Mid Range Computer Build 2014
OK, so a friend of mine asked me for some ideas in building out a new gaming computer for him. I spent some time on NewEgg, and have come up with the following list. It’s essentially a mid-range gaming computer, with a focus on long life and the possibility of future upgrades. It’s essentially what I’d build for myself, if I had an extra $1400 bucks in the bank. 😀 Here’s the email I sent him:
Motherboard – ASUS Z97M-PLUS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132130
Chip – Intel Core i7 Haswell Quad-core 3.1ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116902
RAM – 2 8gb Crucial Balistic Sport 240 pin DDR3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148663
Video Card – EVGA GTX 970 SC ACX 2.0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487076
Hard Drives – 2 Western Digital 1TB Greens
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236070
Blu-ray Burner – Pioneer 16x BD-R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129075
Power Supply – Roswell ARC M550 550w Modular
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182298
OS – Windows 8.1 64-bit OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416776
Case – Rosewill BlackHawk Mid ATX Gaming Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147107
Notes:
— System has been designed with longevity in mind. Lower power CPU and the WD Green hard drives combined with the 5 fan case will keep they system cooler for longer. (Quieter as well)
— The board and chipset are the latest, meaning an upgrade should be easy in the future. We saved money by getting a board with only one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot.
— I’ve had good luck with Crucial RAM before, and it’s low profile, making it easier to work with in the case. The board will support an additional set of 2 8gb sticks.
— The video card is the low end of the newest Nvidia cards. It got really good reviews on Tom’s hardware, and is the starting point for the whole system.
— OEM version of Windows, saves money and we can do our own support.
— Blu-ray burner, also burns all other media types and supports 3D Video.
— The power supply is the only thing I’m not entirely sure about. It’s modular, which means you won’t have all the extra cables in the case. It does have all the power we need though.