We also ran 3DMark as it received a major update that now tells you the frame rates you can expect to see in a selection of popular game titles. PC gamers submitted more than one million benchmark results with 3DMark in October , so this will help give you an idea of the performance of this build to compare it to your current gaming system. This system performs great as it is, but we picked out the hardware with the ability for the key parts to updated in the future.
Adding some RGB case fans will quickly transform the appearance of the gaming PC and lower the internal case temperatures. It supports 2x mm or mm fans on the front, 2x mm fans up top and 1x mm fan on the bottom. The motherboard we picked out uses the Intel B chipset that supports not only the latest Intel 10th Generation Comet Lake-S processors, but it will also support their upcoming 11th Gen Rocket Lake processors.
Upgrading the graphics card will be no problem on this system. Curious how the Intel Core i 6-core, thread processor in this build does with a more powerful video card? However, we also realize that many readers seeking our how-to guidance likely have no inclination of have to manually overclock a CPU.
We have a guide on the finer points of overclocking if you want to learn the ins and outs, but the Gigabyte ZP-D3 motherboard has some built-in solutions that makes it really easy. A list of processor models and target frequencies will appear. We selected the highest possible clock rate for the Core iK and did some stress testing to see if it would remain stable.
The CPU holds a rock-solid, all-core 4. It also puts up a decent fight against Fire Strike Extreme, and the results indicate that you will get excellent performance at p and can even dabble at x with the low-priced platform.
The Cinebench and Sandra results follow this trend, with the overclocked Intel Core iK and the dual-channel DDR memory each scoring above average in their respective tests. However, PCMark 8 and our storage tests speak to the one pitfall of the platform: a slow hard drive. Although the sequential read and write speeds are respectable for a HDD, the IOPS leave you staring at load screens for quite some time when using productivity apps such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Word and, of course, games.
We had to pull back on some detail settings compared to our full PC review test settings in a few of the tested games, particularly the Anti-Aliasing options. Otherwise, the detail settings are identical to our PC review suite completely maxed out. Most of all, it doesn't break the bank. The GPU is also a respectable choice for the platform. The motherboard supports AMD Crossfire technology, giving the builder a clear upgrade path if they find themselves wanting more gaming horsepower later on.
The case is easy to work with, and the flat PSU cables give you significant flexibility in your cable management. For a little more money, we'd suggest a windowed case for those who demand more aesthetic value.
Image 1 of 9. Image 2 of 9. Image 3 of 9. Image 4 of 9. Image 5 of 9. Image 6 of 9. Image 7 of 9. Image 8 of 9. Image 9 of 9. Image 1 of 8. Image 2 of 8. Image 3 of 8. Image 4 of 8. Image 5 of 8. Image 6 of 8. Image 7 of 8. Image 8 of 8. This is a laser-focused budget board, and this is the perfect place to use it. This slim, no-nonsense memory kit from Corsair lets us deliver a huge amount of memory and increases our clock speeds, too, without going off the deep end with our budget.
Of course, there are tons of options for memory kits, and this is just a suggestion. Memory prices have really dropped recently, but there's always the potential for higher quality RAM savings. Just make sure to pay attention to the frequency and timing, as well as the price. If you need some additional pointers when looking for memory, our guide to the best RAM for gaming can help point you in the right direction. Capacity: 1 TB Interface: M.
You can't have a PC without storage, and you're going to need space for your OS as well as whatever games you want to keep on hand. Thankfully, with memory and SSD prices dropping in pretty rapid order, we've finally found a way to slot an M.
Not only are M. The transfer speeds of the Intel p, however, do tend to slow down considerably as it approaches capacity, so you'll be grateful for all that space. This drive isn't exactly what anyone would call the top-of-the-line performance, but this is still one of the best SSDs for gaming if you're on a budget. Just try to keep at least GB free, and it should perform fine.
The various upgrades to our budget rig draw more power than previous builds, so we've had to go with a slightly larger PSU. It's tough to go wrong with a power supply as long as you're sticking with a major vendor.
This non-modular unit from EVGA has more than enough juice for our needs. Don't forget that you don't want to screw anything too tightly. Just turn your screwdriver until everything is securely tightened, and then you're ready to move on. Installing the power supply into your case is often quite easy. You'll want to refer to your specific case's manual for this, but it's pretty straightforward.
First, we took our case's mounting bracket and screwed it onto the back of our power supply. You'll notice your power supply also sports a fan, which is used to circulate air. If you're planning on placing your finished gaming PC on a hardwood floor or desk, then feel free to aim this fan downward; if you're placing your gaming PC on a carpeted floor, then you'll want to aim the fan upward. Once you've figured out which way your PSU needs to be oriented, and screwed on the mounting bracket, you can easily slide it into your case and tighten the bracket's screws.
Depending on how much room you have for your PSU, you may want to hold off on screwing it in until you've plugged in all of its various power cables. Your case should have a specific bay area dedicated to holding these kinds of drives.
Locate this area, then look for two metal clasps on the left and right side of each bay. Squeeze these clasps and then pull the bay out. Here is where you'll be able to screw in your SATA drive and keep it stable inside your case.
Find the SATA slot on your motherboard and plug the other side of the appropriate cable into it, then plug the other side of the PSU cable into your power supply. Your drive is now installed, though you will need to format it once your PC is up and running. Now, you're ready to start plugging cables into your motherboard.
This part requires some patience, as your case cables are extremely tiny and can be difficult to orient. You'll want to reference both your case and motherboard manuals during this step. Some motherboards, like our Aorus Ultra, come with a bus that you can plug the case cables into before inserting them into the motherboard.
This makes this step much easier. Your case cables make it so you can use the various ports on the front of your PC in addition to the power button itself. Of course, nothing is going to happen when you press that button if you don't plug your PSU into your motherboard. Installing your cooling system can be a somewhat nerve-wracking experience, particularly when applying the thermal paste, but it's a lot easier than it sounds.
The first thing you need to do is mount the system's bracket to the motherboard. You'll need access to the back of the motherboard tray, as you'll be screwing part of it to the back of the tray. This'll give you the spots you need to set the cooler's pump onto your CPU and motherboard.
Before you do this, however, there are a few other steps. Liquid-based CPU cooling systems come with a radiator equipped with fans, which you'll want to screw into your case. Of course, you'll need to figure out where you want to install it. We recommend screwing it into your case's top grill, as it'll allow for more airflow, but some cases may not have a top grill, and you'll need to install it on the back of the case. Once you figure out what position you're going to go with, you'll screw the radiator into the grill itself.
Once you're done this, you're ready to attach the pump. First, you'll want to apply some thermal paste. You'll want to apply a pea-sized glob of thermal paste into the center of your CPU. During this step, always go smaller than bigger. Once applied, you can press the cooler into its position on the CPU and thermal paste. If you feel like you've accidentally applied too much thermal paste, don't worry: It's as easy as wiping the CPU off with a dry cloth and rubbing alcohol and trying again.
Once the pump is installed, you'll want to make sure all of your cooling system's wires are plugged into the right spots. Our particular cooler required us to plug a micro-USB cable into our pump and the other side into our motherboard. Before we move on to the last step of physically building your PC, you may want to do some cable management to clean up. This'll create some room for air circulation and accessing your components if you ever want to upgrade later.
Most cases come with Velcro straps or zip ties, but I always keep a bag of Velcros on hand just in case.
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