Posts tagged “motherboards”

Intel's Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and (now Core i9) CPUs have been the go-to gaming processors since time immemorial - and following yesterday's announcement that even more 9th generation Intel Core desktop CPUs are on their way, there are now more of them to choose from than ever before. That's because right now we're entering that weird crossover period between the 8th and…

Tagged with CPU, feature, Hardware, Intel, Intel Coffee Lake, Intel Core i9, Intel Ice Lake, Intel Kaby Lake, Intel Skylake, motherboards.

If you've ever decided to build your own PC, you'll know there are some bits of the upgrade process that are easier to work out than others, especially when it comes to finding the right motherboard for your new CPU. The first step is easy. Most people know whether they want to have an Intel or AMD CPU, but untangling the mess of motherboard sockets…

Tagged with AMD, AMD Ryzen, CPU, feature, Hardware, how to build a PC, Intel, Intel Coffee Lake, motherboards.

Black Friday is a brilliant time for upgrading your PC on the cheap, but arguably it's an even better time for first-time PC builders looking to assemble all the necessary parts for the lowest price possible. Now I've already cribbed together a PC for UK builders that can play Plunkbat and Battlefield V on max settings at 1080p for under £600, but for US builders…

Tagged with AMD, AsRock, Black Friday 2018, Corsair, feature, graphics card, graphics cards, Hardware, how to build a PC, motherboards, MSI, RAM, Samsung, ssd, SSDs, Black Friday.

On this hallowed day o'deals that is Black Friday, I thought I'd take a small break from my epic deals hunting (all of which can be found in our jumbo Black Friday hub, by the way) to do something a bit more practical: tell you how to build a PC from the best Black Friday PC gaming deals that will run Plunkbat and Battlefield V…

Tagged with AMD, Black Friday 2018, Corsair, feature, Gigabyte, graphics card, graphics cards, Hardware, how to build a PC, HyperX, motherboards, RAM, Samsung, ssd, SSDs, Battlefield V, Black Friday, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds.

When Intel first introduced their 8th Gen [block id="637401" title="Intel Coffee Lake"] CPUs, anyone looking to upgrade their processor only had a single choice of motherboard chipset: the rather expensive Z370. Mercifully, Intel have now expanded their 300-series family to encourage budget builders to make the jump too - and the B360 chipset is one of them. To find out if it's any cop against pricier…

Tagged with Asus, feature, Hardware, Intel, Intel Coffee Lake, motherboards.

Building your own gaming PC isn't too bad if you know what you're doing, but for first-time builders it can be quite the daunting experience. Sometimes, it's just easier to get someone else to do all the legwork for you, especially if you're after something small and diddy like the rather swish Zotac MEK1. Other times, though, it can be both cheaper and more satisfying to make one…

Tagged with CPU, desktops, feature, Gaming PC, graphics card, graphics cards, Hardware, how to build a PC, motherboards, RAM, ssd, SSDs.

Hooo boy. Here comes the fun part of our How to Build a PC guide. And by fun, I mean, excruciatingly awful and needlessly fiddly. It's time to connect up your system panel connector and all your case cables to all the teeny tiny metal prongs dotted around your motherboard. Hooray!

Tagged with feature, Gaming PC, Hardware, how to build a PC, motherboards.

You've just learned how to install your power supply; the next step in our How to build a PC guide is installing your motherboard. This is arguably one of the fiddliest bits of building a PC, so it's important to take your time here. I'll be building into an ATX-sized motherboard into a mid-tower case in this particular instance, but the same steps apply for…

Tagged with feature, Gaming PC, Hardware, how to build a PC, motherboards.

The Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero (Wi-Fi) - try saying that three times fast - is quite possibly the ultimate ATX motherboard for cooling and USB junkies - if you're batting for team Ryzen+, that is. If you thought having eight USB ports on the Asus ROG Strix X470F-Gaming and MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC was generous, the Crosshair VII Hero adds four more to…

Tagged with AMD, AMD Ryzen, Asus, feature, Hardware, motherboards.

AMD's Ryzen+ CPUs have arrived and if you've read our Ryzen 5 2600/2600X or Ryzen 7 2700/2700X reviews, then you'll know there's a lot to like. Indeed, one of the great things about AMD's new family of processors is that you might not even have to buy a new motherboard to start using them, as every Ryzen+ chip will happily slot into every existing AM4…

Tagged with AMD Ryzen, feature, Hardware, motherboards, MSI.

If you're considering buying one of AMD's new Ryzen+ CPUs like the Ryzen 5 2600 or Ryzen 7 2700X, then you may also want to think about getting a new X470-based AM4 motherboard to go with it. It's not strictly necessary - all of AMD's 2nd gen Ryzen processors will work with existing AM4 motherboards, whether you've got one with a high-end X370 chipset or the more entry-level A320…

Tagged with AMD Ryzen, Asus, feature, Hardware, motherboards.

AMD's second generation of Ryzen CPUs are finally here. Also known as Ryzen+ or the 2000-series, these four new desktop chips are set to replace last year's Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 families, offering more competitive performance compared to Intel's 8th Gen Coffee Lake CPUs. There's a fair amount to get your head round, though, especially when you start throwing AMD's 2000-series (but not Ryzen+) Ryzen Vega APUs…

Tagged with AMD, AMD Ryzen, AMD Ryzen Mobile, AMD Ryzen Threadripper, AMD Vega, AMD Vega M, AMD Zen, CPU, feature, Hardware, motherboards.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is over for another year. It was a slightly weird show this year, marred by an embarrassing power outage, one too many pointless robots (Cloi, I'm looking at you) and the creeping feeling that the world's biggest tech show might just be becoming a bit irrelevant. Fortunately, PC gamers still have plenty to look forward to in 2018, from giganto gaming screens…

Tagged with AMD, AMD Ryzen, AMD Vega, Asus, Best Of, best thing, CES, Dell, Hardware, Headsets, HTC, Intel, Keyboards, mice, Monitors, motherboards, mouse, mouse and keyboard, Nvidia, Sennheiser, HTC Vive Pro.

Hello, good evening and give it up for an all-new Intel CPU. By chip industry standards, it's been a long time coming. But with a nonchalant shrug of its 14nm FinFETs, Intel's new Skylake chip has crashed the desktop PC party. Dare we hope for genuine progress? Or is the new Core i7-6700K yet another samey CPU from Intel? I also have an early take…

Tagged with CPU, hard choice, Hardware, Intel, Intel Skylake, motherboards, Z170, overclocking.