Introduction
We’ve put together an absolute beast of a gaming PC for our $2000 build. This machine will tear through any game you throw at it with ease and has a huge number of benefits which you may not find in other gaming builds, and we’re quite confident that this parts list will definitely make the best gaming PC build under $2000.
The graphics card package we’ve chosen is designed for Virtual Reality (VR) gaming headsets such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. It features easily accessible front HDMI and USB 3 ports which makes using the headsets MUCH easier. Yep, that’s right, this gaming PC build is VR ready.
We have an unlocked processor and huge CPU cooler for overclocking, 32 GB of high speed DDR4 memory and an M.2 solid state drive capable of over 2,000MBps transfer speeds!
Let’s take a look at the parts that make this machine up.
Parts List
Last Updated: May 2016
| Component | Description | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics Card |   |
EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti VR EDITION | Check on Amazon |
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| CPU |   |
Intel Core I7-6700K 4.0-4.2GHz QuadCore Skylake | Check on Amazon |
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| CPU heatsink |   |
CRYORIG H7 Tower CPU Cooler | Check on Amazon |
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| Memory |   |
G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 | Check on Amazon |
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| Motherboard |   |
ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming | Check on Amazon |
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| Storage |   |
Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2 SSD | Check on Amazon |
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| Storage |   |
Western Digital Blue 1TB | Check on Amazon |
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| Case |   |
Fractal Design Define R5 Titanium | Check on Amazon |
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| Case Fans |   |
Corsair Air Series Case Fan Twin Pack | Check on Amazon |
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| Power Supply |   |
EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 80+ Gold | Check on Amazon |
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| Buy this system on Amazon » |
Graphics CardEVGA GeForce GTX 980Ti VR edition We’ve chosen the EVGA GeForce GTX 980Ti VR edition for this build. This is one of the best cards on the market at the moment and will easily run any game. EVGA have set up this card with Virtual Reality headsets in mind. One HDMI 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports are made available on the front of your case with the provided drive bay unit pictured below. This makes it much easier to connect up your Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR headset without trying to plug it into the back of your PC every time you want to use it.
EVGA have have also installed their custom ACX2.0+ cooler which makes the card run cooler and quieter than the regular GeForce unit. Here are some of the tech specs which make this card great.
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CPUIntel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz So, why have we chosen an unlocked Core i7 instead of a locked Core i5 like most gaming builds you see around? Well, for this gaming build we wanted to include the ability to overclock and support hardcore CPU intense tasks such as video encoding, compiling code or 3D modelling. This makes the build much more versatile and ensures your CPU will never slow you down. This Core I7 6700K is a 4.0GHz quad core CPU which supports a feature called HyperThreading. This means that the CPU We’ve also chosen the “K” edition of this processor. This means the CPU is unlocked and able to be overclocked to it’s full potential. You don’t have to overclock right away as this CPU will easily run any game now and for years to come but it’s nice to have the option in the future.
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CPU HeatsinkCRYORIG H7 Tower Cooler As mentioned, the CPU in this build has the ability to be overclocked. Since overclocking will generate more heat it makes sense to include a kick-ass CPU heatsink to keep the temperature nice and cool. We should note that when you buy an unlocked “K” edition CPU, Intel no longer include a stock heatsink because they are simply not suitable for overclocked builds.
This is the CRYORIG H7 Tower Cooler. It’s an excellent aftermarket cooler which will provide much lower temperatures for your CPU without sounding like a jet engine. You should be able to easily achieve 4.5GHz with this cooler. While large, it fits in tight spaces and doesn’t get in the way of your memory. It comes with a 120mm fan which is quiet at a maximum of 25dBA. Check out further details here
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MemoryG.Skill Ripjaws V 3200MHz 32GB We’ve put 32GB of RAM in this build. Is it overkill? Yes, but the price is good so why not. This build is designed to be future proof and you definitely should not run into memory issues with this setup. G.Skill provide a great kit of 2 x 16GB DDR4 sticks designed for use with the Z170 platform used in this build. Since we’re only using 2 sticks and the motherboard supports 4, you’re also able to drop in more should ever need to. The specs on this memory:
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MotherboardASUS Z170 Pro Gaming In our opinion the ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming is the “sweet spot” for the Z170 range of motherboards. It strikes the perfect balance between features and price without compromising on quality. When choosing a motherboard, it’s important that you consider future expansion. This board has you covered with support for 4 memory slots (we’ll only be using 2), It boasts:
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StorageSamsung 950 PRO M.2 256GB Ohh baby. Here we have the Samsung 950 PRO M.2 Solid State Drive. If you think this SSD looks different to the others you’ve seen it’s because it doesn’t hook up via a regular old SATA cable. This SSD mounts directly onto the motherboard into the M.2 slot which is included on the Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard we’ve selected.
The M.2 slot allows this SSD to surpass the speed limitations of the old SATA interface and achieve speeds of up to 2,200MBps! This is a huge jump from the previous generation SSDs which usually peaked at around 550MBps and you will notice the difference in the form of lightning-fast boot and loading times.
Check out our M.2 article for information on this type of SSD.
Western Digital Blue 1TB To provide even more storage space we’ve also included a Western Digital 1TB SATA hard drive. This is a staple of almost all computer builds as it offers great value for money, plenty of storage space and solid reliability. Put all of your media files and regular documents on this drive and load the operating system and main games on the M.2 SSD for amazing loading times!
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CaseFractal Design Define R5 Now for the case. We’ve gone with a very classy Fractal Design Define R5 in the Titanium color. Don’t let the appearance fool you, this is a case designed for high end
It features an insane amount of fan and hard drive mounting options, flawless cable management provisions and more than enough room to hold all of your parts and then some.
My favorite features of this case are its superior dust and sound proofing. The entire case is fitted out with soundproofing material and removable dust filters for the fans ensuring your CPU and graphics card fans never get blocked up. I’ve been running the previous version of this case for years and haven’t needed to clean it once! If you ever want to upgrade your PC in any way, this case has you covered. Plenty of room for water cooling systems, extra hard drives, extra graphics cards and endless fan mounting options.
For more information you can check out our review of the Blackout edition of the R5 case.
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Power supplyEVGA Supernova G2 750W Gold When it comes to power supplies you don’t just want “enough power”. You want to ensure a clean, stable supply of power to your components while This EVGA Supernova G2 provides just that. It’s a 750W 80+ Gold rated unit which has been tested by authoritative sources confirming its quality and proving its ability to deliver its peak power in a clean and stable manner even at high temperatures. It also provides modular cabling – you only need to plug in the cables you need. This greatly reduces the amount of messy cables in your case.
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Case FansCorsair Air Series AF120 There are plenty of options out there for case fans. We’ve gone with a twin pack of Corsair Air Series AF120. These offer a great balance between noise and airflow and are perfectly suited for case ventilation fans. They’re also available in a number of colors so you can create your own theme.
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Buy this system on Amazon »
Optional Extras
In our builds we typically don’t include optical drives – e.g. DVD / BluRay drives. These days, many people install their operating system (usually Windows) via a USB drive and games via digital download (e.g. Steam). We have a guide up in our blog here showing how. If you’d rather use an optical drive or just find them handy to have we’ve included an option below which will suit most builds.
Blu-Ray – LG Electronics 14x Internal BDXL Blu-Ray Burner
Case Fans – Cooler Master SickleFlow 120
As an alternative to the Corsair AF120 posted above, these Cooler Master fans are another solid choice. They move a little more air than the corsairs but will generate a little more noise. Just like the Corsair fans, they offer great value for money.
Conclusion
This build is an extremely versatile performance powerhouse. It will run any game you can throw at it, has provisions for VR headsets, allows for overclocking and is completely future proofed with endless options for expansion in the future. This build won’t disappoint.
Leave any questions, comments or thoughts below in the comment section, we’d love to hear what you think about this build.
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