3.0 support, with greater performance and thus are recommended if you build a PC with a new Ivy Bridge CPU, so that way, you get the best performance and are sure that it will work with your Ivy Bridge CPU.
CPU Coolers compatibility: CPU Coolers that are compatible with the LGA1156 socket are also compatible with the LGA 1155 socket. Some LGA1155 motherboards support LGA 775 CPU Coolers too.
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About Intel’s QuickSync and SSD Caching:
All 7-series chipsets allows you to access the IGP from the CPU, which allows you to take advantage of Intel’s QuickSync, a technology that lets you use the IGP in your CPU to accelerate video conversion (amongst other things), allowing you to convert video faster than with just a CPU.
However, the drawback is that the quality of converted videos is lower than if they are converted with a CPU. This is subjective though, so the loss in quality might be an acceptable drawback for you, if you value the time than you gain.
As for SSD Caching, AnandTech has two excellent articles on the subject. They are on the Z68 chipset, but SSD caching is the same on Z77:
- Intel Z68 Chipset & Smart Response Technology (SSD Caching) Review
- Z68 SSD Caching with Corsair’s F40 SandForce SSD
In short, while SSD caching is an interesting technology, you’re better off using your SSD as your boot drive and manually managing where your applications and games get installed (SSD or HDD), if you want the best performance possible, all the time.
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Tier 3 and 4:
$77 – ASRock Z75 Pro3 Z75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3
Important note:
This motherboard includes two SATA cables, you will need to buy another if you want an optical drive, mechanical hard drive, and solid state drive as recommended for Tier 4. Tier 3 doesn’t need an additional SATA cable as it only has an optical drive and a hard drive. Of course, if you decide to get an additional drive for Tier 3 or 4, you’ll need an extra cable for each drive. I recommend and included in the budget of Tier 4 this SATA cable: $3- 18″ SATA Cable w/Locking LatchThis is a basic Z75 chipset motherboard at a great price that’s a perfect match-up for Tier 3/4 and the Core i5-3550 CPU recommended for those Tiers.
It comes with SATA III 6.0Gb/s and USB 3.0 support thanks to the Z75 chipset and it’s ready for Intel’s 3rd generation of Core CPUs, codename Ivy Bridge, which are recommended in this guide. Note that it also supports the older 2nd generation of Intel’s Core CPUs, codename Sandy Bridge.
Equipped with an Ivy Bridge CPU (Core ix-3xxx), it supports PCI-Express 3.0. With a Sandy Bridge CPU (Core ix-2xxx), you get PCI-Express 2.0, which still offers enough bandwidth except for the highest-end configurations (Two Radeon HD 7970 in Crossfire or Two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI).
Note that the Z75 chipset allows you to use the integrated video card from the CPU. While the performance of the integrated video card is no where good enough to play recent games, it can still be used until you buy your video card, if you’re on a tight budget. It’s also useful if you need to troubleshoot your PC and suspect that the dedicated video card is defective.
Also note that while the Z75 chipset does support overclocking, the recommended CPU for Tier 3 and 4, the Core i5-3550, only supports limited overclocking, see the CPU section for more details on this.
If you want to overclock your CPU, you’ll need an i5-3570K (recommended for all Tiers) or i7-3770K , which feature a completely unlocked CPU multiplier. See the CPU section for more details on this. You’ll also want a more powerful PSU (add 50W) and an after-market CPU Cooler for the best overclocking results.
Speaking of overclocking, this motherboard only features 5 power phases, which is fine for standard usage, but is a rather poor choice if you intend to overclock your CPU, as they will hold back the overclocking potential.
If you intend to greatly overclock your CPU (remember to get an unlocked K version CPU), I’d recommend upgrading to the Tier 5-6-7 motherboard or to one of the recommended alternatives, at the bottom of the Tier 6-7 motherboard section.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what’s included in the box and warranty:
- Ports on the back: 1x PS/2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, 6 audio ports (for 7.1 sound, but a dedicated sound is recommended in this guide anyway) and VGA/HDMI outputs.
- Expansion slots: One PCI-Express 3.0 16x slot, one PCI-Express 2.0 16x (running at 4x) slot, one PCI-Express 1x and two PCI slots. I recommend installing the recommended dedicated sound card (ASUS Xonar DG PCI) in the bottom PCI slot, in order to give your video card plenty of space to “breath” and stay cool.
- Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Three fan connectors (1 x 4 pins (for CPU Cooler), 2 x 3pins), four SATA 3.0Gb/s, two SATA 6.0Gb/s, two USB 2.0 headers (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), IR header, and a COM header.
- Included in the box: Motherboard, two SATA cables, backplate, manual and CD.
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Tier 5, 6 and 7:
$138 – GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H Z77 SATA6Gbs USB3.0 Better CPU OC
In my opinion, the Gigabyte GA has the best set of features overall for its low price, many of which that I consider very important for Tier 5, 6 and 7 of the Mainstream Gaming PCs:
- 9 Phase PWM allows for improved CPU voltage delivery, which is crucial when you overclock your CPU. This is the main reason that I recommend this motherboard for Tier 5, 6 and 7.
- A USB 3.0 header that allows you to connect the case front USB 3.0 ports to it.
- Top-notch customer feedback, meaning that this motherboard is very unlikely to give you any problem.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what’s included in the box, etc.
- Ports on the back: One PS/2, two USB 2.0, six USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, one Optical S/PDIF out, five audio ports (for 7.1 sound, but a dedicated sound is recommended in this guide anyway) and VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs.
- Expansion slots: One PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot, three PCI Express x1 slots, two PCI Express 2.0 x16 (x8, x4), one PCI slot. I recommend installing the dedicated sound card in the top PCI-Express 1x slot.
- Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Four fan connectors, all with four pins, one SATA 3.0Gb/s, two SATA 6.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0 coming from the header in total), two USB 2.0 headers (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), COM header, and support for LGA1155/LGA1156 CPU Coolers.
- Included in the box: Motherboard, four SATA cables, Crossfire and SLI dongle,backplate, manual and CD.
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ATX Form Factor Alternatives
- $160 – ASRock Z77 Extreme6 SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 for SLI/CF 8x/8x
- $185 – GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UP4 TH SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 x4 TB mSATA
- PCI-Express 16x 3.0 support: This motherboard’s two PCI-Express 3.0 16x slots will run at 8x/8x if you add a second video card for Crossfire or SLI. 8x/8x is more than enough for current generation of video cards and should be enough for the next few generation of video cards.
- Two slots worth of space between the two main PCI-Express 16x slots, which gives the top video card some space to “breath” in order to stay at a reasonable temperature, when you use two video cards in SLI or in Crossfire.
- $215 – GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 FireWire E-SATA WiFi
Micro-ATX form factor Alternatives: Compatible with Micro-ATX/ATX cases
If you want a smaller Micro-ATX motherboard, to use in a smaller case, here are a few things to know first:
- If you go with a single video card, don’t intend to add a 2nd video card and want a dedicated sound card, you’ll want a PCI-Express 1x sound card. See our recommendation in the Sound section.
- If you go with two video cards, or a single video card but intend to add a 2nd video card at some point in the future and want a dedicated sound card, you’ll want an USB sound card. See our recommendation in the Sound section.
- We recommend smaller cases that support Micro-ATX motherboards in the case section. Note that some of them may not support larger after-market CPU Coolers, so pick a smaller CPU Cooler and preferably ask us on the forums to double-check your build to ensure that everything is compatible and will fit.
- $90 – ASRock Z77M
- $120 – MSI Z77MA-G45 Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 CF/SLI
- $135 – ASRock Z77 Professional-M SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 x 4 Better for OC CF/SLI
- $200 – ASUS Maximus V Gene Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 Better for OC CF/SLI
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Mini-ITX form factor Alternatives: Compatible with Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and some ATX cases
If you want an even smaller Mini-ATX motherboard, to use in an even smaller case, here are a few things to know first:
- If you go with a single video card and want a dedicated sound card, you’ll want an USB sound card. See our recommendation in the Sound section.
- You cannot go with two video cards, since there’s only one PCI-Express 16x slot.
- We recommend smaller cases that support Mini-ATX motherboards in the case section. Note that some of them may not support larger after-market CPU Coolers, so pick a smaller CPU Cooler and preferably ask us on the forums to double-check your build to ensure that everything is compatible and will fit.
- $130 – GIGABYTE GA-Z77N-WIFI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Dual LAN
), dual LAN ports, USB 3.0, Bluetooth and SATA 6.0Gbps support. It does support CPU overclocking, but don’t expect too much out of it, as it’s somewhat limited by only 4 phase PWM power delivery. Offers four USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports. Supports four SATA drives.
- $200 – ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE/WD USB 3.0 E-SATA Better for CPU OC
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CPU:
All Tiers:
$224 – Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W
CPU performance wise, the Core i7-3570K is slightly faster than the Core i5-3550 due to its 100MHz higher frequency.
The Core i5-3570K offers a better integrated GPU than the Core i5-3550, but considering that you’ll be using a dedicated video card (which offers far superior performance) and not the integrated GPU, this will make no difference in performance.
The main advantage of the Core i5-3570K over the Core i5-3550 is its unlocked multiplier, which allows you to overclock it to your heart’s content.
Of course, Tier 5, 6 and 7 featured recommended components that are optimized for overclocking, meaning that your overclock won’t be limited by an inadequate CPU Cooler or something alike.
Recommended upgrades (Compared to the Intel Core i5-3570K main recommendation):
- $290 – Intel Core i7-3770 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Quad-Core 77W
– The i7 series brings with it Hyper-Threading, which is useless for gaming (i.e. it brings no more performance to gaming), but brings additional performance for video editing and other highly-threaded workloads.
- $320 – Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W
– This is the K version of the Core i7-3770, meaning that it comes with an unlocked multiplier for full overclocking and that it’s 100MHz faster at stock frequencies.
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Additional info about Ivy Bridge, Intel’s 3rd generation of Core CPUs,
V.S. AMD Piledriver / Vishera FX series
When it comes to gaming performance, even AMD’s fastest CPU, the FX-8350, just loses in every game that AnandTech tested, quite badly in some cases. On top of that, the Fx-8350 uses roughly 94W more power at load than the Core i5-3570K, a considerable difference. In the end, there’s simply no good reason for me to recommend the FX series in the Mainstream Gaming PCs.
Performance vs Sandy Bridge (Intel 2nd generation of Core CPUs):
Intel new third generation of Core CPUs, known under the codename Ivy Bridge (IB from here on) is here.
Replacing Intel’s LGA1155 Sandy Bridge (SB from here on, known as Core ix 2xxx) CPUs, the LGA1155 based IB CPUs (Known as Core ix 3xxx) bring in on average a 7%-15% performance improvement compared to the previous-generation of LGA1155 SB CPUs.
The higher performance is due to improved IPC (instructions per clock, aka performance at a given frequency), improved Turbo and slightly higher frequencies.
Improved Turbo:
- On Sandy Bridge, Turbo increases the frequency by 100, 200, 300 or 400MHz, with 4, 3, 2 or 1 core(s) active respectively.
- On Ivy Bridge, Turbo increases the frequency by 200, 300, 400 or 400MHz, with 4, 3, 2 or 1 core(s) active respectively.
On top of that, Ivy Bridge runs at Turbo frequencies more often and for longer than Sandy Bridge.
Power consumption:
IB consumes about 17-18W less at load compared to SB and if you consider to it completes workloads faster than SB, it’s quite a bit more power efficient than SB. Idle power consumption is pretty much identical between IB and SB.
Overclocking:
Back in the Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Quad days and with previous generations of Intel CPUs, to overclock, all you had to do was to raise the BCLK (baseclock) or FSB frequency, until you reach the limit of your CPU and/or motherboard and/or cooling solution.
With Ivy Bridge, just like with SandyBridge, this is no longer the case: the 6 and 7-series chipsets integrate the clock generator. What once was a component on the motherboard, the PLL is now on the 6/7-series chipset die. The integrated PLL feeds a source clock to many other controllers (e.g. SATA) to the CPU itself.
The problem will that is if you if you raise the BCLK frequency, you will also raise the frequency of many other controllers and that will cause your PC to crash after raising the BLCK by more than 5-7%. So forget overclocking via the BCLK if you’re serious about overclocking.
To overclock, you’ll want to raise the CPU multiplier. How much you can raise it depends on your CPU:
- If you have a CPU that offers no Turbo mode (e.g. Celeron/Pentium/Core i3), then you can’t raise the multiplier at all and thus can’t overclock. In short: Your CPU is completely locked.
- If you have a CPU with Turbo modes (e.g. Core i5-3550), you can overclock, but just a bit, using a motherboard equipped with a Z chipset. You are limited to an overclock of 4 processor bins above and beyond the highest turbo frequency.
Let’s use a Core i5-3550, which runs at 3.3GHz by default, as an example:
- When one or two cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.7GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 4.1GHz.
- When three cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.6GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 4.0GHz.
- When four cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.5GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 3.9GHz.
Overclocking the non-K Core i5/i7 chips relies entirely on turbo however. In the case above, the fastest your chip will run is 4.1GHz but with only one core or two cores active. If you have four cores active the fastest your chip can run is 3.9GHz. Makes sense?
- Finally, there’s the K-series of CPUs, with the Core i5-3570K and Core i7-3770K currently available. These chips are fully unlocked and will let you overclock them as far as the CPU and/or your cooling can sustain.
Dynamic overclocking:
One of the cool new features of Ivy Bridge is dynamic overclocking, which allows users to change the CPU/IGP multipliers within Windows without rebooting. It works flawlessly with Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU).
Ivy Bridge running hot when overclocked?
You may have heard reports that Ivy Bridge runs hot, much hotter than Sandy Bridge, when overclocked. There’s some truth to this, so let me explain it to you.
Simply put, Ivy Bridge doesn’t react well to highly increased voltage. Past 1.30-1.35V temperatures greatly increase, so I recommend that if you use air-cooling, even high-end air-cooling, stay in the 1.20V-1.25V range.
Of course, make sure to monitor your temperatures. Ivy Bridge maximum temperature before it starts throttling its frequency down to protect itself from damage is 105C, 5C higher than Sandy Bridge’s 100C. However, for 24/7 usage, I recommend not exceeding 85C, to keep your CPU safe.
The good news is that most chips shouldn’t have any problems hitting 4.5-4.7GHz with 1.20V or less, which is great for the average overclocker, but scaling gets progressively worse as you go above these levels.
In other words, Ivy Bridge is great for the average overclocker and if you intend on really pushing it to its limits, be warned that you’ll need a serious after-market cooling solution.
Does that mean that you should get a Sandy Bridge CPU instead, if you intend to overclock?
In my opinion, no. Even if you’re able to get an extra 100-300MHz with a Sandy Bridge CPU vs an Ivy Bridge CPU, it won’t be enough to overcome Ivy Bridge architecture improvements, so you’ll end up with either lower or similar performance and higher power consumption with an overclocked Sandy Bridge CPU vs an overclocked Ivy Bridge CPU.
That said, if you already have a Sandy Bridge CPU, there’s no point upgrading to Ivy Bridge, except perhaps getting PCI-Express 3.0 if you run or intend to run two high-end video cards in Crossfire or SLI and don’t want to be bottlenecked by PCI-Express 2.0.
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Want to overclock?
If you do want to overclock, I recommend going with the motherboard, CPU Cooler and power supply of Tier 5, 6 and 7, which are optimized for overclocking. That way, you’ll be sure that your motherboard and the power supply can handle the additional power consumption and that the CPU Cooler will keep your overclocked CPU temperature in check.
In the end, this is YOUR custom PC and I prefer to give you the possibility to choose what’s best for you, instead of imposing my ideas
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Video Card:
A few important recommendations and notes regarding video cards:
- Get the latest version of the video card drivers directly from AMD or Nvidia. That way, you’ll be sure to get the latest bug fixes as well as the best performance possible from your video card(s).
- To confirm whether Crossfire or SLI is working or not, use GPU-Z which will show that information to you in the last field at the bottom of the program.
- SLI Guide: How to enable SLI, check if SLI is enabled, actually working in your game and what to do if it’s not is a great guide from the Notebook Review forums. If you know of a similar guide that covers Crossfire, let me know, I’ll make sure to add it to the article.
- When using two or more video cards in Crossfire or SLI, you want to connect your monitors into the top video card, i.e. the video card that is the closest to the CPU.
- Most video cards require one or two PCI-Express 6 or 8 pin power connector(s) to be plugged into them to function properly. Make sure that your power supply comes equipped with enough 6 and/or 8 pin connectors for your video cards. Of course, I double-checked that already for the recommendations in this article, I simply mention it if you decide to modify a build to your own taste.
Tier 3 and 4:
$214- Geforce GTX 660 2GB
The newly launched Geforce GTX 660 is based on a new Nvidia chip, the GK106, as opposed to the GK104 used in the Geforce GTX 660Ti, 670 and 680.
Offering roughly 88% of the performance of the GTX 660 Ti, while selling at 74% of its price, the Geforce GTX 660 is an excellent performer for its price.
Following recently announced price cuts, the Radeon HD 7850 2GB can now be found for $230, $20 less than the Radeon HD 6950 2GB which is now selling for $240-$250 and $30 more than the Geforce GTX 560 Ti which is selling for $200.
Performance wise, if you look at the average FPS, the GTX 660 trades blows with the similarly priced Radeon HD 7870, winning in some games and losing in others. However, if you’re looking at the average latency between each frame (lower average latency = smoother gameplay, as frame latency between each frame spikes less often), the Geforce GTX 660 does have the edge over the Radeon HD 7870, which is why we’re recommending it over the Radeon HD 7870. On top of that, it also consumes roughly 23 Watts less than the Radeon HD 7870 under gaming load.
What games can this video card handle?
The Geforce GTX 660 is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with maximum visual quality. 1080p (1920 x 1080) gameplay is usually not a problem either, although you might have to scale back details in the most demanding games.
Finally, it is DirectX 11 compliant, HDCP ready, able to handle HD content (e.g. Blu-Ray) and stream audio over HDMI.
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Tier 5:
$300 – MSI GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Dual-fan
The recently launched Geforce GTX 660 Ti is another declination of the same Nvidia GK104 chip used in the Geforce GTX 670 and 680.
Offering roughly 88% of the performance of the GTX 670, while selling at 75% of its price, the Geforce GTX 660 Ti is an excellent performer for its price and it’s replacing the previously recommended GTX 570.
At stock frequencies, the GTX 660 Ti has no problem outperforming the GTX 570, as well as vs the Radeon HD 7870. Once again, if you look at the average FPS, the GTX 660 Ti trade blows with the Radeon HD 7950, but the GTX 660 Ti comes on top when it comes to the average latency between each frame.
This particular MSI Geforce GTX 660 Ti comes with improved power delivery and it’s equipped with a nice dual-fan cooling, allowing you to overclock it quite a bit if you want to.
What games can this video card handle?
This card is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 with maximum visual quality, although you might have to scale back details in the most demanding games.
Alternative
$300 – Radeon HD 7950 3GB
Keep in mind that if you intend to play on a 2560 x 1600 monitor or on multiple monitor, the Radeon HD 7950 3GB has the edge, thanks both to extra GB of VRAM and AMD drivers which excel at resolutions higher than 1920 x 1200.
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Tier 6:
$390 – GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 670 2GB OC Triple fan
At this price point, the Geforce GTX 670 and Radeon HD 7970 trade blows, with one of them being faster in some games and the other being faster in other games. However, the Geforce GTX 670 has the edge thanks to its lower power consumption and lower noise emission.
See the following links to see how it performs:
- V.S. the $310 Geforce GTX 660 Ti
- V.S. the $320 Radeon HD 7950
- V.S. its big brother, the $500 Geforce GTX 680.
This particular Gigabyte Geforce GTX 670 comes factory-overclocked, with its core frequency set at 980MHz instead of the reference 915MHz, has an excellent three fans cooling system and it has 6pin+8pin pci-e power connectors, while the reference GTX 670 design has only 2x6pin. This does help further more with overclocking.
What games can this video card handle?
This card will run any game at 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 for 1080p) maxed out, with less or more AA/AF, depending on the game, as well as most games at 2560 x 1600 without any problem. Gaming on multiple monitors is also possible, although you might have to turn settings down, depending on the game.
Alternative
$400 – GIGABYTE Radeon HD 7970 1.1GHz 3GB Triple-fan – The Radeon HD 7970 is the fastest GPU from AMD and this Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 is factory overclocked, with a 1GHz core frequency.
While this factory-overclocked helps the 7970 trade blows with the GTX 670 overall, it does so at the cost of much higher power consumption (+120W at load vs the GTX 670) and much higher noise. Also, keep in mind that you can overclock the GTX 670 or 680 to boost their performance more, while the Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 1GHz is already close to its limit.
If higher power consumption and noise aren’t a problem for you, the Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 1GHz is a great performer, especially with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 or on multi-monitor setups.
This particular model comes with a triple-fan cooling system, for improved cooling and somewhat lower noise.
It also comes with Free Crysis 3 & BioShock game coupons, something to consider.
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Tier 7:
$490 – EVGA Geforce GTX 680 2GB SuperClocked Signature 2
Simply put, this card features the fastest single-GPU on the market. It’s not only faster than the Radeon HD 7970, but it also consumes about 30W less at load, according to AnandTech.
If you want one of the fastest video cards without messing with Crossfire, SLI or dual-GPU video card setups, this is the way to go.
This particular card from EVGA comes factory overclocked, offering frequencies of 1097MHz/1163MHz/6208MHz on the Core/ Core with Boost / Memory vs 1006MHz/1058MHz/6008MHz for standard cards, resulting in higher performance vs the already high-performance reference GTX 680. On top of that, you get a nice dual-fan cooling system.
Alternative
- $570 – EVGA GeForce GTX 680 FTW+ w/Backplate 4GB
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Need a monitor recommendation?
No problem, I invite you to visit The Best Monitors For Your Money article.
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RAM:
Tier 3, 4 and 5:
$43 – Corsair (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v
Is 8GB of RAM necessary?
Now that Windows, applications and games have been compatible with 64-bit for some time, they are starting to advantage of more than 4GB.
Windows 7 and now Windows 8 will also use your unused RAM as a cache, in order to speed up your system, so considering the small price difference between 4 and 8GB, you’re better off with 8GB for a Mainstream PC.
Also, if you’re like me and like switching back (Alt-Tab or Alt-Esc) to your desktop to check something while pausing your game and keeping it open, 8GB will greatly improve the responsiveness of your PC.
Another things to keep in mind is if you intend on keeping this Gaming PC for more than say, 1-2 years, 8GB is worth it, especially now, considering the rock-bottom RAM prices that we have right now.
Tier 6 and 7:
$94 – Corsair 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 10 1.5v
Why upgrade to 16GB of RAM?
Now that Windows, applications and games have been compatible with 64-bit for some time, they are starting to advantage of more than 4GB.
Windows 7 and now Windows 8 will also use your unused RAM as a cache, in order to speed up your system, so considering the rather small difference in price between 8 and 16GB, you’re better off with 16GB for a higher-end PC.
Also, if you’re like me and like switching back (Alt-Tab or Alt-Esc) to your desktop to check something while pausing your game and keeping it open, 16GB will even more improve the responsiveness of your PC.
Another things to keep in mind is if you intend on keeping this Gaming PC for several years, 16GB is worth it, especially now, considering the rock-bottom RAM prices that we have at the moment.
That way, you know that you’ll be future-proof for a while and that you can alt-tab out of your games with minimal lag.
This is exactly why Tier 6 and 7 feature 16GB of RAM. That way, you know that you’ll be future-proof for a while and that you can alt-tab out of your games with minimal lag.
Alternatives
- $160 – G.SKILL Ares 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 10 1.5v
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Is it worth it to get RAM with higher frequencies (e.g. 2000MHz RAM vs 1600MHz RAM)?
In my opinion, there is little incentive to move to faster frequency RAM, as this usually only brings only a very small performance increase, nothing noticeable, while costing quite a bit more in some cases. You’re better off investing that extra money on a faster video card, a SSD, a different case, etc.
Maximum amount of RAM: All the motherboards in this guide support four sticks of RAM, for a maximum of 32GB (4 sticks of 8GB) of RAM. However, unless you have a specific use for 32GB, it is completely overkill for a Gaming PC. 16GB is more than enough unless you want to future-proof your PC and/or use programs that use a lot of RAM.
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RAM Heatsinks and CPU cooler clearance:
Every kit that I recommend in this guide feature either no heatsinks or small heatsinks that don’t raise too much above the RAM sticks.
Why?
- Because RAM heatsinks barely make any difference when it comes to RAM temperatures. Besides, even if you overclock it/raise the voltage (at your own risk, Intel doesn’t recommend more than 1.5V), RAM temperatures aren’t a problem as long as you have decent airflow in your case.
- Tall RAM heatsinks can get in the way of larger aftermarket CPU Coolers, preventing you from installing your aftermarket CPU Cooler!
Important: RAM can require manual configuration within the BIOS to reach its full potential or function properly!
By default, some RAM kits will boot at lower frequencies than they are rated for. This is perfectly normal, it does not mean that your RAM is defective.
You simply have to go within the BIOS (The first thing that you see when your PC starts) and enable XMP, for your RAM to function at its rated speed. If XMP is not available or doesn’t work for some reason, you can adjust the RAM settings manually, such as frequency (In MHz, usually linked to the CPU, look for a CPU:RAM ratio), and timings (a series of numbers, such as 9-9-9-24). Refer to your motherboard manual and your RAM specifications for more information.
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Storage:
Quick tip: Get the most performance out of your SSD, by selecting AHCI in your BIOS/EFI options.
SSD FAQ:
If you wondering “Who are SSDs for?”, if you want a quick recap on what a SSD is, how SSDs compare to hard drives, wonder about reports of SSDs slowing down over time or want to learn more about TRIM and/or TRIM with RAID, I invite you to read our SSD FAQ.
SSD for Tier 4 and 5:
$110 – Samsung 840 2.5″ 128GB SATA III SSD
Offering top-notch performance and reliability, the Samsung 840 is an excellent SSD at a great price.
Currently selling at $110 for 128GB, this is a great price for a SSD that offers top notch performance.
Need a SSD with more storage capacity? Upgrade to the Tier 6-7 250GB SSD for $70 more.
Higher performance SSD:
If you don’t mind spending more to get the fastest 2.5″ SSD on the market, $140 – Samsung 840 Pro 2.5″ 128GB SATA III SSD
2.5″ to 3.5″ bracket adapter:
Note that this SSD doesn’t include a 2.5″ to 3.5″ adapter bracket, which is necessary to install the SSD in your case if it doesn’t support 2.5″ drives.
However, all Tiers have a recommended case that support 2.5″ drives, so you do not need to buy an adapter if you stick to the recommended cases.
If you pick a case that doesn’t support 2.5″ drives natively and that the SSD that you pick doesn’t include a 2.5″ to 3.5″ adapter, I recommend the $5- Rosewill RX-C200P 2.5″ SSD / HDD Mounting Kit for 3.5″ Drive Bay adapter.
SSD for Tier 6 and 7:
$180 – Samsung 840 2.5″ 250GB SATA III SSD
Tier 6 and 7 get an upgrade to an higher capacity 250GB SSD.
This is due to price drops on SSDs and at $180 for 250GB, the Samsung 840 is far less than a $1 per GB, while offering top-notch performance and reliability!
SSD Alternative
120GB (Tier 4-5) will hold the OS (Windows 7) as well as a few programs/games.
250GB will have no problem holding the OS and many programs/games.
Higher performance SSD:
If you don’t mind spending more to get the fastest 2.5″ SSD on the market, $228 – Samsung 840 Pro 2.5″ 256GB SATA III SSD
Higher capacity SSDs:
If 250GB isn’t enough for you or if you want an higher-end model, here are some SSDs alternatives:
- $364 – Samsung 840 2.5″ 500GB SATA III SSD
– If you want a fast 500GB SSD at a reasonable cost, the Samsung 840 500GB is a great choice for only $347!
- If you don’t mind spending more to get the fastest 2.5″ SSD on the market, $508 – Samsung 840 Pro 2.5″ 512GB SATA III SSD
is the way to go.
For other options and alternatives, take a look at our The Best SSDs and HDDs For Your Money article.
Firmware updates:
Before you start using your SSD, I strongly urge you to update the SSD’s firmware to get the latest bug fixes and the best performance. Make sure to read the instructions available on each update page, in order to understand how to properly update the firmware.
Most SSDs have newer firmware available than the one that they are shipped with, so make sure to double-check your SSD’s firmware version and to update it if’s not the latest.
If you update your SSD’s firmware after starting to use it, make sure to backup your data beforehand, as something could go wrong during the update process and you could lose the data on the SSD. If you have questions regarding firmware updates, contact the manufacturer or visit their support forums.
For the latest firmwares information, see our The Best SSDs and HDDs For Your Money article and scroll down to the end of the SSD section.
You can skip the SSD if you need or want to cut down on costs:
Personally, I think that SSDs are the type of upgrade that once you’ve experienced, you don’t want to go without it anymore, because it makes the PC experience that much better, since the PC feels so much responsive.
However, If you feel like a SSD doesn’t make enough of a performance different to justify its cost or if you need/want to cut down the cost of your build, you can remove the SSD from a Tier and go only with a hard drive, while still having perfectly functional PC. That’s the great part of building your custom PC, you choose the parts that go in it
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Tier 3, 4 and 5:
$74 – Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB SATA III 64MB cache
Replacing the Seagate Barracuda hard drives, which I no longer recommend due to too many users having issues with them, the Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB is a new hard drive model featuring a single 1TB platter, a 64MB cache resulting in excellent performance and great reliability at a reasonable cost.
Tier 6 and 7:
![Western Digital 2 TB WD SATA III Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive, Red WD20EFRX [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81reopBitDL._AA200_.jpg)
$113 – Western Digital Red 2TB SATA III
Replacing the Samsung F4 HD204UI, which I no longer recommend now that it’s a rebranded Seagate hard drive and is thus no longer what I’d consider a reliable hard drive, is the Western Digital “Red” 2TB hard drive.
While it’s optimized for NAS (Network Attached Storage) usage, it’s also an excellent hard drive for a desktop PC, offering great performance, great reliability being designed for 24/7 usage, low power consumption and noise as well as a 3 years warranty.
Thanks to its 1TB platters, its performance is excellent, despite its lower rotation speed and low power consumption/noise, being capable of trading blows with the much more expensive Western Digital Caviar Black hard drives.
The reason that I recommend this hard drive is because it’s relatively affordable and it’s the most reliable 2TB hard drive currently available on the market.
Besides, you’ll have a 250GB SSD to store the OS and programs/games that need the extra performance
Reliability
Reliability wise, Western Digital drives tops the chart, followed by Seagate (Samsung hard drives are now rebranded Seagate hdds, to avoid) and finally Hitachi drives which are the least reliable. Personally, I’d stick to Western Digital hard drives for now, if you want a reliable hard drive.
All hard drives and all SSDs are prone to failure though, which is why you should Have a Backup System that you can rely on!
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Alternatives
- $59 – Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA III
- If you want a low-cost hard drive, this one offers you 500GB for $59.
- $153 – Western Digital Red 3TB SATA III
– If you want a high-performance, reliable, large 3TB hard drive with a 3 years warranty, the Western Digital Red 3TB is my recommendation.
- $329 – Western Digital Caviar Black 4TB SATA III
SATA II 3.0Gb/s vs SATA III 6.0Gb/s: No performance difference for hard drives!
SATA 3.0 Gb/s (SATA II) and SATA 6.0Gb/s (SATA III) refer to the speed of the connection between the drive and the motherboard.
However, the best hard drives reach about 210MB/s (or 1.68Gb/s) in best scenarios. SATA 3.0Gb/s is plenty enough to handle that and for hard drives, SATA 6.0Gb/s does not offer any performance advantage, since the hard drives can’t even max out a SATA II 3.0Gb/s connection.
Only modern SSDs take advantage of SATA 6.0Gb/s due to their higher transfer rates.
In other words, if you take two otherwise identical hard drives, the SATA III model will not be faster than the SATA II model. SATA III for hard drives is just a marketing scheme
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Optical Drive:
All Tiers:
$18 – Lite-On SATA 24X DVD Burner
This drive is able to read and burn CDs and DVDs. Relatively silent (it obviously makes some noise when reading/burning at high speed), compatible with all major formats including DVD-RAM.
The motherboard for Tier 3-4 includes two SATA cables, of which one will be used for the hard drive, one for the SSD (Tier 4 to 7) and one for this DVD Burner, so make sure to get an additional SATA cable for Tier 4. The motherboard for Tier 5-6-7 includes four SATA cables, so unless you want more than four SATA drives (SSD, Hard drive, optical drive), you won’t need additional SATA cable for Tier 5-6-7.
If you need additional SATA cables, we recommend this SATA cable: $3- 18″ SATA Cable w/Locking Latch
Upgrades:
If you want the ability to burn Blu-Ray disks, then the $70 – Pioneer Black 15X SATA Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Burner
Regarding Blu-Ray playback:
As far as I know, you still require a specific software to playback Blu-Ray disks on a PC.
Based on various reviews and feedback on various forums, PowerDVD 12 3D Ultra is the software that I recommend to you. You’ll want at least the professional version for Blu-ray playback.
It is fully compatible with Windows 7 and shouldn’t give you any problems.
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Case:
Tier 3 and 4:
$80 – Cooler Master Storm Scout 1 x 120mm, 2 x 140mm
- Cooling wise, this case includes two 120mm case fans, ensuring proper cooling for your Gaming PC.
Features wise, you get:
- Corsair’s excellent tool-free assembling, making this PC a lot easier to build!
- Four hard drive cages that supports 3.5″ and 2.5″ drives (perfect for the SSD)
- 2x USB 3.0 ports via an internal header (supported by the motherboard), Audio out and MIC in.
- Dust filters
- Various holes and space to route and hide your wires.
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Tier 5 and 6:
$100 – Corsair Carbide Series 400R USB 3.0 x2 3 fans
A step-up from the Corsair Carbide 300R, the Corsair 400R offers an extra fan, nicer design with LED front fans and an improved cable management system for only $30 more.
Cooling wise, this case includes three 120mm case fans, with support for seven more (four 120mm, six 120mm/140mm)! The two front 120mm fans have White LEDs, for a very cool look!
Features wise, you get:
- Corsair’s excellent tool-free assembling, making this PC a lot easier to build!
- Six hard drive cages that supports 3.5″ and 2.5″ drives (perfect for the SSD)
- Dust filters
- 2x USB 3.0 ports via an internal header (supported by the motherboard), FireWire (supported by only some motherboards), Audio out and MIC in.
- Various holes and space to route and hide your wires.
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Tier 7:
$150 – Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced USB 3.0 x2
Used by many of our readers/forum members, the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced is a great case to work with, that offers excellent airflow, with low noise, thanks to its large fans!
Its military looks is also something that many love, although some hate it. If that’s the case, we recommend a variety of alternatives below.
- Cooling wise, this case includes three 230mm and one 140mm fans. It also features a “GPU Duct”, in which you can add a 120 x 37 mm fan to improve cooling to the video card (ideal for CF/SLI setups).
Features wise, you get:
- Tons of space to work with.
- Support for 2.5″ and 3.5″ drives.
- USB 3.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 4, FireWire (supported on only some motherboards), eSATA x 1, Mic x 1, Audio x 1
- Various holes and space to route and hide your wires.
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ATX cases alternatives: Compatible with ATX, Micro-ATX and some of them are also compatible with Mini-ITX motherboards:
If you a want with a different look, more case fans and/or other features, take a look at my list of other recommended cases:
- $80- NZXT LEXA S LEXS 3 x 120mm 1 x 140mm
- $140- COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper 3x200mm 1x120mm
- $120- NZXT Phantom, in Black
- $120- NZXT Phantom White Full Tower
- $160- Corsair Graphite 600T
- $100 – NZXT Phantom 410 Black 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans
- $100 – NZXT Phantom 410 White 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans
- $100 – NZXT Phantom 410 Orange 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans
- $100 – SILVERSTONE Precision PS06B-W 1x180mm 1x120mm
- $100 – NZXT H2 H2-001-BK Black 3x120mm
- $100 – Antec Eleven Hundred 1 x200mm + 1x120mm fans
- $110 – Antec P280 3 x 120mm fans
- $100 – Cooler Master HAF 922 2x200mm 1x120mm
- $150 – Cooler Master HAF 932 USB 3.0 3x230mm 1x140mm
- $180 – Cooler Master HAF X USB 3.0 1x230mm 2x200mm 1x140mm GPU Duct
Micro-ATX cases (Only compatible with Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards) :
Note that some of them may not support larger after-market CPU Coolers, so pick a smaller CPU Cooler (see the cooling section for our recommendations) and preferably ask us on the forums to double-check your build to ensure that everything is compatible and will fit.
- $40 – Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX 1x120mm
- $70 – NZXT Crafted Series Vulcan Micro-ATX 2x120mm
- $79 – SilverStone SST-PS07B Micro-ATX USB 3.0 2x120mm
- $94 – SilverStone SST-PS07W White Micro-ATX USB 3.0 2x120mm
- $106 – SilverStone TJ08B-E Micro-ATX USB3.0 1x180mm 1x120mm
- $90 – LIAN LI PC-A04B Aluminum Micro-ATX USB3.0 3x120mm
- $100 – Fractal Design Define Mini Micro-ATX USB3.0 2x120mm
- $100 -Fractal Design Arc Mini Micro-ATX USB 3.0 3x120mm fan contr.
- $110 – Thermaltake A30 Micro-ATX USB 3.0 1x230mm 1x90mm 2x60mm
- $150 – LIAN LI PC-V354B Aluminum USB3.0 Micro-ATX 2x120mm
Mini-ITX cases (Only compatible with Mini-ATX motherboards) :
Note that some of them may not support larger after-market CPU Coolers, so pick a smaller CPU Cooler (see the cooling section for our recommendations) and preferably ask us on the forums to double-check your build to ensure that everything is compatible and will fit.
- $90 – BitFenix Prodigy Black 2x120mm
- $90 – BitFenix Prodigy White 2x120mm
- $90 – BitFenix Prodigy Red 2x120mm
- $90 – BitFenix Prodigy Orange 2x120mm
- $110 – LIAN LI PC-Q08B Black Aluminium 1x140mm 1x120mm
- $120 – LIAN LI PC-Q25B Black Aluminium 1x140mm 1x120mm
- $170 – LIAN LI PC-TU200B With handle, perfect for LAN 1x140mm
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Power Supply:
Tier 3, 4 and 5:
$70 – Rosewill HIVE 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Modular
This power supply is capable of delivering up to 650W, not that you should rely on this information only as I often point in posts such as Warning: 6 Surefire Ways of Blowing Up Your Computer Due to an Inadequate Power Supply, but more importantly 46A on the 12V line, the most important factor when it comes to choosing a power supply for a gaming computer.
It is 80 PLUS Bronze certified, to insure good efficiency, a lower power bill, less heat and noise, compared to a less efficient and/or lower quality power supply.
It is also modular, allowing you to use only the power cables that you need, resulting in a cleaner build.
Its efficiency also helps it remain fairly cool and quiet, as there is less wasted energy converted to heat to dissipate.
80 PLUS?
80 PLUS refers to a certification from an independant group that a PSU meets their requirements for the specified level of efficiency. Here’s a chart that shows the different required levels of efficiency depending on the specific 80 PLUS certification:
- Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_PLUS
Wait, a Rosewill power supply? “Mathieu must have gone mad!” you must be thinking.
Until recently, yes, most Rosewill power supplies were average at best and mediocre in many cases.
However, recently Rosewill started introducing some new, higher-quality power supplies to the market and the Rosewill HIVE series is one of them.
The Rosewill HIVE series is based on the same power supply platform as the OCZ ZS series.
The OCZ ZS series was well reviewed by many websites, including by JohnnyGuru who reviewed the OCZ ZS 550W and gave it a 9/10 for performance and 8.5/10 for build quality.
With the Rosewill HIVE being based on the same power supply platform, it should perform just as well and offer very decent reliability.
Value wise, this power supply is pretty much unbeatable. It is rated to deliver up to 650W (has been found to be capable of even more), is rated for 46A on the 12V line, is 80PLUS Bronze certified and finally, it is modular.
All of that for only $70, which is why this power supply offers outstanding bang for your buck and which is also why I’m recommending for Tier 3, 4 and 5 of the Mainstream Gaming PCs.
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Modular power supply?
A modular power supply is one that allows you to only plug in and only use the power cables that you actually need, instead of being stuck with a bunch of unused power cables that you need to hide somewhere in your case, that are resulting in less of a cable mess.
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Tier 6 and 7
$90 – Rosewill Capstone 650W 80 PLUS Gold Modular
Yes, another Rosewill power supply. Remember that what matters is not the brand, but who actually made it. In this case, SuperFlower (an excellent power supply manufacturer) made it and it was the 750W unit was reviewed by JohnnyGuru who gave it a 9.5 for performance and 8.5 for build quality.
This power supply is capable of delivering up to 650W, not that you should rely on this information only as I often point in posts such as Warning: 6 Surefire Ways of Blowing Up Your Computer Due to an Inadequate Power Supply, but more importantly 54A on the 12V line, the most important factor when it comes to choosing a power supply for a gaming computer.
It is 80 PLUS Gold certified, to insure excellent efficiency, a lower power bill, less heat and noise, compared to a less efficient and/or lower quality power supply.
It is also modular, allowing you to use only the power cables that you need, resulting in a cleaner build.
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Power Consumption:
How to calculate power consumption:
I recommend using the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator. Here are the settings that I used:
- CPU depending on the Tier, 90% TDP. For Tier 5- 6-7, it is overclocked to 4.5GHz/1.2V
- Video Cards depends on the Tier
- Two sticks sticks of DDR3 (Add 10W for four sticks)
- One regular SATA drive + One Flash SSD
- 1 DVD-RW/DVD+RW Drive
- 4 USB Devices
- 4 x 120mm regular fans
- System Load: 90%
- Capacitor Aging: 20%
A quick note about the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator:
While this is the main tool that I use to estimate power consumption, do note that my recommendations also take into account my personnal experience (over 11 years) and some additional research on my own to verify these numbers. This is why you may notice that the numbers that I give below may or may not match what the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator gives you. When in doubt, stick with my numbers or ask us on the forums.
Give your power supply some overhead:
While you can match a 650W PSU with a 630W requirement, it is good practice to add about 75-100W (125-150W if you overclock) of overhead, so that your PSU doesn’t run at full capacity all the time, as that will reduce its lifespan, increase its chance of failure, increase its heat output and its noise output.
Estimated Power Consumption, per Tier:
According to the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator, with the settings that I described above, it is estimated that this system will require at load (peak usage), the following Watts out of a power supply. The minimum requirements are in Italic, while my recommendations (including overhead) are in Bold:
- 350W/450W with the Intel Core i5-3570K and the Geforce GTX 660 (Tier 3 and 4).
- 445W/600W with the Intel Core i5-3570K, overclocked to 4.5GHz/1.2v and the Geforce GTX 660 Ti 2GB (Tier 5).
- 495W/650W with the Intel Core i5-3570K, overclocked to 4.5GHz/1.2v and the Radeon HD 7950 3GB.
- 450W/600W with the Intel Core i5-3570K, overclocked to 4.5GHz/1.2v and the Geforce GTX 670 2GB (Tier 6).
- 525W/700W with the Intel Core i5-3570K, overclocked to 4.5GHz/1.2v and the Radeon HD 7970 3GB.
- 483W/650W with the Intel Core i5-3570K, overclocked to 4.5GHz/1.2v and the Geforce GTX 680 2GB (Tier 7).
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Other recommended upgrades:
- $140 – Corsair HX750 750W 80 PLUS Gold Modular
- $122 – XFX PRO850W XXX Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850W
– This is the PSU to go with if you want to either upgrade to two Radeon HD 7950 or 7970 in Crossfire or two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI, or to future-proof your PC, in order to upgrade to such a setup down the road. Reliable, Efficient and semi-modular (i.e. Required cables aren’t modular.)
- $148 – NZXT HALE90-850-M 850W 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular
– Same thing as above, but this power supply is more efficient with a 80 PLUS Gold Rating.
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Cooling:
CPU Cooler
Tier 3 and 4:
$33 – Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 120mm CPU Cooler
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler currently offers the best value for an after-market CPU Cooler, offering superior performance as at similar price as the Corsair A50 and Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus, but with slightly less or similar noise.
Considering that the CPU recommended for Tier 3 and 4 can only be overclocked slightly via Turbo, the point of this CPU Cooler is to keep the CPU temperatures in check during long gaming sessions and to avoid the noise from the Intel stock CPU Cooler.
Note that you can add a second fan by simply buying one, the CPU Cooler includes the necessary accessories to install a second fan on it.
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Tier 5, 6 and 7:
$60 – NZXT Havik 140 Dual Fans CPU Cooler
Recommended by Brian, our collaborator for “The Best CPU Coolers for your money” article, the NZXT Havik 140 Cooler offers great cooling performance close to the best CPU Cooler, at a much better cost.
High-End performance at a mainstream price, just like the builds in this article
Want a better CPU Cooler?
The $80 – Noctua NH-D14
Low-profile CPU Coolers for Mini-ITX or Micro-ATX cases:
If you intend to build a PC in a Micro-ATX case, you’ll want a low-profile CPU Cooler, to ensure that it will fit in your smaller case.
If you’re building a PC with a Mini-ITX motherboard and Mini-ITX case, I recommend that you post your projected build on Hardware Revolution Forums so that myself and our members can help you ensure that your CPU Cooler will actually fit on your motherboard and in your case.
Here are my recommendations for low-profile CPU Coolers, in order of performance and price:
- $30 – ARCTIC COOLING ACFZ11-LP 92mm Freezer 11 LP
- $35 – COOLER MASTER GeminII M4 120mm
- $75 – Noctua NH-C12P SE14 140mm
Thermal Interface kit:
Note: The CPU Coolers that I recommend already include high-performance thermal compound, so you don’t need to buy any.
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Case Fans:
If you want to add a case fan to help keep your computer components cool, to add on the Corsair A50 CPU Cooler or to replace the fans that came with your case, here are my recommendations:
- $10- CM Long-Life Sleeve .6k-2k RPM 21-77CFM 13-32dBA PWM
- $18- CM Barometric Ball .6k-2k RPM 26-86CFM 13-30dBA PWM
- $10- AC Fluid Dynamic .3k-1.35k RPM Max 57 CFM w/ 4 Pin PWM
- $17- Silverstone 2Ball .8k-2.4k RPM Max 110CFM 17-40dBA fan contr.
- $25- Noctua SSO .9k-1.1k-1.3k RPM 33-54CFM 13-20dBA adj. speed
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Sound:
Sound card:
All Tiers:
$40 – ASUS Xonar DGX 5.1 PCI-E 1x Sound Card
While integrated audio has improved a lot over the years, it’s still no match for the sound quality of a sound card, especially when you use headphones, thanks to the headphone amplifier on the ASUS Xonar DG.
Considering that audio is a big part of your Gaming PC experience, I believe that $40, or a small % of your total budget, is entirely worth it to improve your PC audio quality, whether it’s for gaming, music or other entertainment purposes.
I usually recommend installing this sound card in the motherboard’s top PCI-Express 1x slot.
Alternatives:
- $40 – ASUS Xonar U3 USB Sound Card
– If you have no free expansion slots on your motherboard or would rather keep them free, this is an excellent USB sound card, with an headphone amplifier and great sound quality.
- $43 – ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 PCI
– If you want a 7.1 PCI sound card.
- $81 – ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 PCI-Express 1x
– If you want a 7.1 PCI-Express 1x sound card.
Compatibility wise, just make sure that you have a PCI or PCI-Express slot free, that won’t be covered by a video card, on your motherboard for your sound card.
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Speakers:
While I do not include speakers in the Tiers budgets, seeing as you may already own some or simply do not want any, here are some recommendations for great speakers at various price points:
Note that the power output is in RMS Watts, a more accurate measurement.
2.0 speakers: 2 satellites and no sub-woofer:
- $25 – Logitech X-140 2.0 5W
- $41 – Creative Inspire T12 2.0 18W
- $90 – Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II 2.0 28W
2.1 speakers: 2 satellites and a sub-woofer:
- $27 – Creative A220 2.1 9W
- $38 – Logitech Z313 2.1 25W
- $54- Logitech Z323 2.1 30W
- $76 – Logitech Z523 2.1 40W
- $134 – Logitech Z623 2.1 200W
- $200 – Corsair SP2500 2.1 232W
5.1 speakers: 5 satellites and a sub-woofer:
Headphones/Earphones
I do not include headphones nor earphones in the Tiers budgets, seeing as you may already own a pair or simply do not want any.
Also keep in mind that sound quality is subjective, so while these are some great recommendations, in my opinion, at their respective price points, those recommendations are based on my own research, not yours. I do recommend that you do your own research, to figure out the best headphones for your needs, based on the type of music that you listen to and the games that you play.
Open Design Headphones:
As the name implies, an open hear headphone means that it doesn’t cover or seal off the ear from hearing outside noises.
Pros: Enough airflow to keep your ears cool. On average lighter than closed design headphones. Resonance is significantly reduced providing better audio quality and a better audio experience.
Cons: You hear outside noises, so they can’t be used in noisy environments. They leak out sound, so they provide no privacy and can bother people that are close to you.
- $15 – Koss KSC75 Clip on headphones
- $43 – Koss PortaPro
- $47 – Superlux HD668B
- $79 – Grado SR-60i
- $99 – Grado SR-80i
- $99 – Audio Technica ATH-AD700
- $220 – Sennheiser HD555
- $200 – Grado SR225i
- $250 – Sennheiser HD 598
- $295 – Grado SR325is
Closed Design Headphones:
These are the opposite of open design headphones. These headsets usually have larger ear cups that isolate the user’s ears from his surroundings and its design is typically meant to block out outside sounds.
Pros: 1- Closed ear cups that seal off the ear from the outside world so you can expect sounds not to leak in and out of the headphones.
2- You can enjoy exclusive audio entertainment particularly in a typically noisy environment.
Cons: 1- Due to the closed ear design, airflow is greatly minimized or prevented, producing more resonance and this can negatively affect the quality of sound.
2- Due to how they isolate you from outside noise, it makes you more vulnerable to accidents.
- $17 – Koss UR-20
- $31 – Panasonic RP-HTX7 (Available in Black, Red, White, Pink and Green)
– I’ve been using these headphones for a few days and let me tell this: For $30, they are a steal. They sound more like $60-$80 headphones in my opinion. Best of all? You have five colors to pick from!
- $41 – Audio-Technica ATH-M30
- $90 – Shure SRH440
- $158 – Audio Technica ATH-A700
– Usually $150+, currently at a great price.
- $137 – Audio Technica ATH-M50S (Straight Cable)
– There’s also the $150 – Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (Coiled Cable)
, non-S version, which comes with a coiled cable. I personally ordered myself a pair of the ATH-M50 some time ago and I love them, they sound better than any other ~$100 headphones that I tried before and isolate fairly well from the outside noise. They are tight at first, so you need to “flex” them a bit. Of course, as in with any good pair of headphones/earphones/speakers, having a good source of source makes all the difference in the world. I use them on the laptop with an ASUS Xonar U3 and they are a great combo. Usually $150+, currently at a great price.
- $204 – Sennheiser HD25-1 II
In-Ear Headphones:
Simply put, these are headphones that you insert straight into your ear, to create a seal between the headphones and your ears.
Important: Make sure to take your time to properly test the different size of included tips, to find the ones that best fit your ears. This will make all the difference between a poor sounding pair and a good sounding one.
Microphone:
If you want a dedicated microphone, to talk to your teammates online or for any other purpose, I recommend the $5 – Syba 3.5mm microphone with stand, which is an excellent low-cost option with perfectly fine audio quality and build quality (Well, unless you have an habit of throwing your microphone around after losing a game…
).
Personally, I recommend going for a pair of headphone with this dedicated microphone versus going with a headset that has a microphone, for two reasons:
1- The sound quality is on average superior with a dedicated pair of headphones and a dedicated microphone vs a headset at comparable price points.
2- If the microphone on the headset breaks down (and they do more often than not…), you’ll be stuck without your headset if you get it replaced, or either getting a new headset ($$) or a separated microphone. If either the headphones or the microphone breaks down, you still have the other that you don’t have to replace.
However, if you do high quality broadcasts such as podcasts, or you record music I recommend the $65 – Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone
Headsets:
Headsets are basically headphones with an integrated microphone.
If you go with an headset, make sure to check them all out, since they vary considerably in design.
- $16 – Yapster TM-YP100A
- $28 – Koss SB-45
- $32 – Corsair Vengeance 1100
- $45 – Sennheiser PC 151
- $57- Razer Moray Plus
- $48 – ARCTIC Sound P531
- $85 – SteelSeries Siberia V2
- $87 – Logitech G35
- $155 – ASUS Vulcan ANC
- $100 – Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Wrath Wireless
- $110 – Logitech G930
Network:
Ethernet RJ-45 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN: Integrated on the motherboard
Integrated with the motherboard, this network adapter will allow you to access your local network and Internet, using a standard LAN cable.
If a LAN network is not an option or if a wireless network is preferable for you, know this before you use wireless for a Gaming PC:
The problem with wireless is that:
- It’s not as reliable as LAN, with signals dropping out, interference and the like.
- It induces additional latency compared to LAN, which is the last thing that you want when you’re playing online, especially with first-person shooters.
In short, for reliability and getting a low ping, LAN is simply superior (and cheaper!).
If you understand that and still want to go with wireless, here my recommendations:
I recommend two adapters:
1- If you want a fast adapter without spending a fortune, I’d consider the $17- Rosewill RNX-N180UBE Wireless USB 2.0 Dongle 802.11b/g/n w/ 5 dBi Antenna, which connects in a USB 2.0 port. It comes with a base, so that you can move it away from the PC for better reception and a 5dBi external antenna to improve reception further more. It support 802.11b/g/n, with transfer rates up to 300Mbps.
2- The best solution is the $30 – TRENDnet TEW-684UB Dual Band 802.11b/g/n 450Mbps USB2.0
Recommended wireless routers:
Need a wireless router too? No problem. Here are my recommendations, in an ascending order of performance and price:
- $26 – TP-Link WL TL-WR841N 300Mbps
– A great basic no-frill fairly reliable 300Mbps router.
- $52 – TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND 300Mbps USB
– Similar to the one above, but with an extra antenna and a USB port, to share a printer, storage, etc.
- $107 – ASUS RT-N56U Dual-Band 600Mbps
– High-performance dual-band router, two USB 2.0 ports for storage or printer sharing, with great looks too!
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Recommended operating systems:
The operating system cost, if there’s one, is not included in the total cost. The two reason for this are:
- The budget only considers hardware.
- You may be able re-use a previous license, get a student/corporate discount or go with an open-source OS such as Linux.
If you decide that you need an OS, here are some recommendations:
Windows 7
Despite Linux gaining more and more support, Windows still is the platform of choice for compatibility at the moment. Considering that you’ll have 4GB of RAM or more, along with a dedicated video that also has memory (512MB or 1GB), you’ll need a 64-bit version, as 32-bit is limited to 4GB of memory for the entire system, which is not enough now, nor in the future if you decide to upgrade.
Windows 7 is by far better than Windows Vista, looks better, more functional, less annoying, consumes less resources and brings DirectX 11 to the table.
Three Available Versions:
- Windows 7 Home Premium: The basic edition, with all the looks, most of the functionality and DirectX 11.
- Windows 7 Professional: If you want the virtual XP mode, you’ll need at least the Professional edition. Also required if you want to backup to a network, using the built-in backup mode in Windows. Also good to know: You’ll need at least the pro version to take advantage of Remote Desktop Connection.
- Windows 7 Ultimate: To help protect data on your PC and portable storage devices against loss or theft with BitLocker and to work and switch between 35 languages.
OEM vs Retail:
The OEM version allows you to only install it once on a computer. You cannot transfer the license to another computer in the future and you do not receive support from Microsoft. It’s the same type of license you get when you get Windows on a desktop or laptop that you buy from Dell, HP and such. It’s less expensive, but gives less flexibility. Ideal if you intend on keeping your computer for many years.
The Retail version is the full version, which allows you to transfer the license to another computer in the future and you can call Microsoft if you need any form of support. Ideal if you intend on upgrading/changing your computer down the road.
Other than that, you get the same features on both, only the license differs. The price between the two differs obviously.
OEM Versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM SP1
– $92
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OEM SP1
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit OEM SP1
Retail Versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Retail
– $164
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Retail
– $264
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Retail
– $313
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Windows 8
Released on October 26th 2012, Windows 8 is Microsoft’s latest version of the popular Windows operating system. While it uses the same core as Windows Vista and Windows 7, visually it is a departure from these two OS, using colourful tiles and a look often referred to as “Metro”.
While you can switch back to the classic desktop look, “Metro” loads up by default. The “Start” button and menu are gone too. While this will irratate some users, it is possible to have the desktop load by default and it is also possible to bring back the start button and menu by installing third parties apps.
The vast majority of applications that ran on Windows Vista and 7 should have no problem running on Windows 8.
For more information on Windows 8, there are countless reviews of it available online that will do a better job than I can fully describing the changes that it brings to the Windows OS.
Let’s address the obvious question:
Should you use Windows 7 or 8 for your gaming PC?
While I welcome novelty and change, gaming performance doesn’t improve on Windows 8 and the “Metro” looks makes it less efficient to multi-task and switch back and forth between various open applications, which is problematic for some of us who use their Gaming PCs for everything.
More importantly, Windows 8 is a brand new OS, while Windows 7 has been around for three years. What this means is that Windows 7 bugs have been nearly all fixed, while Windows 8 is crippled with bugs, as any new operating system usually is.
Considering these two points, I’d sticking with Windows 7 for now. Don’t get me wrong though, Windows 8 definitely brings some good changes to Windows and it has the potential of being a great OS for gaming PCs, but it still needs some time to get its bugs fixed to be reliable enough for a workstation laptop. Perhaps when its first service pack (SP) will be released, Windows 8 will be the OS of choice.
Note that to fully take advantage of all Windows 8 features (such as secure boot) you will need a motherboard that features UEFI. All the recommended and alternatives motherboards in this guide feature UEFI, so no need to worry about that.
To find out more about Windows 8, I invite you to read one of many reviews available online that get deep into what has changed from Windows 7 to WIndows 8.
That said, if you’re interested in Windows 8, there are two versions available:
Linux
A lot of people these days boot more than one OS. Linux is a wonderful choice: powerful, cool, and cheap. Take your pick of distribution and have fun! For Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, and Mandriva, try Distrowatch.com, Cheapbytes.com, LinuxQuestions.org or one of the many others.
While Linux does not offer the wide compatibility of Windows with video games, gaming on Linux is still possible, through projects such as Wine, Cedega and Crossover. For more on the topic of Linux Gaming, I invite you to read this excellent article from AnandTech: Linux Gaming: Are we there yet?
What about Word processing, Excel and other Windows-based programs that you need? Linux, being an open platform, has many free alternatives for you. For Word/Excel and such, try LibreOffice.
Cost: Free
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Conclusion
What do you think of the latest version of the Mainstream Gaming PCs? Let me know if you have any suggestion to improve this article or your opinion on it by leaving a comment below. Additionally, if a part goes out of stock, let me know.
Don’t agree with my choices? Have a better idea?
Feel free to leave a comment. There’s always place for improvement and after some research I may change the part according to your suggestion.
Building this PC?
I often get questions such as:
- Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?
- Can you suggest me a step by step guide to build a computer?
- Why should I build a PC instead of buying one in a store?
- And many more…
1. You will find the answers to all of these questions and more in this article: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
2. Is this your first build? Here are 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
3. Newly built computer won’t start? I invite you to read Help me: Why won’t my newly assembled PC start or boot?
4. Visit our forums here, where you can join our helpful community and ask questions.
Recommended step-by-step guides to build your PC:
Newegg TV has three great videos on how to build your PC. The first covers choosing your parts, which we help you with in this article, so I chose not to include it. The second one, below, shows you in detail how to assemble your PC. The 3rd one shows you how to install Windows and software.
If you prefer a text version with pictures, here are two great guides by ArsTechnica, the first one covering the assembling and the second one covering Windows and software:
- Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Hardware (Building the PC)
- Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Software (EFI/BIOS, Windows, etc.)
Free Assistance
If you have any question(s) about the build, simply head over to the forums and our community will be there to assist you.
No worries, there are no stupid questions here on Hardware Revolution. We all started from scratch and learned through our mistakes. We”ll just help you make sure to avoid those mistakes
If you want to have your final build double-checked and get my opinion on it before ordering, or for anything else, don’t be shy, just post a thread on the forums.
Build your Gaming PC today!
Why should you?
For the same price, you’ll get more performance out of your custom PC, or you’ll save money while getting the same performance compared to a retail PC. Not to mention that retail PCs come with tons of bloatware and limited warranties. Why settle for less?Stop relying on HP, Dell and other companies:
Build your own custom PC today. It’s easier than you think!This Build includes all the parts/cables that you need and it was double-checked to ensure compatibility. Simply order your parts, set aside some time, grab a screwdriver and build your own personal PC. No worries, we’ll (the HR community) be there to assist you if you have questions or need help.
Then you’ll be able to say, “See that computer over there? Yeah, I built that.” Talk about being proud of a job well done.
Want or need a less expensive or a more powerful Gaming PC? No problem.
If you’re looking for a Gaming PC that’s less expensive and that can handle older video games or newer video games at a lower resolution/lower settings, head over to our Budget Gaming PCs article.
If you’re looking for a Gaming PC that can handle all of the latest video games maxed out at a 1080p (1920 x 1080) on a 120Hz monitor or to play video games on a multiple monitor setup or to play games in 3D, head over to our High-End Gaming PCs article.
Category: Gaming PC
