In a recent Letter from the Producer LIVE from Square Enix’s Naoki Yoshida, we found out that graphics improvements are coming to Final Fantasy XIV. These will be a part of the new expansion Stormblood, releasing June 20, 2017.
With such a change in PC requirements, I wanted to design a PC build to handle it. So in this article I take a look at both the minimum and recommended system requirements and try to build the best PC for your money. So read on to find out more.
The truth is out there: Earlier this month we learned the specifications for Project Scorpio, the new 4K Xbox from Microsoft. I couldn’t really just let such knowledge pass me by, so I sat down to see just what sort of PC would be needed to beat it!
This article will propose two sample builds capable of standing toe-to-toe with Project Scorpio for roughly the same price. Read on to see for yourself.
This week we saw the release of the new RX 580 and RX 570 from AMD. While these graphics cards are rehashes of the RX 480 and 470 (with a ~5% overclock), they are still great GPUs worthy of consideration for mid-range PC builders.
Today, I take a look at their performance and match each of them with suitable parts to get the best bang for your buck with these new cards.
This week, AMD released its exciting new Ryzen 5 series of CPUs, which includes two 6-core models (the 1600X and 1600) and two 4-core models (the 1500X and 1400). These new CPUs are giving Intel’s offerings some serious competition in the mid-range CPU space.
Yesterday, we put together some builds for the 6-core 1600X and 1600, and today we’ll be doing the same for the 4-core 1500X and 1400.
The 6-core Ryzen 5 1600X and 1600 are an interesting pair for PC builders.
For both gaming and content creation, having a 6-core/12-thread CPU for the $220-250 price point is excellent. As such, we’re going to create two powerful example builds to give you an idea for what you can make yourself.
The 1600X and 1600 can be used interchangeably with the two builds, so feel free to swap as you see fit!
The Ryzen 7 1800X is AMD’s flagship CPU in the new Ryzen lineup. We have put together an example PC build that should get the most out of this monster 8-core CPU!
With blistering multi-core benchmarks, including reports of crazy 8-core overclocking records, this PC should give you an impressive editing workstation or a gaming beast. Below are parts recommendations, along with budget options or more powerful alternatives. The standard build totals $2,185.
[Note: As we were preparing to publish this article, we saw that many of these parts are now temporarily out of stock. Ryzen fever has hit, and we hope that parts are available again soon.]
The Ryzen 7 1700X is a personal favorite “sweet spot” CPU of ours in the new Ryzen range. We have put together an example PC build that should get the most out of this powerful 8-core CPU.
With impressive multi-core performance, this PC should give you an impressive gaming PC or a powerhouse workstation for editing. Below are parts recommendations, along with budget options or more powerful alternatives. The standard build totals $1,535.
To celebrate the release of the Ryzen 7 1700, we’ve put together an example PC build that will get the most out of AMD’s new CPU. With an insanely low TDP of 65W for an 8-core CPU, this should be an interesting one!
This PC is excellent for many workstation applications, such as video editing, and it’s even a very good gaming PC. Below are parts recommendations, along with budget options or more powerful alternatives. The standard build totals $1,150.
AMD have a new player in the game…
With the AMD Press Event details now available to the world, with videos and articles confirming the many (oh so many!) performance and price leaks to be correct, we take a look at the first big leap forward from AMD in five years with the shiny new Ryzen 7 series. On March 2, the Ryzen 7 1800X, 1700X, and 1700 will challenge Intel’s 6- and 8-core CPU lineup at very competitive price points. Now we wonder: Is Intel worried?
[Edit: Since writing this article, Intel has announced price drops of their CPUs in response to Ryzen. So, in short: Yes, they are worried! Now read on to understand why.]
Build a PC or buy a console? The debate rages on…
With the release of the PlayStation 4 Pro over the holidays, the debate over the performance needed for 4K gaming on PC has been fierce. With games like Last of Us Remastered running in the PlayStation 4 Pro’s 4K 60 FPS mode, it is a testament to the level of optimization that can be achieved when working to a single specification. Yet what sort of performance can a PC builder get for the same $400?