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Version 3.4: Updated on May 3rd 2012
Never built a PC before and need help? No problem.
You don?t have to be a Geek to build a PC!
Building a PC has never been easier. We have hundreds of readers who had no experience and who built their first PC with the help of Hardware Revolution. If they can do it, so can you!Start by reading our ?Building Your First PC?? article, which covers everything that you need to know to get started. We also have videos on how to build a PC and on how to install Windows/software a bit further down in the article.
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you?re looking for a Mainstream Gaming PC, to play video games at a 1080p resolution, you?re at the right place. Otherwise, check out our other Do-It-Yourself Computer Systems or The Best Laptops For Your Money instead.
The EVGA Geforce GTX 680, recommended for Tier 7, features the fastest GPU on the market!
Click on a section to jump to it:
- Five Tiers to choose from
- Recommended parts summary
- Computer Builds FAQs
- Recommended parts in details
- Budget/High-End Gaming PCs
- Mainstream/High-End SFF Gaming PCs
About Hardware Revolution Mainstream Gaming Computers:
High-End Performance and Features at a Mainstream cost
Our mainstream gaming PCs feature parts that were chosen to offer the best balance between performance and features possible at a given price aka the best bang for your buck.
Designed with reliability and low-noise in mind
They feature a high-quality power supply, a case with a good balance between cooling abilities/low-noise and a quality after-market CPU Cooler, so that your PC will last you many years and to ensure that it will not overheat nor sound like a jet engine either.
Instead of having several articles that each cover one specific build, there are Tiers, allowing you to pick one of several systems at broader price points.
The Tiers are color coded as such:
Choose from five Tiers:
Tier 3 (Identified by a Red color): $822
Our lowest cost Tier that includes an Intel Ivy Bridge Quad-Core CPU. Tier 3 is the only Mainstream Gaming PCs Tier that does not include a SSD in its budget but it?s ready for one if you want to add one.
Tier 4 (Identified by a Green color): $1016
Our lowest cost Tier that?s equipped with a 120GB SSD. Also equipped with a powerful Intel Core i5-3550 processor and an equally powerful Geforce GTX 560 Ti, Tier 4 is one heck of a powerhouse PC at a relatively low price considering the performance that it offers!
Tier 5 (Identified by an Orange color): $1255
Tier 5 offers a more powerful video card and an upgraded case. It offers not only a step-up in performance from Tier 4, but also a CPU with an unlocked multiplier, along with improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard and improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler.
All of this results in a Tier that?s not only powerful as it is, but that?s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Tier 6 (Identified by a Dark Red color): $1453
Offers not only a step-up in performance from Tier 5 with its faster video card and a larger 240GB SSD, but just like Tier 5, Tier 6 features a CPU with an unlocked multiplier, along with improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard, improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler and better case cooling.
All of this results in a Tier that?s not only powerful as it is, but that?s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Tier 7 (Identified by a Fuchsia color): $1601
This Tier takes performance to the next level, with the a video card equipped with the fastest single GPU available: The Geforce GTX 680 2GB.
Just like Tier 5/6, Tier 7 features a CPU with an unlocked multiplier, along with improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard, improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler and better case cooling.
All of this results in a Tier that?s not only powerful as it is, but that?s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Need a Tier recommendation for a specific video game?
Ask us on the forums: Tell us about the video game, the level of details that you want (i.e. I just want to be able to play the game, medium, high or maximum details) and finally the resolution (e.g. 1920 x 1080.) of the monitor (HDTVs are usually 720p/1080p) that you?ll use.
Recommended Parts Summary:
Main recommendations, upgrades and alternatives:
1. Recommended Components are in Bold, with one or more colors/symbols for the Tier(s).
2. Suggested Alternatives and Upgrades are in Italic. You can upgrade as many parts as you want to, including parts from higher Tiers.
3. All Parts are interchangeable/compatible with each other. Ask us on the forums if you want us to double-check your build.
| Mainstream Gaming PCs Tiers: Tier 3 (in Red): The Best Bang For Your Buck Tier 4 (in Green): Upgrade to a 120GB SSD Tier 5 (in Orange): Optimized for overclocking, faster Video Card, better case Tier 6 (in Dark Red): Optimized for OC, 240GB SSD, more powerful video card Tier 7 (in Fuchsia): Optimized for OC, 240GB SSD, most powerful video card Click on a component?s name (e.g. CPU) to jump to the detailed section of it. | Price $822 $1016 $1255 $1453 $1601 |
| CPU: Tier 3-4: Intel Core i5-3550 3.3-3.7GHz Turbo Quad-Core 77W  Tier 5-6-7: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W  Intel Core i7-3770 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Quad-Core 77W  Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W  | - $210 $230 $320 $350 |
| Motherboard: ATX form factor motherboards: Tier 3-4: BIOSTAR TZ77B Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Tier 5-6-7: BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 Z77 SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 Better for CPU OC GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 FireWire E-SATA GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB SATA6Gb/s 4xUSB3.0 FireWire E-SATA WiFi ASRock Z77 Professional SATA6Gb/s 6xUSB3.0 FireWire E-SATA IDE Floppy Micro-ATX form factor motherboards: BIOSTAR TZ77MXE Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 MSI Z77MA-G45 Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 CF/SLI ASUS Maximus V Gene Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 E-SATA CF/SLI | - - $100 $120 $190 $210 $230 - $110 $125 $210 |
| RAM: All Tiers: Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v  Corsair 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v | - $50 $97 |
| Video Card: Tier 3: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Superclocked 1GB  Tier 4: Gigabyte Geforce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Dual fans  Tier 5: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Dual fans OC  Tier 6: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Dual fans  SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7970 3GB OC Dual-Fan  Tier 7: EVGA Geforce GTX 680 2GB EVGA SuperClocked Signature GTX 680 2GB | - $170 $230 $360 $420 $480 $500 $550 |
| Storage: Rosewill 2.5? SSD/HDD Mounting Kit for 3.5? Drive Bay SSD (Solid State Drive): Tier 4-5: Sandisk Extreme 2.5? 120GB SATA III SSD  Tier 6-7: Sandisk Extreme 2.5? 240GB SATA III SSD  Samsung 830 Series 2.5? 256GB SATA III SSD  Sandisk Extreme 2.5? 480GB SATA III SSD  Samsung 830 Series 2.5? 512GB SATA III SSD  Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA III  Tier 3: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB SATA III  Tier 4: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA III Tier 5: Western Digital Caviar Blue1TB SATA III Tier 6-7: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA II Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA III  Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB SATA III  Seagate Momentus XT 750GB 2.5? Hybrid Hard Drive  | - $5 - $130 $245 $290 $550 $699 - $75 $89 $75 $89 $120 $105 $207 $155 |
| Optical Drive All Tiers: Sony SATA 24X DVD Burner  LG Black 6X BD-ROM SATA Blu-ray Reader/16x DVD Burner  Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE SATA Blu-Ray Burner  | - $18 $45 $76 |
| Power Supply: Tier 3-4-5: Rosewill HIVE 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Modular Rosewill Capstone 550W 80 PLUS Gold Tier 6: Seasonic M12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Modular  Tier 7: Rosewill Capstone 650W 80 PLUS Gold XFX PRO750W XXX Semi-Modular 80Plus Silver 750W Corsair Professional Series Gold 750-Watt 80 Plus Gold  XFX PRO850W XXX Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850W  NZXT HALE90-850-M 850W 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular | - $70 $80 $90 $100 $138 $145 $123 $180 |
| Case: Tier 3-4: Corsair Carbide Series 300R USB 3.0 x2 2 fans  NZXT LEXA S LEXS 3 x 120mm 1 x 140mm Tier 5-6: Corsair Carbide Series 400R USB 3.0 x2 3 fans  NZXT TEMPEST EVO 4 x 120mm 2 x 140mm Thermaltake Armor A90 LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 3x140mm 1x120mm NZXT WHISPER 2x80mm 2x120mm Tier 7: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced USB 3.0 x2  COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper 3x200mm 1x120mm NZXT Phantom, in White NZXT Phantom, in Black Corsair Graphite 600T  Cooler Master Storm Scout 1 x 120mm, 2 x 140mm LIAN LI Lancool PC-K7B 3 x 120mm case fans NZXT Phantom 410 Black 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans NZXT Phantom 410 White 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans SILVERSTONE Precision PS06B-W 1x180mm 1x120mm NZXT H2 H2-001-BK Black 3x120mm NZXT H2 H2-001-WT Black 3x120mm Fractal Design Arc Midi 3x140mm Antec Eleven Hundred 1 x200mm + 1x120mm fans Fractal Design Define R3 2x120mm fans Cooler Master HAF 922 2x200mm 1x120mm  Cooler Master HAF 932 USB 3.0 3x230mm 1x140mm Cooler Master HAF X USB 3.0 1x230mm 2x200mm 1x140mm GPU Duct  Antec P280 3 x 120mm fans | - $80 $80 $100 $110 $95 $100 $130 $130 $120 $130 $130 $160 $80 $80 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $100 $110 $90 $130 $180 $120 |
| Cooling: Tier 3-4: Corsair A50 CPU Cooler  Tier 5-6-7: NZXT Havik 140 Dual Fans CPU Cooler  Noctua NH-D14  COOLER MASTER Megaflow 200mm Red LED Case Fan CM Long-Life Sleeve .6k-2k RPM 21-77CFM 13-32dBA PWM CM Barometric Ball .6k-2k RPM 26-86CFM 13-30dBA PWM AC Fluid Dynamic .3k-1.35k RPM Max 57 CFM w/ 4 Pin PWM Silverstone 2Ball .8k-2.4kRPM 110CFM 17-40dBA fan contr. Noctua SSO .9k-1.1k-1.3k RPM 33-54CFM 13-20dBA adj. speed | - $25 $60 $85 $21 $12 $16 $10 $19 $25 |
| Sound: All Tiers: ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Sound Card w/ Headphone amplifier  ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 PCI  ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 PCI-Express 1x  Speakers: 2.0 (2 satellites no sub-woofer) Logitech X-140 2.0 5W  Creative Inspire T12 2.0 18W  Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II 2.0 28W  2.1 (2 satellites + sub-woofer): Creative A220 2.1 9W  Logitech Z313 2.1 25W  Logitech Z323 2.1 30W  Logitech Z523 2.1 40W  Logitech Z623 2.1 200W  Corsair SP2500 2.1 232W  5.1 (5 satellites + sub-woofer) Logitech Z506 5.1 75W  Logitech Z906 5.1 500W  Headphones/Earphones: Open Design Headphones: Koss KSC75 Clip on headphones  Koss PortaPro  Superlux HD668B  Grado SR-60i  Grado SR-80i  Audio Technica ATH-AD700  Sennheiser HD555  Grado SR225i  Sennheiser HD 598  Grado SR325is  Closed Design Headphones: Koss UR-20  Panasonic RP-HTX7 (Available in Black, Red, White, Pink and Green)  Audio-Technica ATH-M30  Shure SRH440  Audio Technica ATH-A700  Audio Technica ATH-M50S (Straight 10ft Cable)  Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (Coiled Cable)  Sennheiser HD25-1 II  In-Ear Headphones: Logitech Ultimate Ears 200  Sony MDREX310LP  Grado iGi  Etymotic ER-4P  Microphone: Logitech USB Microphone  Headsets: Yapster TM-YP100A  Koss SB-45  Corsair Vengeance 1100  Sennheiser PC 151  Razer Moray Plus  ARCTIC Sound P531  SteelSeries Siberia V2  Logitech G35  ASUS Vulcan ANC  Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Wrath Wireless  Logitech G930  | - $28 $47 $83 - - $19 $47 $100 - $30 $44 $54 $75 $132 $190 - $90 $341 - - $15 $47 $55 $79 $99 $104 $201 $200 $250 $295 - $19 $30 $47 $91 $127 $155 $159 $189 - $13 $63 $89 $280 - $20 - $15 $25 $35 $49 $51 $50 $87 $102 $124 $110 $120 |
| Network: All Tiers: Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps: Integrated on the motherboard Rosewill 802.11b/g/n 300Mbps Wireless USB2.0 5dBi Antenna TRENDnet TEW-684UB Dual Band 802.11b/g/n 450Mbps USB2.0  | - Free $20 $48 |
Building a PC, Got a Question, Need Help?
Computer Builds FAQs:
I often get questions such as:
- Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?
- Can you suggest me a step by step guide to build a computer?
- Why should I build a PC instead of buying one in a store?
- And many more?
1. You will find the answers to all of these questions and more in this article: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
2. Is this your first build? Start by reading our ?Building Your First PC?? article, which covers everything that you need to know to get started. Here are also 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
3. Newly built computer won?t start? I invite you to read Help me: Why won?t my newly assembled PC start or boot?
4. Visit our forums here, where you can join our helpful community and ask questions.
Recommended step-by-step guides to build your PC:
Newegg TV has three great videos on how to build your PC. The first covers choosing your parts, which we help you with in this article, so I chose not to include it. The second one, below, shows you in detail how to assemble your PC. The 3rd one shows you how to install Windows and software.
If you prefer a text version with pictures, here are two great guides by ArsTechnica, the first one covering the assembling and the second one covering Windows and software:
- Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Hardware (Building the PC)
- Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Software (EFI/BIOS, Windows, etc.)
Free Assistance
If you have any question(s) about the build, simply head over to the forums and our community will be there to assist you.
No worries, there are no stupid questions here on Hardware Revolution. We all started from scratch and learned through our mistakes. We?ll just help you make sure to avoid those mistakes 
If you want to have your final build double-checked and get my opinion on it before ordering, or for anything else, don?t be shy, just post a thread on the forums.
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Socket: LGA1155
Ivy Bridge CPUs (Core ix-3xxx) use the LGA 1155 socket and the following chipsets:
7 series Chipsets: For Ivy Bridge CPUs, you have the H77, Z75 and Z77 chipsets.
- H77 supports the integrated GPU found in the CPU and thus allow for video output without a discrete video card. However, they do not support CPU overclocking.
- Z75 does support the integrated GPU found in the CPU, as well as CPU overclocking. However, it does not support Intel SRT (SSD caching), which I don?t recommend anyway (see note below).
- Z77 is the high-end chipset. It supports the integrated GPU and overclocking just like Z75. It also support Intel SRT (SSD caching).
While some older LGA1155 motherboard, based on the H61, H67, P67 and Z68 chipsets do support Ivy Bridge after a BIOS/UEFI update, this is not the case of all of them.
Also, the 7-series chipset equipped motherboards bring native USB 3.0 support, with greater performance and thus are recommended if you build a PC with a new Ivy Bridge CPU, so that way, you get the best performance and are sure that it will work with your Ivy Bridge CPU.
CPU Coolers compatibility: CPU Coolers that are compatible with the LGA1156 socket are also compatible with the LGA 1155 socket. Some LGA1155 motherboards support LGA 775 CPU Coolers too.
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About Intel?s QuickSync and SSD Caching:
All 7-series chipsets allows you to access the IGP from the CPU, which allows you to take advantage of Intel?s QuickSync, a technology that lets you use the IGP in your CPU to accelerate video conversion (amongst other things), allowing you to convert video faster than with just a CPU.
However, the drawback is that the quality of converted videos is lower than if they are converted with a CPU. This is subjective though, so the loss in quality might be an acceptable drawback for you, if you value the time than you gain.
As for SSD Caching, AnandTech has two excellent articles on the subject. They are on the Z68 chipset, but SSD caching is the same on Z77:
- Intel Z68 Chipset & Smart Response Technology (SSD Caching) Review
- Z68 SSD Caching with Corsair?s F40 SandForce SSD
In short, while SSD caching is an interesting technology, you?re better off using your SSD as your boot drive and manually managing where your applications and games get installed (SSD or HDD), if you want the best performance possible, all the time.
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Tier 3 and 4:
A basic Z77 chipset motherboard at a great price that?s a perfect match-up for Tier 3/4 and the Core i5-3550 CPU recommended for those Tiers.
It comes with SATA III 6.0Gb/s and USB 3.0 support thanks to the Z77 chipset and it?s ready for Intel?s 3rd generation of Core CPUs, codename Ivy Bridge, which are recommended in this guide. Note that it also supports the older 2nd generation of Intel?s Core CPUs, codename Sandy Bridge.
Equipped with an Ivy Bridge CPU (Core ix-3xxx), it supports PCI-Express 3.0. With a Sandy Bridge CPU (Core ix-2xxx), you get PCI-Express 2.0, which still offers enough bandwidth except for the highest-end configurations (Two Radeon HD 7970 in Crossfire or Two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI).
Note that the Z77 chipset allows you to use the integrated video card from the CPU. While the performance of the integrated video card is no where good enough to play recent games, it can still be used until you buy your video card, if you?re on a tight budget. It?s also useful if you need to troubleshoot your PC and suspect that the dedicated video card is defective.
Also note that while the Z77 chipset does support overclocking, the recommended CPU for Tier 3 and 4, the Core i5-3550, only supports limited overclocking.
If you want to overclock your CPU, you?ll need an i5-3570K ($230, recommended for Tier 5, 6 and 7) or i7-3770K ($350), which feature a completely unlocked CPU multiplier. See the CPU section for more details on this. You?ll also want a more powerful PSU (add 50W) and an after-market CPU Cooler for the best overclocking results.
Speaking of overclocking, this motherboard only features a 6 Phase PWM, which while isn?t bad, isn?t that great if you intend to greatly overclock your CPU. If you intend to greatly overclock your CPU (remember to get an unlocked K version), I?d recommend upgrading to the Tier 5-6-7 motherboard or to one of the recommended alternatives, at the bottom of the Tier 6-7 motherboard section.
Finally, this motherboard includes four SATA cables, which is enough for what is recommended in this guide.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what?s included in the box and warranty:
- Ports on the back: 1x PS/2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, 6 audio ports (for 7.1 sound, but a dedicated sound is recommended in this guide anyway) and VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs.
- Expansion slots: One PCI-Express 3.0 16x slot, one PCI-Express 2.0 16x (running at 4x) slot, two PCI-Express 1x and two PCI slots. I recommend installing the recommended dedicated sound card (ASUS Xonar DG PCI) in the bottom PCI slot, in order to give your video card plenty of space to ?breath? and stay cool.
- Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Three fan connectors (1 x 4 pins (for CPU Cooler), 2 x 3pins), four SATA 3.0Gb/s, two SATA 6.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0 coming from the header in total), two USB 2.0 headers (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), IR header, COM header, onboard Power and Switch buttons and support for LGA1155/LGA1156 CPU Coolers.
- Included in the box: Motherboard, four SATA cables, backplate, velcro strap, manual and CD.
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Tier 5, 6 and 7:
In my opinion, the BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 has the best set of features overall for its low price, many of which that I consider very important for Tier 5, 6 and 7 of the Mainstream Gaming PCs:
- 13 Phase PWM allows for improved CPU voltage delivery, which is crucial when you overclock your CPU. This is the main reason that I recommend this motherboard for Tier 5, 6 and 7.
- PCI-Express 16x 3.0 8x/8x support: This motherboard?s two PCI-Express 3.0 16x slots will run at 8x/8x if you add a second video card for Crossfire or SLI.
- Two slots worth of space between the two main PCI-Express 16x slots, which gives the top video card some space to ?breath? in order to stay at a reasonable temperature, when you use two video cards in SLI or in Crossfire.
- A USB 3.0 header that allows you to connect the case front USB 3.0 ports to it.
- Great placement of the SATA ports insures that long video cards won?t block access to them.
- A Debug LED makes your life much easier if you have to troubleshoot a problem.
- Power and Reset buttons on the motherboard, allowing you to easily test your PC outside your case.
?
Ports, expansion slots, features, what?s included in the box, etc.
- Ports on the back: 1x PS/2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, 6 audio ports (for 7.1 sound, but a dedicated sound is recommended in this guide anyway) and VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs.
- Expansion slots: Two PCI-Express 3.0 16x slots (single at 16x, dual at 8x/8x), one PCI-Express 16x 2.0 (running at 4x), two PCI-Express 1x and two PCI slots. I recommend installing the dedicated sound card in the bottom PCI slot.
- Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Three fan connectors (1 x 4 pins (for CPU Cooler), 2 x 3pins), four SATA 3.0Gb/s, two SATA 6.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0 coming from the header in total), two USB 2.0 headers (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), IR header, COM header, Debug LED, onboard Power and Switch buttons and support for LGA1155/LGA1156 CPU Coolers.
- Included in the box: Motherboard, four SATA cables, Crossfire and SLI dongle,backplate, manual and CD.
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ATX Form Factor Alternatives
Micro-ATX form factor Alternatives
If you want a smaller Micro-ATX motherboard, to use in a smaller case, here are three alternatives:
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Tier 3 and 4:
Say hello to Intel?s 3rd generation Core CPUs, Ivy Bridge:
Performance:
Intel new third generation of Core CPUs, known under the codename Ivy Bridge (IB from here on) is here.
Replacing Intel?s LGA1155 Sandy Bridge (SB from here on, known as Core ix 2xxx) CPUs, the LGA1155 based IB CPUs (Known as Core ix 3xxx) bring in on average a 7%-15% performance improvement compared to the previous-generation of LGA1155 SB CPUs.
The higher performance is due to improved IPC (instructions per clock, aka performance at a given frequency), improved Turbo and slightly higher frequencies.
Needless to say, if it?s slightly faster than Sandy Bridge, which has no problem outperforming AMD?s Bulldozer/Llano CPUs, Ivy Bridge has no problem outperforming the competition.
Improved Turbo:
- On Sandy Bridge, Turbo increases the frequency by 100, 200, 300 or 400MHz, with 4, 3, 2 or 1 core(s) active respectively.
- On Ivy Bridge, Turbo increases the frequency by 200, 300, 400 or 400MHz, with 4, 3, 2 or 1 core(s) active respectively.
On top of that, Ivy Bridge runs at Turbo frequencies more often and for longer than Sandy Bridge.
Power consumption:
IB consumes about 17-18W less at load compared to SB and if you consider to it completes workloads faster than SB, it?s quite a bit more power efficient than SB. Idle power consumption is pretty much identical between IB and SB.
Overclocking:
Back in the Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Quad days and with previous generations of Intel CPUs, to overclock, all you had to do was to raise the BCLK (baseclock) or FSB frequency, until you reach the limit of your CPU and/or motherboard and/or cooling solution.
With Ivy Bridge, just like with SandyBridge, this is no longer the case: the 6 and 7-series chipsets integrate the clock generator. What once was a component on the motherboard, the PLL is now on the 6/7-series chipset die. The integrated PLL feeds a source clock to many other controllers (e.g. SATA) to the CPU itself.
The problem will that is if you if you raise the BCLK frequency, you will also raise the frequency of many other controllers and that will cause your PC to crash after raising the BLCK by more than 5-7%. So forget overclocking via the BCLK if you?re serious about overclocking.
To overclock, you?ll want to raise the CPU multiplier. How much you can raise it depends on your CPU:
- If you have a CPU that offers no Turbo mode (e.g. Celeron/Pentium/Core i3), then you can?t raise the multiplier at all and thus can?t overclock. In short: Your CPU is completely locked.
- If you have a CPU with Turbo modes (e.g. Core i5-3550), you can overclock, but just a bit, using a motherboard equipped with a Z chipset. You are limited to an overclock of 4 processor bins above and beyond the highest turbo frequency.
Let?s use a Core i5-3550, which runs at 3.3GHz by default, as an example:
- When one or two cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.7GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 4.1GHz.
- When three cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.6GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 4.0GHz.
- When four cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.5GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 3.9GHz.
Overclocking the non-K Core i5/i7 chips relies entirely on turbo however. In the case above, the fastest your chip will run is 4.1GHz but with only one core or two cores active. If you have four cores active the fastest your chip can run is 3.9GHz. Makes sense?
- Finally, there?s the K-series of CPUs, with the Core i5-3570K and Core i7-3770K currently available. These chips are fully unlocked and will let you overclock them as far as the CPU and/or your cooling can sustain.
Dynamic overclocking:
One of the cool new features of Ivy Bridge is dynamic overclocking, which allows users to change the CPU/IGP multipliers within Windows without rebooting. It works flawlessly with Intel?s Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU).
Ivy Bridge running hot when overclocked?
You may have heard reports that Ivy Bridge runs hot, much hotter than Sandy Bridge, when overclocked. There?s some truth to this, so let me explain it to you.
Simply put, Ivy Bridge doesn?t react well to highly increased voltage. Past 1.30-1.35V temperatures greatly increase, so I recommend that if you use air-cooling, even high-end air-cooling, stay in the 1.20V-1.25V range.
Of course, make sure to monitor your temperatures. Ivy Bridge maximum temperature before it starts throttling its frequency down to protect itself from damage is 105C, 5C higher than Sandy Bridge?s 100C. However, for 24/7 usage, I recommend not exceeding 85C, to keep your CPU safe.
The good news is that most chips shouldn?t have any problems hitting 4.5-4.7GHz with 1.20V or less, which is great for the average overclocker, but scaling gets progressively worse as you go above these levels.
In other words, Ivy Bridge is great for the average overclocker and if you intend on really pushing it to its limits, be warned that you?ll need a serious after-market cooling solution.
Does that mean that you should get a Sandy Bridge CPU instead, if you intend to overclock?
In my opinion, no. Even if you?re able to get an extra 100-300MHz with a Sandy Bridge CPU vs an Ivy Bridge CPU, it won?t be enough to overcome Ivy Bridge architecture improvements, so you?ll end with either lower or similar performance and higher power consumption with an overclocked Sandy Bridge CPU vs an overclocked Ivy Bridge CPU.
That said, if you already have a Sandy Bridge CPU, there?s no point upgrading to Ivy Bridge, except perhaps getting PCI-Express 3.0 if you run or intend to run two high-end video cards in Crossfire or SLI and don?t want to be bottlenecked by PCI-Express 2.0.
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Why not recommend a K version (for overclocking) to begin with?
The reason is simple: If you don?t intend to overclock, why spend more on the K version?
Want to overclock?
If you do want to overclock, I recommend going with the CPU, motherboard, CPU Cooler and power supply of Tier 5, 6 and 7, which are optimized for overclocking. That way, you?ll be sure that your motherboard and the power supply can handle the additional power consumption and that the CPU Cooler will keep your overclocked CPU temperature in check.
In the end, this is YOUR custom PC and I prefer to give you the possibility to choose what?s best for you, instead of imposing my ideas
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Tier 5, 6 and 7
CPU performance wise, the Core i7-3570K is slightly faster than the Core i5-3550 due to its 100MHz higher frequency.
The Core i5-3570K offers a better integrated GPU than the Core i5-3550, but considering that you?ll be using a dedicated video card (which offers far superior performance) and not the integrated GPU, this will make no difference in performance.
The main advantage of the Core i5-3570K over the Core i5-3550 is its unlocked multiplier, which allows you to overclock it to your heart?s content.
Of course, Tier 5, 6 and 7 featured recommended components that are optimized for overclocking, meaning that your overclock won?t be limited by an inadequate CPU Cooler or something alike.
Recommended upgrades (Compared to the Intel Core i5-3570K main recommendation):
- $320 ? Intel Core i7-3770 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Quad-Core 77W
- $350 ? Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W
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A few important recommendations and notes regarding video cards:
- Get the latest version of the video card drivers directly from AMD or Nvidia. That way, you?ll be sure to get the latest bug fixes as well as the best performance possible from your video card(s).
- To confirm whether Crossfire or SLI is working or not, use GPU-Z which will show that information to you in the last field at the bottom of the program.
- SLI Guide: How to enable SLI, check if SLI is enabled, actually working in your game and what to do if it?s not is a great guide from the Notebook Review forums. If you know of a similar guide that covers Crossfire, let me know, I?ll make sure to add it to the article.
- When using two or more video cards in Crossfire or SLI, you want to connect your monitors into the top video card, i.e. the video card that is the closest to the CPU.
- Most video cards require one or two PCI-Express 6 or 8 pin power connector(s) to be plugged into them to function properly. Make sure that your power supply comes equipped with enough 6 and/or 8 pin connectors for your video cards. Of course, I double-checked that already for the recommendations in this article, I simply mention it if you decide to modify a build to your own taste.
Tier 3:
Replacing the Radeon HD 6870, whose price has been creeping up, the EVGA Geforce GTX 560 with its 850MHz is slightly more powerful overall.
What games can this video card handle?
The Geforce GTX 560 1GB is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with maximum visual quality. 1080p (1920 x 1080) gameplay is usually not a problem either, although you might have to scale back details in more demanding games.
Finally, it is DirectX 11 compliant, HDCP ready, able to handle HD content (e.g. Blu-Ray) and stream audio over HDMI.
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Tier 4:
The Geforce GTX 560 Ti costs $60 more than the Geforce GTX 560 Non-Ti, while offering better performance, especially in demanding games.
The Geforce GTX 560 Ti, which is not to be confused with the Geforce GTX 560 above (without the ?Ti?, which is a slower card), is an excellent card for ~$230, that performs not too far behind the more expensive Radeon HD 7850 ($260+).
Do note that this particular model from Gigabyte comes factory overclocked to 900Mhz on the core, as well with a nice dual-fan cooling, giving you some overhead to further overclock this video card, if you want to that is.
What games can this video card handle?
The Geforce GTX 560 Ti is capable of handling pretty much any game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with maximum visual quality. 1080p (1920 x 1080) gameplay is usually not a problem either, although you might have to scale back details in the most demanding games.
Finally, it is DirectX 11 compliant, HDCP ready, able to handle HD content (e.g. Blu-Ray) and stream audio over HDMI.
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Tier 5:
Replacing the Radeon HD 6970, the Radeon HD 7870 is quite a bit faster, while consuming quite a bit less power at load.
At this price point, Nvidia doesn?t offer much, as they haven?t introduced a mid-range Geforce G6xx card yet.
The 7870 has no problem outperforming the $~300 Geforce GTX 570 and is only slightly slower than the ~$400 Geforce GTX 580, while consuming a LOT less power at load (82W!) than the GTX 580 at load and 12-23W less at idle.
What games can this video card handle?
This card will run pretty much any game at 1920 x 1080, including Crysis Warhead (At Enthusiast settings) and other demanding games, with less or more AA/AF, depending on the game.
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Tier 6:
Launched in January 2012, the Radeon HD 7950 3GB is a solid addition to the world of video cards.
It outperforms the Nvidia Geforce GTX 580 by a good margin, consumes quite a bit less power and offers the same outstanding overclocking potential as the the Radeon HD 7970. I invite you to read either the AnandTech review and/or the Tech Report review for more information.
It does come with a dual BIOS physical switch, but unlike some Radeon HD 6950 2GB, it cannot be unlocked from what I?ve seen so far. However, considering it?s phenomenal overclocking potential, not all is lost
What games can this video card handle?
This card will run any game at 1920 x 1200 (or 1080 for 1080p) maxed out, with less or more AA/AF, depending on the game, as well as most games at 2560 x 1600 without any problem. Gaming on multiple monitors is also possible, although you might have to turn settings down, depending on the game.
Alternative
$480 ? SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7970 3GB OC Dual-Fan
This particular model comes with a dual-fan cooling system, for improved cooling and lower temperatures, making it an excellent candidate for overclocking.
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Tier 7:
Simply put, this card features the fastest single-GPU on the market. It?s not only faster than the Radeon HD 7970, but it also consumes about 30W less at load, according to AnandTech.
The GTX 680 introduces ?GPU Boost?, which is similar to the Turbo found on modern Intel and AMD CPUs. Simply put, under high load, the video card will boost its frequency, while remaining within its power budget (TDP) and remaining at safe temperatures, to boost performance.
If you want the fastest video card without messing with Crossfire, SLI or dual-GPU video card setups, this is the way to go.
On the downside, there?s such an high demand for it that it?s out of stock everywhere, so you might want to subscribe to ?Auto Notify? on Newegg, to get an e-mail when it?s back in stock to get it
Alternative
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Need a monitor recommendation?
No problem, I invite you to visit The Best Monitors For Your Money article.
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Tier 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7:
Is 8GB of RAM necessary?
Except for a few exceptions, most current games and applications won?t take advantage of more than 4GB. As time goes by though, games are starting to take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM.
Also, if you?re like me and like switching back (Alt-Tab or Alt-Esc) to your desktop to check something while pausing your game and keeping it open, 8GB will greatly improve the responsiveness of your PC.
Another things to keep in mind is if you intend on keeping this Gaming PC for more than say, 1-2 years, 8GB is worth it, especially now, considering the rock-bottom RAM prices that we have right now.
That way, you know that you?ll be future-proof for a while and that you can alt-tab out of your games with minimal lag.
This is exactly why all the Mainstream Gaming PC Tiers feature 8GB of RAM. That way, you know that you?ll be future-proof for a while and that you can alt-tab out of your games with minimal lag.
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Is it worth it to get RAM with higher frequencies (e.g. 2000MHz RAM vs 1600MHz RAM)?
In my opinion, there is little incentive to move to faster frequency RAM, as this usually only brings only a very small performance increase, nothing noticeable, while costing quite a bit more in some cases. You?re better off investing that extra money on a faster video card, a larger SSD, a different case, etc.
Maximum amount of RAM: All the motherboards in this guide support four sticks of RAM, for a maximum of 32GB (4 sticks of 8GB) of RAM. However, unless you have a specific use for 32GB, it is completely overkill for a Gaming PC. 8GB is plenty enough and 16GB is already hard to justify, unless you want to future-proof your PC and/or use programs that use a lot of RAM.
Other Upgrades:
If you want a 16GB kit, here is my recommended upgrade:
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RAM Heatsinks and CPU cooler clearance:
Every kit that I recommend in this guide feature either no heatsinks or small heatsinks that don?t raise too much above the RAM sticks.
Why?
- Because RAM heatsinks barely make any difference when it comes to RAM temperatures. Besides, even if you overclock it/raise the voltage (at your own risk, Intel doesn?t recommend more than 1.5V), RAM temperatures aren?t a problem as long as you have decent airflow in your case.
- Tall RAM heatsinks can get i
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