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BUILD A KILLER GAMING PC IN UNDER $1,000 - PART 4

MEMORY: 8GB CORSAIR VENGEANCE CL9 DDR3-1600 RAM ($44.99) Memory is dirt cheap these days, so you could easily push this boat out to 16GB without bankrupting yourself, but 8GB is sufficient for most tasks. Corsair is a memory maker we’ve used and trusted for a long time and its new Vengeance 8GB kit has proven to be as stable and reliable as the company’s reputation would lead you to expect. Points may be added or taken away for the macho look of the heat spreader, depending on your preference. A good alternative here is the G.Skill Ripjaws set of two 4GB DDR3-1600 sticks. By the way, don’t bother spending extra for faster memory (DDR3-1866) or tighter timings (CL8 or CL7). AnandTech performed a study recently that showed anything over DDR3-1333 was overkill for Sandy Bridge CPUs. We’ve opted for DDR3-1600 because it costs practically the same as the lower-specced stuff. STORAGE: SAMSUNG 64GB SSD 830 ($94.99) + WD CAVIAR BLUE 500GB 7200RPM HDD ($99.99) Hard drives would
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Build a killer gaming PC in under $1,000 - PART 3

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P8P67 PRO REV 3.1 ($144.99) If you’re going to pursue the path of the overclocker, it’s of paramount importance that you find a motherboard that can withstand the additional stresses your sped-up CPU will inflict upon it. Asus’s P8P67 Pro is an established champ in that category, with the company also providing a handy and comprehensive overclocking guide over on the Hard Forum. The P67 chipset is Intel’s performance-oriented setup and Asus outfits it with all the extras you’ll need: four 6Gbps SATA connections, four USB 3.0 jacks, Bluetooth 2.1, 8-channel audio, and support for dual-card graphics solutions such as Nvidia's SLI or AMD's CrossFire. In place of the old school BIOS, you get the fresh and new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which performs all the roles of a BIOS, but does it with a much friendlier graphical UI that also lets you use your mouse. Asus also throws in a heap of power-tweaking options and fail-safes to prevent yo

Build a killer gaming PC in under $1,000 - PART 2

CPU: INTEL CORE I5-2500K ($209.99) When processor price wars happen, they typically take place at or around the $200 mark. It's the sweet spot for consumers on a tight budget, mostly because it tends to be populated by high-end CPU architectures with a little less power than the $300 to $600 flagship models. The i5-2500K is just such a chip, and it has quickly developed a reputation as the best value Sandy Bridge processor. In its stock configuration, it runs four cores at 3.3GHz each, but the heart of its widespread appeal is in this CPU’s ability to operate at speeds of 4GHz and above. The K in the model number denotes the unlocked multiplier on the 2500K, which will allow you to overclock it to your heart’s content (or, more realistically, as far as your cooling will allow). If you have extra room in your budget, you can step up to the Core i7-2600K ($320), which adds some extra cache (super fast on-chip memory), accelerates the stock speed, and seems to have a

Build a killer gaming PC in under $1,000 - Part 1

Ah, the self-built PC. It wasn’t until the turn of this century that computer components were finally affordable enough for the regular Joe and Vlad to build their own, but we made up for lost time in a hurry. The insatiable appetite for newer and better hardware intermingled with the wealth of knowledge that was the internet to produce some wonderful DIY PCs. Oh sure, garish LED lights would peek out at you from some overzealous builder’s case, but at least they were a sign of the close bond shared between a machine and the human that built it. Modern trends have threatened to leave the custom-built computer behind, what with multifunctional home consoles and constantly connected mobile devices, but there’s still one overwhelming reason to want a good old desktop tower: gaming. The highest possible visual fidelity is still reserved for the PC gamer, with games like the recent Battlefield 3 exhibiting breathtaking graphical detail. As keen gamers ourselves, we thought it

Basic System/Parts Requirements for building a Gaming PC

How to build a gaming PC easily starts first with doing some research on the budget, parts, methods, compatibilities, quality and workability with games. Those with no prior experience in this will be best advised to take the help of a friend with knowledge on these. Selection of parts and handling should go with more care so that the gain you get in this is not lost by breakages or time over-run. Selection guide: For gaming computers, the parts should be of high quality and high capacity so that they meet the requirements of modern games. Markets have some leading companies supplying these; browsing through reviews, user manuals and consultation with friends in the field will help a lot in deciding on the company making How To Build A Gaming PC easy; once a company’s main components are chosen, the other parts are also to be preferably of the same company for ensuring perfect compatibilities. Processor and motherboard: Choice of X 58 and i7 980 X Processor and a m

Advanced Video Tutorial on Building a Gaming PC

How to build the Ultimate Gaming PC – Build Guide and Tutorial How to Build a (Gaming) Computer: Full Guide

Things to Keep in Mind when building a Gaming Rig

With the advent of modern technologies in the world of computers, the art of computer gaming has become more popular as a form of entertainment as well as amusement. This art has become a past time for not only the people of younger generation but also for people who are under stress from their daily chores who just want to relax in order to release their tension. People are generally confused with the skills that are needed to make the home computers for the purpose of gaming. This can be easily done like a DIY project provided one has the will to do it against all the odds. This article is meant for the readers who frequently ask a question How To Build A Gaming PC? in several forums and other communication media. How To Build A Gaming PC At Home? With the advent of Internet one can involve in many Do It Yourself (DIY) projects in home or in business places. By simply making a Google search with words How To Build A Gaming PC one is assured to view innumerable websites th