CPU/CPU Cooler

For the Excellent Intel Gaming Build build we selected the Intel i5-8400 as our processor. To better cool the i5-8400 we selected the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO. While the i5-8400 comes with a stock cooler the 212 EVO will lower both temps and noise in the system.

Motherboard

The i5-8400 is a locked processor so we set the parametric filters for Z370 ATX motherboards that support up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, six SATA 6Gb/s devices, multiple expansion cards, and crossfire or SLI functionality.

Memory

With our increased budget we selected 16GB of RAM. The parametric filter finds the best price on 16GB kits of memory that are within Intel’s recommended specifications.

Storage

Using the parametric filters this build will incorporate an SSD with at least 480GB of space and a minimum 2TB of mechanical storage at 7200rpm.

GPU

On a budget of roughly 1250 dollars we decided to go with an excellent graphic card. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 TI is one of the single best cards on the market right now. At 1080p or even 1440p you will not have any problems with AAA games and the 1070 TI is perfectly suited for VR gaming as well. When using a 1070 TI you should consider stepping up your monitor to a 120/144hz screen for the best gaming experience.

Due to the high cost of GPUs and low availability, we are using a parametric filter for a GeForce GTX 1070 Ti with a max price set. With patience and vigilance, you can find a video card for around this price, and we want to provide a part list that is more accurate to this concept.

Case

All of our components are housed in the Phanteks Eclipse P400S TG. This case has a nice black finish, a large tempered glass side panel window, white power supply shroud, room for enthusiast CPU coolers, watercooling radiators, two pre-installed case fans, and front panel USB3.0.

PSU

For our power supply, we're using a parametric selection of well-reviewed fully and semi-modular units, all of which are 80+ Gold certified and provide more than enough power for this system while at stock clocks or overclocking.

Click here to see the AMD version of this build guide