Motherboard, Processor, Cooler, Memory
The Enthusiast’s PC gets one of two “future proof” processors depending on your needs. The Ryzen 5 2600 is a multi-tasking beast on a budget with 6 cores and 12 threads, this chip also overclocks very well on the stock cooler, though for a very small price the Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED reduces temperatures dramatically, so we feel this is the way most enthusiasts should go. Using this aftermarket cooler the R5 2600 should be good for a 4GHz overclock on all cores, making it a very punchy CPU indeed. Now, Intel’s latest addition to their 8th-gen Core i5 is just as impressive and for $180 the i5-8400 is hard to beat. Depending on the application, the Core i5-8400 can be faster than the Ryzen 5 2600, though it can also be quite a bit slower, so choose wisely for your specific needs (more cores/threads vs. better single core performance). The i5-8400 gets six high-speed cores with no Hyper-Threading, more than enough for the vast majority of gamers to play all the latest games without any frame hitches. In other words, Intel is the better choice for those primarily looking to play games. Aiding the overclock on Ryzen’s side is Gigabyte’s X470 Aorus Ultra Gaming, an affordable X470 motherboard. The X470 Aorus offers a very high quality onboard audio solution, Intel Gigabit networking, USB 3.1 Gen2 and Type-C, dual M.2 PCIe slots and a dual BIOS. Oh, and did I mention the board has a heap of fancy RGB lighting options? While for the Core i5 we chose one of the best value Z370 motherboards you can get right now: the Gigabyte Z370-HD3P supports up to DDR4-4000 memory, plenty of PCI Express slots (two are x16), USB 3.1 Gen2 with Type-C, Intel GbE LAN, Dual M.2, RGB Fusion and Smart Fan 5 control. Then for the memory G.Skill’s Flare X Series works extremely well and for this build we recommend the 16GB kit. Memory is still quite pricey at the moment, but for this kind of system you will want no less than 16GB.
Graphics, Sound
The Ryzen 5 2600 and Core i5-8400 are seriously capable CPUs and they deserve an equally powerful GPU. We’d normally recommend a cool GTX 1070 gaming card as a combo, however given current prohibitive GPU prices, our main pick has gone to a GTX 1060 3GB which should satisfy most while keeping the budget reasonable. If gaming is your first priority, then spending the bigger bucks for a GTX 1070 is recommended, just make sure you are not overpaying too much. There are plenty of great GTX 1070 graphics cards available and Gigabyte’s WindForce series is one of our favorites that is usually not selling for a big markup. With performance that matches previous-gen Titans, the GTX 1070 is the perfect graphics card for tackling 1440p resolutions as needed. Both Gigabyte mainboards features onboard audio solutions and therefore we don’t recommend purchasing a discrete sound card at this price point.
Storage
The 500GB Samsung 860 Evo came out this year to replace the ever dependable 850 series drives. It manages to maintain the 850 Evo’s status as one of the most affordable high-end drives around. Most enthusiasts will want a larger hard drive complementing their SSD and if that’s the case when we suggest the WD Blue 4TB. It’s great value and performance isn’t an issue here as it’s probably just going to be used for multimedia content and backing up.
Power, Case
Although you could probably get by with a solid 500W PSU, that would be cutting it close with some multi-GPU configurations, so spending a few bucks more now to have headroom later makes the most sense. There are plenty of options to pick from but we really like the Seasonic M12II 620w. It’s Bronze certified, offers ample power, and costs just over $50. Some passionate case builders will say you can’t get high quality cases for $100, but that simply isn’t true. No other chassis disproves this claim more than the Phanteks Enthoo Pro. The size, weight, and visible construction quality of this case suggest its $90 price tag may be a mistake.
Monitor(s)
The 27-inch Dell U2715H topped our enthusiast recommendation in our Best Monitors list last year but has been edged out by the bigger and wider LG 34UC88. A curved ultrawide QHD display and a price point of around $600 make this a hard one to pass up. With a resolution of 3440 x 1440, the IPS display offers a sharper image than 1080p without pushing a mid-range GPU passed its limits. If gaming is your primary concern, the ViewSonic XG2703-GS stands above the rest. This 27-inch IPS monitor offers a 165Hz refresh rate and G-Sync variable refresh tech while offering a crisp 2560 x 1440 resolution. If you’re after an affordable 4K monitor then we suggest the Asus MG28UQ which offers gorgeous 3840 x 2160 resolution on its 28-inch screen. FreeSync support is a nice bonus.
Speakers
Speakers are a tricky component to shop for because a higher price and wattage don’t necessarily equal better audio, and if you are very picky about audio quality you may want to look beyond regular PC speakers (or look for higher-end options in the next builds). As long as you don’t expect studio-quality reproduction and you’re not trying to rattle any walls, the ~$40 CA-3602 recommended for the Entry-Level Rig should be fine. For a little extra, the Creative T3250 2.1 provide a similar audio experience with a few more features, most notably Bluetooth support, which enables the T3250’s to stream music wirelessly from most stereo Bluetooth devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. Finally, if you want the best PC speakers for under $100, the Bose Companion 2 Series III are a proven solution with fidelity that impresses at this price range. We’ve long-term tested the Companions and we can say they’re almost a steal at $100.
Mouse & Keyboard
Between the number of possible keyboard and mouse combinations and the various uses you could be making of this system it’s virtually impossible to recommend a single component. However when we looked for the value middle ground, three great options came up on top: The CM MasterKeys series boards replace our previous recommendation, the QuickFire XT, as it’s on its way out. The Masterkeys is a solid mechanical keyboard with a sober look and still well under $100. The Logitech G610 Orion is another great entry-level mechanical keyboard ($60) for those wishing to upgrade their typing experience. It’s aggressively priced, undercutting similar keyboards from competitors, while providing a solid feature set and the same tactile feedback as Logitech’s premium offerings. On the mouse front, the Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury brings a familiar combination of quality, comfort and customization of premium Logitech mice for a mere $48. For even less, the Logitech G Pro is a serious/spartan take on the gaming mouse that we like. For a more ample view of input peripherals we recommend you to check out our guides of the best keyboards and best mice.
