Byte Gremlin

Recommended PC Builds for Every Task

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Note: Byte Gremlin uses Affiliate Links, which generate income to help support the site.

For those considering building your own PC (which I highly recommend), I’ve created a set of recommended builds with various uses and goals in mind.

If you’d like to know more about how to compile a list of compatible parts yourself, check out my other guide here.

A quick note: Purchases made through links on this site earn me a commission, which will in turn support the future of this site. I only endorse products that I’ve personally used and loved, or thoroughly researched and genuinely recommend.

VR Budget/ Introductory Gamer:

CPU: Intel Core i3 8100

MB: Gigabyte H370M D3H

RAM: Corsair 8GB 2400Mhz Kit

GPU: Evga GTX 1060 6GB

Storage: Samsung 860 EVO 250GB SSD

PSU: Corsair CX 450 Watt

Case: Corsair Carbide Spec 01

Pros: Provides very solid gaming performance for 1080P and 1440P monitors. Will run most VR games at medium settings or better.

Cons: Needs a Wi-Fi adapter. Some demanding VR titles will choke or require “low” settings. Limited RAM and storage capacity may require you to juggle fewer applications and games at once.

VR Mainstream:

CPU: Intel Core i5 8600K

MB: Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming WIFI

RAM: Corsair 16GB 3000Mhz Kit

GPU: Evga GTX 1070 SC ACX

Storage: Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD

PSU: Corsair CX 650 Watt

CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H100i V2 AIO

Case: Corsair Carbide Spec 01

Pros: Will run most games at 4k very well, unless you insist on max settings or 60FPS everywhere. Will allow you to “sharpen” many VR titles by rendering at a higher resolution than your headset (supersampling).  An awsome setup that should last you for years.

Cons: Extremly demanding VR, like Vive pro on max settings, won’t run well with this GPU. Limited storage for non-gaming uses.

VR Epic:

CPU: Intel Core i7 8700K

MB: Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming WIFI

RAM: Corsair 16GB 3000Mhz Kit

GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti Gaming

Main Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe M.2

Additional storage: Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD

PSU: Corsair HX 750 Watt Full Modular Platinum

CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H100i V2 AIO

Case: Corsair Carbide Air 740

Pros: Simply a beast. This will future proof you for many years of gaming ahead. Will allow you to supersample even on the Vive Pro. Enough storage to download an extensive gaming library and some media.

Cons: Price. Especially with the current inflated GPU pricing in the component market.

Productivity Video/Photo Monster:

CPU: Threadripper $1950X 16 Core

MB: Gigabyte X399 Aorus Gaming 7

RAM: Corsair 64GB 3200Mhz Kit

GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti Gaming

Main Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 2TB NVMe M.2

Additional storage: Western Digital 6TB Hard Drives x2

PSU: Corsair HXi 850 Watt Full Modular Platinum

CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H100i V2 AIO

Case: Corsair Carbide Air 740

Pros: Just look at it. Massive storage for editing or rendering large video and photo projects. Extensive motherboard capacity for add-on cards and even more storage as needed.

Cons: Pricey. Overkill for non-intensive CPU workloads.

Home Theater/Media Master:

CPU: Intel Core i3 8100

MB: MSI B360i

RAM: Corsair 8GB 2400Mhz Kit

Storage: Western Digital Green 120GB  SSD

PSU: Corsair CX 450 Watt

Case: Cooler Master Elite 110

Pros: Price. Nice and quiet for streaming movies across a LAN to your TV, or playing games via in-home streaming services.

Cons: If all you need is to play HD video on a screen for super cheap, a raspberry pi will do the job nearly as well for under $100.

 

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