How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000

By Vlad Savov on December 19, 2011 11:19 am 276Comments

By Vlad Savov and Sean Hollister

Ah, the self-built PC. It wasn’t until the turn of this century that computer components were finally affordable enough for the regular Joe and Vlad to build their own, but we made up for lost time in a hurry. The insatiable appetite for newer and better hardware intermingled with the wealth of knowledge that was the internet to produce some wonderful DIY PCs. Oh sure, garish LED lights would peek out at you from some overzealous builder’s case, but at least they were a sign of the close bond shared between a machine and the human that built it.

Modern trends have threatened to leave the custom-built computer behind, what with multifunctional home consoles and constantly connected mobile devices, but there’s still one overwhelming reason to want a good old desktop tower: gaming. The highest possible visual fidelity is still reserved for the PC gamer, with games like the recent Battlefield 3 exhibiting breathtaking graphical detail.

As keen gamers ourselves, we thought it’d be a good idea to show how we’d spend a reasonable sum of money, say $1,000, in the pursuit of such splendorous visuals. This guide will walk you through the dos and don’ts of picking out the right components, before showing you how they all fit together. In the future, we’ll be using the resulting Verge Gaming Rig as a testing platform for other goodies on the desktop hardware front, while also reviewing potential upgrades to keep it in tip-top shape. Today, however, is all about piecing it together and making sure it boots up.

The Components

Before you start assembling any sort of a computer, you’d do well to remember the universal maxim that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A typical computer workflow involves (1) taking data from the storage drive, (2) transferring it to memory for more rapid access, (3) sending it in smaller pieces to the central processing unit (CPU) for handling, and finally (4) pumping it out to a display via a graphics processing unit (GPU). Because the CPU and GPU "do all the work," they command the highest order of importance (and price), but you'll never see them performing at their maximum without equally speedy memory and storage or a reliable power supply and motherboard. So, if you’re not keen on creating bottlenecks from the start, make sure to balance your budget so that you can buy high-quality components throughout.

We aimed to do exactly that with the fiscally constrained Verge Gaming Rig, and just managed to scrape in under the $1,000 mark. Pricing of PC hardware actually fluctuates quite a bit, and we were the beneficiaries of quite a few bargains when we put the Rig spec list together over the Black Friday weekend. Thanks to a number of seasonal rebates and a deep discount on the power supply unit, we were able to overspend on the CPU and GPU while still obtaining a Blu-ray player, half a terabyte of storage plus a solid state boot drive, and one of the best motherboards around. Prices have since risen, but if you stick to our rough budget guide above, you should be able to find suitable components that strike the right balance between price and performance.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K ($209.99)

When processor price wars happen, they typically take place at or around the $200 mark. It's the sweet spot for consumers on a tight budget, mostly because it tends to be populated by high-end CPU architectures with a little less power than the $300 to $600 flagship models. The i5-2500K is just such a chip, and it has quickly developed a reputation as the best value Sandy Bridge processor. In its stock configuration, it runs four cores at 3.3GHz each, but the heart of its widespread appeal is in this CPU’s ability to operate at speeds of 4GHz and above. The K in the model number denotes the unlocked multiplier on the 2500K, which will allow you to overclock it to your heart’s content (or, more realistically, as far as your cooling will allow).

If you have extra room in your budget, you can step up to the Core i7-2600K ($320), which adds some extra cache (super fast on-chip memory), accelerates the stock speed, and seems to have a slightly higher overclocking ceiling. Hyper-Threading is also available on the 2600K, meaning it can perform two tasks per core for a total of eight threads, but that hasn’t shown itself to be much of an advantage in gaming. Alternatively, you can go nuts and spend $1,050 on the six-core Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor that Intel introduced recently — we’d hardly call it good value for money, but out of the box it's the fastest thing you can buy right now. AMD is producing some interesting parts too, however they’re just not competitive enough with Intel’s well-priced inventory to merit an endorsement.

	Rough budget guide
Graphics card	$220
Processor	$200
Motherboard	$160
Storage	$150
Power supply	$120
Case	$60
Memory	$50
Optical drive	$40

Remember that any chain is only as strong as its weakest link

Intel-corei5-2500k

What's overclocking?

The "clock" of any processor is the frequency at which it operates, as measured in hertz (or cycles per second). An obvious, though rarely linear, improvement you can make to your PC’s performance is to increase that frequency so that it works faster. That’s all overclocking is, you’re just raising the operational speed in the hope of obtaining a tangibly faster user experience. As with humans, however, a processor that works faster is also working harder, leading to proportional increases in power consumption and heat emission. If you’re not ready or willing to deal with the risks of destroying your computer in the effort of finding out its performance limits, we’d advise sticking to the stock settings.

Some manufacturers do provide pre-overclocked designs, such as graphics board makers who might take a reference chip from AMD or Nvidia and run it faster than recommended speeds after upgrading the cooling and power-regulating components. AMD and Intel also have dynamic overclocking systems for their latest generations of CPUs, which disable some cores in order to provide enough thermal and power overhead to reach higher speeds. The difference between manufacturer-provided overclocks and the DIY version is obvious: the former is much more rigorously tested and doesn’t run the risk of voiding your warranty.

Motherboard: Asus P8P67 Pro Rev 3.1 ($144.99)

If you’re going to pursue the path of the overclocker, it’s of paramount importance that you find a motherboard that can withstand the additional stresses your sped-up CPU will inflict upon it. Asus’s P8P67 Pro is an established champ in that category, with the company also providing a handy and comprehensive overclocking guide over on the Hard Forum. The P67 chipset is Intel’s performance-oriented setup and Asus outfits it with all the extras you’ll need: four 6Gbps SATA connections, four USB 3.0 jacks, Bluetooth 2.1, 8-channel audio, and support for dual-card graphics solutions such as Nvidia's SLI or AMD's CrossFire.

In place of the old school BIOS, you get the fresh and new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which performs all the roles of a BIOS, but does it with a much friendlier graphical UI that also lets you use your mouse. Asus also throws in a heap of power-tweaking options and fail-safes to prevent your clock speed experiments from ending unhappily. Intel’s newer Z68 chipset adds a pair of intriguing features in enabling Quick Sync (video transcoding acceleration using the integrated GPU) and Smart Response (using an SSD as a giant memory cache), but neither of those is particularly relevant to our purposes, so we considered this a good moment to step back from the latest model and save some money.

Graphics card: Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti OC 900MHz 1GB ($214.99)

Pick any price point you care for and you’ll find the nearest affordable graphics card from AMD is almost indistinguishable from its Nvidia-built competitor. There are technical differences aplenty, sure, but the two companies are matching each other in performance almost across the board, and where they don’t, the slightly slower chip sits proportionately lower on the pricing scale. That’s not to say that all GPUs provide the same value for money. The $200 to $250 bracket is still the place where you’ll get the most frames per dollar spent, and it’s presently led by the Radeon HD 6950, which consistently outperforms the GTX 560 Ti but also costs a little bit more as a result.

We’ve settled on a happy compromise between the two by choosing a manufacturer-overclocked version of the 560 Ti. Gigabyte’s OC variant of this graphics card doesn’t just turn up the clocks, it also adds higher-quality capacitors and a custom dual-fan cooling solution with four copper heatpipes. It received a glowing review from the guys over at the Tech Report and has enough grunt to allow us to play most games at 1920 x 1080 resolution with all quality settings turned up. 1080p is by far the most popular resolution on desktop monitors today, meaning that you'll be unlikely to need any more firepower than the GTX 560 Ti provides to enjoy games at their highest fidelity on your display's native settings.

Thanks to its strong performance and palatable price, the 560 Ti (and the Radeon HD 6950 alongside it) is a great choice for a lynchpin to build a true gamer's rig around. Should your budget extend further skywards, the GTX 580 from Nvidia and the HD 6970 from AMD are the obvious top-tier choices, though we’d actually recommend against investing in either of them right now. Both companies are scheming up upgrades with a new 28nm production process, which should push the performance ceiling up and prices of current-gen hardware down. In general, the best advice with any graphics cards, and probably hardware in general, is to buy the tier just below the absolute top end, where prices are within closer reach, but performance remains high.

Memory: 8GB Corsair Vengeance CL9 DDR3-1600 RAM ($44.99)

Memory is dirt cheap these days, so you could easily push this boat out to 16GB without bankrupting yourself, but 8GB is sufficient for most tasks. Corsair is a memory maker we’ve used and trusted for a long time and its new Vengeance 8GB kit has proven to be as stable and reliable as the company’s reputation would lead you to expect. Points may be added or taken away for the macho look of the heat spreader, depending on your preference. A good alternative here is the G.Skill Ripjaws set of two 4GB DDR3-1600 sticks. By the way, don’t bother spending extra for faster memory (DDR3-1866) or tighter timings (CL8 or CL7). AnandTech performed a study recently that showed anything over DDR3-1333 was overkill for Sandy Bridge CPUs. We’ve opted for DDR3-1600 because it costs practically the same as the lower-specced stuff.

Storage: Samsung 64GB SSD 830 ($94.99) +

WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200RPM HDD ($99.99)

Hard drives would be tracking a similar price trajectory to memory right now were it not for the floods that hit Thailand this year, so magnetic storage is atypically pricey. That being the case, we opted for a 500GB archival unit plus a 64GB solid state boot drive. The half-terabyte HDD is still the most cost-efficient way to obtain tons of storage, whereas the SSD is something we now consider a basic necessity in all new computers. Once you’ve booted up a PC from an SSD, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about — it’s a whole new world. To avoid bottlenecks, make sure to buy a SATA III drive. Our chosen Samsung 830 and the similarly priced OCZ Vertex 3 SSD both offer higher than 500MBps reading speeds, which wouldn’t be possible without the 6Gbps bandwidth of SATA III. As far as the HDD goes, when prices return to their usual levels, you should be able to grab a 1TB hard disk without spending much more than we’ve done here.

AMD and Nvidia are matching each other stride for stride right now

Bigger fans don't need to spin as quickly, making for a quieter PC

Power supply: Corsair Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX ($59.99)

Not the latest and greatest model, but in the world of power supplies, that doesn’t actually matter a great deal. What matters is that you’ll get plenty of power, delivered in a reliable fashion. This 650W Corsair unit is certified for 80 percent energy efficiency and comes with Japanese capacitors, which have become an industry byword for reliability. The 120mm fan is big enough to push air around the PSU without getting too noisy, though if you’ve got room in your budget, Corsair’s 750W and 850W Enthusiast Series come with 140mm fans. A nice extra that we couldn’t fit into our PSU budget was a modular design, wherein the cables connecting to the power supply can be disconnected if not in use. That helps cut down on the clutter inside your case, improving both its looks and ventilation.

Case: Fractal Design Core 3000 ($64.99)

We’ll readily admit that these last two parts were lowest on our list of priorities and were therefore subject to a tight financial squeeze, though neither of them is a terrible choice. The Core 3000 is reasonably priced for a case that seems to be lacking little, with removable and rotatable hard drive cages and seven fan mounts, three of which are already populated by one 120mm and two 140mm fans. The flexibility of its design means you can fit even the longest graphics card inside and it has enough clearance for most of the oversized aftermarket CPU coolers. Externally, it keeps to an understated look, with a honeycomb mesh up front and on top allowing for improved air flow. Unfortunately, its build quality left a lot to be desired, as we discovered once we received ours and had to use a screwdriver to turn the supposedly tool-free thumbscrews. Consequently, we wouldn’t really recommend the Core 3000 to anyone that plans on swapping parts out on a regular basis. The good news, however, is that there are usually great deals and discounts to be found on cases, and it’s really just a matter of preference and patience to find the right one. If we were to make this choice again, we might opt for one of Cooler Master’s range of affordable steel cases.

Optical drive: SAMSUNG SH-B123 12X BD-ROM DRIVE ($59.99)

We thought long and hard about dispensing with the optical drive altogether, but games are still mostly bought and sold on discs and it’d be silly to have a Gaming Rig without a convenient way to plug ‘n' frag. The small premium for Blu-ray compatibility was worth it to us, but you could just as easily save that cash and put it toward a mildly faster graphics card.

	Final specs
Processor	Intel Core i5-2500K	$209.99
Motherboard	Asus P8P67 Pro Rev 3.1	$144.99
Graphics card	Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti OC 900MHz 1GB	$214.99
Memory	8GB Corsair Vengeance CL9 DDR3-1600 RAM	$44.99
Boot drive	Samsung 64GB SSD 830	$94.99
Storage drive	WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200RPM HDD	$99.99
Power supply	Corsair Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX	$59.99
Case	Fractal Design Core 3000	$64.99
Optical drive	Samsung SH-B123 12x BD-ROM	$59.99

Total cost before taxes and shipping: $994.91

The Verge Gaming Rig: from components to completion

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How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000
How-to: Build a killer gaming PC for under $1,000

Peripherals and Operating System

We've focused exclusively on the things that go inside the case of your computer in this build, but you'll obviously need to accessorize that engine of lag destruction with an operating system and a few choice peripherals. Why didn't we include them in our budget above? Well, if you've owned a desktop computer in recent memory, you might already have them. If you've got a perfectly good monitor, keyboard, mouse and / or Windows install disc sitting around, there's no need to spend money on new ones, unless they've worn out their welcome. The second myth to dispel is the idea that you have to search out speakers, input devices, and monitors built specifically for gamers. Your primary consideration in all three categories should be comfort — your comfort, not that of a theoretical gamer whose needs include lots of blinking lights and the superfluous use of hard metals in tactile devices. We've managed to wear the keys of a trusty Logitech Ultra X keyboard down to a fine glossy sheen over the past few years, and can see no reason why you shouldn't stick with whatever has been working for you until now. If it's good enough for Word, it's good enough for World of Warcraft.

Also from Logitech, the G5 gaming mouse (okay, some gamer-centric peripherals are actually good) has served us well for a mighty long time, and its G500 successor features a similar molded grip for enhanced ergonomics. The one big upgrade among peripherals in recent years has been the move of IPS displays to both more affordable price points and more responsive technology, making them viable options for some seriously pretty gaming action. Check out Dell's UltraSharp series or NEC's IPS-equipped MultiSync monitors to get a good idea of the difference a high-quality display panel can make. Alternatively, you can seek out a monitor with a 120Hz refresh for the smoothest possible frame rate or, given that there's an HDMI output on the back of this rig's graphics card, why not just plug into your nearest HDTV? We did all of our testing on a Panasonic plasma display and would have a hard time going back to a desktop monitor after that experience.

N.B. If you're wondering about the fingerless gloves in the video, they don't serve a purpose functional to the build; it was just really cold at Sean's place.

The Build

This isn't a robot, it's not going to just assemble itself

So now that you've got the perfect parts, it's time to build your machine. That might seem like a daunting task, but believe us, color-coded connectors and one-way slots actually make it quite easy. If you can put together your own IKEA furniture, you're overqualified for the job. All it takes is a bit of patience — expect to spend an afternoon — a small Philips-head screwdriver, and the instructions below!

Setup

It turns out integrated circuits aren't fond of electrostatic discharges (ESD), so before you start juggling processors and memory modules, you'll want to ground yourself. Typically, that means you'll want an antistatic wrist strap to channel static electricity to a bare metal surface on your case, but you can also simply touch the bare case at all times to achieve the same thing. While you're at it, you might want to consider whether you're wearing the right clothes for the task. Socks on carpet are probably not a good idea, and the polar fleece your mom gave you last Christmas is right out. You can build in the nude, however, if you're particularly worried about static, or the other alternative is to invest in some antistatic gloves. By the same token, you might want to leave your components in their anti-ESD bags until it's time to install them, but go ahead and remove each from their cardboard boxes right now. Don't throw anything away quite yet, though!

Motherboard, CPU and memory

Motherboard prep

You can combine PC parts in many different orders, but if you want the least amount of trouble doing so, you'll want to begin by assembling the components that reside on the motherboard. Pull out your motherboard and — here's a handy trick — instead of setting it on a hard flat surface like a table, lay it on top of the ESD bag and foam or cardboard that came with it. You're going to need to push some components down onto the board, but you don't want to damage the soldered pins on the underside.

CPU

See that metal trapdoor in the center of the board? That's a CPU bracket, and you're going to want to pull the little lever on the side (down, out, and up) to open it and remove the plastic placeholder. Inside is the LGA 1155 socket, and you can probably guess what goes in there. Pull out your processor (you're grounded, right?) and gently set it down on the springboard of tiny little pins. There's only one right way to do it, so don't force it down, just line up the little golden triangle at one corner and the notches on either side, and ease it into the socket. Then close the metal bracket again, slide it underneath the retaining pin, and cinch it down with the lever. It should resist you, but if you lined things up right it shouldn't take too much force to lock it back into place.

Cooler

Your boxed CPU should have come with a heatsink and fan combo, and installing it might be the trickiest part of the whole build, because Intel's stock cooler is a little finicky to put on. Here's how it works: there are four spring-loaded quick-release pins that hold the cooler down, a patch of thermal grease on the bottom, and a set of tiny wires to give the fan power. First, make sure all four pins have their arrows facing away from the heatsink, then line up the pins with the four matching holes on the motherboard surrounding the CPU, such that the power cord for the fan can reach a matching socket on the motherboard too. Press down lightly on the center of the cooler to gently squish the thermal grease against the top of the CPU. Next, simultaneously push down on two of the pins on opposite sides of the CPU until they click and are firmly secured into place, then push down on the other two pins until they click as well. To check your work, flip over the motherboard and make sure both prongs of each pin are sticking through the other side. Finally, plug in the fan power cord.

Memory

Now that the hard part's over, let's socket some memory! RAM is one of the most sensitive components in your computer — so take care to ground yourself — but actually installing memory sticks is the easiest thing you'll do. Just be sure you're putting the memory into the right slots; look for the ones with standing clips on either end. Generally, the first memory module goes into the socket closest to the CPU, and the second one skips a slot, but the easy way to tell is just to make sure both slots are the same color. (Don't worry, you can't break anything even if you get it wrong; your computer may just perform slower than it should.) To insert, just pull open the clips on either end of a memory bank (this Asus board actually only has one moving clip per slot), line up the stick with the grooves, and gently slide it into place. Then, firmly press down until those clips click closed, and repeat for the other stick. DDR3 RAM has a groove about two-thirds of the way across the stick, so be sure your memory is facing the right direction before you apply force!

Are you properly grounded? Let's begin

Black never goes out of style

Case

Pc-guide-case-closed

Motherboard, CPU and memory are the heart of a computer, and now it's time to put them all in their place. For a standard ATX (full-size) motherboard, that means you'll be using nine standoffs and nine screws to attach it to your case. Take both of the side panels off of your case, lay it flat on its side, and screw each of the standoffs into the metal motherboard tray in the appropriate spots. Remember the flimsy little piece of metal that came with your motherboard, filled with holes? Pop it into the back of your case, from the inside out, so it can shield your ports. Then, carefully angle the rear end of your motherboard so the ports line up with the holes, and gently set the rest of the board down so the standoffs line up, too. Then it's just a matter of screwing it down. No need to apply force; with nine screws, the motherboard's not going anywhere even if one or two are loose.

While you're at it, this is probably a good time to hook up your power and reset buttons, LEDs, case speaker, and fans, not to mention the front USB and audio ports, too. Look for a bundle of cords coming out of the case, and find their matching headers on the motherboard. Asus makes it even easier with a removable front header module so you can plug almost all of them in at once. Each individual item should be clearly labeled, and if you're not sure, there are full instructions in your motherboard manual as well. Just remember that the little black arrow on the back of the connector points to the positive (+) terminal.

Drives

Pc-guide-odd

PC builders these days have it so easy with quick-release HDD trays, and we've got six of them in this case, each one with a thumbscrew in the side for added security. After removing its screw, pull one out by squeezing the tabs on either size, then screw your drive in using the holes on the bottom of each, four screws per drive for maximum security. Which way should your hard drive and solid state drive face? Either way works: point them towards you if you'll be swapping drives often, or away if you want to hide your cables neatly.

To install the optical drive, you'll need to remove the entire front of the case for a moment, pop out the 5.25-inch faceplate, and then put the case's front back on again. Then, simply slide in your optical drive and screw it into holes on either side of the drive cage.

It'll be tricky to route data cables once you install the graphics card, so take care of that now. Find the flexible SATA cables that came with your motherboard, and plug them into any open port (make sure to connect the SSD into one of the 6Gbps SATA III ports, marked with 6G on this motherboard), then either cleverly route them through your case for a neat appearance or leave them dangling. The choice is yours.

Graphics card

Once upon a time computers would have plenty of rear-facing expansion cards, but your GPU board will likely be the only one nowadays. Find a PCI-Express x16 slot on the motherboard (it should be clearly marked) and unscrew the two case covers immediately next to and below that slot. Then, insert your GPU at an angle, starting with the pointy end of the metal bracket — it slots between the edge of your case and the motherboard — and gently push the PCI-Express connector into the slot on the board. (If the PCI-Express connector is covered, like on this Gigabyte card, remove the cover first!) Use the thumbscrews you just removed to tighten the retaining bracket down, and then it's time to install the power supply.

Power supply

We're on the home stretch. Just stick that chunky PSU into its dedicated spot at the bottom of the case, with the switch and power socket facing rear and the 120mm fan facing the grate at the bottom of the case. Screw it in with the four included screws, and you're nearly done.

Cables

From the power supply:

Plug the chunky 24-pin ATX connector into your motherboard, near the RAM.

Plug the 8-pin ATX connector into your motherboard, near the CPU.

Plug a SATA power connector into each drive.

Plug two 6-pin PCI-E power connectors into your GPU.

Route the rest of your power cables behind the motherboard tray, into an empty drive cage, or somewhere else to keep them out of the way.

From the motherboard:

Plug the SATA data cables into your drives now.

On the back panel:

Plug in your monitor to the VGA, DVI, or HDMI port, depending on your cable.

Plug in your mouse and keyboard, using either the PS/2 or any available USB port.

Plug in your speakers to the rear digital or 3.5mm audio jacks.

Plug in your power supply.

Close up your case, turn on your monitor, flip the power supply switch, push the power button on the front of your case, and you're in business! You've still got an operating system and drivers to install, but the physical labor is over. Congratulations on building a desktop computer!

If the fans are spinning, you're in business

The benchmarks

Mixing a few synthetic tests with real world gaming experience

You'll no doubt want to take a moment to savor your handiwork after your rig is complete, but only a fleeting one. After all, you built it to play games, and as Duke Nukem would say, you're all out of bubble gum. Well, if you choose the same components we did, we're happy to report that you'll be fragging foes in style; we just finished cutting the Verge Gaming Rig's teeth on several of our favorite titles at 1920 x 1080 resolution.

First, we tossed our regular benchmark buddy Just Cause 2 at the machine for an appetizer, and we were pleased as punch with the result: a perfectly playable 30fps minimum framerate at 1080p resolution, with truly maxed settings and the gorgeous buttery blur you get when you combine 32x coverage sampling anti-aliasing (CSAA) with the game's Bokeh Filter. That's actual gameplay, mind you, not the built-in benchmark. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, admittedly a less demanding game, fared even better, requiring us to force tons of extra anti-aliasing in the Nvidia Control Panel (above and beyond, right?) to pull the framerate below 100fps on average.

Then it was on to The Witcher 2, a beautiful game that typically chokes up modern systems despite its DirectX 9 roots. We were able to play through a chunk of the storyline at 1080p with max settings (save the ludicrous Ubersampling) and average 40fps while doing so. Of course, if you're questing for graphical glory this holiday season, Skyrim is your realm of choice, and our rig handled it quite nicely at 1080p. It's playable at max settings with only one concession, and that's dropping the anti-aliasing to 2x or 4x MSAA.

So far, we've only tested one game where we couldn't have it all: Batman: Arkham City, with its dizzying array of visual goodies. It's fluid at nearly maxed settings as long as you only pick one of these three: PhysX particles, DirectX 11 tessellation, or 4x MSAA. You can probably find a more pleasing harmony if you're willing to tweak.

Update: We've been spending some quality time with Battlefield 3 as well, and we're afraid that maxed settings are slightly out of reach. Playing through the first real mission, Operation Swordbreaker, we found that the High spec was just about perfect for our 1080p monitor and rig, averaging around 60fps, with a minimum framerate of 30fps — just the kind of smooth response you need for a fast-paced first person shooter. On Ultra spec, urban combat looked decidedly better, but those framerates got nearly cut in half, and our Nvidia drivers also spontaneously crashed on two occasions. We'll see if we can isolate the issue, but it looks like High spec is where you'll want to be.

This is only the end of the beginning

When we set out to build an official gaming rig for The Verge, we knew it wasn't going to be your typical machine. Neither an underpowered budget rig nor an overpriced blend of exotic components, it had to satisfy the serious PC gamer who wants real value from every hard-earned dollar. We also didn't want to pretend that once a homebuilt PC is constructed, its story is over. The upgrader's tale is at least as fascinating as that of the builder creating afresh.

Over the months to come, we're going to keep testing this rig with the latest games to make sure it's up to snuff, consider new hardware and configurations if need be, explore new options and ideas in the realm of desktop computing, and give you a heads-up if our chosen parts somehow prove less than satisfactory. For instance, we didn't particularly care for the poor tooling on our computer case. What does that mean for you? Tune in next time and perhaps we'll explore a range of enclosures that are better suited to the task. Until then... happy fragging!

	Score
Windows Experience Index	7.5
PCMark Vantage	19,301
3DMark Vantage	P18,801
	H13,933
	X10,014
3DMark 11	P4,828
	X1,604
Boot time	38 seconds

There are 276 Comments. Add yours.

cdawg92 says:

The verge is getting more nerdy everyday. Custom gaming PC guide? Check. Love it!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 1:48 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend (122) Flag actions

zuogolpon's reply:

I guess most of the Verge users already how to build a PC, a guide on OC techniques or Casemodding would be extremely cool.

btw: This is a killer-gaming-PC? Maybe for people used to consoles :S

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:41 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

krische's reply:

It’s a killer gaming pc for a budget of $1000.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:04 PM EST reply Recommend (38) Flag actions

polter's reply:

I haven’t built a PC in four years, so this guide is great for me.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:28 PM EST reply Recommend (10) Flag actions

TheDarkIn1978's reply:

besides this (really great) post by The Verge, Newegg has a 3 part video series on how to build a PC as well: http://www.newegg.com/Store/Computer.aspx?name=Computer-Hardware

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 3:23 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

pwnst*r's reply:

Learn to read the entire title, douchebag.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:37 PM EST reply Recommend (10) Flag actions

shukero's reply:

Just too bad they used an Intel and an Nvidia card. They could of saved a TON on an AMD processor with the same specs, and used that extra money to buy a much better ATI card with much higher benchmarks :(

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 11:39 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

Did you even read the article, or just look at the components list? They clearly state that the equivalent Radeon graphics card is more expensive, and the AMD CPUs they considered weren’t competitive either.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:31 AM EST reply Recommend (10) Flag actions

lonewolf8090's reply:

Well considering that they could have chosen an AMD quad core or better processor and used that extra money towards a better graphics card than a 560 Ti, it would have been a better “gaming” rig which what the articles is geared towards right ? Let me break this down for you ….

The Verge
Intel Core i5-2500K $210
Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti $215
Total $425

AMD Build
AMD FX-4100 $110
ATI/AMD 6970 $310
Total $425

That is a budget gaming rig that is focused on gaming because we all know it s the graphics card that has the #1 effect on performance.

I agree that the 2500k processor is a beast and a good all around processor especially for overclocking.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 6:35 AM EST reply Recommend (5) Flag actions

sluzi's reply:

They chose the 2500k because the FX 4100 isn’t even competitive, IN GAMING, against the Phenom II. And no, in todays casually-skewed games, the PROCESSOR has a bigger bearing on overall performance now.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:29 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Stongnik's reply:

They didn’t build a gaming computer to play casual games. And you don’t need an awesome processor to play casual games. I have a computer with a cheap 2.3GHz Pentium Dual Core CPU and it can play any non-3D casual game fine with no noticeable lag.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:36 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

CaptainSyhawk's reply:

I don’t think you understand what you mean when you say IN GAMING — fyi, IN GAMING the speed of your processor doesn’t matter. It’s all about the video card. And the Parent posted a $425 parts list that included a much better video card.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 4:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

Depends on the game. Starcraft 2 is usually limited by CPU more than GPU. Battlefield 3 (and Bad Company 2), Civilization 5 and quite a few other top end games are very CPU hungry as well.Two or three years ago you could pick out a cheap CPU and pair it with that era’s equivalent of a 570 or 6950 and get away with it. Also exchanging the GPU is relatively easy. If you want to change a CPU that usually means a new motherboard (and sometimes new RAM as well). I’d say on a 1000$ budget the 2500K is the only viable choice unless you want to spend another few hundred in a year or two on a new CPU+mobo.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 5:12 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

PB&JP's reply:

You can run starcraft 2 with a pentium dual core. The processor isn’t as near as important as the GPU when it comes to budget performance. the 4100 is more then enough to play all the games you listed.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 5:54 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

DEZVOUS's reply:

Definitely agree. The very real reality is that you really don’t need a killer CPU for most PC games.

For instance, my younger sister is playing Skyrim at some high settings at her monitors native resolution of 1680×1050 with the ancient AMD FX60 and a Radeon 3870. Clearly the GPU is doing the heavy lifting and even that thing is old too.

As some have pointed out, that isn’t the truth for all games, but for most I think lonewolf has the right idea.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:23 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

chrishind10's reply:

Why would you even want an AMD graphics card, the driver support is utterly abysmal, now an AMD Processor I agree with.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:42 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Danrarbc's reply:

Abysmal in 2001 maybe. But not now.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:50 PM EST reply Recommend (5) Flag actions

chrishind10's reply:

Yeah, my Radeon HD 4890 runs absolutely perfectly and the fan always spins fast enough to not roast the thing, and it has absolutely no trouble independently changing its outputs refresh rate. /s

Its absolutely awful, the display drivers crash constantly on a fresh windows install!

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:13 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

tonewheelmonster's reply:

odd, my 4890 has been a rock solid beast since 2009. Even running windows 7 RC and swapped in multiple PCs, with multiple monitor/Tv configurations….

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 | 9:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

You have no clue what you’re talking about. AMD has not been competitive since the first generation of Core i5/7 CPU’s came out. This is especially true for gaming,. And yes, that is true for both performance AND value.

As for the GPU, the cards from Nvidia and AMD (it’s not called ATI any more) are very close to each other and the article states that, Personally I’d just wait for the new 28nm process GPU’s anyway and we should be getting those in early Q1 2012.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:53 AM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

DEZVOUS's reply:

You get very close performance out of the AMD CPU’s for a considerable discount in most cases. When AMD releases new CPU’s they generally don’t beat the Intel CPU’s but they come very close to matching that at much lower prices. That wins in my book.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:26 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

jackmtyler's reply:

I’ve been looking at the the i7 2600k or a Bulldozer FX-8150. The Intel processor outperforms and is the same price. Definitely a winner for me.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 11:55 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

PB&JP's reply:

the 8150 is 270-290 about while the 2600k is about 330-350 most places.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 6:56 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

jackmtyler's reply:

True, my tendency to exaggerate crept out here. The site I use for hardware here in the UK has a £20 difference between the two.

AMD do often offer excellent value. At this point in the year, Intel seem to be on top.

I’m yet to see a good benchmark comparison between the two however, so if someone can point me in that direction…

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 | 9:45 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

MosquitoControl's reply:

Not sure where you’re getting this information. AMD performance is nowhere near Intel performance. Ever since the switch to Core processors it’s been night and day. Under $150 AMD can compete and win, but over that price point AMD is left in the dust. It’s ugly. Seriously, check Anand, check Tom’s Hardware, check HardOCP, check ANY tech site: AMD CPUs are worthwhile only for budget rigs. Bulldozer was a step backwards as well.

As for GPUs AMD is often the better choice. Not always, and they DO have more regular driver issues and slower driver updates, but they win as many battles as they lose for speed. Which you go with depends on the current price.

And as for CPU or GPU for limiting factors in games, again saying it’s GPU dates you to before the Core processors. It’s often the GPU. It’s ofteh the CPU. Better to have power in both.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 2:40 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

I think you’d be surprised. The Verge is much more a consumer electronics website when it comes to content. I’d bet the vast majority of its readers have never assembled their own PC.

And yes I’m pulling that out of thin air.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:01 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

teth's reply:

JUST PRACTICING

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 11:14 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

teth's reply:

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 11:16 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

tonewheelmonster's reply:

you did a pretty good job

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 | 9:46 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

GLaDOS says:

This is great.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 1:56 PM EST reply Recommend (22) Flag actions

Someguyperson's reply:

I agree. This is a fantastic article Vlad. You are quickly becoming my favo(u)rite editor.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:07 PM EST reply Recommend (24) Flag actions

vkvraju's reply:

He already is one of my favourite editors here or elsewhere.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:19 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

DeeeNYC's reply:

I haven’t built my own computer in awhile but this is getting me itchy, and for such a great price. but i always end up spending twice as much going well.. but for only a little more I can get this card, or this chip. etc.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:17 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

JPenguinCA says:

Seems strange to have an editor from England put this article together (with a US based writer) but only have prices in USD . . .

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 1:57 PM EST reply Recommend (7) Flag actions

azulum's reply:

i don’t find it so strange: global is the new national and the rig was built in the US. you know that london is only about 1000 miles farther from NY than LA is.

my prediction: distinctions between nations will continue to erode and localities will become even more prominent.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:27 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

d0mth0ma5's reply:

With a lot of price comparisons between the US and UK it’s pretty much Dollars for Pounds. If you’re looking for the exchange rate, it’s about 1.55 $ to £.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:15 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Mobile-Dom's reply:

so this would have cost vlad just over £600 , nice one

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 10:18 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

It’s not strange at all. The Verge is a US based site. Yes, it does have international readers (I’m a Polish guy writing from London), but its coverage is very US centric and I’m guessing so is the readership and income base..

I can spec a PC and tell you how much it will be in the US by just going on newegg.

As for the UK prices, you will not be able to get the same components for these prices. First we pay VAT on everything here, second the US as a whole is a much bigger market. Newegg and a few other US online retailers operate on a scale which is not even remotely possible for UK outlets like Scan or Aria. Which usually means they can negotiate better deals from suppliers or afford to run lower margins due to volume. When it comes to PC components (and most tech to be honest) the US us far cheaper than Western Europe.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:59 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

zyonchaos's reply:

It may be cheaper to buy components as an individual in the states compared to the UK, but for businesses building gaming rigs where they can get discount for buying in bulk. Have a look at DinoPC, they have pre-specced rigs or ones you can customise and there prices are extremely cheap.

Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 6:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

DeltaRanger509 says:

Fantastic article guys. I really hope this encourages more people to get out there and build their own machine. It’s really easy these days and you get a ton of value for a fraction of the cost of what laptops are offering these days.

I, for one, am super excited to the Verge branching out like this. Well above and beyond what most tech news sites are tackling these days.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 1:59 PM EST reply Recommend (6) Flag actions

Otakun says:

ooh if only the GTX 560 was switched out with an HD6850/70 and the CPU cooler was one of the Corsair Hydro series coolers. Then hehu I’d be interested.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:00 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

krazyfrog's reply:

They’ve actually used a 560 Ti, which is faster than both the 6850 and 6870.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:12 PM EST reply Recommend (6) Flag actions

Fordy's reply:

You saved my breath, Sir.

The 560 Ti is of course (as you imply but don’t state) faster than the 560.

Stupid naming scheme.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

The model they’ve chosen is also a manufacturer-overclocked version of the 560 Ti, which makes it even faster :)

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:37 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Chris... says:

The price really should include an OEM copy of Windows ($100) but otherwise, nice.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:00 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

NeatOman's reply:

It should, but you already know how windows is going to be installed ;-)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:55 PM EST reply Recommend (20) Flag actions

Zfactor's reply:

Legally, of course!

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 7:33 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

BumpyClock says:

This is a great guide. I have the exact same specs for my rig except I went for an i7 and an older ATI since I built mine last year. The only thing I would suggest to anyone following this is to do away with the optical drive. You can save those 50 bucks, just use steam for all the games you need to buy. Windows and or linux and even OSx86 can be installed via usb drives

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:00 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

most_uniQue says:

Psst… u need to pay for Windows as well. add $150 for Win 7 64bit to $994.91

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:00 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

Someguyperson's reply:

Why not Ubuntu?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:09 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Consequence219's reply:

Because this is a gaming PC, and you will want to run Windows to maximize your investment in a gaming PC.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:14 PM EST reply Recommend (27) Flag actions

lancelott's reply:

Really? Linux in a gaming rig?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:07 PM EST reply Recommend (11) Flag actions

Someguyperson's reply:

You never know. Linux gaming is better than it was before.

To add to the post you’re responding to, Some schools and workplaces offer discounts or even free versions of Windows, so OS pricing isn’t the same for everyone.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:37 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

polter's reply:

I use Ubuntu too, but to even suggest Ubuntu for a gaming PC is ridiculous.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:29 PM EST reply Recommend (15) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

Linux is better than it was before – true.

As in before it was completely impossible and now it’s just almost completely impossible to use Linux for gaming.

And I like Linux a lot and run a dual boot PC. But for better or worse, the only viable gaming platform is Windows. I’d say even Mac is a very poor choice or gaming and even that is miles ahead of Linux (and miles behind Windows, again talking games only before I get flamed by the fanboys).

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:04 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

drumsmack's reply:

Ubuntu can run games for non-newb users that can figure it out :P

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Fordy's reply:

Yeah sure, “non-newb” users that don’t care for bug-free playing, decent framerates, and compatibility.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:30 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

drumsmack's reply:

Dual boot : you can use Ubuntu for normal computer tasks and reserve game friendly windblows for gaming :P

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:40 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

PB&JP's reply:

Someguyperson’s implied using ubuntu instead of buying windows. You’re solution is buying windows and dual booting for a gaming rig. it just doesn’t make sense. It would be nice if developers made these games cross platform but they don’t because direct x has a strangle hold on the gaming market and Microsoft refuses to port the api to anything other then it’s products. Why would it at this point?

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 7:12 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Stongnik's reply:

Most games are Windows only, so you’d have to setup something like Wine, which would make the games not work as well. And for a $1000 gaming PC, you might as well just spend the extra $150 to make your games actually work well.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:47 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

DeeeNYC's reply:

Linux is not, nor will it ever be, ready for wide commercial use. 20 years from now every OS article will have why not use linux!! I did it 15 years ago, your doing it now.. some geeky kid will do it in the future.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:19 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

sep332's reply:

I suppose you mean on the desktop, since Linux is pwning in back-office and server environments. But even then, Munich, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiMux#Timeline Russia http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://filearchive.cnews.ru/doc/2010/06/17/2299p.doc&prev=t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1 and a bunch of other places blank">http://www.focus.com/fyi/50-places-linux-running-you-might-not-expect/ disagree with you.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

DeeNYC did say commercial use.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:39 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

pwnst*r's reply:

I love Linux, but you know better than to suggest it as an alternative OS for gaming.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:38 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

asselinpaul says:

I love this. I’d personally want to make it run Linux but for Gaming…

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:01 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

LolyPopBrigade says:

You should add that overclocking also decreases the lifespan of components.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:01 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Someguyperson's reply:

Only if you overvolt it too much or let the temperatures get a bit out of hand. Otherwise, overclocking is extremely safe.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:09 PM EST reply Recommend (7) Flag actions

mjenabi2's reply:

it will effect the “efficient life expectancy” of the cpu anyway. so if a cpu would last 5 years at stock level (if you really work the machine) it would last around 4-5 years after over-clocking too, but you will experience slow downs and hang ups around the three year mark.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:29 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Ratsttam's reply:

And that’s not really an issue either. If you’re REALLY a gamer, you’ll likely have replaced the CPU sometime around the 2yr mark ;)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:48 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

jayscullin says:

You rock. I’ve been looking for something like this, only I’m building an HTPC. Bookmarked.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:01 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

NaGeLxZ's reply:

Same here except i want mine to be the all of the above … i want to play games that my laptop can handle, but i also want a dvr solution that can stream anywhere for cheaper than a slingbox and a cable box, and a place to host all my creations/programs

i would run out and build it right now with this guide but i want to use a AMD Bulldozer (yes i know they under perform) only cause it is supposed to handle virtualization better than Sandy Bridge, but not Ivy….that and i need alot of storage space, school keeps me from watching most shows/movies during the semester, so id easily fill 500GB a month (based on the tuner card’s site saying 50 hrs is 350GB approx)

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 10:20 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

zyonchaos's reply:

Couldnt you then edit the stuff that has recorded and compress it to save a bit of space?

Posted on Jan 10, 2012 | 6:36 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

TheLegendOfMart says:

You price up an unlocked 2500K and then use a stock heatsink/fan and then say you wouldnt advise overclocking?

Could save some money by dropping the CPU to 2400 or something.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:02 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

Someguyperson's reply:

With the 2500K, you can get some decent overclocks with the stock HSF actually. It will only get better with Ivy Bridge processors too.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:11 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Sean Hollister's reply:

We’re targeting a pretty general DIY audience with this guide, but don’t worry… we’re hoping to do some overclocking ourselves (and share it with you) after the holiday!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:30 PM EST reply Recommend (8) Flag actions

IAM A's reply:

I recommend the CM Hyper 212 Plus.
For $20 you can’t go wrong.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 6:15 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Fordy's reply:

Yes you can.

Get something decent, a Frio, Fenrir, or Dark Rock Advanced.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:32 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

IAM A's reply:

You do know what a heatsink is right? you have to really fuck up for it to run bad.
Also a Fenrir, really? if you’re going for high en you should get a nh14 at least.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 7:49 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

Frio is way too loud, Fenrir was good, but you can find better HSF for the money these days, The Dark Rock Advanced is the only good choice out of those 3.

You can always go crazy and go for the Noctua NH14. Amazing cooling, but it’s so ugly. I guess not a problem if you have no window.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:37 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

That is one of the things I’d disagree with an otherwise very good article. Overclocking is so easy and so safe on modern CPU’s that it is almost criminal not to do it. Even the stock HSF is good enough for a quiet and cool mild OC. Sure you might need a better HSF to push it far past 4GHz and probably water cooling to do a fully stable 5 GHz, but up to 4 should be well within the reach of even the stock cooler.

And if you disagree with the above statement for whatever reason then why pay for the K series, unlocked CPU?

Either way the logic makes little sense.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:09 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

deemery says:

How did you run benchmarks without an Operating System? I was interested to see what OS you put on this, and how your choice impacted the price.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:03 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Parry's reply:

He said during there though, that most likely if you’re building a gaming PC, you already have a Windows disc lying around somewhere. That being said, Windows 7.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 4:01 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

chrishind10's reply:

Dr Deeps?

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:45 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

p5harma says:

How about recommendations on a cheap 1080p media streamer with ability to play videos from sites like Hulu (not plus). This is good stuff though.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:03 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ttringle's reply:

Um, for external streaming devices there are not (if any that I know of) many that run Hulu without +. Hulu has pretty much limited the set top box devices to only running Hulu +.

If you want to run Hulu to an HDMI Set and get all the benefits of a PC without too much hassle. I suggest that you get a Mac Mini if all you want is streaming video and audio. With a good mini keyboard / mouse combo like the Logitech Dinovo Mini you can remotely control the mac mini. With apps like XBMC, PLEX, Hulu desktop app, you can pretty much run anything you want.

But if you want Hulu without paying then you’ll need to run a PC or Mac most likely or look into devices like Popcorn hour, or the Boxee Box.

To be honest, just pay the $9 bucks a month and get Hulu+ you’ll get alot of back episodes you wouldn’t usually have access to and you can then run it on your phone (most likely, android support is a little iffy), your ipad (If your into apple gear like me).

I have many devices except for the Roku ( might get one of the new ones).

If your looking to do this for the cheapest possible prices, your best bet is Roku/AppleTV combo to get pretty much everything, but a Roku will pretty much get anything online now except for iTunes.

Posted on Dec 28, 2011 | 10:18 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

sebastiansson says:

Using the word “killer” and 560 Ti on the same page is a lie. The 560 Ti might be OK today but it can’t even play high on the most games today! If it’s really a killer GAMER PC the focus should be more on the graphics card!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:04 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Someguyperson's reply:

At 1080P, it’s not bad by any means. If HDDs weren’t as expensive as they are now, you could add some more GPU horsepower.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:12 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

Honestly, I feel like now is a pretty terrible time to buy a graphics card. We’re a couple of months away from seeing the biggest tech upgrade for at least 18 months with the move from 40nm to 28nm GPUs, meaning much higher energy efficiency and at least a little bit better performance across the board.

With that being the case, we aimed to get a graphics card that’s good enough for right now without preventing us from being able to upgrade, say, in a year’s time to a legitimate powerhouse that has a greater likelihood to remain relevant than something like a GTX 580 does today. So, if you must, consider this as our placeholder card until the new hotness arrives. Still, I can’t really see much reason to complain about a GPU that lets you enjoy Skyrim in its full splendor.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:02 PM EST reply Recommend (20) Flag actions

sebastiansson's reply:

I get your point, but I still think it would have been better to cheap out on the other components and buy a better GPU because the GPU will still be the bottleneck if you play a GPU heavy game like Battlefield 3. The PSU 650W are pretty much overkill for every graphics card right now. As long as you don’t use dual, which in this case we don’t.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:22 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Trevoreon's reply:

You say overkill, but after building a few PC’s you learn that your PSU is the heart of the machine in the most literal sense. I think this is great.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 6:12 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ZaneK's reply:

This is why I believe that a 6950 would have been a much better solution. Yeah they’re a bit more expensive but they will last much longer because of the 2gb or VRAM and the near perfect scaling in crossfire mode which means that in a years time you could go for another for cheap as chips and you’ll still be maxing all your games for a long time to come.

Though a 560ti is still a good choice…

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:34 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

stargazer418's reply:

Key words: under $1000. That card is a good middle-of-the-road card for today.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:55 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

That card can run at 30fps or higher almost any game at 1080p with settings cranked up to between 90-100% of max. In vast majority of games then fps will be much higher.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:11 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ajcarpenter says:

I’m not an expert on this stuff but I was speccing out a system a few weeks back and ended up picking a lot of similar parts.

My one big question is, if I was going to go the SLI route and slap another graphics card in it, is 650w going to enough for the PSU?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:06 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Andrew Rockefeller's reply:

To go SLi you’d want to bump it up to 800w.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:22 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

IAM A's reply:

Not really, I saw people crossfire with a 650 watt power supply.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 6:16 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Andrew Rockefeller's reply:

i5 2500k = 95w
Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti OC = 260w x 2
Add 50-100w for drives, fans and chipset (overhead)

Total = 665-715w.

Although you could run an SLi rig with lower wattage GPUs on a 650w PSU, you can’t with these components, and especially so given that they specifically mentioned that they will be overclockiing it.

So 800w :)

…unless they are intentionally trying to write a narrative which includes a BSOD or a dramatic PSU failure, then the PSU will NEED to be swapped out.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 11:56 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

IAM A's reply:

That’s for an overclocked machine, it obviously going to consume more.
If you run a computer with stock setting then 650w it’s ok.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 3:32 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

If you use efficient enough cards, I think it would be. The power supply is certainly on the small side for such purposes, but I’ve been running a 300W Shuttle with a Radeon HD 4770 in it for long enough to know that you can push a good PSU with power-hungry components. That’s kind of bad advice, I’d probably tell a friend to spend more and buy a bigger PSU if he plans to go to two cards, but it’s not impossible to do with 650W. Let’s see what the 28nm Nvidia cards look like in terms of power consumption.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:23 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

Andrew Rockefeller's reply:

Here’s a table of graphics cards and their maximum power draw (TDP):
http://www.geeks3d.com/20090618/graphics-cards-thermal-design-power-tdp-database/

I’ve had this bookmarked for years. They do a good job of keeping it u to date.

GTX 560 Ti (overclocked) = 260w. Basic math and some headroom will do the rest :)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:36 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

DOLOisSOLO's reply:

Just for kicks, I’m wondering what the power draw is when the system is idle.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 5:08 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Cloudgazer's reply:

Hail fellow shuttle owner!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:36 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Branhower's reply:

Generally it’s good to not push the power supply too hard anyway; I forget the threshold, but when the draw passes that, the power is no longer “clean”, and may make the system unstable. I generally try to never go above 80% power draw and make sure to keep each graphics card on its own rail (as in, for SLi/Crossfire, buy a power supply with two or more 12v rails, something you can sort by on Newegg).

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:01 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

When you have a good 650W Psu the only problem might be the connectors rather than power draw. Though to be honest I wouldn’t run a PSU at 95% regularly. It might be able to handle it in terms of thermals etc. but most PSU fans, even good ones will get quite loud once pushed high past 80% power draw.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:15 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

DeeeNYC's reply:

Don’t bother with charts and whatnot. Get as much as your budget will allow you. Personally i think 650 is low. the more peripherals you plan to have the more you’ll need.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:21 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

fierywater says:

I question putting such an expensive CPU and motherboard in when the GPU is so mid-range. The GTX 560 Ti would be better paired with an i3 or a lower i5 and the motherboard is complete overkill unless you’re looking at SLI in the future, in which case you should have a bigger PSU. This isn’t a bad machine, but the value proposition is questionable to me.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:08 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

IMO there’s no such thing as overkill for a motherboard. It’s good to have headroom to allow upgrading of the other components when better hardware comes out. Saves you from buying a whole new computer.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:26 AM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

MBrown220 says:

Sweet although I would have made some changes. Got rid of the BD drive and put in a DVD drive, and use that extra dough for a 6950. You could have possibly got one that is still unlockable. Also this is very closee to my setup.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:09 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

chadnielsen's reply:

The 6950 is equal to or a very small bit ahead of a 560Ti in most benchmarks. It’s not worth it.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:09 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

zuogolpon's reply:

Since people start bragging with their setups, I’ll join you guys:

Intel Core i7 920 @ stable 3.6Ghz / 12GB 1600Mhz RAM / GTX580 @ stock / Mega Shadow CPU heat sink / casemodded Lancool K7 black&white / 120GB SSD OCZ Agility 3 / OS: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

DeeeNYC's reply:

You can put a mac os on a computer you built yourself? I mean straight install, not jumping through hoops to create a hackintosh.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:22 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

bionic's reply:

Yes, pop in OSX86 boot CD to prep the drive then pop in OSX Lion DVD to install. No hoops jumped.

For more information go here. Also, hardware selection is key. You’ll need a MB or GPU chipset that Apple supports; so, no AMD or nVidia MBs.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 10:17 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

chadnielsen's reply:

No, you cannot. Regardless of the hardware and what people claim, some hoops need to be jumped through.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 4:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ripperzane's reply:

Hoops means buy Snow Leopard and then use a boot disk to install it?
This machine (dunno about Mobo) is pretty close. I would swap the 560TI for a Radeon 6850. IF you speak of hackintoshing the machine, I had a GTX 460, then sold it on eBay and switched to a Radeon HD 6850. I am sure pound for pound there are benefits of NVidia, but if TonyMacX86 project is your guide to it, stay away from Fermi based cards. I speak from experience to help, not debate.

Posted on Dec 24, 2011 | 8:57 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ToniCipriani's reply:

Just look around a bit, you can definitely find a 6950 for around the same price. A quick search I found a few already.

But with that being said… my machine’s really out of touch…

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:13 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

ripperzane's reply:

Mobo/Chip upgrade & RAM (dirt cheap).
SSDs are amazing yes, but but yourself a 60 GB SSD and KEEP the HDD and you look pretty well off. IMO, the number one benefit to building yourself (other than knowing how to build it) is that frankenbuilds can be upgraded according to bit by bit parts.

Posted on Dec 24, 2011 | 9:00 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Vuph says:

Sean’s voice is so velvety… I was expecting an “now doesn’t that look nice!” comment after each part was installed, lol.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:12 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

Velvety is exactly the word for it.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:16 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

Patrick Austin's reply:

Velvety, like the anti-aliasing on that sweet gaming rig.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:08 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions

Andrew Rockefeller says:

(Approving nod) Yup, the specs look about right. Nicely done Vlad. On a $1K budget I’d happy recommend that.

I concider this the “how to change a tyre” for the 21st century. TBH, building a PC should be on the entry exam to be a tech journalist. Youssir have passed with style.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:15 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

DelScorcho says:

Nice, but can it play Crysis?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:15 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

Of all the times this question has been asked on a site I’ve written for, this has been the most pertinent. We haven’t yet run every game and benchmark that we want, and will probably include that in a followup feature, but my educated guess would be that, yes, it’ll be able to run Crysis.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:20 PM EST reply Recommend (12) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

Probably not at the very highest settings, but it should if you just take it down a tiny bit. Frankly it says more about the optimization of the game engine than the PC itself.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:18 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Seryous says:

Please, for the love of NERDKIND, turn the hard drives around in the enclosure so the cables are facing the other side of the case.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:22 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions

ripperzane's reply:

Bought a cheapo case and it auto had the cabling facing the back side (per mounts & diagrams) for cable management. I LOVE cable management!
Used to build freakin systems where the molex would stick and you would gash your hands trying to pry it free, only to have the momentum of your hand get gashed on the sheet metal.
Grrrrr
>:-/

Posted on Dec 24, 2011 | 9:03 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Kelvin says:

Deary me, no mention of how dreadful NVIDIA drivers are. You may need to expect some severe artifacting issues in Battlefield 3 as a result. Doesn’t happen everyone, but common enough to point to a driver issue.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:22 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

chadnielsen's reply:

Because they aren’t “dreadful”.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:10 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

I’ve always hated Radeon drivers. So much so that I haven’t even considered a Radeon for any of the (3) video cards I’ve purchased since I last bought a Radeon.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:32 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

chrishind10's reply:

Are you kidding, I have had constant problems with ATI drivers from their 6000 series to their HD 4000 series.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:46 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

incrediblecub's reply:

I’ll take artifacting over the issues I have with my 4850.. it just stops working, BSOD, video crashing.. you name it, it does it. Even on a fresh Windows install. No more ATI cards for me. My 8800GT was the best card I ever owned. I will definitely be building a 2500k setup at the beginning of next year and using an nVidia card to power it, or two.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 2:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ripperzane's reply:

I use a 6850, I thought to swear off ATI, but I had a 4870, I think I am now a fanboy of the AMD graphics cards. Huh, hooda-thought?

Posted on Dec 24, 2011 | 9:04 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

storm8ring3r says:

I really need to know what kind of FPS this gets for Battlefield 3 on ultra. please find out :)?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:22 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

We’re working on it and will add it soon.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:23 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Seryous's reply:

you arent going to be running this system on ultra, not going to happen, unless you are playing at less than 1080p. Otherwise at 1080 you will be playing BF3 on High settings.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

krazyfrog's reply:

I have a hard time running Battlefield 3 on Ultra on my system at 1080p with a 560 Ti. But then again, I have a much slower CPU (though I’m not sure how much of a difference that makes in gaming).

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:17 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

From what I’ve heard, BF3’s biggest bottleneck has been the CPU. We’ll know for sure soon, though. BF3 results with this PC are coming up soon.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:27 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

From personal experience, I can support that the CPU is a big bottleneck with Battlefield 3. I have a 3GHz Core 2 Duo and the very same Gigabyte 560 Ti in this article, but it runs like a crippled dog even on minimum graphics settings. Cranking the graphics settings up to maximum doesn’t seem to make it worse, which makes me think it’s the CPU. Render. The “PerfOverlayVisible 1” graph supports my theory.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:40 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

I’m not sure about BF3 since I don’t have it, but it was certainly the case in Bad Company 2. I know it’s a new version of the game engine, but I would not be surprised if that were still true.

having said that if you put settings to Ultra it seems that BF3 can get bottlenecked by any component if you don’t spend through the nose.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:20 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Plazmic Flame's reply:

Yup… I wanna know how it does with BF3 as well..

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 6:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

LolyPopBrigade says:

About the GPU, the new ATI are literally days from being launched, it’s pretty important to keep that in mind. I would really wait another few days to just see what the 7000 series has to offer. If you can’t wait of course then you can just ignore this.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:24 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Kelvin's reply:

Worth waiting for because the higher priced new series will drive the old series prices down. AMD launch the higher end first with a new series don’t they?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

LolyPopBrigade's reply:

Yeah the x900 usually come out first, I tend to wait until the x800 come out so I get the better price / performance model.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:29 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

AngryLatinChanting says:

The first rule of building a gaming PC is to spend as much as you can on the GPU without seriously crippling the performance in other ways (up to a point). If you have $1000 budget, you should have a 6970 or 570 at least. Spending more than $60 on a PSU is silly, as these go on sale quite frequently. Buying a BD rom is silly as well. 8gb of 1600mhz DDR3 can be had for as low as $25-30 now, and the 60gb SSDs have been down to $70 with 120gb at $120.

The guide is useful for novices but the price/performance or overall value could be a lot better even ignoring the upcoming Boxing Day sales or impending release of new GPUs from AMD.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:31 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

max232's reply:

Having a bit beefier CPU and PSU means you could upgrade the GPU later on without the other parts becoming a bottleneck.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:42 PM EST reply Recommend (6) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

It has been mentioned before that within 3 months we are going to see probably the biggest jump in GPU performance in nearly two years. I don’t think buying a 570/580 or the AMD equivalent is a good value proposition. If you don’t care about money then go for it, but this is a 1000$ build last time I checked.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:22 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

KraftSingles says:

I will direct this awesome post to any of my friends who asks me about building their own computer. Thanks guys!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:33 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Chuuchdizzle says:

Im so glad to see the fractal design arc midi getting some love. Its my case and its wonderful.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:34 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions

prometheus says:

Depending on where you will keep this computer, you may not want to skimp on the case. I have mine in my bedroom and it used to sound like an airplane taking off all day. Investing some extra dough in a quality case and heat pipes can make a huge difference. Antec makes some awesome sound proofed cases like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129154
I know lots of people skimp here because it doesn’t directly affect performance, but the better case was definitively worth it and it will also keep less dust from getting in.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:37 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

indyandrew's reply:

Totally agree.. I just built a new rig for Skyrim. My old rig was so loud when I started up my new one I thought it wasn’t working it was so quite. I spent more on my case than I planned on originality and probably more than most people would be willing to pay but I absolutely love my case. Silverstone Fortress FT02, it’s whisper quite, keeps all my components really cool, and it’s built like a tank,

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 8:02 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

chichin0's reply:

If the Verge is looking to upgrade their case in the future, I have personally found Lian-Li to be a spectacular maker of cases, and highly underrated as well. I have a Lian-Li all aluminum case I purchased over 4 years ago and the level of craftsmanship has never let me down. Their cases are made for system builders with small touches such as: no sharp edges, structural rigidity above and beyond stamped steel, well thought out interiors, exemplary materials, and thumb screws that actually work and aren’t just a gimmick. I highly recommend their cases, both for the thermal efficiency of an aluminum chassis and for their understated and classy aesthetics. Should be worth a look if you guys revisit this project in the future. Honestly the most telling thing about my Lian-Li case is that it is the only component of my builds I never consider changing during upgrades.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:22 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

LolyPopBrigade says:

My strategy for building my last 2 PC was pretty weird, I don’t build for speed, I build a PC that lasts long.

I go for components that last a very long time, I pick out low (yes low) CAS high volume RAM, high reliability ram (that means no corsair or mushkin, it means value Kingston RAM usually) high volume CPU, and I will look for high volume mobo that have had no issues. I will put most of my money in my mobo and CPU instead of in my GPU, (I tend to buy a x800 or x750), so I can upgrade the GPU which is handier than having to upgrade the mobo. The benefit of this is that I have far less issues with my PC, my PC has been running daily for about 3 years now, not a single issue so far.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:45 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

Why are you here then?

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:45 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jive Turkey's reply:

I don’t mean to be rude. I like your style, I just think you’re addressing the wrong audience.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:46 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Azzoth says:

For a gaming PC, you need a kick ass video card, a decent CPU and decent ram. THIS build has a bit too much ram and CPU. First inte;l CPU are expensive compare to AMD ones. I recommend a AMD quad-quore processor (x4) wich is half price of an intel (The lowest ones are 100$ and they’re ok for the best looking games right now at maximum. Next for the ram, for a game right now the maximum ram needed is 4gb. Ram is kinda cheap right now, you can get 4gb, 6gb or maximum 8gb for cheap ones (the buy the big expensives good looking ones with bigs heats things, if you want a low price rig). With the lowest price of these 2 components put all this money on the video cards, depend of you budget for there a lot of test wich is the best check for amd and nvidia price (don’t buy 2 cards, buy only 1 better and in a couple a years you can buy an other identical card. If you buy 2 right now, in couple of years you will need to change the 2…)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:50 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

GOWG's reply:

There’s a very big bang for the buck in AMD CPUs, I agree, but there are quite a few new games which don’t run well on weaker CPUs and don’t respond well to strong GPUs. Starcraft 2 is a big one. I think that if you skimp on CPU and use that money for the GPU, there will be too many situations where you’ll get less-than-expected performance for a $1000 gaming computer.

As for the RAM thing, DDR3 is really cheap right now and Windows Vista and 7 are pretty smart with memory. They build usage patterns and can pre-cache your most used applications and their dependencies into RAM so they load fast and operate fast. This alone makes doing 8GB instead of 4GB worth it imo.

Then there’s the problem where if a game uses 3GB, most of what you had open will be paged into virtual memory(hard drive) if you’re using all your physical memory for a game. Resuming the use of a multi-tab browser can be a bad experience. And even if you close it, it’ll take a while for it to come back open since it threw out your cache of it to make room for the game you were playing. Exiting a game and running another game is also better on 8GB+ machines for these reasons.

That and my HTPC with 4GB fills up just watching flash streams (only 4+ 1080p streams like MLG’s quadview), and it’s slowdown city when I try to alt-tab to something else. Even with an SSD! I realize that’s mostly because flash is a piece of shit, but just sayin’. Things don’t always go like you’d expect. It’s nice to have some wiggle room.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:14 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

RAM is dirt cheap anyway so it doesn’t matter. For modern games AMD CPU’s are inadequate even from a value POV.
You can buy an AMD quad core for much less than a new Intel quad core, but you need to ask yourself:
- how efficient is each core
- how many instructions can it handle in each cycle
- how fast are the cycles
- is it cool and stable once overclocked and how much of a performance increase does it offer.

In all those points the 2500K blows pretty much any AMD CPU out of the water even when you factor in the price.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:28 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

RohitK says:

I would also recommend Lifehacker’s take on this topic:
http://lifehacker.com/5840963/the-best-pcs-you-can-build-for-600-and-1200

They cover PCs under $600 and under $1200.

Nice, helpfui post, guys.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

RohitK's reply:

Bah. I meant ‘helpful’. Comment editing for Christmas?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:53 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions

Qfax says:

Seems about right, though I would probably not skimp on the power supply. I’ve seen enough PSUs crap out on cheaply made systems for that to be on my mind. The case is also one of those parts that most DIY builds tend to gloss over, and I can understand why, but having a case that maximizes cooling, minimizes noise and makes switching components in and out as easy as possible really does make a difference when it comes to ‘actually living with’ the machine you’ve built. Still, even with both those points, you’re really only talking another $100 or so to scale them up. The “About a grand” is pretty reasonable estimate for any high-but-not-extreme performance build.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:54 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jeffco3 says:

I would really appreciate it if anyone could lead the way for me to figure out a build for video editing. I don’t know too much about building your own PC, so excuse me if it sounds silly.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:54 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

ranhalt's reply:

Depends what you plan on using to use for video editing. Windows Movie Maker? Avid? Either way, there’s no “video editing” recommended specs other than video card if your software takes advantage of GPU. You probably want to learn more about video editing before building a computer for it.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:59 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

NenadaPlakat's reply:

hardware-revolution.com

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 2:59 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

aclick's reply:

Video editing it one of the few reasons to have a great CPU with a high core count – I’d visit Tom’s Hardware and check out some of their recommended builds and heirarchy charts to see what’s what. They also have articles for newbies once in a while that you can find in their archive. I recommend Anandtech as well, which publishes very good, in-depth stuff, though less frequently than Tom’s.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:06 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jeffco3's reply:

Sweet! Thank you guys.I plan on using Adobe PE 10. Starting to become an avid shooter, but my current laptop isn’t good enough for the 1080/30fps or 720/60fps videos that I shoot.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:09 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Qfax's reply:

In some ways Video Editing systems are the opposite of Gaming systems. I mean, if you’re just talking making simple movies in a cheap/free editor, it’s not really a big deal either way and the crossover in performance you’d get from any well put together build will suit you. But when you’re talking about more serious work then you’re looking primarily at having the most powerful CPU you can afford and coupling it with the most reliable system you can build. Stability and power is the name of the game for serious video editing and it is not uncommon to see server components used for making ‘professional’ editing bays.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:11 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

autoexec.bat's reply:

CPU is key but I recommend having an NVidia card with plenty of CUDA cores for rendering time. I believe Adobe’s newer software support it and it makes a tremendous difference in my experience.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:25 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

LolyPopBrigade says:

I just noticed the mouse, I had a G5 before and now I have a G500.

The G500 has the spinwheel, spinwheels are amazing, I can’t live without one anymore. That makes the G500 superior imo, other than that they’re pretty similar.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:00 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Sean Hollister's reply:

I’m also a G500 user, and love it, though the grip’s a tiny bit larger than I like. I finally upgraded from an MX518 last year.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:41 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

joshhearne says:

Must be that time of year! I’m getting my parts in today from Newegg. Went with similar stuff and spent around $800.

Core i5 2500K
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 G3
Sapphire Radeon HD 6850
Corsair Veng. RAM (4 X 4GB)
Cooler Master 500W PSU and an old case I bought earlier this year of theirs.
Repurposing a WD External 1TB (Caviar Green) HDD that probably has only 50 hours of use on it.
Intel 320 Series 40GB SSD

It’ll be a hackintosh in about a month or so when I get another SSD. For now it’ll be a SWTOR rig. Nothing terribly fancy or ridiculous, but it’s my first self built rig for myself and my first new desktop in 6 years….so it’ll be enough lol.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:00 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Shamus212's reply:

Solid build, that should give you a solid 2 years of quality play.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:18 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

joshhearne's reply:

I figure about that long if I don’t upgrade anything. I’ll probably put more money into it next year sometime, maybe a second HD 6850 and bigger PSU. Got it built last night and fixed a couple quick issues, but had to get some sleep. Will finish today and get it running tomorrow after work most definitely. Waiting on a new OS disc, had a mixup (my fault).

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:41 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Rolf says:

Very well-done guide. Outstanding compared to all the other guides I’ve seen as far as getting the message across in a way the people with different levels of proficiency in the field will understand.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:06 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

NeatOman says:

If you’re not overclocking then i would go with AMD, as almost all games are bottle-necked by just the GPU when you have 3+ ghz quad core processors and i would get 1600-7cas ram (“cas” is just as important as raw Mhz, admittedly not as much for gaming as for processor intensive programs).

Mulit-GPU setup is usually only worth it when you build “high end” rigs, and most times is not worth the money because you have to also invest into a more powerful power supply and a more expensive motherboard. Remember you can always sell your old video card to a friend or on ebay when you want to upgrade.

With that in mind, you can save up to $200 and have almost the same performance in games.

Just some tips from a seasoned builder ;-)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:12 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Swift_LawnGnome says:

This article is very well written. And the rig is a great deal. I’m really loving this new blog.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:13 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions

Vinterbird says:

For the next version of the article / guide, it would be insanely helpfull to point towards a European retailer and have European prices, since stuff is generally much more expensive here, which would probably change up the build / cost.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:23 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

Aaron Souppouris's reply:

I’m based in London, whenever i’ve built rigs I’ve tended to jump between DABS & eBuyer, price checking everything,..With a little patience i’d say you can get very close to an equivalent price. Not sure about prices for the continent though.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:28 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

Ebuyer and CCL Online are my top choices for the UK.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:31 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

lorro's reply:

no love for Scan?

There’s also eclipse in cov – they are pretty good.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:41 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

iCello says:

Awesome article guys! I love this kind of thing. PC building is so… fun.
Are you maybe going to do something like this for non-gaming oriented PC’s eventually? Not that I really need it, but it would be fun to read, and useful for a lot of people out their.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

andreasjr says:

Would this also be suitable as an ultimate video editing/production rig?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:26 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Vlad Savov's reply:

Not really. You’d want a chipset capable of Intel Quick Sync for accelerated video transcoding, which this PC lacks. Also, I’d buy a more powerful processor than we have here and make do with a cheap graphics card.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:33 PM EST reply Recommend (6) Flag actions

andreasjr's reply:

Ah, thank you!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

azulum says:

that’ll make one excellent hackintosh.

now where did i put that $1000 i had lying around…

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:28 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

james dot heck says:

This article takes me back to a place I haven’t been to in a long time….MaximumPC to be precise.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:28 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

CtrlAltDel121 says:

Great Article. I wish i had $1,000 to spend on PC parts. Planning on using Xmas money to do a rebuild of my HTPC. I’m excited about Sandy Bridge’s on-board graphics. Not many reasons anymore to spend $$$ on a graphics card in a non-gaming PC..

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:34 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

metman says:

You missed a few things that are important about keyboards. Flashing lights and stuff are jsut annoying most of the time, but programmable macro keys can be nice, and a board that supports at least 4 simultaneous key presses is a necessity. Many do not. Good luck strafing on one of those.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:35 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

enlight10ment says:

My two cents, the most underrated component of a computer system is the computer case. Cpu, mobo, ram, gpus, all go obsolete and out dated after a couple years. I had three different builds in my previous P180 case. And now that I have a silverstone ft02, I have to imagine this case is going to last a long long time as well.

Its not just looks but cooling. Something like the ft02 will improve your overall cooling capacity 10 fold (made that number up but its pretty damn good) My cards are running cooler on air then my old card on water, and its pretty damn quite.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:36 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

ilia says:

Great to see an article like this on The Verge, and I was actually pleasantly surprised to see a properly good build. In fact, considering how close you fit it to the $1000 target I’m not sure I could do better, other than possibly just finding good deals, but those are fleeting anyway so you can’t make them a part of a guide like this.

Having said, I wouldn’t be a PC builder if I didn’t pitch in my 2 cents :)

I feel that currently, 2500k is really the only CPU to go with. While it’s tempting to add another Benjamin and get the 2600k, especially if you got a little extra doh floating around, fact is, those $100 are better off spent on a better graphics card. (Incidentally, while GTX 560 TI isn’t exactly a beast, I do think that the name "killer"for this build is appropriate because for the average consumer this is in fact a killer rig.)

I also think that unless one must have a BluRay player, there’s no need to buy an optical drive at all, just use your old one – I’m sure 99% of people using guides like this have an old dvd drive lying around, and that’s good ’nough for the occasional install.

Finally, while this will definitely put the build above the $1000 mark, I do think that it’s important to invest in a good power supply. If you plan to do any sort of crossfiring or SLI-ing, or just upgrade to a more powerful card down the line, then a 850W is a must, and I would also strongly recommend investing in at least an 80-silver or 80-gold certified PSU. It’ll probably add close to $100 to your build but that kind of PSU will last you longer and would probably pay off the difference multiple times in electric bills over its lifetime.

I’d love to see follow ups with overclocking and gaming performance.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:39 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

mintleaf says:

I wish you had put this up a few days ago! I literally just received my shipment of parts that I ordered. It’s good to see that I had selected almost the exact same parts, though I prefer your storage solution (mine’s just one big 1Tb HDD) and your case is nicer. So from ~~very~~ recent personal experience I can say that these parts are a solid choice.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:41 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

mintleaf's reply:

Also kind of dropped the ball with a 550ti but hey, I now know that the HDD and GPU are the first to upgrade when that time comes.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:44 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

j0e says:

I just bought all of my hardware for my Skyrim build. The components are fairly similar to the ones found in this article; however I wish I would have seen this before I purchased everything because I love that case, and it’s cheaper than the one I bought to boot!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:43 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

drumsmack says:

Well done nerdy nice artle informative enough to help a newbie enthusiast get off the ground: and your advice to scope black Friday or cyber Monday deals on Amazon and Newegg were spot on to get the best value: you suggesting to buy the mid priced previously class leading parts for the frugtastic value price are words of wisdom as well! It was a fun read as a pc builder since it allows a little mental excursion for those of us who have built a desk rig on the frugal :P the Verge gets better by the day!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:43 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

limppy says:

Nice article! I love the pick of parts for a balanced rig, good choices.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 3:51 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Leveltenproductions says:

I call it
“THE MAC KILLER”

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:02 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

CameronH says:

Can I put in a request for a similar article detailing the build of a DIY HTPC?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:03 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

TheFaithfulVergin's reply:

I agree that a HTPC article would be great, but if you need something in the mean time, Lifehacker has some great articles.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:10 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

trunksy says:

Did anyone else notice that they didn’t seat the memory all the way down into the slots in the videos and pictures? Obviously, they fixed that before they powered it on but if this is meant to be instructional for newbies, that would be bad form to only open one side of the latches and make that mistake.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:22 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

bootareen says:

Thanks! This is great. I’m a geek, but I’m more about the user experience than how to put things together and voltages and stuff. Gaming is also low on my priorities, but this may come in handy in the future.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:29 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

pcgamer says:

We choose AMD because Competition is good and MB prices are like 60$ cheaper.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:39 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Moth12 says:

You know what guys? I am gonna build an exact copy of this beast! I want to play Skyrim so badly and this seems like a great computer for a reasonable price, thank you The Verge!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 4:43 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jack Trollsmiter says:

The only thing I really disagree with here is calling it a “killer” rig. A system with a single GTX 560 is not a “killer” anything. If you had called the article “How to build the best gaming rig for under $1k” that would have been accurate and much more representative of what this system is – arguably the best performance you can get for a grand. But not a “killer system”.

I just built more of what I would call a “killer” rig with my gf, and it cost almost $5k including the monitor.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:06 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Shamus212's reply:

Ummm, did you read the title?

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:27 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

WilliamF's reply:

Compared to what most people run, a single GTX 560 is worlds apart. And by most people I don’t mean homebuilding enthusiasts willing to spend $5000 (and you know you’re not most people when it comes to PCs), but the folks towards whom this comprehensive from-the-basics article is targeted.

This $1000 system outperforms my Macbook Air by at least an order of magnitude if not more.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:50 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

vkvraju says:

While you are at it, can we also expect a similar article for a multimedia setup in THE VERGE style?

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:23 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Greasy_Taco_Aficionado says:

The fingerless gloves remind me of that guy that said “Hack the Planet” as he hacked the planet.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:36 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

fifa says:

Wow, I seldom see such thorough and professional articles. Stunning article… now to save up my money.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 5:47 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

rickr says:

Ya gonna call it yer "rig"? Jesus.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 6:19 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Plazmic Flame says:

This article just brings me back to reality to realize how broke I am… :(
How I have this PC to even post on the internet is a miracle within itself…

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 6:46 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Captain Megaton says:

I’d suggest spending more thought and money on the case, as of all the components of the main desktop it’s 1) the one you are going to staring at the most and 2) it’s the part that is going to stay with you the longest.

My Antec Solo has stayed with me though 4 motherboards now, and is the only original part of the computer left.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:04 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

oliversl says:

1080p is by far the most popular resolution on desktop monitors today,

nop, because 1024×768 rulz !!! :)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:14 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

lionelbee says:

Awesome guide and very similar to my build.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 7:56 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

rkw0211 says:

My last build was almost two years ago. It was (is) a budget version of a Hackintosh laid out by Lifehacker. For ~$500 I built a pretty speedy internet system tribooting OSX 10.6, Win 7, and Ubuntu. Typing on it right now! (And I have no problems witch Chrome or anything else in OSX, unlike real Macs apparently)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 8:03 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

rkw0211's reply:

with*

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 8:04 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

yumax_ph says:

Vlad, do you know how to rest? This is a great guide. I haven’t built a PC for some time now. It makes me wanna setup a gaming rig again.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 8:56 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

BoringCode says:

Great article! I wish I had this when I built my rig a while back.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 9:21 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Alexander_tron says:

those gloves are epic, definitely the best part of this guide.

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 10:18 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

arminm1 says:

Article couldn’t have come at a better time. Just got my GPU (6950 2gb unlockable) today and am building my first rig tomorrow. Already knew most of this but it’s great to see nonetheless!

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 | 10:42 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Luddy says:

I just built an identical computer about a month ago. The only thing I would recommend on top of this is buying a CPU cooler, the stock cooler would flag as heating up too quickly under load. I use the Coolermaster Hyper 212 to great advantage. And like anything related to gaming computers the case requires good airflow. For this reason alone I like using Antec cases, they tend to have great airflow. Tack on a couple of low-noise fans and you can overclock to your hearts desire. I can OC 30% over stock speeds on Air alone and it doesn’t make any more sound than the stock fan.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:06 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

michaeloblivion says:

SSDs are awesome, but my Steam folder is bigger than 64GB so the proposed drive setup may not be ideal for all gamers. Luckily you can get a Caviar Black 2TB for right around $200. It may not be SSD speeds, but the large cache is a boon and it’s hard to argue the dollar to GB ratio next to any SSD or even the Caviar Blue included in this setup.

The Corsair Pro HX offers almost identical specs with a modular design to help keep your case free of excess clutter. It also has four PCI-E connectors instead of two, which will allow for an easier upgrade to an SLI configuration in the future.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:59 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Sean Hollister's reply:

We install Steam to the 500GB Caviar Blue, not the SSD, and suggest you do the same. Caviar Black is a great drive, but a terrible deal right now, it’d be cheaper to wait. Unless you’re a hoarder, by the time you fill up 500GB, hard drives will probably be affordable then.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:16 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

TheMilkWars says:

I have no idea what’s going on in this article, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 2:46 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Emmanuel A. says:

I really don’t see the point of the 64GB SSD. It’s a nice gimmick but you don’t need it. So there you have $100 saved. Spend those on an Intel Core i7 2600K which costs $100 more than the i5, but it will give you a performance boost over the longer run.

One more thing: If you are ready to spend $70 more, and expand your GPU budget to $300 you can ditch the Geforce GTX 560 and buy TWO AMD Radeon HD 6870s. In CrossfireX, they beat any GTX 580 and Radeon HD 6970.

But overall, this guide is great!

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:09 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Emmanuel A.'s reply:

But maybe I’m completely in the wrong here with the SSD. Yeah. Get the SSD if you want programs to just pop up. But keep the CrossFire alternative by heart. It’s the best thing you can have for your money.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:17 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

WilliamF's reply:

I would never go back to using a PC without an SSD with at least enough room for the OS and whatever game I’m currently playing. An SSD upgrade is the single biggest and most noticeable performance upgrade I have ever done to my PC. I used to run a 64 GB system drive with two 10k RPM Western Digital Raptors in a RAID 0, and even a budget SSD blows that setup away.

Fast boot, fast load times, fast program launches, hell, even fast web browsing (from all the disk hits due to cache lookup). Speeding up your primary disk by an order of magnitude (HDD 9ms seek time, SSD 0.1ms seek time) is just huge.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:48 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

dipish says:

I’ve got some questions on the article, just for my information.

1) I’ve always used original Intel’s motherboards. What can you say about them? What are the pros and cons of using other manufacturers?
2) Don’t you think that Corsair products are overpriced? How about Hynix memory sticks?
3) Don’t you think that 500Gb is too few for a gaming pc? Especialy taking into account that it will store some multimedia too, anyway.
4) The look of the case promises lots of dust over it all the time

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:55 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

1) The original Intel mobos are generally average at best and usually overpriced. Intel does not have much experience when it comes to mobo manufacturing so they usually overclock poorly. It’s an afterthought for them when it comes to sales volume really. Often they makes a small run which is mostly sent out for early reviews of the new chipset and then they always have leftovers stored up for retail. Asus and Gigabyte are much better when it comes to motherboards.

2) For most things yes, but RAM prices usually seem alright. Especially the XMS line which is budget Corsair but still quality.

3) It is low, but the problem is HDD prices these days due to the Thailand flooding. A year ago you would get a 1TB by default for less than half the price of the same 500GB model today. It all depends on your usage. If you like to have your entire Steam collection on the drive and you are a sucker for their sales discounts and end up buying more games than you could possibly do during your life span cough, cough then surely it will not be enough even for games alone. As for multimedia, a friend of mine has a separate server running 8×2TB drives and they are all full. Then again he is a dirty little pirate who gets every single anime, movie and TV show in at least 720p or higher.

4 That is true for most cases, even those with dust filters and solid side panels. Only way to avoid dust: clean your room regularly so that it doesn’t build up and get sucked up by the case fans.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

johnathanhartel says:

Dear The Verge,

I am so happy you guys made this site, and this posting is proof positive of why you guys outrank Gizmodo and Engadget in terms of variety and finesse in your posts. Thank you for living up to everything you promised.

I love the components chosen, though I would have spent the bit extra on the Radeon HD (I am currently using a 5900 series card and love it). I want to build another PC soon (mine needs a new motherboard and SSD and case) so seeing what you guys think is the best affordable gear seems rad to me.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 4:19 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

SpeczFounder says:

Great article,I would love to see more “How-To” tutorials like this,especially dealing with computer hardware.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 4:54 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Aesar Leao says:

Totally unbalanced build. Who builds a gaming pc around processor in out time? It’s stone age. U’ll have to stick 3 560s (and u know that u can’t coz theres just no 560 tis that support tri or quad) to chuck up 2500k over clocked…and you must be a stupid alien from a galaxy far far away to for K and not over clock it to at least (at the very least) to 4.5 and this thing is holding up on 5 on air easily

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 5:30 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

You are an example of everything that is wrong with people posting on the internet. I doubt you even read the article.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:32 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Aesar Leao says:

A gaming pc MUST be built around GPU

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 5:32 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Biff Tannen says:

This is great, now when someone says to me about building them a PC, I’m just going to tell them to do it themselves and send them a link to this page.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 5:44 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

AndyNico says:

About £826.50 in the UK if anyone is interested – all from Amazon :)

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 6:03 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Phil Lee's reply:

I was just wondering that myself.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 7:54 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

adwilk's reply:

I’ve found all the components for £727.05

From Pixmania.com (Delivery £9.20)

WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX – £65.99
Intel Core i5 2500K – £159.90
ASUS P8P67 PRO (rev. 3.1) – £111
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 560 Ti OC – £155
Corsair 2 × 4 GB DDR3-1600 – £31

From Dabs.com (Free delivery)

Samsung 64GB 830 – £89.98
Corsair TX650W – £59.98

From Micom.co.uk (Free delivery)

Fractal Design Core 3000 – £45

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 10:17 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Urobulos's reply:

Wouldn’t buy from pixmania tbh. For components in UK I’d only go with Scan, Aria, ebuyer.

And maybe Yoyotech if you are based in London and want to go to a physical store to check something out. Which is very important for things like the case and peripherals.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 12:31 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

dcelaya2000's reply:

HEY! A list of PC parts! Havent seen that in years. Is new egg still doing ok?

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 4:47 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

szimm says:

I have to say, I quite like this guide. As a system builder of many a PC, both for gaming, work and casual use, I was very pleased to see many of the same tricks, that I have learned over the years, described here. I also appreciate the down-to-earth attitude regarding the whole thing. I think your idea of balancing the system overall as priority one is great – any fool can build an expensive monster PC by simply buying the most extreme parts available, but only a smart system builder knows how to exactly balance a system out, and avoid bottlenecks and overkill anywhere in the PC. This is the part that requires skill, research and experience.
Your choice of brands is exceptional, everything except for the graphics card – I know you spoke well of the 6950 in the article, but in the end you still chose the nVidia card for the job. At least in my part of the world, Europe, AMD cards are far better priced relative to their performance than nVidias are. With the new AMD driver overhaul coming up next month, there will be even less reason to choose nVidias good, but overpriced cards. (Go ahead and bite, fanboys and girls.)
Also, your slight paranoia about static electricity is waaay out of proportion. Honestly, I stopped caring about that many builds ago, and it’s never made any difference whatsoever. If you are Mr. Play-it-safe, then sure, buy a grounding strap, but for everyone else – don’t bother.
All in all, very good article – I will recommend it to anyone I know, if they are getting into DIY PC’s in the near future.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:11 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

edless says:

650 w psu is very limit if you consider overclocking

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:23 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jeffreygeee's reply:

Overclocking or expanding to a second GPU. 750+ ftw

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Rossicoe says:

I love articles like this. Might actually try it.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:35 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

thereddestdog says:

All these comments and no mention of The Falcon’s guide?

http://tinyurl.com/falconguide

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:09 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

mnu says:

I have the same Case for my hackintosh, love it :)

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:14 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

bittoman says:

I hope this doesn’t start a trend of users putting their computer specs in their signature. Thats just so sad.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 11:20 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

willwillywilson's reply:

Agreed

Will
=[ Single core Sempron something, unlockable to duel core – but not / A motherboard – yellow / 2GB DDR3 / Onboard everything / HDMI output – not used / Torrented Windoes 7 Home Premium / Case / Corsair power supply (why do I remember that??) / Approx cost: $150 tops last December (already had the case and power supply) ]=

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:41 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

Dorin says:

Waiting for the under $1,000/$1,500 gaming laptop!!!

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 1:08 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jeffreygeee's reply:

“Gaming” and “laptop” are mutually exclusive words.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:23 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions

Dorin's reply:

I’m sure there are many laptops that can run most games without any problems…
Seriously, can anyone recommend a reasonably priced laptop for gaming?

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 7:13 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

WilliamF's reply:

Acer TimelineX 3830TG. Make sure you get the one with the G on the end as it denotes discrete graphics. It’s a pretty blue aluminum laptop, Core i5 2.3 Ghz and a GeForce GT 540M. You’ll have to run Skyrim and Battlefield 3 on low, but you’ll get decent framerates (>30).

http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-540M.41715.0.html

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:44 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Azzoth's reply:

The reference of gaming laptop is : Alienware. Check these and compare with other brand to see the best possible.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 1:41 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Steken says:

I just want to take this time to scream my absolute love for The Verge.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a classy, beautiful article for custom PC beginners anywhere! Vlad, you’re totally awesome.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 2:40 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Jeffreygeee says:

Ditch the BluRay player. A $20 CD-RW will do unless you want to hook this up to a 42 + inch TV which doesn’t make sense as a main monitor and a BluRay player is probably easier to set up than connecting your computer to a real monitor and a TV.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:20 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

rickydlam says:

Putting together a gaming rig with a OC friendly 2500k and not including an aftermarket cooler is a waste of potential and therefore a waste of money.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:29 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

SoyMarketing says:

Awesome info Verge, you really should put together a little infographic with this info

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

JimmyFal says:

I built my own for the first time in like 20 years back in the spring, because I could not find OEM’s that had USB 3.0 or Core I7 chips. I built pretty much the same box as you guys but I opted for the I7 2600k and I used two GTX 550 ti’s in an SLI configuration, also used a 120SSD, and 750W power supply. Mine is now about $1174.00.

I ran into a problem in the beginning with the Vertex 3 not having the right firmware and crashing the computer for 30 seconds at a time. Other than that this machine kicks balls.

I have to try to remember not to have this type of coversation in the bars, because eyes glaze over and it will clear the room pretty quick.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 3:55 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

jmanes says:

A guide to building a gaming PC. This is cool stuff. I already know how to do this, but it is awesome that you guys are showing the public. I love this website.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 5:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

JCDus says:

VERY, VERY USEFUL INDEED! Thank you guys for this article.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 6:20 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

brianjmarshall says:

All ESD safe bags are made of mylar and are only ESD on the inside of the bag. Setting the ICs on top of the bag greatly increases (and almost ensures) static discharge will occur. An ESD field kit is only about $25 and is VERY worth it, as ESD damage is microscopic, so intermittent issues will arise without your knowledge, and is extremely difficult to diagnose.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:48 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Christopher Malone says:

If only I had 1000 dollars lying around.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 8:59 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Christopher Malone says:

Someone had to do it.

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:00 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Nael M.'s reply:

No, we didn’t have to start another needless console-vs-PC flamewar.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:45 AM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

kkainth says:

Wicked article! Keep up the great work!

Posted on Dec 20, 2011 | 9:36 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

franz899 says:

I think that a tower is useess nowadays, i have a small form factor pc, and if your scope is gaming you don’t need anything other a video card, and 2 hard drive. I have a silverstone sugo sg01-e, but now there are model that can contain much bigger videocard, and all in a smaller space. Even the big 5,25" dvd drive is so old, and if you are serous about gaming you use steam or any other DD service, and you just need to buy a slim dvd drive like the one that are installed on laptops.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 5:02 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

seoquake's reply:

from my experience, those slim dvd drives are a lot louder than the regular dvd drives

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 | 12:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Ionious says:

wow look at those prices…nothing like the ones found here in Europe…

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 7:33 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

WilliamF says:

That is a beautiful rig and build. Thanks for the vicarious thrill of opening each component and slotting them in place. Haven’t done it in years, and it really took me back.

Also y’all really have it easy now with these nice cases for only $65 (!) and everything color-coordinated and labeled and with one-way plugs.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:40 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

Bruceleer0y says:

Thank you for this article, I am in need of a new PC. My 3 yr old HP is cracking up on me.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:46 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

laoh says:

I loved this article. I won’t be getting a gaming rig for myself but I did enjoy the read, plus it’s educational, esp after reading the comments too. Too bad it will be out of date in a few months :(

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 12:54 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

mjenabi2 says:

might be irrelevant to this topic but this is an area where windows beats mac hands down. You can build a pc that is just for your needs without paying a massive premium. I built a pc over 3 years ago, and it’s still going strong and only thing i changed was the gfx card as it was burnt with overuse for gaming etc..

good ol’ Q6600. i will build my next rig when the next gen intel cpus are released :D

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 3:29 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

thereddestdog's reply:

Either upgrade now or wait for Haswell. Ivy Bridge isn’t that much of a performance bump. Haswell is going to be the real next-gen.

Posted on Dec 21, 2011 | 3:33 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

mikefish96 says:

Does anyone have any recommendations for a better case. It should be able to fit all of the components listed above and I want it to be very cool looking with LEDs and such. I don’t want to spend more than $90. Please help. Thanks!

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 | 7:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

mikefish96 says:

Also I would be able to install Mac OSX on this right?

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 | 7:27 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

sunfly says:

If you’ve got a perfectly good monitor, keyboard, mouse and / or Windows install disc sitting around, there’s no need to spend money on new ones.

If you are building a totally fresh brand new PC, how do you legally use that windows disc laying around? I think not including the OS in the build was very disingenuous.

Posted on Dec 23, 2011 | 7:13 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions

jalexoid's reply:

In addition, Windows Ultimate retail(or OEM if you are lucky to get one) will cost a pretty penny… $190 for OEM, $290 for retail. Or just $190 for upgrade.

Posted on Dec 25, 2011 | 9:44 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

seoquake says:

64gb seems a bit too little

Posted on Dec 30, 2011 | 6:46 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

TheRevTastic's reply:

That’s the SSD, it’s only meant to run windows and programs, the 500GB HDD is meant for your files/game files.

Posted on Jan 05, 2012 | 12:00 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions

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