First Desktop Gaming PC

[Dangun]

I'm putting together my first desktop gaming PC and I'm in need of part recommendations. The parts I have so far I bought from a couple of clearance sales in July.

Currently, I have:
-EVGA GTX 1080 FTW2 DT
-750W gold rated PSU
-500 GB SSD
-Monitor, keyboard, mouse, and some other accessories

I need:
-A desktop case that allows for very good airflow
--Note that I have a short-hair dog that sheds a lot
-Motherboard
-RAM
-CPU
-DVD ROM
-And anything else I'm missing from this list

I would like to try to stick with Windows 7; but, if I can't, then I'd like to aim for Ubuntu compatibility. Windows 10 is a last resort (I loathe Windows 10 with a burning passion).

Any advice in general is greatly appreciated too!

 

[Judge]

I've built my own PCs since the late 80s.

Stick with Asus motherboards and Corsair RAM. Just make sure to match the latency numbers of your memory chips, whatever you buy.

I use only Intel CPUs, though AMD are cheaper, though they tend to put out more heat. On this system I use an Asus DVD burner. Relatively quiet and runs great.

For case fans the main thing I check is their noise rating. Sticking to no more than those outputting 21db. For cases themselves I'm a bit partial to Antec and Cooler Master. Cooler Master is even better when it comes to CPU fans and heatsinks.

You might also want to look into swappable drive devices. Be able to run multiple operating systems.

https://www.amazon.com/ICY-DOCK-Tra...1&refRID=VWJRYAYFHSKZD4BQK1NA#customerReviews

Note that Windows 7 support ends January 14, 2020.

 

[Dangun]

I've built my own PCs since the late 80s.

Stick with Asus motherboards and Corsair RAM. Just make sure to match the latency numbers of your memory chips, whatever you buy.

I use only Intel CPUs, though AMD are cheaper, though they tend to put out more heat. On this system I use an Asus DVD burner. Relatively quiet and runs great.

Note that Windows 7 support ends January 14, 2020.

Thank you very much for this information!
I did not know that Windows 7 support will end in 2020. That is very unfortunate, as I do not like the direction that Windows has gone in. I suppose I will try to go for Ubuntu.

I'll keep my eye out for Corsair sales -- I've seen them go on sale quite a bit in the past. I'm uncertain what RAM speed I should be looking for.

Would an Intel i5-8600k pair well with the GPU I have? I don't plan on manually overclocking anything, and I've read some time ago that this CPU will do just fine.

Lastly, would you happen to have any ASUS motherboards to recommend in particular that would be compatible with the above CPU?

On a side note, I do plan on installing a partition of Kali Linux.

 

[Judge]

I presently run an Intel i5-3570K CPU, though my Asus board is five years old. Never had a need to overclock it. It's especially fast having paired it with a Samsung Pro SSD.

The type of RAM required and choices provided are dependent on the motherboard you purchase. Asus always lists all the possible types of memory chip type, speed and latency factors in their motherboard manuals. Supposedly lower, single digit latency numbers are better. I don't recommend overclocking RAM either. But the motherboard manual will still give you such options.

You don't want to purchase anything not listed in that manual. Most of all in the case of using multiple memory chips you want to match them, especially when it comes to latency. And be careful about considering RAM chips with excessively sized heatsinks. Low-profile heatsinks or none at all are better. Otherwise they may interfere with other components installed, like your video card. For gaming you're better off with at least 16 gigs of RAM, especially if you do opt to use a Windows-based OS.

Another thing to consider relative to the motherboard you purchase is the number of PCIe/PCI slots available based on the possibility of additional third-party cards you may want to install. Network adapters, additional USB ports...stuff like that. Newer motherboards don't tend to have many additional slots as in the past.

Too many individual decisions for you to make for me to effectively recommend a specific motherboard.

The case you buy will dictate the form factor (size) of the motherboard you buy. So you must be cognizant of the case's dimensions and features relative to the motherboard, CPU heatsink and fan diameters. Most these days tend to use 120mm fans, though in some cases they may also run 80mm fans as well. Also be aware of whether or not the case has front audio and USB ports. And of course if you opt for a motherboard with lots of additional PCIe/PCI slots, make sure the case can accommodate all those slots. Lastly consider how many 5.25" and 3.5" openings you want in the front of the case itself. You'll need at least one 5.25" opening for your DVD. And at least one 3.5" opening if you want to run a peripheral device like a card reader with additional USB ports.

The trickiest thing I had to deal with was accommodating an enormous CPU fan/heatsink that wasn't too big for my case. It ended up clearing it by about a sixteenth of an inch! Of course with a CPU fan and heatsink first and foremost you want to make sure you get a model that is for your specific CPU.

Perhaps best to start out by accessing the Asus motherboard website so you can peruse all the different models that best fit your needs relative to CPU, GPU, onboard sound and number of USB ports. Then begin looking for case. You might consider retailers like newegg.com or amazon.com for any number of the components you'll need. I used newegg.com entirely to build this computer.

 

[Graphin]

Just a thing from me
Yeah i hate windows 10, but am forced to use it.
With ubuntu, you would be much better off to sick to one of its derivatives or kde neon. I remember times where i would be actually useful in answering the actual question here. You seem to be getting good advice already.
Just don't buy unnecessary things like an i7 (especially the more expensive ones) or 32 gigs of ram.
Maybe an additional hard drive?
Also an option would be to keep the case open and letting a fan blow in, like i did

 

[Mr Allen]

Whatever you do, DON'T buy a Chromebook! I know they're made by Google, the world's favourite company, but you can't hardly do anything with them apart from browse and download Chrome specific apps from the Web Store.

I want a PC on which I can download and play with Unity and all the 3D modelling and movie creation stuff I use on my Digital Arts course but my Brother is scared of viruses/Malware etc that can attack Windows based devices.

Plus I don't have the funds for anything more than an entry level PC that would hardly run anything, seen a decent Windows 10 Laptop in PC World for £250.

However, I stopped using my PC as main gaming source apart from emulators when I got the original Xbox in 2002 due to problems running almost anything under Windows XP.

 

[Isadoorian]

Would an Intel i5-8600k pair well with the GPU I have? I don't plan on manually overclocking anything, and I've read some time ago that this CPU will do just fine.

Yes that will do just fine; I plan on getting that whenever I happen to have the $ again; which will likely be never

It'll do great at 1440p with that pairing; also get 16GB RAM, it'll be expensive as crap but will be well worth it

 

[Isadoorian]

Whatever you do, DON'T buy a Chromebook! I know they're made by Google, the world's favourite company, but you can't hardly do anything with them apart from browse and download Chrome specific apps from the Web Store.

I want a PC on which I can download and play with Unity and all the 3D modelling and movie creation stuff I use on my Digital Arts course but my Brother is scared of viruses/Malware etc that can attack Windows based devices.

Plus I don't have the funds for anything more than an entry level PC that would hardly run anything, seen a decent Windows 10 Laptop in PC World for £250.

However, I stopped using my PC as main gaming source apart from emulators when I got the original Xbox in 2002 due to problems running almost anything under Windows XP.

I replaced the Chrome OS on my Chromebook with GalliumOS which is a tweaked version of Xubuntu, which means more freedom. I have Diablo 2 and its Expansion installed on it (would do more games but my Chromebook only has a 16GB SSD)

 

[WildCat]

Cases: Corsair, Cooler Master and especially Antec are all solid choices. If you can route PSU cables behind the motherboard, all the better. If you need extra case fans, add that to the list also. The air filters that come with most cases are easy to clean and should do a good job of keeping the crud out and where it belongs, so don't worry too much about that.

Mobo: Seconding the ASUS motherboard advice here. I've never had one fail on me yet. I'm currently running a Gigabyte motherboard which is OK for the price (didn't have a choice, that's another story though), but if I could go back and do it over then I would have gone ASUS.

RAM: just make sure you have the right type compatible with your motherboard. 16GB of DDR4-2400 is more than enough (and I'm guessing that's what you'll have to use, as DDR3 is being phased out now). It's a cinch to upgrade later down the road if you decide to do so.

CPU: bite the bullet and go Intel if this is a gaming rig. Think i5 and don't waste money on an i7, you won't need hyperthreading at all.

Optical drive: your choice, just do some research and see what's good and what's not.

 

[Mattymatt]

Traditionally ASUS motherboards were the go to brand but nowadays I am really liking Gigabyte's offerings. I just recently built myself an AMD Threadripper system with a Gigabyte motherboard. Go with the AMD Ryzen or Threadripper procs. They're faster and less expensive than the Intel variety. What kind of gaming interests you? I personally enjoy legacy gaming using my favorite OS, OpenBSD, so my computer is probably an overkill for what I am doing but there is something lots of fun about sending a cannon to kill a mosquito. LOL! :-D

 

[Graphin]

If you like tinkering, you can also build a custom case like I did.

 

[Dangun]

I found out some additional information online regarding motherboards and AMD series CPUs. As a result of this information, and months of comparing the AMD Ryzen 5 2600x to the Intel i5 8600k, I have decided to go with the Ryzen 5 2600x. Sure, PUBG and GTA V have noticeably better performance with the i5 8600k, but I don't play those games and the performance difference between other games is neglible. Also, Ryzen 5 2600x is much better for multi-tasking, which would probably help me when I begin making some 3D models and game.

So, here's my checklist (please let me know if any items happen to be missing):
☐Case (undecided)
☑Hard drive

•Own a SanDisk "SSD Plus": 480 GB SSD​

☐Motherboard (undecided, considering ASUS per recommendation)
☑Power supply

•Own a EVGA Supernova 750W G+​

☑Processor

•Not yet purchased, AMD Ryzen 5 2600x​

☐Random Access Memory (undecided, looking at Corsair brand, per recommendation, 16GB, I will want to upgrade to 32 GB in a year)
☑Video Card / GPU

•Own a EVGA GTX 1080 FTW2 DT​

-Optical drive (low-priority, but I need a computer case that can readily hold one)

 

[Isadoorian]

I found out some additional information online regarding motherboards and AMD series CPUs. As a result of this information, and months of comparing the AMD Ryzen 5 2600x to the Intel i5 8600k, I have decided to go with the Ryzen 5 2600x. Sure, PUBG and GTA V have noticeably better performance with the i5 8600k, but I don't play those games and the performance difference between other games is neglible. Also, Ryzen 5 2600x is much better for multi-tasking, which would probably help me when I begin making some 3D models and game.

So, here's my checklist (please let me know if any items happen to be missing):
☐Case (undecided)
☑Hard drive

•Own a SanDisk "SSD Plus": 480 GB SSD​

☐Motherboard (undecided, considering ASUS per recommendation)
☑Power supply

•Own a EVGA Supernova 750W G+​

☑Processor

•Not yet purchased, AMD Ryzen 5 2600x​

☐Random Access Memory (undecided, looking at Corsair brand, per recommendation, 16GB, I will want to upgrade to 32 GB in a year)
☑Video Card / GPU

•Own a EVGA GTX 1080 FTW2 DT​

-Optical drive (low-priority, but I need a computer case that can readily hold one)

You should get an external Optical Drive; that way if you want a Hot Swap Bay or a Dummy Drawer in the future that'd fit you can get one and have the space for it, plus you don't really need a dedicated Optical Drive anymore nowadays as everything is Digital or uses USB (such as Windows 10 installs); a External one will do dandy

 

[Judge]

You should get an external Optical Drive; that way if you want a Hot Swap Bay or a Dummy Drawer in the future that'd fit you can get one and have the space for it, plus you don't really need a dedicated Optical Drive anymore nowadays as everything is Digital or uses USB (such as Windows 10 installs); a External one will do dandy

Good point about a hot-swapped drive bay. Newer motherboards will have a function inside the BIOS to enable SATA Hot Plug support. A valuable feature to make use of to run multiple operating systems without having to mess with separate partitions. Switching entire hard drives much like simply inserting or removing a USB flash drive.

It's how I'll be able to still run Windows 7 offline when it's no longer supported. Just switch the SSD. Then switch back to Windows 10 when I eventually have to acquire that OS. Maybe even get another drive for a version of Linux.

"Have your cake and eat it too."

 

[Joshua the Writer]

Getting Windows 10 is recommended if you want to play any and all computer games. However, if you want to use Ubuntu, you may want to get a Linux-exclusive program call WINE, which quite literally stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator (Linux devs are the ultimate jokesters). Also, since you may want more detail of exactly what you want in your PC build, I'll list the build I am saving up for below.

-Case: DeepCool ATX Mid-tower, https://amzn.to/2Hysm3d ($50.51, $0 ship)
-GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB, https://amzn.to/2OeE42C ($249.99, $0 ship)
-Motherboard: Gigabyte B360M DS3H, https://amzn.to/2O7SLEm ($67.87, $0 ship)
-CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, https://bit.ly/2gDT2Q6 ($34.99, $0 ship)
-HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB, https://amzn.to/2LGY1gR (44.99, $0 ship)
-RAM: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB, https://bit.ly/2uWcnm7 ($82.99, $0 ship)
-CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 Coffee Lake, https://bit.ly/2mFIlPL ($179.99, $0 ship)
-OS:Windows 10 Standard, https://amzn.to/2uSDRJs (%117.02, $0 ship)
-Total PC Cost: $828.35
Note: All prices are in USD.
Edit: Some items may have been on sale at the time I first made this list, which was on July 23, 2018.