The HR 4th anniversary contest has officially ended. Congratulations to Edwin from South Carolina, David from Minnesota and Jesse from Georgia, your prizes are on their way! Thank you to all of you who participated.
Version 3.5.1 : Updated on May 17th 2012
After publishing the Mainstream Gaming PCs v3.5 yesterday, some of you left comments on the article or on the forums, expressing your desire to see less of a price gap between Tier’s 4 $230 Geforce GTX 560 Ti and Tier’s 5-6 $400 Geforce GTX 670.
After taking a second look at the article and the big price gap between Tier 4 and 5, I agree with you, there’s too much of a price gap. This is why I decided to update the Mainstream Gaming PCs to version 3.5.1, after doing the following updates:
- Tier 4: Upgraded from the $230 Geforce GTX 560 Ti to the $200 Radeon HD 6950 2GB. Lower cost and higher performance!
- Tier 5: Downgraded from the $400 Geforce GTX 670 to the $270 Geforce GTX 570, in order to lower the cost of Tier 5 and to reduce the price gap between Tier 4 and 5. Upgraded the PSU.
Never built a PC before and need help? No problem.
You don’t have to be a Geek to build a PC!
Building a PC has never been easier. We have hundreds of readers who had no experience and who built their first PC with the help of Hardware Revolution. If they can do it, so can you!
Start by reading our “Building Your First PC?” article, which covers everything that you need to know to get started. We also have videos on how to build a PC and on how to install Windows/software a bit further down in the article.
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you’re looking for a Mainstream Gaming PC, to play video games at a 1080p resolution, you’re at the right place. Otherwise, check out our other Do-It-Yourself Computer Systems or The Best Laptops For Your Money instead.
The new Gigabyte Geforce GTX 670, recommended for Tier 6, is factory overclocked for higher performance and features a triple fan cooling system for low temperatures/noise.
Click on a section to jump to it:
- Five Tiers to choose from
- Recommended parts summary
- Computer Builds FAQs
- Recommended parts in details
- Budget/High-End Gaming PCs
- Mainstream/High-End SFF Gaming PCs
About Hardware Revolution Mainstream Gaming Computers:
High-End Performance and Features at a Mainstream cost
Our mainstream gaming PCs feature parts that were chosen to offer the best balance between performance and features possible at a given price aka the best bang for your buck.
Designed with reliability and low-noise in mind
They feature a high-quality power supply, a case with a good balance between cooling abilities/low-noise and a quality after-market CPU Cooler, so that your PC will last you many years and to ensure that it will not overheat nor sound like a jet engine either.
Tier System:
Instead of having several articles that each cover one specific build, there are Tiers, allowing you to pick one of several systems at broader price points.
The Tiers are color coded as such:
Choose from five Tiers:
Tier 3 (Identified by a Red color): $845
Our lowest cost Tier that includes an Intel Ivy Bridge Quad-Core CPU. Tier 3 is the only Mainstream Gaming PCs Tier that does not include a SSD in its budget but it’s ready for one if you want to add one.
Tier 4 (Identified by a Green color): $973
Our lowest cost Tier that’s equipped with a 120GB SSD. Also equipped with a powerful Intel Core i5-3550 processor and an equally powerful Geforce GTX 560 Ti, Tier 4 is one heck of a powerhouse PC at a relatively low price considering the performance that it offers!
Tier 5 (Identified by an Orange color): $1204
Tier 5 offers a more powerful video card and an upgraded case. It offers not only a step-up in performance from Tier 4, but also a CPU with an unlocked multiplier, along with improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard and improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler.
All of this results in a Tier that’s not only powerful as it is, but that’s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Tier 6 (Identified by a Dark Red color): $1433
Tier 6 offers a more power video card as well as more storage capacity, with larger 240GB SSD/2TB HDD and just like Tier 5, Tier 6 features a CPU with an unlocked multiplier, along with improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard, improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler and better case cooling.
All of this results in a Tier that’s not only powerful as it is, but that’s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Tier 7 (Identified by a Fuchsia color): $1591
This Tier takes performance to the next level, with the a video card equipped with the fastest single GPU available: The Geforce GTX 680 2GB.
Just like Tier 5/6, Tier 7 features a CPU with an unlocked multiplier, along with improved CPU voltage delivery on the upgraded motherboard, improved CPU Cooling with the upgraded CPU Cooler and better case cooling.
All of this results in a Tier that’s not only powerful as it is, but that’s also optimized to be easily overclocked, in order to reach new summits of performance!
Need a Tier recommendation for a specific video game?
Ask us on the forums: Tell us about the video game, the level of details that you want (i.e. I just want to be able to play the game, medium, high or maximum details) and finally the resolution (e.g. 1920 x 1080.) of the monitor (HDTVs are usually 720p/1080p) that you’ll use.
Recommended Parts Summary:
Main recommendations, upgrades and alternatives:
1. Recommended Components are in Bold, with one or more colors/symbols for the Tier(s).
2. Suggested Alternatives and Upgrades are in Italic. You can upgrade as many parts as you want to, including parts from higher Tiers.
3. All Parts are interchangeable/compatible with each other. Ask us on the forums if you want us to double-check your build.
Mainstream Gaming PCs Tiers:
Tier 3 (in Red): The Best Bang For Your Buck
Tier 4 (in Green): Upgrade to a 120GB SSD
Tier 5 (in Orange): Optimized for overclocking, faster Video Card, better case
Tier 6 (in Dark Red): Optimized for OC, 240GB SSD, more powerful video card
Tier 7 (in Fuchsia): Optimized for OC, 240GB SSD, most powerful video card
Click on a component’s name (e.g. CPU) to jump to the detailed section of it.
Price
$845
$973
$1204
$1433
$1591
CPU:
Tier 3-4: Intel Core i5-3550 3.3-3.7GHz Turbo Quad-Core 77W
Tier 5-6-7: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W
Intel Core i7-3770 3.4-3.8GHz Turbo Quad-Core 77W
Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 77W
-
$210
$229
$320
$350
Motherboard:
ATX form factor motherboards:
Tier 3-4: BIOSTAR TZ77B Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
Tier 5-6-7: BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 Z77 SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 Better for CPU OC
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 FireWire E-SATA
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB SATA6Gb/s 4xUSB3.0 FireWire E-SATA WiFi
ASRock Z77 Professional SATA6Gb/s 6xUSB3.0 FireWire E-SATA IDE Floppy
Micro-ATX form factor motherboards:
BIOSTAR TZ77MXE Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
MSI Z77MA-G45 Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 CF/SLI
ASUS Maximus V Gene Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 E-SATA CF/SLI
-
-
$100
$130
$190
$210
$230
-
$110
$125
$210
RAM:
All Tiers: Corsair 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v
Corsair 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v
-
$50
$98
Video Card:
Tier 3: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 1GB Dual fans
Tier 4: Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 2GB
Tier 5: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Dual fans
Tier 6: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB OC Triple fans
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7970 3GB OC Dual-Fan
Tier 7: EVGA Geforce GTX 680 2GB
EVGA SuperClocked Signature GTX 680 2GB
-
$174
$200
$270
$400
$450
$500
$550
Storage:
Rosewill 2.5″ SSD/HDD Mounting Kit for 3.5″ Drive Bay
SSD (Solid State Drive):
Tier 4-5: Sandisk Extreme 2.5″ 120GB SATA III SSD
Tier 6-7: Sandisk Extreme 2.5″ 240GB SATA III SSD
Samsung 830 Series 2.5″ 256GB SATA III SSD
Sandisk Extreme 2.5″ 480GB SATA III SSD
Samsung 830 Series 2.5″ 512GB SATA III SSD
Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA III
Tier 3: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB SATA III
Tier 4: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA III
Tier 5: Western Digital Caviar Blue1TB SATA III
Tier 6-7: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB SATA II
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA III
Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB SATA III
Seagate Momentus XT 750GB 2.5″ Hybrid Hard Drive
-
$5
-
$125
$230
$270
$494
$720
-
$75
$98
$75
$98
$120
$121
$210
$153
Optical Drive
All Tiers: Sony SATA 24X DVD Burner
LG Black 6X BD-ROM SATA Blu-ray Reader/16x DVD Burner
Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE SATA Blu-Ray Burner
-
$18
$45
$76
Power Supply:
Tier 3-4: Rosewill HIVE 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Modular
Rosewill Capstone 550W 80 PLUS Gold
Tier 6: Seasonic M12II 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Modular
Tier 5-7: Rosewill Capstone 650W 80 PLUS Gold
XFX PRO750W XXX Semi-Modular 80Plus Silver 750W
Corsair Professional Series Gold 750-Watt 80 Plus Gold
XFX PRO850W XXX Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850W
NZXT HALE90-850-M 850W 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular
-
$70
$80
$90
$100
$138
$170
$109
$180
Case:
Tier 3-4: Corsair Carbide Series 300R USB 3.0 x2 2 fans
NZXT LEXA S LEXS 3 x 120mm 1 x 140mm
Tier 5-6: Corsair Carbide Series 400R USB 3.0 x2 3 fans
NZXT TEMPEST EVO 4 x 120mm 2 x 140mm
Thermaltake Armor A90
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 3x140mm 1x120mm
NZXT WHISPER 2x80mm 2x120mm
Tier 7: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced USB 3.0 x2
COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper 3x200mm 1x120mm
NZXT Phantom, in White
NZXT Phantom, in Black
Corsair Graphite 600T
Cooler Master Storm Scout 1 x 120mm, 2 x 140mm
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K7B 3 x 120mm case fans
NZXT Phantom 410 Black 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans
NZXT Phantom 410 White 1x140mm + 2x120mm fans
SILVERSTONE Precision PS06B-W 1x180mm 1x120mm
NZXT H2 H2-001-BK Black 3x120mm
NZXT H2 H2-001-WT Black 3x120mm
Fractal Design Arc Midi 3x140mm
Antec Eleven Hundred 1 x200mm + 1x120mm fans
Fractal Design Define R3 2x120mm fans
Cooler Master HAF 922 2x200mm 1x120mm
Cooler Master HAF 932 USB 3.0 3x230mm 1x140mm
Cooler Master HAF X USB 3.0 1x230mm 2x200mm 1x140mm GPU Duct
Antec P280 3 x 120mm fans
-
$76
$80
$100
$110
$95
$100
$130
$130
$120
$130
$130
$160
$80
$80
$100
$100
$100
$100
$100
$100
$100
$110
$90
$130
$180
$120
Cooling:
Tier 3-4: Corsair A50 CPU Cooler
Tier 5-6-7: NZXT Havik 140 Dual Fans CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-D14
COOLER MASTER Megaflow 200mm Red LED Case Fan
CM Long-Life Sleeve .6k-2k RPM 21-77CFM 13-32dBA PWM
CM Barometric Ball .6k-2k RPM 26-86CFM 13-30dBA PWM.
AC Fluid Dynamic .3k-1.35k RPM Max 57 CFM w/ 4 Pin PWM
Silverstone 2Ball .8k-2.4kRPM 110CFM 17-40dBA fan contr.
Noctua SSO .9k-1.1k-1.3k RPM 33-54CFM 13-20dBA adj. speed
-
$25
$60
$85
$21
$12
$16
$10
$19
$25
Sound:
All Tiers: ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 Sound Card w/ Headphone amplifier
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 PCI
ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 PCI-Express 1x
Speakers:
2.0 (2 satellites no sub-woofer)
Logitech X-140 2.0 5W
Creative Inspire T12 2.0 18W
Creative Gigaworks T20 Series II 2.0 28W
2.1 (2 satellites + sub-woofer):
Creative A220 2.1 9W
Logitech Z313 2.1 25W
Logitech Z323 2.1 30W
Logitech Z523 2.1 40W
Logitech Z623 2.1 200W
Corsair SP2500 2.1 232W
5.1 (5 satellites + sub-woofer)
Logitech Z506 5.1 75W
Logitech Z906 5.1 500W
Headphones/Earphones:
Open Design Headphones:
Koss KSC75 Clip on headphones
Koss PortaPro
Superlux HD668B
Grado SR-60i
Grado SR-80i
Audio Technica ATH-AD700
Sennheiser HD555
Grado SR225i
Sennheiser HD 598
Grado SR325is
Closed Design Headphones:
Koss UR-20
Panasonic RP-HTX7 (Available in Black, Red, White, Pink and Green)
Audio-Technica ATH-M30
Shure SRH440
Audio Technica ATH-A700
Audio Technica ATH-M50S (Straight 10ft Cable)
Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (Coiled Cable)
Sennheiser HD25-1 II
In-Ear Headphones:
Logitech Ultimate Ears 200
Sony MDREX310LP
Grado iGi
Etymotic ER-4P
Microphone:
Logitech USB Microphone
Headsets:
Yapster TM-YP100A
Koss SB-45
Corsair Vengeance 1100
Sennheiser PC 151
Razer Moray Plus
ARCTIC Sound P531
SteelSeries Siberia V2
Logitech G35
ASUS Vulcan ANC
Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Wrath Wireless
Logitech G930
-
$24
$51
$72
-
-
$19
$47
$100
-
$30
$44
$54
$75
$132
$190
-
$90
$341
-
-
$15
$47
$55
$79
$99
$104
$201
$200
$250
$295
-
$19
$30
$47
$91
$127
$155
$159
$189
-
$13
$63
$89
$280
-
$20
-
$15
$25
$35
$49
$51
$50
$87
$102
$124
$110
$120
Network:
All Tiers: Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps: Integrated on the motherboard
Rosewill 802.11b/g/n 300Mbps Wireless USB2.0 5dBi Antenna
TRENDnet TEW-684UB Dual Band 802.11b/g/n 450Mbps USB2.0
-
Free
$20
$48
Building a PC, Got a Question, Need Help?
Computer Builds FAQs:
I often get questions such as:
- Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?
- Can you suggest me a step by step guide to build a computer?
- Why should I build a PC instead of buying one in a store?
- And many more…
1. You will find the answers to all of these questions and more in this article: FAQ: How to Build Your Own Computer
2. Is this your first build? Start by reading our “Building Your First PC?” article, which covers everything that you need to know to get started. Here are also 10 Quick Tips for 1st Time Builders to get you started.
3. Newly built computer won’t start? I invite you to read Help me: Why won’t my newly assembled PC start or boot?
4. Visit our forums here, where you can join our helpful community and ask questions.
Recommended step-by-step guides to build your PC:
Newegg TV has three great videos on how to build your PC. The first covers choosing your parts, which we help you with in this article, so I chose not to include it. The second one, below, shows you in detail how to assemble your PC. The 3rd one shows you how to install Windows and software.
If you prefer a text version with pictures, here are two great guides by ArsTechnica, the first one covering the assembling and the second one covering Windows and software:
Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Hardware (Building the PC)
Arstechnica Outstanding Guide for Software (EFI/BIOS, Windows, etc.)
Free Assistance
If you have any question(s) about the build, simply head over to the forums and our community will be there to assist you.
No worries, there are no stupid questions here on Hardware Revolution. We all started from scratch and learned through our mistakes. We”ll just help you make sure to avoid those mistakes
If you want to have your final build double-checked and get my opinion on it before ordering, or for anything else, don’t be shy, just post a thread on the forums.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Recommendations in details:
Motherboard:
Socket: LGA1155
Ivy Bridge CPUs (Core ix-3xxx) use the LGA 1155 socket and the following chipsets:
7 series Chipsets: For Ivy Bridge CPUs, you have the H77, Z75 and Z77 chipsets.
H77 supports the integrated GPU found in the CPU and thus allow for video output without a discrete video card. However, they do not support CPU overclocking.
Z75 does support the integrated GPU found in the CPU, as well as CPU overclocking. However, it does not support Intel SRT (SSD caching), which I don’t recommend anyway (see note below).
Z77 is the high-end chipset. It supports the integrated GPU and overclocking just like Z75. It also support Intel SRT (SSD caching).
While some older LGA1155 motherboard, based on the H61, H67, P67 and Z68 chipsets do support Ivy Bridge after a BIOS/UEFI update, this is not the case of all of them.
Also, the 7-series chipset equipped motherboards bring native USB 3.0 support, with greater performance and thus are recommended if you build a PC with a new Ivy Bridge CPU, so that way, you get the best performance and are sure that it will work with your Ivy Bridge CPU.
CPU Coolers compatibility: CPU Coolers that are compatible with the LGA1156 socket are also compatible with the LGA 1155 socket. Some LGA1155 motherboards support LGA 775 CPU Coolers too.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
About Intel’s QuickSync and SSD Caching:
All 7-series chipsets allows you to access the IGP from the CPU, which allows you to take advantage of Intel’s QuickSync, a technology that lets you use the IGP in your CPU to accelerate video conversion (amongst other things), allowing you to convert video faster than with just a CPU.
However, the drawback is that the quality of converted videos is lower than if they are converted with a CPU. This is subjective though, so the loss in quality might be an acceptable drawback for you, if you value the time than you gain.
As for SSD Caching, AnandTech has two excellent articles on the subject. They are on the Z68 chipset, but SSD caching is the same on Z77:
Intel Z68 Chipset & Smart Response Technology (SSD Caching) Review
Z68 SSD Caching with Corsair’s F40 SandForce SSD
In short, while SSD caching is an interesting technology, you’re better off using your SSD as your boot drive and manually managing where your applications and games get installed (SSD or HDD), if you want the best performance possible, all the time.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Tier 3 and 4:
$100 – BIOSTAR TZ77B Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
A basic Z77 chipset motherboard at a great price that’s a perfect match-up for Tier 3/4 and the Core i5-3550 CPU recommended for those Tiers.
It comes with SATA III 6.0Gb/s and USB 3.0 support thanks to the Z77 chipset and it’s ready for Intel’s 3rd generation of Core CPUs, codename Ivy Bridge, which are recommended in this guide. Note that it also supports the older 2nd generation of Intel’s Core CPUs, codename Sandy Bridge.
Equipped with an Ivy Bridge CPU (Core ix-3xxx), it supports PCI-Express 3.0. With a Sandy Bridge CPU (Core ix-2xxx), you get PCI-Express 2.0, which still offers enough bandwidth except for the highest-end configurations (Two Radeon HD 7970 in Crossfire or Two Geforce GTX 680 in SLI).
Note that the Z77 chipset allows you to use the integrated video card from the CPU. While the performance of the integrated video card is no where good enough to play recent games, it can still be used until you buy your video card, if you’re on a tight budget. It’s also useful if you need to troubleshoot your PC and suspect that the dedicated video card is defective.
Also note that while the Z77 chipset does support overclocking, the recommended CPU for Tier 3 and 4, the Core i5-3550, only supports limited overclocking.
If you want to overclock your CPU, you’ll need an i5-3570K ($230, recommended for Tier 5, 6 and 7) or i7-3770K ($350), which feature a completely unlocked CPU multiplier. See the CPU section for more details on this. You’ll also want a more powerful PSU (add 50W) and an after-market CPU Cooler for the best overclocking results.
Speaking of overclocking, this motherboard only features a 6 Phase PWM, which while isn’t bad, isn’t that great if you intend to greatly overclock your CPU. If you intend to greatly overclock your CPU (remember to get an unlocked K version), I’d recommend upgrading to the Tier 5-6-7 motherboard or to one of the recommended alternatives, at the bottom of the Tier 6-7 motherboard section.
Finally, this motherboard includes four SATA cables, which is enough for what is recommended in this guide.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what’s included in the box and warranty:
Ports on the back: 1x PS/2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, 6 audio ports (for 7.1 sound, but a dedicated sound is recommended in this guide anyway) and VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs.
Expansion slots: One PCI-Express 3.0 16x slot, one PCI-Express 2.0 16x (running at 4x) slot, two PCI-Express 1x and two PCI slots. I recommend installing the recommended dedicated sound card (ASUS Xonar DG PCI) in the bottom PCI slot, in order to give your video card plenty of space to “breath” and stay cool.
Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Three fan connectors (1 x 4 pins (for CPU Cooler), 2 x 3pins), four SATA 3.0Gb/s, two SATA 6.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0 coming from the header in total), two USB 2.0 headers (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), IR header, COM header, onboard Power and Switch buttons and support for LGA1155/LGA1156 CPU Coolers.
Included in the box: Motherboard, four SATA cables, backplate, velcro strap, manual and CD.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Tier 5, 6 and 7:
$130 – BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Better for CPU OC
In my opinion, the BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 has the best set of features overall for its low price, many of which that I consider very important for Tier 5, 6 and 7 of the Mainstream Gaming PCs:
13 Phase PWM allows for improved CPU voltage delivery, which is crucial when you overclock your CPU. This is the main reason that I recommend this motherboard for Tier 5, 6 and 7.
PCI-Express 16x 3.0 8x/8x support: This motherboard’s two PCI-Express 3.0 16x slots will run at 8x/8x if you add a second video card for Crossfire or SLI.
Two slots worth of space between the two main PCI-Express 16x slots, which gives the top video card some space to “breath” in order to stay at a reasonable temperature, when you use two video cards in SLI or in Crossfire.
A USB 3.0 header that allows you to connect the case front USB 3.0 ports to it.
Great placement of the SATA ports insures that long video cards won’t block access to them.
A Debug LED makes your life much easier if you have to troubleshoot a problem.
Power and Reset buttons on the motherboard, allowing you to easily test your PC outside your case.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what’s included in the box, etc.
Ports on the back: 1x PS/2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, 6 audio ports (for 7.1 sound, but a dedicated sound is recommended in this guide anyway) and VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs.
Expansion slots: Two PCI-Express 3.0 16x slots (single at 16x, dual at 8x/8x), one PCI-Express 16x 2.0 (running at 4x), two PCI-Express 1x and two PCI slots. I recommend installing the dedicated sound card in the bottom PCI slot.
Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Three fan connectors (1 x 4 pins (for CPU Cooler), 2 x 3pins), four SATA 3.0Gb/s, two SATA 6.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0 coming from the header in total), two USB 2.0 headers (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), IR header, COM header, Debug LED, onboard Power and Switch buttons and support for LGA1155/LGA1156 CPU Coolers.
Included in the box: Motherboard, four SATA cables, Crossfire and SLI dongle,backplate, manual and CD.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
ATX Form Factor Alternatives
$190 – GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 FireWire E-SATA – This motherboard offers four USB 3.0 ports on its back, three USB 3.0 headers (one for the case, one for the the included USB 3.0 3.5″ panel, for four more USB 3.0 ports, for a total of eight USB 3.0 ports!) as well as a FireWire and an E-SATA port.
$210 – GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 4x USB 3.0 FireWire E-SATA WiFi – This motherboard offers the same features as the one above, along with an included PCI-Express 1x Wifi Card for Wifi access.
$230 – ASRock Z77 Professional Z77 SATA 6Gb/s 6x USB 3.0 FireWire E-SATA IDE Floppy – This motherboard has nothing short of six USB 3.0 ports on its back and is one of the few motherboards to support IDE drives as well as floppy drives.
Micro-ATX form factor Alternatives
If you want a smaller Micro-ATX motherboard, to use in a smaller case, here are three alternatives:
$110 – BIOSTAR TZ77MXE Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 – A basic model with USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gbps support.
$125 – MSI Z77MA-G45 Z77 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 CF/SLI – The interesting part of this motherboard is that it’s a Micro-ATX board and yet, it still does support two video cards, meaning that you can choose to build an ultra-powerful Gaming PC in a smaller case. One big con though is that you’ll be stuck using onboard sound, as two video cards will take all four slots worth of space. Then again, if you go with a single video card, you do get the option of u
