Need the best gaming PC build for 2023? This guide gives you five of the best computer builds and prebuilt PC options at a variety of price points to help you build a high-end PC.
With modern PC games advancing at such a rapid rate, there is no surprise that there are multiple titles that have been released that most standard cookie-cutter computers can barely handle (cough, Starfield, cough). And, as PC gamers we like to have and experience the best… We like to play our games on the highest settings possible, at the highest resolution possible, with the highest framerate possible, and, of course, with as many RGB lights as possible.
Fortunately, in this day and age, even a budget gaming PC will allow you to run most games on higher settings on an affordable 1080p monitor. (Although, in this guide, we’ll be talking about high-end computers, rather than budget-friendly systems.)
In some cases it may make sense for you to opt for a prebuilt gaming computer, a custom gaming PC, or a gaming laptop instead of building your own system. However, with the GPU shortage now over, it is once again cheaper to build your own system. If you’re not up for building your own PC, though, we have a number of buyer’s guides on prebuilt systems and laptops to help your find something that will suit your needs.
In this guide, we’ve given you part lists for the most powerful gaming PC builds at five different price ranges. We’ve also linked to prebuilt gaming computers with similar specs as well so that if you don’t want to build your own system, you can go the prebuilt route as well.
Table of Contents
I. Quick-Look: PC Builds Comparison
• Partlist
• Benchmarks
• Partlist
• Benchmarks
• Partlist
• Benchmarks
• Partlist
• Benchmarks
• Partlist
• Benchmarks
II. FAQ: Should You Build A PC?
IV. Ask A Question
Important: For help choosing parts or for any questions you might have, check the FAQ section below, use the Get Help form, or ask a question in the comment section.
Quick-Look: Compare High-End PC Builds
For those of you who just want to get right into ordering the parts for your system, I’ve put together five different pre-made part lists ($1,000, $1,250, $1,500, $1,750, & $2,000) so that you can bypass the component selection process and get right into building your new powerful gaming PC for 2023.
We’ve chosen the part lists for these budgets based on personal experience, brand reputation, benchmarks, part availability, and pricing at the time of the last update. We update this guide with the top components at the best prices on a regular basis. So, if you’re looking at these builds you can bet they’ll give you maximum performance for the budget you’ve set. And, if you’re looking for a similarly priced pre-built gaming computer, just click on the “PRE-BUILT »” link to check out an alternative option.
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*These components are updated about once per week. If the lists contain components that are out-of-stock or if the price is higher than listed, either search for similar replacement components or use the comment form below to ask for advice on alternative options.
1. Ryzen 7 7800X3D + RX 7900 XTX Build
So you’ve decided to go all out… You’re not spending a dime under $2,000 on computer parts for your new ridiculously awesome computer build. Alright… that’s cool… some people just have to have the best!
Fortunately, with a $2,000+ budget you can really max out your build. You can get an extreme video card, a high-end processor, a ton of RAM, a nice-looking feature-packed case, and plenty of SSD storage.
This is an extreme gaming computer that can handle higher-resolution gaming with ease. If you’re going to drop this much on a computer, be sure to pair it with some high-end peripherals as well, like a FreeSync monitor, a comfortable gaming chair, and a high-quality gaming headset.
This build features an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an RX 7900 XTX graphics card, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. The combination of the RX 7900 XTX and the 7800X3D CPU will be more than powerful enough to have you maxing out games on a 4K monitor or a 1440P 240Hz monitor.
This system also comes with an overclocking & RGB-friendly B650 chipset motherboard from ASRock, a 1TB Samsung 990 Pro NVME PCIe 4.0 SSD and an 850W Gold fully modular power supply from XPG (ADATA). And, while there are a wide option of computer cases that would be able to accommodate this part list, we’ve included the DeepCool CH560 for its roomy interior and excellent airflow. (You can check out our guide on the best full PC cases for more options.)
Overall, this is one of the best systems you can build for ~$2,000.
*If you’re also interested in getting a laptop, you might want to check out our guide on the Best RTX 4080 Laptops to see what kind of laptop options you have.
Part List for $2,000 PC Build
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | |
| AIO | ARCTIC Freezer II 280 | |
| MOBO | ASRock B650 PRO | |
| GPU | Sapphire RX 7900 XTX | |
| RAM | G.SKILL Flare X5 32GB | |
| SSD | Samsung 990 PRO 1TB | |
| CASE | DeepCool CH560 | |
| PSU | XPG 850W |
Grand Total: $1,970-$2,030
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click ‘Price on Amazon’ to see the most-up-to-date price.
**The ‘Grand Total’ price includes the parts that make up the computer only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows costs ~$125 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your screen asking you to activate it.
Ryzen 7 7800X3D+ RX 7900 XTX Benchmark
2. Ryzen 5 7600X + RX 7900 XTX Build
For a price of $1,750, the sky is the limit in terms of performance. Seriously, with an RX 7900 XTX GPU this build is ready to push games on a 4K monitor…
$1,750 will also give you plenty of other options as well. For instance, if you’re planning on doing some system tuning, this kind of budget will allow you to hit some decent overclocks. And, it’s definitely a tethered VR-ready PC build (Valve Index or HTC Vive).
Along with the RX 7800 XT graphics card, this build features an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, a solid air cooler from Thermalright, and an ADATA XPG 850W Gold power supply. You will also get a 1TB NVME SSD and 32GB of 6000MHz DDR5 RAM.
While 32GB of memory won’t be used in the majority of older games, newer games are starting to utilize over 16GB of RAM and so the extra memory will ensure that you have enough to meet their demands. And, if you’re into RGB lighting, the Deepcool in this build’s case come with four preinstalled RGB fans.
This system is powerful enough to easily handle any game on max settings on a 1080P or 1440P monitor and it will nearly max out anything on a 4K monitor as well. For 1080P and 1440P gaming, though, be sure to pair it with a higher refresh rate display to fully maximize its performance (like a 1080P 360Hz display or a 1440P 240Hz display.)
And, if you don’t want to build this computer, the prebuilt system we’ve linked to below will serve as a decent alternative. This build comes with the following parts:
Part List for $1,750 PC Build
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600X | |
| COOL | Thermalright PA 120 SE | |
| MOBO | ASRock B650 PRO | |
| GPU | Sapphire RX 7900 XTX | |
| RAM | G.SKILL Flare X5 32GB | |
| SSD | Samsung 990 PRO 1TB | |
| CASE | DeepCool CH560 | |
| PSU | XPG 850W |
Grand Total: $1,720-$1,780
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click ‘Price on Amazon’ to see the most-up-to-date price.
**The ‘Grand Total’ price includes the parts that make up the computer only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows costs ~$125 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your screen asking you to activate it.
Ryzen 5 7600X + RX 7900 XTX Benchmark
3. Ryzen 5 7600X + RX 7900 XT Build
For $1,500 you’re getting a very similar computer to our $1,250 build. The only difference? You get a better graphics card.
Whereas the $1,250 build comes with an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, this system comes with a more powerful RX 7900 XT. While both graphics cards are solid options for high resolution gaming, the 7900 XT is about 10-15% faster in most games. If you can fit it into your budget and you’re gaming at 1440P or 4K, it is definitely worth it.
This system also features an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X processor, 32GB of DDR5 6000MHz memory, a standard ATX B650 chipset motherboard with plenty of RGB lighting features, a Samsung Pro 990 1TB NVME SSD, and an 850W 80 PLUS Gold power supply.
Ultimately, this build is capable of maxing out anything on a 2560×1440 monitor, handling pretty much anything on a 4K monitor, will work well with a 1440P 240Hz+ monitor, and will allow you to get into VR with the Valve Index or HTC Vive. And, it has plenty of storage for your needs and it has enough space to allow you to upgrade in the future as well.
The following is a list of parts that will help you build the best computer for gaming under $1,500:
Part List for $1,500 PC Build
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600X | |
| COOL | Thermalright PA 120 SE | |
| MOBO | ASRock B650 PRO | |
| GPU | XFX RX 7900 XT | |
| RAM | G.SKILL Flare X5 32GB | |
| SSD | Samsung Pro 990 1TB | |
| CASE | Phanteks Eclipse P400A | |
| PSU | XPG 850W |
Grand Total: $1,470-$1,530
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click ‘Price on Amazon’ to see the most-up-to-date price.
**The ‘Grand Total’ price includes the parts that make up the computer only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows costs ~$125 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your screen asking you to activate it.
RX 7900 XT Benchmark
4. Ryzen 5 7600X + RX 7800 XT Build
With a budget of $1,250 or more, you can expect to get a high-quality PC build. At this price range, you will be able to put together a machine that will be able to fully utilize a high refres rate monitor, whether that’s a 1080P 360Hz display or a 1440P 240Hz monitor. It will perform well at 4K resolution as well.
However, playing on the highest settings is just one of the many benefits you will receive when you drop $1,250 on parts for a gaming computer. You can also expect your computer to stay relevant for a long time and you can be sure that you have high-quality parts all throughout your build.
That means along with a great processor and excellent video card, you will also get a high-end motherboard and a well-built power supply.
For specs, this build features an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X processor, an RX 7800 XT graphics card, a B650 chipset motherboard from ASRock, 32GB of DDR5 memory, a 1TB Gen 4 NVME SSD, and an 80PLUS Gold-rated 750W power supply from ADATA.
The power supply is also fully modular, which will make the build process easier to handle.
Part List for $1,250 PC Build
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600X | |
| COOL | Thermalright PA 120 SE | |
| MOBO | ASRock B650 PRO | |
| GPU | GIGABYTE RX 7800 XT | |
| RAM | G.SKILL Flare X5 32GB | |
| SSD | ADATA 1TB | |
| CASE | Phanteks Eclipse P400A | |
| PSU | XPG 750W |
Grand Total: $1,220-$1,280
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click ‘Price on Amazon’ to see the most-up-to-date price.
**The ‘Grand Total’ price includes the parts that make up the computer only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows costs ~$125 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your screen asking you to activate it.
RX 7800 XT vs RTX 4070 Benchmark
5. Ryzen 5 5600X + RX 7800 XT Build
With a budget of $1,000 you can expect to put together a system that can max out any game on 2560×1440 resolution and is ready for tethered VR gaming. And, you can even expect a $1,000 gaming PC to handle playing most games on a 4K with no problems. (With exception to some more demanding titles.)
The $1,000 mark is the sweet spot for putting together your own computer, as $1,000 in parts is enough to provide optimal in-game performance while still maintaining a reasonable budget. This system comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, a GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7800 XT graphics card, 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVME SSD from ADATA.
Overall, this is the perfect gaming PC for anyone who is looking to max out titles on a 1080P 144Hz monitor, or even a higher 1440P resolution monitor, too. Again, this system should be able to handle non-demanding titles at 4K resolution as well.
However, for more demanding games, at 4K resolution, you’ll have to turn down some settings in order to maintain a higher framerate. Just make sure you pair this build with a monitor that utilizes AMD’s FreeSync technology (to match the AMD GPU in this build) to provide the smoothest in-game experience possible.
Also Read: Which Resolution Is Best for Gaming?
Part List for $1,000 PC Build
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | |
| MOBO | ASRock B550 | |
| GPU | GIGABYTE RX 7800 XT | |
| RAM | TEAMGROUP 16GB | |
| SSD | ADATA 1TB | |
| CASE | Phanteks P400A | |
| PSU | XPG 750W |
Grand Total: $970-$1,030
**The ‘Grand Total’ price includes the parts that make up the computer only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows costs ~$125 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your screen asking you to activate it.
RX 7800 XT Benchmark
FAQ: Buying/Building the Best Gaming PC
If you’re on the fence of whether or not you should build your own gaming computer, buy a prebuilt computer, get a gaming laptop, or go with a console (like a PS5 or XBox Series X), we’ve put together a list of answers to some questions you likely have.
FAQ
1. How do I build a PC?
You will need to assemble all of the individual components you have purchased into a working PC. Fortunately, this process is not difficult! And, it’s a lot of fun. If you’ve never built a PC before, use our Step-by-Step PC building guide to walk you through the process.
How to Build A Gaming PC: Step-by-Step
2. Which PC is best for gaming?
There really is no answer to the question of what the best computer for gaming is. The best computer for gaming will vary from individual to individual. For instance, if all you want to do is run non-demanding titles like Rocket League, Apex Legends, Minecraft, and/or Fortnite, you don’t need an extreme $4,000 computer with a multi-GPU setup and an insane liquid cooling configuration.
You could easily get by with spending aound $1,000 on parts.
However, if you want to game on a new 4K monitor, you’re going to need a much better system because of how much more demanding 4K gaming is.
Or, if you want a capable gaming computer that will also serve as a workstation system for your profession, you’ll want to alter the type of system you build or buy to accommodate your needs.
So, the bottom line is that, there is no such thing as the single “best” gaming computer. The reality is that everyone has different needs and a different budget. So, the best gaming PC will be one that gives you the performance you need at a price you can afford.
Also Read: What to Look for in A Gaming PC
3. Can you build a gaming PC in 2023?
With the GPU shortage and supply chain issues mostly over, it is once again far more affordable to build your own PC than it is to buy a prebuilt system. Prebuilt systems and custom-built systems are still a worthy option if you want to forego the building process.
However, if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, your best bet is to assemble your own computer.
The good news is that it isn’t difficult to build your own gaming PC. All you need to build a computer is all of the parts necessary (which we’ve provided you with the part lists above), a screw driver, some patience, and a good step-by-step building guide. (Check out ours here.)
Also Read:Â What Parts Are Needed to Build A Gaming PC?
4. Is $2,000 good for a gaming PC?
Yes, a $2,000 budget to put towards a gaming computer will allow you to acquire a high-end gaming desktop. If you’re talking about a prebuilt system, that should be enough to get you an RX 7900 XTX gaming PC, or something similar. And, that will provide you with enough power to max out just about any game you want to play.
It should be noted, though, that even a $2,000 budget will not be able to max out all games on a 4K display, as newer titles like Starfield are incredibly demanding. But, with a $2,000 budget your limitations on what you can do will be very small.
Depending on your needs, you could also spend less and still come away with a PC build that will exceed all of your expectations. Check out our guide on how much it costs to build a gaming PC to get an idea of what kind of performance you should expect for your budget.
5. Is building a gaming PC hard?
If you’ve never built a computer before, the good news is that there are a ton of written and video guides out there that do a great job of walking you through the assembly process. We’ve provided a solid step-by-step building guide (listed above), but you might also want to check out our guide on the most common PC building mistakes and our guide on how long it takes to build a PC to help give you a better idea of the process.
6. Is Intel or AMD better for gaming?
Both processor manufacturers are worthy of considering. In fact, it’s probably not a good idea to commit to one brand over the other and, instead, pick the option that will best fit your budget at the time you go to purchase your components or system.
The reality is that, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the two processor manufacturer options are going to provide similar in-game performance. What this means is that, for example, if you have ~$200 to spend on a processor, the options available from Intel and AMD at that price range are going to provide near identical in-game performance. So, it’s much better to not commit to either brand, and see which option costs less at the time of purchase.
There are instances where you may prefer one brand over the other, however…
AMD’s Ryzen CPUs have generally provided a decent performance boost over similarly-priced Intel processors in multi-threaded applications and Intels CPUs have typically provided better single core performance which have helped them perform better in games.
However, the last couple of CPU generations have flipped the tables. AMD’s new 3D V-Cache CPUs are able to outperfom Intel’s top CPUs in in-game performance, but lag behind in productivity tasks. Both options are still viable and at any given pricepoint you’ll get similar performance from the competing options.
But, if your main aim is pure gaming performance, it is best to just choose the option that comes with a lower pricetag. As of right now, we like AMD’s CPUs in the majority of budget ranges.
7. Should I get a gaming laptop or a desktop?
A desktop will always offer more performance for the price than a laptop. However, that’s not to say that laptops aren’t capable gaming machines. If you have a larger budget, you can get yourself a really powerful gaming laptop.
The new RTX 4090 laptops, RTX 4080 laptops, and RTX 4070 laptops are all capable of maxing out any game you throw at them. On the flip side, though, for the same amount of money, you can build or buy a PC that offers more performance and better cooling.
So, whether or not you should get a laptop or a desktop will come down to how much you value the mobility of a laptop. If you need a mobile system that you can take with you on the go, sacrificing a little bit of performance for the mobility that a laptop provides is probably your best option.
If you need as much performance as possible and you don’t mind opting for a stationary system, then a traditional PC offers the most performance regardless of your budget. And, you can squeeze out even more performance from your budget if you opt to build your own system.
8. Which is better? A gaming PC, PS5, or XBox One X?
I’ve touched on this a bit above, but, in terms of hardware and performance potential, a gaming computer will always beat out a PS5 or XBox One X, or any other console. However, that doesn’t mean that a computer would be the best option for you.
For starters, certain titles are only available on consoles. For example, MLB The Show and the Spider Man series are console exclusives. (And, up until recently, the God of War Series). If those are the titles you want to primarily play, you probably shouldn’t spend a ton of money to build an extreme gaming computer.
Of course, the PC platform has its own exclusive titles as well (League of Legends, Dota 2, World of Warcraft, etc.) And, of the games that you can run on both the PC and console (Apex Legends, PUBG, Rocket League, Fortnite, etc.), most of them will run better on a PC than they will on a console.
As I mentioned earlier, though, if you love playing games with your friends and they all game on a console, it might not be worth it for you to start playing games on a computer. Regardless of the advantages that computers offer over a consoles, its always more fun to game with your friends than it is to game alone.
So, again, the reality is that, while PC gaming does offer some advantages over console gaming (like more RGB lighting!), there isn’t a right answer to which platform is better for you.
Get Help With Your Build: If you need help putting together a part list for your build? Fill out the form below or ask your questions in the comment section!
Gaming PC Help
Fill out the form below to get help in choosing the right PC for your needs and budget.
Hi guys,
For the $1250 build; can this be done without liquid cooling? I have my system in a very low noise tolerance location, where any additional sound will be an issue. Also since the cooler comes from international it’s delayed by 4-6 weeks…
So I decided to build a computer and this is what I went with:
i9-12900K 30MB CPU
ASUS RoG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi motherboard
NVIDIA GeForce 3080 Ti Founder’s Edition GPU
EVGA Supernova 1000+ G power supply
Corsair iCue 360mm H150i Elite Capellix Liquid Cooled CPU cooler
Corsair 16×2 38 MB DDR5 5600mH RGB DRAM
Seagate FireCuda 2TB heatsinked PCli NVM4 SSD
8 TB Seagate SATA drive
Razer Tomahawk MidTower RGB gaming Case
Razer Basilisk Elite Chroma wireless gaming mouse
Razer Widow 3 Chroma gaming keyboard
Razer Kraken Tournament headphones, Kitty version
I think that should last me for a bit, right?
hi. what you think about this pc?
Cpu: i7 12700K
Mothetboard: asus prime Z690-P wifi D4 ATX
cooler: deepcool gammaxx l360 V2
ram: corsair 16GB (8×2GB) DDR4- 3200 MHz
SSD: Samsung 970 evo plus NVME m.2 1TB
GPU: asus GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Dual OC
Case: Deepcool CL500 4F
Power: Deepcool DQ-M-V2L 750W 80+Gold
Hi Brent,
I’m trying to build the PC listed under the 4th in the list. I received all the components and can’t seem to find a video that deals with the same exact products, so things are a little confusing with the different components other than the ones listed for #4 that I bought. I was wondering if there was any guide or video you would recommend for the #4 product; MasterCase H500? Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you!
Can you help me to choose parts for my pc
For the 2000 can I put in Evga FTW3 3080 with three fans or is it too big?
Unfortunately I notice that every graphics card is not in stock for the same reason that Xbox Series X and PS5s are near impossible to get.
Is this list still current because i like the specs and price
I want a rig that has max specs as far as GPU/CPU/RAM. See what you can surprise me with
AMD Ryzen 5950x
RTX 3090
32 GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO RAM
1 TB samsung 980 pro m.2 nvme drive
2 TB samsung 870 EVO SATA SSD
1000w CORSAIR rmx1000
CORSAIR h170i elite capellix or h150i elite capellix
CORSAIR 7000x (case) or corsair 5000x
A bunch of fans (basically as much as your case can hold (my case can hold 10 fans total I went with corsair ML 120 rgb series)
This is the pc I have and it gets 72 fps on crysis remastered at ultra settings 1440p
Asus rog strix x570-e
I9 12900k.
Asus rog Z690 (Extreme/Hero/Glacial)/Msi Z690 (Ace/Godlike)
5×Seggate Firecuda 530 4TB / Sabrent Rocket 8TB/Samsung 980 pro 2TB
Asus rog strix rtx 3090 oc/Colourful igame rtx 3090 limited Kudan edition/Evga Rtx 3090 kingpin
(4×16) G.skill ddr5 trident Z RGB 6000mhz/Corsair Dominator platinium 5200mhz/G.skill Delta RGB 6400 mhz
CORSAIR 7000D Airflow/Fractal Design Torrent/Lianli Dynamic Evo
Asus Rog Ryujin II cpu cooler/Noctua nh-d15
chromax.Black
CORSAIR AX1600i/Evga 1600w (T2/P2)/Asus ROG Thor1200w/platinium II
Case Fan : Fractal design Aspect (180mm/140mm/120mm)/Corsarir QL 120/140
my budget is $4000 what would you advise?
I don’t know if I am missing something. It says 1,750 ,but to build it yourslef the totoal cost in barely under a thousand. Am I missing something.
lol i also realized that
If you’re looking at that Amazon price list…yeah, that list is without the graphics card, it’s barely under 1k. Then add that GPU (graphics card) with everything else then you’re even over the $1,750 mark.
GPUs are stupid expensive right now with the chip shortage.
it’s really not a comment it’s more of a question. so I’ve been thinking of switching to pc but I want to build one. so the question is what are the best CPU, Motherboard, GPU, Memory, Storage (SSD and/or HDD), Case, Power Supply, Operating System. and that is affordable at most 1000. thanks for the help or the time you took to reply.
what is the best gaming pc I can build for cheap?
So I’ve been trying to figure out the ideal build for me. The PC game that I’ve most consistently played on and off over the years is SWTOR, but I also want to have the option to play other games too, mostly FPS or what my friends play (COD, Valorant, Dead by Daylight, Tekken, WoW, etc.).
Now even though I can AFFORD to buy/build a PC that’s upwards of 5k, I’m afraid that
a) it’ll be overkill for the games I’ll actually be playing (even though I want to play on high to maxed out settings)
b) it’s overkill since I plan to only use it for gaming and nothing else
and
c) knowing me, I’ll play hardcore for maybe a year or two and then slowly stop just like with my consoles that just collect dust
with all that being said this is the build i’m thinking of (using a PC builder like cyberpower PC or something like them)
CPU: i5 10600K
GPU: Geforce RTX 3060 Ti
RAM: G.SKILL Trident Z 32GB (16GBx2) DDR4 3200MHz
Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX Z590-E GAMING
SSD: 1TB WD Blue Series
HHD 2TB Seagate BarraCuda
Power Supply: 750 Watts Corsair RM Series RM 750 80 Gold Plus
Also, not sure if it’s overkill but I was going to go with 360mm liquid cooling system and 3 bequiet! fans.
Thank you in advance for any advice or help!
-Joe
what about your case I suggest you go for a good case like something from Phanteks or corsair because your overkill build may tend to heat up a lot if you are a streamer or a heavy pc user.
looking to build a vr pc that will be able to handle anything you can throw at it for the next 5 years or so…hopefully…
do these parts (whenever available) work together and have i chosen good parts or do i need to change some?
do i have all the parts needed or am i missing anything?
thanks for any help you can give me.
I thought i posted yesterday but i don’t see it in the feed….sorry if it is a duplicate of sorts…
cpu: amd ryzen 9 5900x or intel core i9 10900k
graphics card> nvidia geforce rtx30900
memory: skill 32 gb trident s ddr 4-3200 rgb (4x8gb) or corsair dominator platinum rgb 32 gb ddr4-3200 mhz
motherboard: asus rog maximus xii extreme
storage: sabrent rocket q 8tb
power supply: evga super nova 1000g5
case: corsair obsidian 1000d
cooling: nzxt kraken x73 w/o lights or with rgb plus 13 fans in case/tower
router: asus rt-ax88u 5ghz
keyboard: corsair k100 rgb optical
mouse: ryzer deathadder v2
monitor: lg 27gn950-b or asus rog swift pg 279q
mousepad: corsair rgb polaris
I’ll be happy to pay you or support your channel as I understand this is more than just a question….
Crystal
Lemme help you out there. So first, the AMD Ryzen 5900x isn’t compatible with the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme. But the i-9 10900K is, luckily.
Another problem is the storage. Well not really a problem, but it’s just going to lift your final cost way higher than it needs to go. I’d recommend 1 or 2 TBs for your storage, at max 4ish. I’d say maybe two Samsung 970 Evo 1TB.
The Corsair Obsidian 1000D really is beautiful. It holds 13ish fans I think, and the airflow is GORGEOUS, also, the RGB is a nice addition. It is expensive and you might want to change it, but that’s up to you. I’d keep it, but just my opinion.
I’m just going to assume that you’re going to work with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB Founders Edition Video Card. It’s compatible, and the case even makes the huge 3090 look small.
The G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32GB (4 x 8GB) was a good choice. With the pieces you chose, I’d say you’re the “Go Big or Go Home” type of person.
PSU is nice. It’ll be able to run all your parts smoothly since I’d say the wattage would be 600-700ish.
You forgot about one important thing, the operating system. I’d recommend going with the Windows 10 Pro (64-Bit).
The keyboard, mouse, monitor, and mousepad are really just up to you. Though I’d say that you should change the monitor to a 240 hertz. Check out this link if you want to check them out:
techguided.com/best-240hz-monitors
It definitely will be able to run VR. But if you just want VR, you don’t really need this much. Just to run the Oculus Quest 2, you need:
CPU: Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater
RAM: 8 GB
OS: Windows 10
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD Radeon 400 Series or better
PIXEL SHADER: 5.1
VERTEX SHADER: 5.1
DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 3 GB
I mean 10900k is basically just a 10850k, so I’d go with a 10850k instead.
Instead of a sabrent rocket q I think the 2 tb samsung 980 pro would be better
If AMD is your fancy, why not go all out with the 5950x?
The kraken x73 is good but I personally thing the corsair h150i elite capellix is better because of the rgb lighting hub.
For motherboard on AMD SIDE: Asus ROG Strix X570-E
I do think that the 4k 144hz isn’t worth it espcially compared to 1440p 240hz monitors like the omen x27 and the samsung odyssey g7.
The Links for the “Deep Cool” AIO aren’t working, could you please fix them or tell me the exact name for them? Thanks!
What GPU is similar to the ASUS RTX 3070? Also for the “$1,750 PC Build” would 32 GB RAM be doable?
Hi,
The RTX 3080 is nowhere to be found. Do you have a recommended comparable alternative?
Thank You!
hi,
Ok this info is awesome… I am looking to build a gaming computer with my 12 year old grandson??? So, if I wanted to budget like 300-500.00 would that be possible ?
He is really into gaming but I do not want to invest a lot at first as he might loose interest ??
Thanks a lot !! for any info or links you have ..
I was going to look at micro center here in Minneapolis, MN to see ?? But, I have no clue what I am looking for 🙂
Hey there I really doubt think your grandkid will lose interest in a gaming PC that’s 1 thing you love for a life time and he can always upgrade it through the years. My very first build was $800 and it may be hard to go under that budget for a decent build but if you get the parts separately (as I did) it will save you money and you may be able to get away with 600 bucks or so
Thank you for sharing
I am from India. Thermaltake Core X71 not available in India
On the 1250 build the link for the ram Oloy 16gb goes to a patriot 8gb. It does this on all the build links actually. Can you please clarify if it’s the headline name or the link that is incorrect? I think it’s the link because the write up says this build has 16gb. Thanks for your help.
for the 1000$ build you say a gigabyte 5700xt but it brings us to a saphire one? anyway in cad this build is a solid 2000 up so thinking about changing it to a cheaper one. would this https://www.amazon.ca/MSI-Crossfire-Freesync-Architecture-Graphics/dp/B07Y8XCB36/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=5700xt&qid=1607207739&sr=8-5 still work what do i need to buy instead of the saphire one that is a 1000$
I want to build my own gaming PC but i dont know how or where i should start.
Hey Brent,
If the price wasn’t a concern at all, what would be the best build/ monitor could you get. With such a build/monitor, what could it handle? I’m just curious what the dream build is for gaming (still being able to support work things like photoshop, video editing/ streaming software etc.) .
Hi Brent,
I have been thinking about and wanting to build a desktop PC for awhile now. I have been looking at several build guides, but don’t know enough to feel confident in choosing a build.
I play WoW, LoL, and Overwatch mostly and would like something that I get good latency and fps at the higher settings. My budget is around $2K-$3K and I would like something that has RBG options that I can customize the look.
Would the $2K build above be a good start? Any changes/upgrades with some extra money?
I appreciate the help and feedback.
I’m building a gaming computer for my birthday what are good parts for it? just email me back
Hope you can help especially with nvidia dropping the ball on 3090 and amd new releases coming out in dec.
Looking to do my own custom build for 4x video editing from side jobs, personal videos weddings ect ect.
Gaming when chill time like halo cod destiny ect ect.
Streaming, downloading and uploading.
Was going to do intel in 10 core but should i go with amd.
Was advised to do asus 490 hero.
Need som advise please.
Budget of 3k could do little more if needed.
Want this to last and be upgradeable if needed in the future.
Need to hav 2 hdmi ports from gpu.
Would like at least 138g for memory nvme .2 for os also additional for storage.
For video storage need at least 2tb
Gaming at least 6tb.
What would your reccomendation be?
Also air cooled or liquid cooled. If liquid reccomendation for cpu or also gpu? What band?
What case do you reccomend for all of this that has wire management breathable case with side glass panel.
Thank you in advanced.
Hello My name is Nolan, I was looking for a PC that i can make music on, stream, game, edit videos and browse the internet on.. Do you know if this build can do that ?
Thanks
sincerely Nolan
Hi
I am thinking about building a gaming laptop using CLEVO NH58AC.
Why AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 3700X 8-Core 3.6 is recommended over AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 3900 ?
Thanks
Can I use a Ryzen 7 3700x with the ASUS 390?
I’m not sure
Is there a reason you don’t recommend an NVMe instead of the SATA SSD? It should be
What is a compatible tower for the Cooler Master H500? I am looking at the #2 build on this list.
Hi Brent,
I’d like to build a computer set number 3. Due to the price possibilities I bought i9-9900K (with built-in graphics card) instead of i7-9700K.
The computer turns on normally when the graphics card is connected to 8 GPU pins (only powers the fan?). If you connect to all 8+6 pins, the computer seems to go, but there is a black screen.
NVIDIA installation attempt failed and the BIOS does not see the GPU.
I’d like to ask for your help.
Components:
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon AC
INTEL Core i9-9900K processor (BX80684I99900K)
MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Ventus OC 8GB GeForce RTX 2070 Super Ventus OC 8GB
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 16GB (2×8) 3200MHz RAM
CORSAIR CX650M 650W power supply (CP-9020103-EU)
Water cooling EVGA CLC 280 Liquid EU
Kind regards,
Krzysztof
I was looking at the Ultra and the High End gaming rigs. I am getting a 2560×1440 1ms rs 165hz monitor. Would I be able to run most games at a 100+ fps with the High End build?
Thanks!
Im trying to build the 1750 pc but the ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Overclocked 8G GDDR6 Dual-Fan EVO Edition (DUAL-RTX2080S-O8G-EVO) is not available on Amazon should I go for the v2 that is on amazon that is going to cost me 150$ more or what other should I get staying in the same 1750 budget
Hi Brent,
All of your examples are for high-end gaming. Is there a difference for high-end video editing/sfx? I’d very much want to learn and tackle my own build, but most of the information I’ve gleaned pertains to computing power for effects-laden games. Is there an alternate build list for editing (specifically for 4K Premiere and After Effects footage)?
I just bought a curved Alienware 4K monitor at 36 inches. But my PC is sorta old, its actually mixed. I have an Nvidia 1080 ti but the CPU is an i7 ivy bridge, and the ram is DDR3. Im a bit concerned that this setup will bottleneck me since 4K requires so much. My friends insist its all in the GPU and ill be fine, im not so sure. I can afford to upgrade the cpu mbo and ram, but I don’t wanna waste money if its not needed. What would be a good CPU to drive this new monitor?
Hey Kevin, thanks for reading and commenting.
I’d say that since you’re fine with an upgrade if it’s necessary, just wait until the monitor arrives and then benchmark your current CPU/GPU combination at 4K. There will likely be some kind of a performance hit using the older CPU. Whether that performance hit will be significant enough to warrant an immediate upgrade, though, is another story.
But, there’s no harm in waiting to upgrade until after you see how your Ivy Bridge CPU performs with your 1080 Ti at 4K.
As for what CPU would be good… it really just depends on how much you want to spend. A 3rd Gen Ryzen 5 CPU (like a 3600X) or an Intel Core i5-9600K would probably be the minimum I’d go. If it were me, I’d probably go with an Intel Core i7 (or i9), or a 3rd Gen Ryzen 7 processor, though.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
I am surprised to not see the amd 5700 or the xt version on your lists! Any particular reason?
Hey Justin, crazy timing! Was just updating the guide (it needed it.)
I’ve put the 5700 XT in the $1,000 build and it would work well in the $1,250 or $1,500 builds, too. I have the 5700 in our $800 build, as well, found on this page:
https://techguided.com/budget-gaming-pcs/
In any case, thanks for commenting!
All the Best,
Brent
On the ‘Elite’ setup what CPU cooler should I get? Doesn’t appear to have one with the processor. I appreciate all this info. Made it all much easier
Hi I was trying to get my guide to my Email but it didn’t send.
I tried rebooting outlook and then my computer but nothing worked
The AIO is the cou cooler im pretty sure.
Hi Brent
6-18-19
When I sent my first post I was severely sleep deprived so I might not have been very clear about what I wanted to ask.
I see your 3 each top builds use the i7 9700k CPU.
This build is for my 11 YO son who has become quite a good gamer since his last B Day a year ago.
I bought him a Acer Nitro with a i5 cpu and a 1050 gpu, he was slow to start but within 6 months he switched from console to his Acer. Then he insisted on a better/faster monitor as the 75hz monitor he ha d was too slow, So we got the Acer 244 Hz monitor. The he said he was getting trashed because his GPU was too slow! He has started his own You Tube channel and has posted many of his own videos of his best Fortnight clips. So it would be used for editing and streaming too,
“Dad can you buy me a new computer??”
I looked at many pre built gaming PCs in the 1500 to 2k price range & the reviews where not good so I decided to build this one myself.
So here I am, I tell you all this so you have a idea of what this PC will used for.
If I was to cut a corner so to speak would a i7 8700k not bottle neck the 2080 (I just bought) for as long as the i7900k, From what I have read/seen the specs for FPS & other specs under gaming are very close! Personally I do not see how the 9700k is worth the extra money at this time/price point…
I didn’t want to spend this much money but since he enjoys gaming the online gaming friends he has made and everything else about the online gaming community I thought in the long run this build would be cheaper. Also changing a CPU in the future is much easier than swapping out a MB or buying a new GPU.
I have always bought i5 or i7 cpu for my office & Personal Computers and have found I get much more life from a better build. I am still using my 2011 Dell XPS and am none too happy about ms win 7’s end of life next year! There is just nothing my old dell still can’t do at this time for me that is.
What do you recommend?
Would an Intel CPU be better?
So just an FYI here. You might want to switch the DVD version of Windows 10 in all of your builds for the thumb drive version of Windows 10. None of your builds include DVD burners or players. If people just blindly add all that stuff to their cart and go assuming you’d gone to the trouble to make sure it was all correct they’d be very annoyed when they got their parts and realized they now had a very expensive paperweight.
That’s a good point since the two are so close in price at the moment. Usually the DVD is ~$15-$20 cheaper than the USB and the DVD version comes with the registration key on the box—which is all you need to install it via USB. Since most people have a thumb drive available, or know someone who does, it made sense to go with the cheaper option instead, since they do the same thing.
Hi Brent,
Does this high-end build make sense or do you see any bottleneck? Most of the items in your high-end build are not available locally in my country except the cpu…so I thought you ask your expert opinion on this alternative build.
CPU: IIntel Core i7-9700K 3.6-4.9 ghz 8-Core 8-Thread
MOBO: Asus ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390 LGA 1151
GPU: Asus RTX 2080 Dual OC (DUAL-RTX2080-O8G)
RAM: GSkill Trident Z 32Gb 16gbx2 3200MHz CL15(F4-3200C15D-32GTZ)
PSU: Seasonic Prime 1000 1000watts 80Plus Platinum
COOLER: NZXT Kraken X62 280mm Liquid Cooler (RL-KRX62-01)
SDD: Samsung 970 Pro NVMe 1TB (MZ-V7P1T0BW)
Thank you!
Regards
Joel
Hey, read the article reviewing the 7 custom build rig companies and enjoyed it, but it also led me here as the comments about doing my own build got me to thinking that might be a fun project to do with my son and the article speaks to being able to save some good money as well. My previous three PC’s were two cyberpowers and one iBuyPower. Loved them all and had great experience ( based on some reviews maybe “luck” is a better word, haha) in all cases. Regarding the above $1500 rig vs your link to the pre build option, they seem to be pretty much the exact same in spec which I am sure was the general idea, however, the pre build is actually a little cheaper. Is there no money to be saved in a DIY? Your article comments sort of led me to believe there would be, and I definitely was surprised to see it as actually more expensive when parted out. Thanks again for the comparison article and for the diligent work of keeping this article up to date.
Hi I’ve been looking to getting a PC for gaming. Is the $1250 build good for streaming games too?
Would the (Asus Prime B450-Plus) work to replace the (MSI B450 Tomahawk) in the $1000 build?
Hey Chris, yep, that would work fine.
Thank you!
Hi I purchased all the parts for the $1000 build except for the MSI B450 Tomahawk. It has a long lead time for shipping on amazon and was unavailable on newegg. Do you have an suggested alternative? I’m planning to use the build for gaming with oculus rift. Thanks
Hello. I’m working on the $1,500 build and had a question about the CPU. My rig will be used for gaming mostly. I’m currently using an i5 4690 and was wondering if the i5 9600k is a viable option. I’m open to an i7 but the 9600k is $200 cheaper than the 9700k where I am and I’m not sure if the 9700k is overkill just to use for gaming. If the i7 is the way to go, would 8700k be a good option vs 9700k? Thank you for your time, I love the layout and detail of your build lists.
The 8700k would be the best bang for the money, not much performance difference between the 9 and 8 series.
Perfect thank you for your response. The 8700k is actually what I ended up getting last week. Thank you again!
Hi, do you know a website that sells pc parts cheap but are also reliable.
Thanks in advance
Is there any screwdriver kit you can recommend for 12 dollars for all round pc building?
So im working on the $1500 build and am actually skeptical about purchasing the RTX card due to the absolutely frightening reviews Im seeing about it. i.e. “I thought this was going to be a good option, but after two cards that started showing artifacts and locking up my computer I am sorry that I upgraded”. Even looking at the EVGA 1070 scares me a bit as the “thermal pad” problem (“my card exploded and took motherboard with it!”) seems to still exist and the prices of these cards are fluctuating wildly.
Im trying to build something really good this time around that will last me years instead of becoming outdated in 2 or 3.
Any thoughts?
Hey Chris, thanks for reading and commenting.
Unfortunately, that’s kind of the nature of buying any computer component. For every 100 items sold, there are going to be anywhere from 1-5 people who have a bad experience with the product (product is dead on arrival, malfunctions, etc.) And, those 1-5 people will feel that they have more incentive to write a review than the 95 who got products that work just fine.
Not sure if that review you’re pointing to was specific to the Gigabyte RTX 2070 or not. If so, there are other brands of the RTX 2070 you could consider (EVGA, ASUS, MSI, etc.)
The RTX lineup of cards really hasn’t had the best launch or post-launch, so if you wanted to avoid those cards altogether I don’t think anyone would blame you. Still, though, when you compare the RTX lineup to the similarly-priced alternative from the previous generation of NVIDIA cards (RTX 2080 -> GTX 1080 Ti / RTX 2070 -> GTX 1080), the newer RTX cards offer a small bump in performance for the same price. So, if future proofing is a concern, your best option in terms of performance is an RTX card.
That being said, a GTX 1080 Ti, 1080, 1070 Ti, or 1070 wouldn’t be bad options and should serve you well for longer than 3 years. The problem is that the 1080 and 1080 Ti are tough to find right now (unless you bought them used—which would bring its own risks) and the 1070 Ti and 1070 won’t offer as much performance as the RTX 2070.
Ultimately, if it were me, I’d go with an RTX 2070. If the reviews are scaring you off a bit, you can take solace in knowing that if your card were to malfunction, any of the top brands will fix the issues (not to mention, returning stuff on Amazon within 30 days of purchase is incredibly simple)—and, if they don’t, you can always use the nuclear option: blast them on social media and reddit until one of their PR reps solves your problem to avoid a publicity nightmare.
If you’re turned off by the RTX reviews, though, a GTX 1070 Ti will be a solid alternative.
Hope this helps give you a bit more insight on which direction would be best for you. Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Hey, im looking in building the 2,000 dolars one, the parts that you’ve listed, can it support 3 monitors?
Hi Marco, sorry this is a bit late, but, yes, the $2,000 build can support triple monitors.
Hello. Im interested in building the $2000 pc but the intel i7 9700k is out of stock. What would be the best alternative? Also what is the brand of the graphics card? Is it as good as the name brand card? Im new to pc building and greatly appreciate any help you can give me.
Hi there, I’ve been looking into building a pc for awhile. Won’t lie I still don’t know a lot about pc’s in general. But I’m looking 2 spend around 2,000$ on my set up. Could you help point me in a good direction for that?
Brent, never built before. Is there a video tutorial you recommend? Thanks! Tom
Hey Tom, there are a ton of video guides out there. Newegg used to have one of the better step-by-step video tutorials, but I think Bitwit’s is one of the better options right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhX0fOUYd8Q
Carey Holzman’s channel is excellent as well and he does new build tutorials all the time:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CareyHolzman/
Also, you might want to check out this guide I put up on the common mistakes people make when building a PC, so you can have a good idea of the pitfalls to avoid:
https://techguided.com/pc-building-mistakes/
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
For the $1,000 build, GPU is unavailable. Any alternatives? Thanks!
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1070 Mini 8GB GDDR5 VR Ready Super Compact Gaming Graphics Card (ZT-P10700G-10M)
Hey Truman, this one will work:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075DF4PTF/tag=thowisguy-20
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Why use DVD format windows 10 ? How could you boot it off a new pc build with no optical drive ? . Wouldnt it be better to use the flash drive version windows 10? Will it be possable to put optical drive I to this build at a later time ? Thanks
Hi Tom, yes, you could use the USB flash drive version of Windows, but it does cost a little more (at least through Amazon.)
The DVD version costs less and comes with the license key. So, if you already have a USB flash drive lying around, you can just use that to download the media creation tool (as outlined in the post that is linked to from “Use USB to Insall O.S.” and then use the activation key that comes on the DVD box to activate Windows.
Hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions.
On the first build with the: EVGA CLC 280 Liquid/Water CPU Cooler, RGB LED Cooling 400-HY-CL28-V1
Are the any issues with mounting the radiator on top of the Thermaltake case and reaching the CPU from there?
Hey John, thanks for reading! Nope, there shouldn’t be any issues mounting the CLC 280 on top of the X71.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
where is the Ryzen 7? is it not a top processor.
The Ryzen 7 2700 or 2700x could easily be swapped out for the 8700K in the $1,500, $1,750, and $2,000 builds (just switch to an X470 motherboard). I go with the 8700K in those instances for the better single core performance (which results in a small in-game performance gain) and because the budget is so high that you can fit it in without sacrificing GPU performance. But, the in-game difference between the Ryzen 7 options and the 8700K is marginal and the Ryzen 7 lineup is a great option as well—especially for gamers who will also be doing productivity-related tasks as well as gaming.
So, if that’s the route you want to go, it’s a great option, too.
The prebuilt and wishlist links aren’t working for me anymore. Also cannot see the 2080 for the same prices or near.
I updated the builds yesterday. For the links not working, I’m guessing you might be outside of the US? I have it set up to where it will redirect visitors outside of the US to the appropriate Amazon store (UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, etc.), but it doesn’t always work properly as the same exact items/models that are available on Amazon’s US website aren’t always available on the overseas Amazon websites.
I think the price of the RTX 2080 has gone up significantly and the multiple item amazon links are no longer working for me. Any ideas?
Thanks for the help.
Hello,
i’m trying to make a 2k€ config, but the price is heavily different from what you show,
to have the same config, it’ll cost around 2.500€ for me, did the price change that much, or is it something related to the region/country ?
Thanks
I am looking at the $1250 system, except I might go with the 1870 instead… Will it play Oculus Rift VR games like Robo Recall and Dead and Buried? I dont want to skimp and end up under-powered. I know nothing about VR except I just played it and am hooked!
Thanks
Excellent review great choice great selection.
Thanks I owe you one. 16 GB Ram 8 GB GPU Intel core. $1,000.
Perfect for me.
Thanks, David!
Hi Really useful guide, I am assembling the 1,250 PC build but I wanted to replace the air cooler with a Liquid one that can be found here: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/40356?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8I_IvM6W3QIVQqSWCh2EZQVbEAkYDSABEgK9ffD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
anyway, I was asking if this coolant system would fit as I am paranoid that I will spend all my money and end up unable to assemble them.
Thanks! -Morgan
Hey Morgan, yes, that AIO cooler will work with the $1,250 build and the Thermaltake G21 case that it comes with. You’ll have to install it on the front panel of the case, though.
Hey is the 1,000 build good enough for me to run games like destiny 2 and stream at the same time?
if not can you recommend a build and or set up. thanks
im converting from console here! lol so much reseaerch, please help.
EVGA CLC 280 comes with Thermal paste. Is there any reason I need the EGC High-Performance Thermal Paste Compound.?
On the 2K build, you include the EVGA CLC 280 Liquid/Water CPU Cooler, RGB LED Cooling 400-HY-CL28-V. I was told that AIO Water Coolers are “better”. What are your thoughts and if you agree which one would you recommend?
Hmmm, this might have been a stupid question. I don’t know much about Liquid cooling.
Sorry for the delay on this. The EVGA CLC is an AIO water cooler. There’s really only two types of liquid cooling: AIOs and custom loops. AIOs come ready to use right out of the box, whereas custom loops have to be assembled. You can achieve better cooling results with the right custom loop, but AIO coolers are much easier for the average user to utilize.
Your 2k builds includes the Phanteks Enthoo Pro case. Is there a difference (other than color) between the white one you sourced (Phanteks Enthoo Pro Full Tower Chassis PH-ES614P_WT White) and the black one (Phanteks Enthoo Pro Full Tower Chassis with Window Cases PH-ES614P_BK)?
Hey David, thanks for commenting.
Yep, they’re both the same case, minus the color!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Is there any differences between the different 1070ti “versions”? There’s the founders edition, and then there’s also other versions from different companies. In the $1250 build you recommended one by gigabyte, but there are cheaper options on Amazon. Is there physical differences that will affect performance or should I go by lower price?
Hey Brandon, there are some physical differences, mainly on the cooler on the card. There’s also differences on the stock clock speeds of the different versions of the cards.
Typically, the third party options are better than the Founder’s Edition. But, for the most part, in terms of performance, the cards either all perform fairly similar out of the box, or they can be overclocked to match other third party offerings.
So, I typically try to find the most affordable one. Prices change every day, though, and so that’s why the current build doesn’t have the cheapest one in it. If you can find one at a lower price, jump on it! (I noticed the Zotac GTX 1070 Ti is at around ~$450 right now, which is a great price considering the other options.)
Hi there Brent,
I’m planning on building a High-end ($1750-2000) gaming rig that you recommend here (I have a set-up from 8-9 years back, so it’s time to upgrade), but was wondering if there are any parts I could reuse. I have upgraded the RAM quite recently (last year) and have some SSD’s which are fine.
I read online that the memory can be quite the hassle to reuse, because of compatibility issues, but don’t see where to check that. Do you know?
Thanks in advance,
Yuri
Hi Yuri, thanks for commenting!
The RAM probably won’t work, because if you’re going to spend all that money on a new system, I’d assume you’d be getting a new processor/motherboard combo that utilizes DDR4 memory. And, if your system is 8-9 years old, then you probably have DDR3 RAM in it. Unfortunately, DDR3 RAM isn’t compatible with motherboards that use DDR4 RAM.
The SSDs, though, you can reuse. You could also potentially reuse your power supply, any optical drives, and your case. For the power supply and case, it would just be a matter of whether or not they’d be compatible with your newer components.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the Best,
Brent
Thanks for you reply, Brent.
I bought some DDR4 RAM just a Year back, so should be fine than, I guess. I read on a Dutch tech site (I’m from there) that some Ryzen processors have issues with some RAM’s, but will check, if I decide on a Ryzen, with the manufacturer.
Will then reuse SSD’s, HDD’s, RAM, but that will be all I think.
Thanks again for your quick response.
Yuri
I’ve been using your $800 build for 3 years now and I’m looking to upgrade.
Your $1,000 uses a PNY GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Graphics Card and I was wondering what the pros of using this card over the ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Dual-fan OC Edition Dual Graphics Card. The Asus is quite a bit cheaper and I’m not finding much of a difference in my research.
Thanks as always for the help!!
Hey David, thanks for stopping back by and commenting.
Typically, I try to choose whichever one is the most affordable. So, if you can grab the ASUS 1060 6GB for cheaper, go for it. Looks like there’s also an EVGA, Zotac, and MSI 1060 6GB at ~$299 on Amazon at the moment as well:
https://amzn.to/2IjNAhz
https://amzn.to/2wC0upH
https://amzn.to/2Ikw64C
Hope this helps!
All the Best,
Brent
Thanks for the quick response! One more question before I start up my build:
Coolermaster has a 550w PSU (MasterWatt Semi-fanless modular) and it has a $20 rebate (total cost: 25.99). Reviews seem ok, Are these dependable PSU’s or would it be worth the extra $$$$ for a different brand? Link below
Amazon
As always thanks for the help!
No problem, David!
Yep, I think for that price and for your setup (running a GTX 1060), the MasterWatt 550 is a good option.
Both are optional, but if you need to use CDs at all (for installing operating system via disk instead of usb) you need one. Also if you’re going to use wifi instead/alongside ethernet you will need the wifi card. Both are only around $20 though, so not too expensive at least. Hope I helped!
Hey Brent,
My build is very similar to the $1000 build. I got parts from a prebuilt PC that had an i7-6700 so I’m using that for my CPU, and an MSI H270m Bazooka motherboard. I also have a Deepcool Gammaxx aftermarket cooler for the i7-6700 for aesthetics mainly. I was considering getting the AMD Ryzen 2600x along with the B350 motherboard. My current CPU does not support my 2400 memory speed from my ram. Is it even worth upgrading to these components?
Brent I built your 700$ build in 2014 and am still playing most games on high settings! Just checking in to see what’s new, and ask how to best upgrade. I currently have the fx6300 and r9270x looking to go to Intel and a better card without breaking the bank. Reccomdations? Yes I am willing to change the motherboard. Ty
Do I need a HDD for the $1000 build, or can I go with just the SSD? I’m unfamiliar with that type of SSD (that looks like memory), so I’m not sure exactly how it works.
Hey Chris! Nope, you don’t have to have the HDD and you can just stick with the SSD. The HDD serves as a secondary drive that has a ton of space, whereas the SSD is significantly faster (improves boot times, load times, and will make your system perform much faster outside of gaming).
That is the newest SSD format. Rather than using SATA it uses PCIe NVME (which is much faster) to transfer data.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the Best,
Brent
Hey,do I need to buy an ODD or wifi card for these builds?
Hey there,
Thanks for the guides. I’ve basically ordered all of the parts for the 1,250 version including keyboard, mouse, and a copy of Windows 10. I also purchased a 1440, 144hz, g-sync monitor to go with.
Are there any kind of cooler or cords I need to buy to make all this work?
Thanks,
Tim
Hi Tim, I hope you’re doing well.
For the cooler, the Ryzen 5 1600 will come with a decent stock cooler that will allow you to overclock it a bit. If you want to push it even further, you might want to consider a third-party cooler. Here are a few more options:
https://techguided.com/best-gaming-pcs/
But the stock cooler is a solid option if you don’t want to push your 1600 to the extreme.
For cords, you should be good on everything as long as you have a cable to hook up your monitor (and, you’ll want a DisplayPort cable to utilize the 144Hz refresh rate, unless your monitor is HDMI 2.0 compatible—then HDMI will work.) The motherboard typically comes with SATA cables, but if you want to be on the safe side you could order a few more:
https://amzn.to/2Gp2lOF
But, really, those probably won’t be necessary unless you’re hooking up more than a couple of SATA drives.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck with the build and have fun putting it together!
All the Best,
Brent
Brent,
Appreciate the quick reply! I have no idea at this point whether I’m going to attempt to overclock it or not – this is my first build and so I’m not entirely sure what the real benefit of over-clocking is. Any recommended guides I should check out about that? If not, I can always google if it gets to that point.
I went ahead and ordered some extra DisplayPort cables just incase. Thanks again.
Tim
INTEL HD MASTER RACE 😛