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Build Guide

Enthusiast Intel Gaming Build

by manirelli

21
78 Comments

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Revision History

NOTE: A more recent version of this guide is available here.

Description

CPU

For the Enthusiast Intel build we chose the newly released Intel Coffee Lake i5-8600k as our processor.

CPU Cooler

To cool the i5-8600k while overclocking we selected the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 to match our case. The Dark Rock Pro 4 is an excellent choice for our build aesthetically and will allow us to reach our maximum potential for overclocking without watercooling.

Motherboard

To allow overclocking on the processor, 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 from DDR4-2666 to DDR4-3200.

Storage

Using the parametric filters this build will incorporate an m.2 SSD with at least 500GB of space and a minimum 3TB of mechanical storage at 7200rpm.

GPU

With this budget we decided to go all out on the graphics card. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 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 1080 Ti is perfectly suited for VR gaming as well. When using a GTX 1080 Ti you should consider stepping up your monitor to a 120/144hz screen for the best gaming experience.

Case

All of our components are housed in the Thermaltake View 37 Riing Edition case. This case has a unique side panel, room for enthusiast CPU coolers, watercooling radiators, 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

Part List Customize This Part List

Compatibility Check: See notes below.

Estimated Wattage: 396W
Component Selection Base Promo Shipping Tax Price Where
CPU $399.00 $399.00 Mighty Ape Buy
CPU Cooler $119.00 $119.00 PCCaseGear Buy
Motherboard
From parametric filter
  • Form Factor: ATX
  • Chipset: Intel Z370
  • M.2 Ports: 2 - 4
  • RAM Slots: 4 - 16
 $178.00 $178.00 Austin Computers Buy
Memory
From parametric filter
  • Speed: DDR4-2666, DDR4-2800, DDR4-2933, DDR4-3000, DDR4-3200
  • Type: 288-pin DIMM
  • Size: 16GB (2x8GB)
  • Heat Spreader: Yes
 $155.53 $155.53 Amazon Australia Buy
Storage
From parametric filter
  • Capacity: 500 GB - 12000 GB
  • Type: SSD
  • Interface: M.2 (M)
  • Form Factor: M.2-2280
 $122.93 $122.93 Amazon Australia Buy
From parametric filter
  • Capacity: 3000 GB - 10000 GB
  • Type: 7200RPM
  • Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s
  • Form Factor: 3.5"
 $111.00 $111.00 Umart Buy
Video Card
From parametric filter
  • Chipset: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
 $1379.00 FREE $1379.00 PC Byte Buy
Case $442.13 $442.13 Amazon Australia Buy
Power Supply
From parametric selection (show)
$119.00 $119.00 Austin Computers Buy
Total: $3025.59
* Using your selected merchants and only including nearby in-store pickup prices)
* Some physical dimension restrictions cannot (yet) be automatically checked, such as cpu cooler / RAM clearance with modules using tall heat spreaders.

Compatibility Notes

  • The motherboard M.2 slot #1 shares bandwidth with a SATA 6.0 Gb/s port. When the M.2 slot is populated, one SATA 6.0 Gb/s port is disabled.
  • The motherboard M.2 slot #2 shares bandwidth with a SATA 6.0 Gb/s port. When the M.2 slot is populated, one SATA 6.0 Gb/s port is disabled.
  • Flag compatibility notes as incorrect

Comments Sorted by:

SavagePigeon 8 points 5 months ago

Nothing about the build, but BE CAREFUL. The gpu was being sold by an amazon seller called smartercase and THEY ARE A SCAM!!! Many people including myself never received our items. Amazon has been contacted and I am getting a refund but now I have to find another more expensive gpu, be careful everyone.

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Your saying avoid purchasing the gpu off of Amazon??

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SavagePigeon 2 points 5 months ago

No, now if you go to the amazon page for it, amazon has displayed a new seller with good reputation. Sorry a bit misleading. Was more of just a warning to always be careful, but now it looks like its fine! Also seems the build isnt using the ZOTAC brand anymore so also should be good, i ended up just spending a bit more and getting the GIGABYTE OC 1080 ti

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Oh okay cool thanks lol

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THALEXIS32XD 2 points 6 months ago

Since when a GTX1080Ti costs 526.00 ?

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OolonCaluphid 2 Builds 2 points 5 months ago

Since Amazon incorrectly reports global store prices to PC Part picker excluding VAT, (20%), Duties and fees.

I've messaged PCPP about this, Amazon global store prices are NOT representative, the GPU the parametric filter selects is over £200 more landed in the UK.

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Phildilf 3 Builds 2 points 4 months ago

This isn't the only thing listed like this.

I saw a post where a guy put a 980x in a build and PCPP has it listed at $1000. lol.

There's a bunch of stuff listed incorrectly. With newer builds, the cost is semi accurate. Anything else is a shot in the dark really.

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Spheniscidae 1 point 6 months ago

Since the RTX announcement

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0verfiend 1 point 3 months ago

Ebay sale a while back. 100 dollars off.

I bought an evga 1080ti for 560 same day.

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KazooKID123 2 points 4 months ago

Is 550w PSU not enough for a 1080 TI?

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frylock567 1 Build 2 points 4 months ago

Everything is well picked except the PSU. Go at least 650W

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bunnybanii 2 points 3 months ago

What does the compatibility note: "The motherboard M.2 slot #1 shares bandwidth with a SATA 6.0 Gb/s port. When the M.2 slot is populated, one SATA 6.0 Gb/s port is disabled" mean? I'm thinking of doing this build and I'm pretty new to this stuff.

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Ezikiel 2 points 3 months ago

It means when you put the M.2 SSD that's on the list into the M.2 slot on the motherboard, one of the SATA ports (which hard drives and non-m.2 SSDs use) are disabled. This is because the M.2 slot shares PCI-E lanes with the SATA port that's being disabled.

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Steve1466 1 point 6 months ago

jjioni

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KeyteeChan 1 point 6 months ago

ok

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bondical 1 point 6 months ago

I have a similar build with but struggling to get to 5ghz with the 8600k on the asrock pro 4 board. Anyone have any tips or links?

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EvilHedgehog 1 point 5 months ago

whats ur cooler, and what voltage is it at

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bondical 1 point 4 months ago

dark rock pro 4, same as the above build

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EvilHedgehog 3 points 4 months ago

that's probably your cooler, you are trying to everclock 1.6 GHZ, which is alot, W/O a liquid cooler. I'd go with a corsair H100i or a NZXT Kraken H62. If you are willing to spend more for a cooler and better cooler, you could get a Thermaltake Floe-Riing

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Is this a good first pc and be able to run AAA games at a decent FPS? (Sorry brand new to pc gaming) Also is intel or AMD for processor??

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manirelli staff submitter 8 Builds 2 points 5 months ago

This will run just about anything you can throw at it.

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Even with an i5 chip?

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manirelli staff submitter 8 Builds 5 points 5 months ago

The newer i5 chips are similar to previous i7s in terms of cores. You will not have any issues.

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DevinFrom7Eleven 1 Build 3 points 3 months ago

You can watch comparison videos of the i5-8600k vs. the i7-8700k. In gaming, there is about a 10 FPS difference, which in my opinion is not worth the extra $100-$150 for i7.

Comparison Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UYJfhmkmM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkTxXrqE5F0

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connor333 -4 points 4 months ago

if you're aiming for high frame rates go for the i7

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cgleach 1 point 4 months ago

This is one of the best pc's out there. xD

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rockoo12 1 point 5 months ago

Is there a suggested wifi card (PCI vs USB)? Not sure how to choose or if it is compatible. Also, has anyone used this case? I see a lot of mixed reviews on it and was looking for some input. Thank you.

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Also can anyone recommend a different case that would work?

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ShakinBacon 1 point 5 months ago

a more expensive or less expensive case?

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Equal or less, also with good airflow but idk how many parts light up in this build so idk if a glass panel is necessary

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ShakinBacon 1 point 5 months ago

Ok so, if you want a pretty good case for an amazing price, I would recommend the Cooler Master - MasterBox TD500 ATX Mid Tower Case. It goes for bout exactly 100 dollars CAD and has 4 rgb fans inside of it. I used to have the case and I added 2 more fans in it. Overall, it was a really good case which comes at an amazing price. Would easily recommend it to you.

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Omg man thank you so so much, it looks so amazing. Definitely using this one!!!

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ShakinBacon 1 point 5 months ago

Np bro

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magoo9739 1 point 5 months ago

I have said this on others for this graphic card, it is another 119 pounds for customs unless you can get it for that price in the UK

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Happycow 1 point 5 months ago

Would this pc be able to play DayZ, arma3 fallout 4 etc.?

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devynbam123 1 point 5 months ago

easily

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Asday 1 point 5 months ago

£1337? Did you do that on purpose?

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_XiTe_ 1 point 5 months ago

Does that mobo support overclocking to 5ghz?

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jimferno 1 point 4 months ago

Would it make any sense to get a GTX 1070 instead of the 1080 to save a little cash? Trying to come up with a build for gaming, music production, twitch streaming, and video editing. Thanks!

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WideK 1 point 3 months ago

The 1080 ti in this build is basically overkill as is the 1080. If I were you I would go for a 1070 ti because it's performance is pretty close to the 1080. Look it up and it'll save you quite a bit of money. It's the "best bang for your buck". Not that the 1070 isn't enough but it's just a better deal to go with the 1070 ti than just the 1070 and 1080. It's a great middle line.

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Phildilf 3 Builds 1 point 4 months ago

No final pictures of everything installed? How dare you!

+1

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KarlGman 1 point 4 months ago

To be honest, i would rather have a i7-8700k or r7-2700x over a i5, even if i downgrade to a gtx 1080.

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DevinFrom7Eleven 1 Build 1 point 3 months ago

You can watch comparison videos of the i5-8600k vs. the i7-8700k. In gaming, there is about a 10 FPS difference, which in my opinion is not worth the extra $100-$150 for i7.

Comparison Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UYJfhmkmM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkTxXrqE5F0

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Twix14 1 point 4 months ago

Im looking at the Thermalright Le Grande Macho RT over the Be Quiet! Dark Pro 4, but im not really sure if it's good. I saw some reviews and just need a 2nd opinion. :D

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Monoxidish 1 Build 2 points 3 months ago

It is def better and has more clearance for ram too.

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AbruptOyster456 1 Build 1 point 4 months ago

I think you could go with something a little cheaper on the CPU cooler.

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theroot1972 1 Build 1 point 3 months ago

There are a lot of versions of that 1080 ti.

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illusionbolt9670 1 point 3 months ago

bottle necking???? also, check compatibility notes

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SerialScaresMe 1 point 3 months ago

That case has been known to scratch easily because of the window not being tg but rather acrylic. If anybody wants to build this I would recommend along the lines of a Fractal Design Meshify C tg or NZXT H500 not I.

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zoomist 1 point 3 months ago

The GTX 1080Ti is sold out

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sopwithcamel110 1 point 3 months ago

Loading all of these parts into Newegg's psu wattage calculator it says 650 watts is recommended, am I doing something wrong?

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connor333 1 point 3 months ago

wouldn't 550watt power supply be a little too low for this build, esp if overclocking? I get that it can prob get you by, but seems like it would be best to play it safe and get 650w since this is such a good build that spending 30 bucks extra on a power supply shouldn't be that big of a deal, right?

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Callum2812 1 point 3 months ago

The mother board is a bit disappointing. For this price point I would have expected a nicer mother board from Asus for example. It is quite disappointing that so much money was spent on the case for aesthetics. There are plenty of cases that are just as nice but a lot cheaper e.g. NZXT H500/700. The mother board was supposedly picked for overclocking but if you ask me, you would be better off buying a aesthetically pleasing Asus/gigabyte/MSI mother board and spending less on the case.

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velcrro 1 point 2 months ago

hello everyone i have built this computer but there is something wrong every time i boot the computer there are bios being out put onto the computer. and i am not sure what has happened. i have watched multiple videos and i have also looked through multiple websites to see if there is anything wrong but there is nothing that i have done wrong in terms of connecting it. so i am not quite sure what to do as i start the system there is just a black screen and nothing else happens

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manirelli staff submitter 8 Builds 1 point 2 months ago

Please make a post in the troubleshooting forum.

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SavagePigeon 0 points 6 months ago

Anyone got a setup video of this build with how to install everything from scratch? Newbie here

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dreamweaver_ 2 points 6 months ago

These are more basic parts so if you look up how to build a gaming pc from scratch it will most likely show you how to build it. It would be another case if there was water cooling or something else of that more complicated sort to install. Also this case can be organized very well so look up the case and how to build a pc using that.

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Srggear 0 points 5 months ago

Power supply seems weak, under full load the 1080Ti can pull 300W+ alone. Having less that 250W headroom for CPU and all other functions is ridiculous. Why not add $30 and get a 650W+ PSU that will not have to be running 100% so much. I guarantee that that 550W will be running its fan loud whenever you do anything demanding. Secondly, an i5 seems like a strange choice for an "enthusiast Intel build". Most i7 aren't even enthusiast level in my eyes.

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PrivatePengu 2 points 4 months ago

Because it's unnecessary. And it's an enthusiast gaming build, not an enthusiast build, therefore upgrading to an i7 wouldn't be worth the cost.

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James.k 0 points 4 months ago

Why? Why? WHY?Are you using the i5-8600k Instead of the vastly superior i7-8700k?

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jaggedcow 3 points 4 months ago

To save the price difference. It won’t make a huge difference since most games still depend on single threaded IPC, hyperthreading is not as good as real cores, and the i5 overclocks better generally.

The i7 is only worth it if you’re going to be streaming or editing video (though really Ryzen would be a better choice). But for just gaming and general use the i5 will be just as fast and 70% the cost

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Phildilf 3 Builds 3 points 4 months ago

Over $100 more for the 8700k. "vastly superior"? Nope. Not for gaming at least (which is what this rig is built for). The 8600k is known as one of the best gaming processors.

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DevinFrom7Eleven 1 Build 1 point 3 months ago

You can watch comparison videos of the i5-8600k vs. the i7-8700k. In gaming, there is about a 10 FPS difference, which in my opinion is not worth the extra $100-$150 for the i7.

Comparison Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UYJfhmkmM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkTxXrqE5F0

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Monoxidish 1 Build 1 point 3 months ago

It (was) the highest end i5 processor, and for gaming it is much better.

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wesselgaz 7 points 5 months ago

Ah, I love it when people think they know it better just because they heard i7 is better than i5.

You don't need an i7 for a gaming build, this rig is good enough to play the newest AAA titles on Ultra on atleast 100+ fps on 1920x1080.

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WalkerMC 1 Build 1 point 5 months ago

I agree, enthusiast is not i5, It's a powerful chip, but an i7 4790k isn't enthusiast anymore but was at one point. Just because an i5 is as powerful as old i7's that doesn't make it enthusiast.

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JonLernerCanada 1 point 5 months ago

That older i7 4790k chip will still let you play just about anything you throw at it with a good frame rate, especially when overclocked.

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WalkerMC 1 Build 2 points 5 months ago

That's true, and it's still a great chip, but it is no no longer enthusiast grade and 8700k and 7700k smash it.

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Continue this thread
PrivatePengu 2 points 4 months ago

It's an enthusiast gaming build, not an enthusiast build. Ergo, an i7 makes no sense here.

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DevinFrom7Eleven 1 Build 2 points 3 months ago

In gaming, an i5-8600k is just as good as an i7-8700k.

In gaming, there is about a 10 FPS difference, which in my opinion is not worth the extra $100-$150 for i7.

Comparison Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UYJfhmkmM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkTxXrqE5F0

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Reason:
Note: Wattages are estimates only. Actual power draw may differ from listed values.
Component Estimated Wattage
Intel - Core i5-8600K 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor 11W - 95W
be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler 5W - 10W
Crucial - Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory 11W - 11W
Intel - 660p Series 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive 2W - 10W
Toshiba - P300 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 4W - 20W
Inno3D - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB Video Card 62W - 250W
Total: 95W - 396W