Nov 30 2010 - The holidays are a wonderful time to research top components and parts to build a gaming rig. With many large retailers discounting computer parts during the holiday season, it can be a challenge choosing which components are the best on a moment's notice. This list assembles the top parts for a midrange Intel-based gaming desktop. Building a gaming system is an accomplishment that can be both cost-saving and fun.
1. Gaming Case - Antec Nine Hundred Two
Image Courtesy Antec
The Antec Nine Hundred Two is roomy enough to house your powerful gaming components, yet small enough to fit underneath a desk easily. Airflow is excellent throughout the case, too, with a 200mm exhaust fan, two 120mm front fans, and one 120mm fan rounding out the rear. With a transparent side panel window, blue lights, and an aggressive feel, the Antec Nine Hundred Two is a top pick for a midrange gaming rig.
2. Motherboard - ASUS P6X58D-E Intel X58 Motherboard
Image Courtesy ASUSTeK
This ASUS motherboard is an excellent choice for gaming due to a multitude of features. It's equipped with three PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots that can run at x16/x8/x8 or x16/x16/x1 for multi-GPU support in an SLI or CrossFireX configuration (great for future expansion). The ASUS P6X58D-E also supports triple channel DDR3 memory and is excellent for overclocking. Transfer speeds are fast on this board with SATA 6GB/s and USB 3.0 support. The ASUS P6X58D-E is an Intel X58 board that is compatible with the Intel Core i7 processor chosen below.
3. Processor - Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz Quad-Core Processor
Image Courtesy Intel
Since most games don't utilize all six cores in a hex-core processor, the Intel Core i7-950 quad-core processor was chosen for its 3.06GHz speed and sub-$300 price. This processor offers 8MB of L3 Cache, Turbo Boost technology, and Hyper-Threading for fast response times in a variety of applications. It's also decent for overclocking if you like to fine-tune your system.
4. Hard Drive - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
Image Courtesy Seagate
Since gamers typically require a lot of hard drive space to store a variety of games, the Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM hard drive was chosen over a smaller SSD. This 7200RPM Seagate hard drive offers decent load times, and 1TB of storage is above and beyond what most gamers need in terms of space. Although a solid state drive may produce faster load times, sacrificing space (and money) isn't worth it if your system is used primarily for gaming.
5. Video Card - AMD Radeon HD 6870
Image Courtesy AMD
The ATI Radeon HD 6870 offers smooth gameplay for under $300. With 1120 stream processors and 1GB of GDDR5 video memory, you'll be able to play the latest games at high settings. Best of all, you can add a second AMD Radeon HD 6870 to your setup as prices fall for a rockin' CrossFireX solution. Read more about the AMD Radeon HD 6870 in this detailed review.
6. Memory - OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800
Image Courtesy OCZ
One feature to look for when picking out memory is timing. The best memory will garner low CAS times. This OCZ Platinum triple channel memory is CL 6 with fast 6-8-6-24 timings. Available in three 2GB sticks, the 6GB OCZ Platinum pack offers enough RAM to handle most games and applications with ease. Since its DDR3, the OCZ Platinum memory is twice as fast as DDR2 memory. If you're building out a new system, please be aware that the two are not compatible, so you cannot add a stick of DDR2 from an old machine to an updated DDR3 rig.