What kind of PC could you build if budget was of
little concern? Let’s take a look in the first of a high-end PC series...
It's no secret that we like a good, money-saving deal. We
pride ourselves on informing you, the reader, on how to get the very best value
when shopping for PCs and components. The recent economic climate has made this
all the more important and desirable, but what if we could ignore this thrifty
spending? What if money wasn't a concern, and instead of limiting the power and
performance you could go for, what kind of powerful hardware could you expect
to find?
We're going to focus on this very question and have a look
at the kinds of hardware you can find if you're not all that concerned about
limiting your budget. We'll look at some of the cutting-edge hardware available
and components that demand higher prices for better performance and more
features.
What kind of PC
could you build if budget was of little concern?
Of course, the most expensive isn't always the best, and
we're not simply going to look at hardware that costs the most for the sake of
it. We're going to look at higher-end deals that warrant your attention, and
we’ll cover various aspects of the home PC, from CPU to keyboard, and
motherboard to monitor, beginning with the foundation of the PC, the
motherboard.
This is a component that can greatly affect your PC, from
which hardware you buy for it, to how well it performs. It also affects your
future expansions and upgrades, as well as how much storage and memory you can
have. This makes your motherboard choice very important, and being able to
spend more money will usually allow for a greater level of performance, as well
as an array of more powerful functions. Let's have a look at some of your
options.
ASRock X79 Extreme 11 Price: $784
A lot of people may not consider ASRock motherboards as
being all that desirable, especially when it comes to high end, but the Extreme
11 could change that opinion. Although arguably more well known for budget
boards, ASRock has produced quite a mammoth board here, packed with features
that make it a viable high-end board.
ASRock has
produced quite a mammoth board here, packed with features that make it a viable
high-end board
It's an Intel X79 chipset model with an LGA2011 socket and
supports the Core i7 range of CPUs, with up to 64GB of DDR3 RAM. It also
supports four-way SLI and CrossFireX, with PCIe 3.0 x16. Add to this eight SAS2
(RAID), two SATA-600 (RAID) and two eSATA-600 ports, as well as Creative EAX HD
audio, two gigabit Ethernet ports and a mass of USB ports, and you've got a
flexible, and fast system foundation. The build quality is also good, with
gold, solid capacitors and a dual-stack MOSFET, which can help with power
conservation.
This is a high-quality board in terms of features and
construction, but it does have a rather packed surface area, which could make
it a little tricky when it comes to maintenance and upgrading. With the right
chassis, however, this issue could be addressed.
Asus Intel Z97 ROG Bundle Price: $667
Asus Intel Z97 ROG
Bundle
This is a deal we found and it's quite a good one at that.
It consists of an Asus Intel Z97 ROG motherboard, Intel Core i7 CPU (477QK) and
8GB of Vengeance Pro RAM. It's a good deal for a gaming bundle, and the price
nets you a great initial setup, complete with a very good motherboard that's
well suited for gamers, thanks to support for the whole Intel Core CPU range
and SLI/CrossFireX.
Of course, as this is a bundle, the board itself isn't
exactly cutting-edge and is more of an entry-level option, but for £400, if you
have the cash to spare, this is a superb deal.
Gigabyte Z97X-GAMING G1 Price: $584
This gaming-focused board from Gigabyte is a bit of a
powerhouse, and it supports Intel's Core range of CPUs and 'extreme gaming',
four-way GPU setups. Of particular interest is the inclusion of a quad-core
Creative 3D audio processor and a specialised gaming network focus, offering
lag-free gaming sessions.
Gigabyte
Z97X-GAMING G1
The build is complemented by gold-plated audio and display
ports, and the whole board has undergone a stressful 168-hour, sever-level
durability test, which should ensure the unit is more than capable of handling
prolonged gaming sessions.
Other specifications include support for up to 32GB DDR RAM,
ten SATA-600, one SATA Express port and Bluetooth 4.0, as well as dual-band
wi-fi.
