What is this article?
This guide covers everything that you need to know to build a custom mid-range / high performance Gaming PC, including all the parts that you need to build it!
I suggest five builds that cover what you need to build a mid-range / high performance Gaming PC that allows you to play video games on a 1920 x 1080 (1080p or Full HD) monitor or HDTV.
I recommend parts for U.S.A. readers and for International readers.
I don’t know how to build a PC, help me!
Building a computer has never been easier. Click here for more information.
The Thermaltake Urban S1, the case recommended for Tier 3 and 4.
Click on a section to jump to it:
– Recommended parts summary
– Recommended parts in details (with Internationally available parts)
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you’re looking for a Mid-range/high-end Gaming PC, capable of handling any video game at a resolution of 1920 x 1080, you’re at the right place. Otherwise, check out our other Computer Systems or The Best Laptops For Your Money instead.
5 Reasons to choose Hardware Revolution’s mid-range / high performance Gaming PCs:
1. Outstanding performance
All of the mid-range / high performance Gaming PCs are equipped with Quad(4) cores high-performance Intel Core i5 CPUs, powerful gaming video cards, 8GB or 16GB of high-speed memory and high-performance storage (hybrid hard drives and flash-based SSDs (Solid State Drives)).
Simply put, you will be able to run any game at its highest settings on a 1080p monitor or HDTV. You can multitask without running out of power. For Tier 4-7, that are equipped with a SSD, Windows, programs, games all load much more quickly. These powerful mid-range / high performance Gaming PCs can easily double as a Workstation for most tasks.
2. Boost performance to the next level: Ready for safe overclocking!
Equipped with a dependable power supply, a motherboard with a Z97 chipset, a case with enough airflow to ensure proper ventilation and heat dissipation, a good CPU Cooler to keep your CPU at safe operating temperatures and CPUs with unlocked multiplier, Tier 5 to 7 of the mid-range / high performance Gaming PCs are ready to be safely overclocked if you want to boost the performance without sacrificing reliability.
Recommended overclocking guides: overclockers.com 3 step guide to overclock Haswell, overclock.net Haswell overclocking guide and Tweaktown Haswell-E overclocking guide.
3. Top-notch reliability with high-quality components
‘Wait, I don’t know which components I need!’
No problem. That’s exactly why I’m here to help you.
Every part is hand-picked by me, Mathieu Bourgie (see my About page), a professional with 14 years of experience, to guarantee that this PC is as unlikely to fail as possible.
In this article, I make recommendations as well as suggest upgrades and alternatives that you may desire, for five builds (Tiers) at progressively higher performance and price points.
That way, you can easily build your dream Gaming PC, because I offer to you a complete list of the components that you’ll need to build the computer itself as well as suggest accessories that you might want too.
4. Longer warranties:
Now, keep in mind that every part is subject to failure, sometimes during manufacturing or transport. Computer parts are very precisely manufactured items that are easy to damage. That said, by avoiding brand and models that are more likely to fail or give you issues, you can be more confident about your PC’s reliability because you know that it will be filled with high-quality parts that rarely fail.
If they do fail, you can contact the seller within 30 days for an easy exchange. After 30 days, you must contact the part manufacturer to get them the warranty. Each part comes with its own warranty. While Lenovo, Dell and HP offers warranties generally varying between 1 and 3 years for their PCs, the parts that I recommend come with warranties that last one, two, three, five, ten years or even a lifetime!
5. Effortless Customization:
Want more storage capacity, more RAM or a faster CPU? Alternatives and Upgrades are in Italic and are guaranteed to be compatible with the other recommendations (unless noted otherwise), so you can easily customize your PC to your desires.
Choose Your PC Performance (Tier):
There are five recommended Gaming PC builds (from now on: Tiers) in this article. They are in order of performance and price.
The Tiers and their recommended parts are indicated by their respective numbers (3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) through the article.
Less expensive, lower-end but capable Gaming PCs can be found in the Build a stunning Budget Gaming PC that you can be proud of! article.
Higher performance Gaming PCs can be found in the Find out how you can build an extremely High-end Gaming PC that you can be proud of! article.
Need a Tier recommendation?
Ask us on the forums: Tell us about the games that you want to play, the level of details that you want (i.e. medium, high or ultra details) and finally the resolution (e.g. 1920 x 1080. NOT the size) of the monitor(s) 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. Most but not all parts are interchangeable/compatible with each other, make sure to see notes in the article. Ask us on the forums if you want us to double-check your build.
4. If this is your first build and if you just a simple template to follow, stick to the recommended parts for a Tier.
Mid-range / High performance Gaming PCs Tiers:
Tier 3 (in Red): The Best Bang For Your Buck
Tier 4 (in Green): Faster CPU, 4GB video card, 256GB SSD
Tier 5 (in Orange): Ready to overclock, faster Video Card, 16GB RAM
Tier 6 (in Dark Red): Ready to OC, 512GB SSD, 2nd best video card
Tier 7 (in Fuchsia): Ready to OC, 512GB SSD, best video card
Click on a component’s name (e.g. CPU) to jump to the detailed section of it.
Price
$737
$880
$1177
$1501
$2233
CPU:
Tier 3: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3-3.7GHz Turbo Quad-Core 84W
Tier 4: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Quad-Core 84W
Tier 5-6-7: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5-3.9GHz Unlocked Multiplier 84W
Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0-4.4GHz Turbo Quad-Core + HT 88W Unlocked Multiplier
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$199
$224
$236
$339
Motherboard:
Micro-ATX motherboards: Compatible with Micro-ATX/ATX cases
Tier 4-5-6: 18″ SATA Cable w/Locking Latch
Tier 3-4: Gigabyte GA-H81M-HD3 2xSATA6Gb/s 2x+2xUSB3.0
Tier 5-6-7: Gigabyte Z97 GA-Z97M-D3H 6xSATA6.0Gbps 4+2USB3.0
Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5, for SLI/Crossfire
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–
$3
$63
$103
$124
RAM:
1866/2133+MHz RAM only supported by Z97 chipset.
Tier 3-4: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v
Tier 5: Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v
Tier 6: Patriot 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1866MHz CAS 10 1.5v
Tier 7: Patriot 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 2133MHz CAS 11 1.5v
Crucial 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS 9 1.5v
G.Skill 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 1866MHz CAS 10 1.5v
G.SKill 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3 2133MHz CAS 10 1.6v
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–
$56
$108
$125
$135
$221
$230
$250
Video Card:
Tier 3: EVGA Geforce GTX 960 2GB SSC Dual fan
Tier 4: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 4GB SSC Dual fan
Tier 5: EVGA Geforce GTX 970 4GB SC Dual fan
Tier 6: EVGA Geforce GTX 980 4GB SSC Dual fan
Tier 7: EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN X 12 GB
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$205
$240
$337
$545
$1189
Storage:
SSD (Solid State Drive):
Tier 4-5: Transcend SSD370 2.5″ 256GB SATA III SSD
Tier 6-7: Transcend SSD370 2.5″ 512GB SATA III SSD
Transcend SSD370 2.5″ 1TB SATA III SSD
Hybrid Hard Drive:
Tier 3: Seagate ST1000DX001 1TB Hybrid Hard Drive SATA III
Seagate ST2000DX001 2TB Hybrid Hard Drive SATA III
7,200rpm Hard Drive:
Tier 4-5: Seagate ST1000DM003 1 TB SATA III
Tier 6-7: Seagate ST2000DM001 2TB SATA III
Seagate ST3000DM001 3TB SATA III
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-
$101
$176
$360
-
$74
$91
–
$53
$77
$89
Optical Drive:
Tiers 3-4-5-6: ASUS SATA 24X 5.25″ Internal DVD Burner
Tier 7: Samsung Ultra-Slim USB DVD Burner
Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu Ray Reader, DVD/CD Burner 5.25″ Internal Drive
Pioneer Electronics 16X SATA 5.25″ Internal Blu-Ray/CD/DVD Burner
Pioneer Slim Portable USB Blu Ray 6x Burner
LG BE14NU40 14X USB 3.0 Portable Blu Ray Burner
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$21
$25
$42
$59
$90
$113
Power Supply:
Tier 3-4: Antec VP-450 450 Watt
Tier 5-6: Antec BP550 Plus 550W Modular 80 Plus
Tier 7: Cooler Master G650M 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Modular
Antec 850W 80PLUS Bronze Modular
Corsair 1000W 80PLUS Gold Modular
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$37
$60
$88
$100
$170
Case:
Tier 3-4: Thermaltake Urban S1
Tier 5-6: Cooler Master Silencio 352
Tier 7: BitFenix Pandora Core Window Black
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$39
$70
$119
Cooling:
CPU Cooler:
Tier 3-4: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 92mm CPU Cooler
Tier 5-6-7: Corsair Hydro Series H55 Quiet Edition Liquid CPU Cooler
Corsair Hydro H105 240mm All-in-One Liquid CPU Cooler
Fan controllers:
FrozenCPU Deluxe Multi Power Port – 12V / 7V / 5V
-
-
$17
$59
$110
–
$15
Sound:
PCI Sound Cards:
All Tiers: ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 PCI Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 PCI
USB Sound Cards:
ASUS Xonar U3 USB Sound Card
ASUS Xonar U5 5.1 USB Sound Card
ASUS Xonar U7 7.1 USB Sound Card
2.0 speakers (2 satellites, no subwoofer):
Creative Inspire T12 2.0 18W
Behringer MS16 2.0 16W
Mackie CR3 3-Inch 2.0 28W
Cerwin Vega XD3 2.0 30W
2.1 speakers (2 satellites + subwoofer):
Genius SW-G2.1 1250 2.1 38W
Logitech Z523 2.1 40W
Logitech Z623 2.1 200W
Harman Kardon Soundsticks III 2.1 40W
5.1 speakers (5 satellites + subwoofer):
Logitech Z506 5.1 75W
Logitech Z906 5.1 500W
Headphones/Earphones:
Open Design Headphones:
Koss KSC75 Clip on headphones
Koss PortaPro
Superlux HD668B
AKG K240
Audio Technica AUD ATHAD500X
Grado SR80e
Sennheiser HD558
Audio Technica ATH-AD700X
Sennheiser HD 598
Closed Design Headphones:
Koss UR-20
Panasonic RP-HTX7 (In Black, Blue, Red, White, Cream, Pink or Green)
Audio-Technica ATH-M30x
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
Audio Technica ATH-A700
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Black, Brown or White
Sennheiser HD25-1 II
In-Ear Headphones:
Panasonic RPHJE120K Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Red, Silver or Violet
Panasonic RPTCM125K Black, Blue, Pink, Purple or White
Symphonized NRG Premium with Mic (Wood + White)
Symphonized NRG Premium with Mic (Red + Black)
Logitech Ultimate Ears 600vi with Mic
Bose SoundTrue
Yamaha EPH-100SL
Shure SE315-K (Black or White)
Shure SE315-K (Black or White) with Mic & Remote Cable Kit
Bose QuietComfort 20i
Shure SE535-V (Bronze, Clear or Red)
Shure SE535-V (Bronze) with Mic & Remote Cable Kit
Microphone:
Zalman Zm-Mic1 Microphone
Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone
Headsets (Headphones + Microphone in one):
Yapster TM-YP100A
Koss SB-45
Sennheiser PC 151
ARCTIC Sound 5.1 Surround P531
SteelSeries Siberia V2 Available in 9 colors
Logitech 7.1 Surround G35
Logitech Wireless 7.1 Surround G930
Audio Technica ATHADG1 Open-Back Gaming Headset
Audio Technica ATHAG1 Closed-Back Gaming Headset
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–
$26
$44
–
$43
$70
$87
–
$51
$80
$100
$116
–
$50
$75
$132
$170
–
$70
$350
–
–
$14
$39
$44
$72
$95
$99
$105
$115
$148
–
$15
$32
$67
$99
$120
$163
$150
–
$6
$14
$25
$25
$50
$90
$121
$199
$243
$299
$479
$543
–
$10
$59
–
$20
$24
$53
$57
$50
$86
$97
$238
$238
Network:
All Tiers: Ethernet Up to 1000 Mbps: Integrated on the motherboard
See The Best WiFi Routers/WiFi and Bluetooth Adapters article for more options.
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Free
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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.
Have any questions? Leave a comment at the end of the article and I’ll get back to you.
Once you’re comfortable with the idea of building your own PC, simply pick a Tier and buy the recommended parts for it. When you get your parts, assemble your PC, install Windows and enjoy. Also, be proud of a job well done!
Sounds good? Let’s get started!
Recommendations in details:
CPU:
About Haswell, Intel’s 4th generation of Core CPUs:
Performance:
V.S. AMD FX series
Most video games only use two to four cores and prioritize single-threaded performance, a domain where Intel’s CPUs dominates AMD’s CPUs, there’s no other way to put it.
When it comes to gaming performance, even AMD’s fastest CPUs are no match for Intel’s 4th generation of Core CPUs. On top of that, the AMD FX-8350 consumes roughly 80W more power at load than the Core i5-4690K, a considerable difference. Finally, the AMD AM3+ platform is considerably outdated, lagging behind connectivity wise. In the end, there’s simply no good reason for me to recommend any AMD CPUs for the mid-range / high performance Gaming PCs.
Performance vs previous generation of Intel CPUs:
Intel fourth generation of Core CPUs is known under the codename Haswell.
Replacing Intel’s LGA1155 Ivy Bridge (known as Core ix 3xxx) CPUs, the LGA1150 based Haswell CPUs (Known as Core ix 4xxx) bring in on average a 8% performance improvement.
Compared to the 2nd generation of Intel CPUs, Sandy Bridge (Core ix 2xxx), the LGA1150 based Haswell CPUs (Known as Core ix 4xxx) bring in on average a 17% performance improvement.
Compared to the 1st generation of Intel CPUs, Nehalem (Core ix xxx), the LGA1150 based Haswell CPUs (Known as Core ix 4xxx) bring in on average a 44% performance improvement.
Power consumption:
When you compare the whole system power consumption, the Haswell platform consumes about 11W less at idle compared to Ivy Bridge. At load, the power consumption increases by about 12W but if you consider that it completes workloads faster than Ivy Bridge, it’s about as power efficient under load and more efficient at idle.
Overclocking:
Non-K series CPUs:
Either fully locked (no OC possible) or mostly locked (very little overclocking possible)
To overclock a non-K series CPU, you’ll want to raise the CPU multiplier:
If you have a CPU that offers no Turbo mode (e.g. Celeron/Pentium/Core i3), then you can’t raise the multiplier at all and thus can’t overclock. In short: Your CPU is completely locked.
If you have a CPU with Turbo modes (e.g. Core i5-4590), you can overclock, but just a tiny bit, using a motherboard equipped with a Z chipset. You are limited to an overclock of to the highest available Turbo one core frequency.
Let’s use a Core i5-4570, which runs at 3.2GHz by default, as an example:
When one or two cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.6GHz. You cannot change that turbo state to go any higher.
When three cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.5GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 3.6GHz.
When four cores are active, the chip can turbo up to 3.4GHz. You can change that turbo state to go as high as 3.6GHz.
Overclocking the non-K Core i5/i7 chips relies entirely on turbo however. In the case above, the fastest your chip will run is 3.6GHz. Not exactly exciting, but better than nothing.
K series CPUs:
Fully unlocked, can be overclocked as much as possible:
Finally, there’s the K-series of CPUs, with the Core i5-4690K and Core i7-4790K currently available. These chips are fully unlocked and will let you overclock them as far as the CPU and/or your cooling can sustain.
A new addition is the ability to adjust BCLK to one of three pre-defined straps (100/125/167MHz) on K-series CPUs. The BCLK adjustment gives you a little more flexibility when overclocking, but you still need a K CPU to take advantage of that.
Want to overclock?
If you do want to overclock a K-series CPU, I recommend going with the motherboard, CPU Cooler, case, optical case and power supply of Tier 5, 6 and 7, which are optimized for overclocking. That way, you’ll be sure that your motherboard and the power supply can handle the additional power consumption and that the case/CPU Cooler will keep your overclocked CPU temperature in check.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Our recommendations:
Tier 3:
Intel Core i5-4590 3.3-3.7GHz Turbo Quad-Core 84W
- $198.99 at Amazon
– Core i5-4570 3.2-3.6GHz: $209.99 at B&H (International Shipping)
The Intel Core i5-4570/i5-4590 are Intel processors based on the Haswell architecture.
They features four cores and can handle four threads (No Hyper-Threading).
The i5-4570/4590 run at a base frequency of 3.2/3.3GHz and can automatically increase its frequency up to 3.6/3.7GHz, thanks to Turbo.
Tier 4:
Intel Core i5-4690 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Quad-Core 84W
- $223.99 at Amazon
– Core i5-4690K 3.5-3.9GHz (Unlocked Multiplier): $235.99 at B&H (International Shipping)
The Intel Core i5-4690 is an Intel processor based on the Haswell architecture.
It features four cores and can handle four threads (No Hyper-Threading).
It runs at a base frequency of 3.5GHz and can automatically increase its frequency up to 3.9GHz, thanks to Turbo.
Tier 5-6-7:
Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5-3.9GHz Turbo Unlocked Multiplier 84W
- $235.99 at Amazon
- $235.99 at B&H (International Shipping)
Out of the box, CPU performance wise the Core i5-4690K is no faster than the Core i5-4690.
The main advantage of the Core i5-4690K over the Core i5-4690 is its unlocked multiplier, which allows you to overclock it to your heart’s content.
Of course, Tier 5, 6 and 7 featured recommended components that are optimized for overclocking, meaning that your overclock won’t be limited by an inadequate CPU Cooler or something alike.
Alternative to consider:
Higher performance alternative:
Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0-4.4GHz Turbo Quad-Core + HT 88W Unlocked Multiplier: $338.99 (Amazon) or $338.99 (B&H – International Shipping) – The i7 series brings with it Hyper-Threading, which isn’t that useful for gaming (i.e. it doesn’t bring much more performance for video games), but if you do a lot of photo/video editing, heavy multi-tasking, highly demanding workloads, need all the CPU performance that you can get or just want a more powerful CPU, the Core i7-4790K is an excellent choice and a great upgrade. It also offers higher frequencies (4.0-4.4GHz) as well as an unlocked multiplier for full overclocking.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Motherboard:
Motherboard form factor:
ATX, Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX, which should you pick?
For this guide, I recommend Micro-ATX motherboards, in order to have your gaming PC fit in a smaller case. Size wise, Micro-ATX motherboards are an intermediate step between the larger ATX form-factor and the smaller Mini-ITX form-factor. All our recommended gaming PCs feature a single video card with a dedicated sound card, so the additional expansion slots of an ATX motherboard aren’t necessary.
Tier 3-4:
Gigabyte GA-H81M-HD3 2xSATA6Gb/s 2x+2xUSB3.0
- $63.00 (Amazon)
– $63.00 (B&H – International Shipping)
Important note:
This motherboard includes two SATA cables, you will need to buy another SATA cable if you want an optical drive, mechanical hard drive, and solid state drive as recommended for Tier 4.
Tier 3 doesn’t need an additional SATA cable as it only has an optical drive and a hard drive. Of course, if you decide to get an additional drive for Tier 3 or 4, you’ll need an extra cable for each drive.
I recommend and included in the budget of Tier 4 a SATA cable. I recommend a 18″ right-angle SATA cable: $3.24 at Amazon or $3.69 from B&H (International Shipping)
This is a basic H81 chipset motherboard at a great price that’s a perfect match-up for Tier 3-4 and the Core i5-4590/4690 CPUs recommended for those Tiers.
It comes with SATA III 6.0Gb/s and USB 3.0 support and it’s ready for Intel’s 4th generation of Core CPUs, codename Haswell, which are recommended in this guide.
If you looked at the picture of the motherboard, you will have noticed the video outputs. These allow 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.
Note that you only have two memory (RAM) slots on this motherboard, meaning that it’s limited to 16GB (2x8GB) of RAM at most. If you want 32GB of RAM, you’ll want to upgrade to the motherboard recommended for Tier 5-6-7.
Also note that the H81 chipset on this motherboard does not support overclocking. Then again, neither does the recommended CPUs for Tier 3-4.
If you want to overclock your CPU, you’ll need an i5-4690K (recommended Tier 5, 6 and 7) or i7-4790K (higher-end alternative), which feature a completely unlocked CPU multiplier, as well as a motherboard with a Z97 chipset (see alternative motherboards below). You’ll also want a more powerful PSU and an after-market CPU Cooler for the best overclocking results.
If you want to overclock your CPU, want to make your life easier and ensure that you get the right components, you can simply upgrade to the CPU, motherboard, case, power supply and CPU Cooler to the ones of Tiers 5, 6 or 7.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what’s included in the box and warranty:
Ports on the back: 2x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.0, 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 LAN, one P/S2, 6 audio ports, optical S/PDIF output, and VGA/DVI/Displayport/HDMI outputs.
Expansion slots: One PCI-Express 2.0 16x slot, two PCI slot and one PCI-Express 1x slots.
Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Two fan connectors (2 x 4 pins), two SATA 6.0Gb/s, two SATA 3.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0 ports coming from the headers in total), two USB 2.0 header (for up to four USB 2.0 ports coming from the headers in total), LPT header and a COM header.
Included in the box: Motherboard, two SATA cables, backplate, manual and CD.
Click here to go back up to parts summary
Tier 5, 6 and 7:
Gigabyte Z97 GA-Z97M-D3H 6xSATA6.0Gbps 4+2USB3.0:
- $102.46 (Amazon)
- $103.95 (B&H – International Shipping)
Important note:
This motherboard includes two SATA cables, you will need to buy another SATA cable if you want an optical drive, mechanical hard drive, and solid state drive as recommended for Tier 5 and 6.
I recommend and included in the budget of Tier 5 and 6 a SATA cable. I recommend a 18″ right-angle SATA cable: $3.24 at Amazon or $3.69 from B&H (International Shipping)
For Tier 7, I recommend a USB optical drive, so you don’t need an additional SATA cable for Tier 7.
I recommend the Gigabyte Z97 GA-Z97M-D3H for the following reasons:
Features the Intel Z97 chipset for overclocking support and highest performance
Features highly reliable components.
Four fan connectors.
Relatively inexpensive for what it offers
Note that you need an Intel “K” series CPU to overclock, which is why I recommend the Core i5-4690K for Tier 5 to 7.
If you want an Intel Core i7 series CPU, to get Hyper-Threading (for higher performance with photo/video editing, heavy multi-tasking and highly demanding workloads), make sure to get the Intel Core i7-4790K to be able to overclock.
For future SLI or Crossfire setups:
Note that the second PCI-Express 16x slot runs at PCI-Express 2.0 4x from the chipset. This configuration is not recommended for a Crossfire or SLI dual video cards setup. So, if you intend on adding a second video card in the future, I recommend the Gigabyte GA-Z97MX-Gaming 5: $123.99 at Amazon or $127.50 at B&H (International Shipping)
Note that if you want to go with a SLI/Crossfire setup, you’ll want a USB sound card, as well as a more powerful power supply.
Ports, expansion slots, features, what’s included in the box, etc.
Ports on the back: 2x USB 2.0, 4x 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), P/S2 and VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs.
Expansion slots: One PCI-Express 3.0 16x slot, one PCI-Express 2.0 16x slot (runs at 4x) and two PCI slots.
Other connectors/features on the motherboard: Four fan connectors, six SATA 6.0Gb/s, one USB 3.0 header (for up to two USB 3.0
