System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $1300 Enthusiast PC

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Video Card, Power Supply, And Case

Graphics Card: Gigabyte N770OC-2GD GeForce GTX 770

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 770 is basically a 680 with higher clock rates. But the 770 is also less expensive, even as it delivers excellent high-resolution performance. We gave Gigabyte's implementation a shot because it comes overclocked from the factory, and also sports a non-reference cooler that we're hoping will suppress noise as it keeps the card's temperatures low.

Read Customer Reviews of Gigabyte's N770OC-2GD GeForce GTX 770

At $400 on Newegg, the GeForce GTX 770 should do well at the high resolutions and detail levels that we plan to test.

Power Supply: Corsair 650TX 650 W PSU

Read Customer Reviews of Corsair's 650TX

You've seen Corsair's 650TX power a number of the mid-range builds in our System Builder Marathon, and it hasn't ever let us down. This isn't the lowest-priced power supply option, given a $90 price tag on Newegg. But it has our respect for the reliability, efficiency, and performance we've seen it demonstrate.

Case: Antec GX 700

Read Customer Reviews of Antec's GX 700

We spotted this case's military styling at Computex 2013, and it immediately interested us. Is beauty more than skin-deep?

Although it's one of Antec's lower-priced enclosures, the GX 700 comes with two 140 mm fans on top and a single 120 mm cooler around back, promising plenty of airflow. At $55 on Newegg, it won't break the bank, either. 

61 Comments Comment from the forums
  • rolli59
    Keep them coming.
    Reply
  • chaospower
    I think this just shows that you don't really need more than a GTX 760 if you play on the most popular resolution of 1080p. Look how small the benefits of an Haswell are, compared to the 650$ build (HALF THE PRICE!) in games that mainly rely on GPU power.
    Overclocking haswell is a waste of money considering the amount of money you need to invest in a good MB and a good cooling, only to reach a rather tame 4.3ghz OC...
    Just buy the cheapest I5 you can buy and pair it with a GTX 760, if you play on 1080p, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
    Reply
  • DelightfulDucklings
    The more I look at these the sadder I am about the overpriced parts I have to pay for in New Zealand :( Nevertheless, another good article, keep it up
    Reply
  • silverblue
    "64 GB of cache"

    I'd have that hard drive for $70 if it was true. :P
    Reply
  • bemused_fred
    11591176 said:
    "64 GB of cache"

    I'd have that hard drive for $70 if it was true. :P

    I thought it was only....32 on the blue models. :p
    Reply
  • cmartin011
    Can't wait to see a new amd gpu in these builds got me all giddy inside!
    Reply
  • Larry Bob
    This is a complete waste of money. You spend way more on the 4670K than you would on a 3570K, and a really expensive motherboard, then you pair it with a crappy CLC where even a 212 Evo or Respire T40 would do better. You then WAY overpay on the graphics card when a 7970 offers exactly the same performance (according to Tom's research) for $60+ less.
    Reply
  • persuse
    the vengence ram Worst chip in all the model and brands !
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313399
    Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB)DDR3 2400 best P/p memory with same price better choice.
    and corsair H50 not is better whan aircooler.
    the Phanteks PH-TC12DX or V6GT with same price range the beat performance.

    for ssd i,m recomend Kingston HyperX 3K 120G with same price and beter speed.
    Reply
  • Novuake
    Good choice in PSU. Odd choice in motherboard. Does not provide THAT much for 200$.
    But most importantly, HORRIBLE choice in cooling. But ok...
    Reply
  • MANOFKRYPTONAK
    This is old tech... We nee some new stuff! Can't wait to see amds new cards, and nvidias response. Also Intel supposedly has an eight core haswell-e coming:)
    Reply