The ultimate gaming rig is right. This build has been long awaited, mainly because it has taken so long for custom coolers to come out for the R9 290 and 290X. But, now that my favourite one is out, I think I should go ahead and config this rig for you guys. It is not a super budget conscious rig. This is for people who want to max out their games from the get go and just kill games like Battlefield 4, Crysis 3, and any other hard to max game. Let's get started.
CPU: Intel i5 3570k
We're gonna go Intel for this rig, mainly because the i5 in this case is the smart factor. You could get an FX-8350 for cheaper, but there aren't many games that utilize 8 physical cores yet. The Intel will allow you to push the system to the limits and kill any games that come into it's path. But, it's not the main component of this build.
GPU: Asus DirectCUII R9 290
So the R9 290X was spouted as the Titan killer, which it was... until the GTX 780Ti came out and killed everything. But, this is still a great card if you love AMD and want to utilize their future software components such as TrueAudio and Mantle API. I think that if the 50% boost that AMD is saying they'll get is true, this card will crush the 780Ti in any game that uses Mantle. Also, if you're into Cryptocurrency mining, there is really no better option than an aftermarket cooler on a 290X. If you have Amazon Prime, you get $100 off the 290.
Mobo: ASRock Extreme Z77 Extreme3
We'll go with a Z77 mobo for this build in case you want to overclock it. I do recommend a different CPU cooler though, cause the stock Intel cooler will not cut the slack. But, this Mobo also comes with a lot of features. It supports SLI/Crossfire, has two PCI-E 3.0 slots and one PCI-E 2.0 so you may get triple SLI if you wanted, though I would never recommend that. This is a great mobo, especially for $100.
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB
So we'll go with single channel Ballistix RAM. You know how much I love this RAM if you just read my other builds. We'll go with a single channel for now because this board has the ability to upgrade it to 32GB if you wanted, so I'm saving you money by getting you a single channel, believe it or not.
HDD: Western Digital RE3 1TB
1TB hard drive. Plenty for our games. Just go crazy.
PSU: Corsair CSM 750 80+ Gold
So we'll go with an 80+ Gold semi-modular power supply for this rig. This will save you a buttload on electricity, even more so since we're using lower power components, except the GPU. The semi-modular PSU will also allow us to easily manage our cables, even in a large case, since we only use what we need. I like Corsair PSUs, so they're highly recommended.
Case: Fractal Design Define R4
Fractal makes good cases. No two ways about it. The Define R4 is used by a lot of people, and I can see why. It's got a lot of space, it's clean looking, and it's got nice air flow. As always, get a case you like, but if you have no idea where to start, this is a nice position to start. (Promo code EMCPWHB37)
PCPP Cost: $1210.87
This is a really nice build, and if you have the money, I recommend it. But I think you should go with a 290 in the DirectCUII, because when overclocked, the 290 beats the 290X overclocked. And that's without non-reference cooler. So if you can find one, get a 290 for less than the 290X.
Happy gaming.
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