Category: Good Gaming Computers

The Best Motherboards for Gaming in 2018: 17 Top Motherboards Rated & Reviewed

November 9, 2017 By Brent Hale 14 Comments

Top Motherboards

We rated, reviewed, & compared 17 of the best motherboards for gaming across various budgets, including the best AM4 motherboards and the best Coffee Lake motherboards.

	NAME	CHIPSET	FORM	RATING
COFFEE LAKE	MSI Z370 GODLIKE	Z370	Extended ATX	9.5/10	[easyazon_link identifier=”B075GN9YBM” locale=”US” tag=”bestmobos-20″]Check Price[/easyazon_link]
AM4	MSI X370 XPOWER	X370	Standard ATX	9.4/10	[easyazon_link identifier=”B06WLNZ1JH” locale=”US” tag=”bestmobos-20″]Check Price[/easyazon_link]
LGA 2066	GIGABYTE X299 Gaming 7	X299	Standard ATX	9.3/10	[easyazon_link identifier=”B071S9M6KP” locale=”US” tag=”bestmobos-20″]Check Price[/easyazon_link]
OLD LGA 1151	ASUS ROG IX Hero	Z270	Standard ATX	9.2/10	[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NBHXSP6″ locale=”US” tag=”bestmobos-20″]Check Price[/easyazon_link]

[expand title=”Check Update History »” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]

11/9: Added Coffee Lake motherboards and removed AM3+ motherboards.

9/12: Replaced LGA 2011 motherboards with newer LGA 2066 motherboards.

[/expand]

The motherboard is the central communication center for your computer. It’s where all of your components plug into and are able to communicate with each other. The motherboard you choose for your gaming computer will have a huge impact on the quality of your build. If you choose a low-end cheap motherboard, you will be stuck having to get low-end cheap components.

However, if you choose a feature-rich and powerful motherboard, you will not only experience the benefits now, but you will also set yourself up with plenty of room to upgrade in the future.

[Read more…]

The Best Gaming PCs for 2018: 4K & VR-Ready Desktop Gaming PCs

October 17, 2017 By Brent Hale 535 Comments

We put together five of the best gaming PC builds for 2018. You can use these builds as is, or customize them to suit your needs, and they are ideal for virtual reality and 4K gaming.

	BUDGET	SPECS
WORK/GAMER	$2,000 Gaming PC	Intel Core i7-8700K [easyazon_link identifier=”B06Y15DWXR” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]EVGA GTX 1080 Ti[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B074Q1LM4K” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Patriot 16GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B017HA3SO0″ locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]EVGA GQ 850W[/easyazon_link]	Check Price Full Partlist »
EXTREME	$1,750 Gaming PC	Intel Core i7-8700K [easyazon_link identifier=”B06Y15DWXR” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]EVGA GTX 1080 Ti[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B074Q1LM4K” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Patriot 16GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B017HA3SQ8″ locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]EVGA GQ 650W[/easyazon_link]	Check Price Full Partlist »
ENTHUSIAST	$1,500 Gaming PC	Intel Core i7-8700K [easyazon_link identifier=”B01GCAVRSU” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]ZOTAC GTX 1080[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B074Q1LM4K” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Patriot 16GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01FYDU8X6″ locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]EVGA BQ 650W[/easyazon_link]	Check Price Full Partlist »
SWEET SPOT	$1,250 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XNRQHG4″ locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]AMD Ryzen 5 1600[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01GCAVRSU” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]ZOTAC GTX 1080[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B074Q1LM4K” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Patriot 16GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01FYDU8X6″ locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]EVGA BQ 650W[/easyazon_link]	Check Price Full Partlist »
BUDGET 4K	$1,000 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B0759FGJ3Q” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]AMD Ryzen 5 1600[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LLAJ8PU” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Zotac GTX 1070[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B00UFBZOVE” locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Crucial 8GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”topgc13-20″]Corsair CX 550M[/easyazon_link]	Check Price Full Partlist »

[expand title=”Check Update History »” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]

1/1 Update: Switched up a few out-of-stock items in some of the builds and made other changes to accommodate for increasing RAM and GPU prices.

11/29 Update: Updated most of the builds to accommodate for fluctuating RAM prices and to swap out some components that went out of stock.

11/17 Update: Swapped out Ryzen processors for Intel’s Coffee Lake processors as well as swapped out a few other items that had changed in price.

10/27 Update: Switched out the memory on a few of the builds as prices had increased significantly. Also swapped out the EGVA GTX 1080 Ti FTW edition for the SC edition as the price on the FTW had gone up significantly.

10/17 Update: Since Coffee Lake processors are out of stock on Amazon right now, I switched the builds to Ryzen 5 and 7 CPUs.

[/expand]

HOW TO BUILD THE BEST GAMING PC IN 2018!

With modern PC games advancing at such a rapid rate, there is no surprise that there are multiple games on the market that most standard cookie-cutter computers can barely handle.

And, as PC gamers we like to have and experience the best… We like to play our games on the highest settings possible, with the highest framerate possible.

Fortunately, in this day and age, even a budget gaming PC will allow you to play most games on higher settings on a 1080p monitor. (Although, in this guide, we’ll be talking about high-end gaming computers, rather than budget-friendly systems.)

This is especially as true when you take it upon yourself to build your own custom gaming desktop, which will ultimately save you a ton of money on the markup prices that you would’ve paid for a pre-built computer (like an Alienware or Cyber Power PC system) or a high-end gaming laptop.

[Read more…]

The Best Cheap Gaming PCs for 2018: Building a Budget PC for Serious Gaming

October 17, 2017 By Brent Hale 2,232 Comments

In this guide we’re going to go over everything you need in order to pick the best components for a solid cheap gaming computer. So, if you’re strapped for cash, but you still want to get a badass gaming PC, keep reading!

	BUDGET	SPECS
VR/1440P	$800 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKVNRSM” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]AMD Ryzen 5 1500X[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01JHQT1SE” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]ASUS GTX 1060 6GB[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Patriot 8GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01IAGSD5O” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Crucial 256GB SSD[/easyazon_link]	BUY NOW Full Partlist »
MID-RANGE	$700 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKVNRSM” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]AMD Ryzen 5 1500X[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01K8PAS8K” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]PNY GTX 1060 3GB[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Patriot 8GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Corsair CX 550M[/easyazon_link]	BUY NOW Full Partlist »
BUDGET VR	$600 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B06XKWT8J4″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]AMD Ryzen 5 1400[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MG3IX4F” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]MSI GTX 1050 Ti[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Patriot 8GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Corsair CX 550M[/easyazon_link]	BUY NOW Full Partlist »
1080P	$500 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NCE8T92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Intel Pentium G4560[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MG3IX4F” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]MSI GTX 1050 Ti[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B016A29HKA” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Patriot 8GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Corsair CX550M[/easyazon_link]	BUY NOW Full Partlist »
ENTRY-LEVEL	$400 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NCE8T92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Intel Pentium G4560[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01JGQUIU0″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]MSI RX 560[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B00UFBZOVE” locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Crucial 8GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B01B72W0A2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Corsair CX550M[/easyazon_link]	BUY NOW Full Partlist »
BAREBONES	$300 Gaming PC	[easyazon_link identifier=”B01NCE8T92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Intel Pentium G4560[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B071L4VKF6″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]MSI GT 1030[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B074Q1YX92″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Patriot 4GB DDR4[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_link identifier=”B004IZN3K2″ locale=”US” tag=”gcgctest-20″]Antec VP-450[/easyazon_link]	BUY NOW Full Partlist »

[expand title=”Check Guide Update History »” trigclass=”noarrow” targclass=”maptastic”]

1/1 Update: Switched up all of the builds to accommodate for fluctuating prices.

11/29 Update: Swapped out the RAM on all of the builds to accommodate for fluctuating prices. Also swapped motherboards on the $500-$800 builds due to a price increase on the previous motherboard.

11/20 Update: Swapped out RAM on the builds as the previous RAM was out of stock. Also finished updating the processor, motherboard, graphics card, case, and power supplies is the extended guide below the builds.

11/17 Update: Swapped out motherboards and RAM on the $600, $700, and $800 builds to accommodate for changing prices. Also swapped out the Zotac GTX 1060 6GB on the $800 build for a more affordable EVGA GTX 1060 6GB.

10/27 Update: Switched out the RAM on the builds for a more affordable version as memory prices are fluctuating like crazy right now. Also made some switched to the MOBO on the $600, $700, and $800 builds.

[/expand]

In this day and age of incredible graphics and extremely demanding video games, you, as a PC gamer, must have a capable gaming computer if you want to play your favorite games in the way they were designed to be played. Unfortunately, though, the price tag that comes with a solid PC may be keeping you from getting the system that you deserve.

However, if you elect to build your own system–rather than buying it pre-built–you can forego the high costs associated with buying an expensive pre-built setup (like one from Alienware or Cyber Power PC) and you can finally get yourself an affordable gaming computer that will play your favorite games at acceptable levels. And, if you’re willing to spend between $700-$800 you can even get a VR-ready 4K gaming PC that is capable of utilizing the Oculus Rift headset.

[Read more…]

Meet League of Legends System Requirements with this $400 Gaming PC

December 10, 2015 By Brent Hale 6 Comments

If you haven’t played League of Legends yet, then you’re missing out. I was a little late to the LOL bandwagon, but now that I have arrived I’m totally hooked. This game is addicting, to say the least. And, since I love to get other people hooked on the things that I am currently hooked on (why do you think I created this site?!!?!) I’d like to take the time to write a post on how you can get a solid computer for League of Legends for pretty cheap.

Of course, you’re going to have to build your own system in order to get the most performance for the least amount of money… but with my complete computer-building guide, that should be a piece of cake. And, I know I say this a lot, but if you can operate a screwdriver and read, you are overqualified to build your own computer.

[Read more…]

Best Gaming PC Under $500

December 8, 2015 By Brent Hale 2 Comments

In this post, I’ll go over the parts you’ll need to build a powerful gaming PC under $500. Believe it or not, for $500 you can build a PC that is capable of maxing out just about any game on a 1080p monitor.

So, you think you can buy a gaming PC under $500 and be able to play your favorite games on higher settings? Ha! Don’t be ridiculous… you could never buy a gaming PC under $500 and get those kinds of results! However… you can build a gaming computer for under $500 that will allow you to play today’s most demanding games (GTA V, Battlefront, The Witcher, etc.) on medium-to-high settings.

Yes, you read that right… for under $500 you can build a gaming PC that will rival some of the $1,000 pre-built gaming computers that your friends have wasted money on. And, if you think building your own computer is hard, think again…

[Read more…]

The Best AMD Gaming Motherboards for 2015

December 27, 2014 By Brent Hale 11 Comments

In our last post in this series we took a look at the best Intel-based motherboards. Today we’ll be looking at the best AMD gaming motherboards. So, if you’re going with an AMD CPU, then these motherboards will be your best bet.

The motherboard is the central communication center for your computer. It’s where all of your components plug into and are able to communicate with each other.

The motherboard you choose for your gaming computer will have a huge impact on the quality of your build. If you choose a low-end cheap motherboard, you will be stuck having to get low-end cheap components.

However, if you choose a feature-rich and powerful motherboard, you will not only experience the benefits now, but you will also set yourself up with plenty of room to upgrade in the future.

[Read more…]

The Best Intel Gaming Motherboards for 2015

December 27, 2014 By Brent Hale 9 Comments

One of the most overlooked–but most important–components inside of your computer is your motherboard. In today’s post, we’re going to take a look at the best Intel gaming motherboards, so that you can make an informed decision when you go to choose your parts.

The motherboard is the central communication center for your computer. It’s where all of your components plug into and are able to communicate with each other.

The motherboard you choose for your gaming computer will have a huge impact on the quality of your build.

If you choose a low-end cheap motherboard, you will be stuck having to get low-end cheap components.

[Read more…]

High-End 4K Gaming Computers

September 22, 2014 By Brent Hale 10 Comments

The 4K resolution revolution has begun. And, even though it’s still in its infancy and the price tag that comes with 4K gaming is insane, there are still those pioneers out there who want to be the first on board the next best thing.

Yes, you will need a crazy setup to run today’s top games on a 4K monitor….

For about $2,500 you can expect to get your toes wet in 4K gaming… barely. If you’re looking to play the more demanding games on a high-res 4K monitor, you’ll need at least three of the top video cards on the market. And, those video cards alone can run you over $2,000.

[Read more…]

How to Get a Computer for Minecraft Without Spending a Ton of Money

September 8, 2014 By Brent Hale 58 Comments

A Computer for Minecraft is More Affordable Than You Might Think!

There’s nothing worse than not being able to play your favorite game because your computer isn’t good enough to handle it. And, spending a ton on a new computer isn’t a very fun idea to think about either.

However, if you are looking for a computer for Minecraft, and you don’t have a huge budget, you’re in luck…

[Read more…]

Need a Computer for League of Legends? Build One for Under $400!

September 2, 2014 By Brent Hale 69 Comments

If you haven’t played League of Legends yet, then you’re missing out. I was a little late to the LOL bandwagon, but now that I have arrived I’m totally hooked.

This game is addicting, to say the least.

And, since I love to get other people hooked on the things that I am currently hooked on (why do you think I created this site?!!?!) I’d like to take the time to write a post on how you can get a solid computer for League of Legends for pretty cheap.

[Read more…]

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