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Corsair 460x vs 570x – PC Case Comparison 2020

Mike Jones — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 23:59:21 +0000

What the difference between Corsair 460x vs 570x?

The Corsair 460x is a mid-tower case, while the Corsair 570x is a full-tower case. Mid-tower cases are smaller than full-tower cases and hold a smaller motherboard, lesser fans, and slots. However, you will get a more compact build and save space.

Corsair makes some of the best cases on the market right now. If you are interested in getting a case from Corsair then you might have come across the 460x and 570x.

Both are great options but which one should you pick?

In this guide, we are going to go over both and tell you which case is right for you.

Corsair 570x

Comparison winner

Corsair 460x

Runner up

Corsair 460x vs 570x PC Case Comparison

The following are some of the specifications of both the cases that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

	Corsair 460x	Corsair 570x
Image
Type	Mid-tower	Full-tower
Size	ATX	ATX
RGB	Yes	Yes
Tempered Glass	Yes	Yes
Included Fans	3	3

The following is what you need to know about the Corsair 460x and 570x:

Corsair 460x

The Corsair 460X comes with 3 RGB fans out of the box as well as an RGB controller which is at the front of the case. The case is very similar to the 400C and if you already have that case then you might not find the Corsair 460x to be worth the upgrade.

Read also: Best Cases for Water Cooling

The tempered glass side panel and the front panel give a nice look to the case and you can use that to show off the hardware that you have crammed inside. This is one of the best cases on the market when it comes to looks and pricing.

The PSU shroud is divided into two pieces and it can be removed altogether which gives you plenty of room for water cooling and radiator mounting. At the front, you can install up to a 360mm radiator which is great keeping in mind that this is a fairly compact mid-tower case.

Great for a Compact Build

Corsair 460x

There is some room on the top as well where you can install a couple of fans. You could install a 240mm radiator on the top as well but it will cover a portion of the motherboard. The case does have a very flat interior which helps if you are interested in installing larger motherboards like the ones that are used in servers.

There is room for a single fan at the back which can be moved up and down once it is installed. This is a great feature that allows you to fit pretty much any motherboard into the case without having clearance issues with the exhaust fan.

There is a dedicated panel at the front that has a dust filter inside. You can remove it very easily when you need to clean it. There is a dust filter on the top of the case as well. It is magnetic and feels nice and premium.

At the front, you have the controls for the RGB lighting as well as the microphone jack, headphone jack, power button and a pair of USB 2.0 ports.

A major drawback with this motherboard is that there is little room behind the right-side panel which makes cable management very hard indeed. You will need to have a fully modular power supply and custom length cables in order to get close to proper cable management otherwise you will be left with a bulge in the right-side panel.

At the back, you do have room for 3 SSDs and a pair of HDDs. Which is plenty of storage for the average consumer.

Conclusion

All things considered, the Corsair 460x is a great case with a compact design. Cable management can be very tricky indeed but other than that the case is built well and is well thought out.

Pros

Cons

Corsair 570x

The Corsair 570x is like the bigger brother of the 460x as it is larger. We recommend this for high-end builds. The case has more expansion options for the future. This is a premium case with glass on the sides, the top and the front. All the panels are easy to remove with screws. The case comes with 3 pre-installed RGB fans and an RGB controller as well.

While you do get 3 fans out of the box you can install up to 6 in total. 2 at the top, 3 in the front and another one at the back. The included fans are optimized for pressure which means that you can mount the radiator directly to the front of the case without having to use the fans included with the AIO liquid cooler.

Best for Proper Cable Management

Corsair 570x

This case is ideal for liquid cooling. You can install a 240mm radiator at the top and a 360mm radiator at the front. This is ideal if you want to liquid cool your graphics card and your processor. You can even install an exhaust fan at the back. Airflow is not going to be an issue even with all the glass. There are spaces between the panels that allow air to flow into the case.

The case is very nice to look at and because it is a full-size tower there is plenty of room for building inside. Cable management options are great and you can put all the high-end hardware you want into the case.

The downside here is that the tempered glass makes it very heavy. The glass also comes in the way when you upgrade your system. If you build your PC once and put it in a single place and do not upgrade much then that is not going to be an issue but if you upgrade things very often then the glass is going to come in the way. So keep that in mind.

Another factor to keep in mind is that the price is high when compared to other cases on the market. But keep in mind that you do get RGB fans, RGB controller and three tempered glass panels included in the price.

Conclusion

The Corsair 570X has everything that you could ask for in a premium case. It looks great, functions great and has plenty of options for expandability. We recommend this case for high-end hardware and if you are interested in liquid cooling your hardware. The price tag includes RGB fans, an RGB controller and tempered glass on three sides.

Pros

Cons

Which Corsair Case Should You Pick?

Now that we have looked at both options, the question is which one should you pick?

The simple answer is that if you want a compact build and can get a modular power supply with custom length cables then the 460x is the right option.

On the other hand, if you are interested in building a high-end PC and you want proper cable management solutions with expandability then the 570x is the way to go. All things considered, the 570x offers better building experience which makes a huge deal if you are building your PC yourself.

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The post Corsair 460x vs 570x – PC Case Comparison 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Budget CPU Cooler under $50 in 2020

Mike Jones — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 07:52:38 +0000

If you are getting an unlocked CPU or you do not like the stock cooler that your CPU came with, then you are going to need an aftermarket cooler.

There are plenty of coolers on the market and they come at different price points. Here we are going to look into some of the best CPU coolers under $50 that you can buy

These coolers provide ideal cooling unless you are interested in some serious overclocking. Plus they do not break the bank.

Even though these CPU coolers are affordable, they are still much better compared to stock coolers that you get with your CPU. However, compared to liquid coolers and water coolers they have, of course, better cooling performance, but also a lot more expensive.

These budget CPU coolers are more than enough for most PC users and gamers out there. We have looked at coolers for both Intel and AMD sockets, as well as one low-profile CPU cooler for those with a mini-ITX PC.

Best Overall

Cooler Master Hyper 212

Premium Pick

Scythe Mugen 5

Low-Profile Pick

NOCTUA NH-L9i

Top Rated CPU Coolers under 50 dollars

The following are all the coolers that we are going to look into here and some of their specifications that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

Model	Fans	Heat Pipes	Type
Cooler Master Hyper 212	2	6	Air Cooler	Check Price
Scythe Mugen 5	1	6	Air Cooler	Check Price
NOCTUA NH-L9i	1	2	Air Cooler	Check Price
Gamemax Gamma 500 Rainbow	1	4	Air Cooler	Check Price
be quiet! BK009 Pure Rock	1	4	Air Cooler	Check Price
Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK	1	4	Air Cooler	Check Price
Arctic Freezer 33 Esports ONE	2	4	Air Cooler	Check Price

Now that we have gone over all the coolers and some of their specifications, we can look into each of these in-depth. The following is what you need to know about these coolers.

The Best CPU Cooler under $50 in 2020

1. Cooler Master Hyper 212 – Best Budget CPU Cooler

This is a 120mm CPU cooler that is very popular amongst PC builders due to its cooling performance and relatively low price. This budget cooler is much better than the stock Intel cooler that you can buy separately. If you are interested in overclocking then this cooler can easily get the Intel 8600K to 4.6 GHz.

Our Pick

Cooler Master Hyper 212

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is a slim cooler that is ideal for the 8600K is you are not interested in pushing the CPU to its limit. The cooler comes with a single fan out of the box and another one can be added if needed.

You might run into cooling issues if you push the CPU any further than that depending on the silicon and voltage tweaks but you will be perfectly fine up to 4.6 GHz. which is a decent overclock keeping in mind that this is a very reasonably priced CPU cooler. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo features a relatively slim design for better RAM clearance. It comes with 4 heat pipes and a single 120mm fan.

Read also: Best Cooler for i7 7700K

Pros

Cons

2. Scythe Mugen 5 – Premium CPU Cooler under $50

The Scythe Mugen 5 comes with 6 heat pipes and a single fan but you can install another one if you want. The included fan features hydraulic bearing and is rated to run for 120,000 hours. The cooler is designed so that RAM clearance is not an issue. The cooler is beefy but it can keep the Intel i5 8600K cool even when overclocked. You can get some decent overclocks using this cooler.

Our Premium Pick

Scythe Mugen 5

The Scythe Mugen 5 is big and bulky but it is inexpensive and does the job of keeping the 8600K cool even when overclocked. This is a great alternative to the 212 Evo.

The cooler is relatively inexpensive and the black fan will blend in with the rest of your build nicely. If you need something decent to cool your CPU and you are on a budget then this is a great option to consider. It can handle much more than the 8600K so if you upgrade your CPU down the line then you could use the same cooler.

Pros

Cons

3. NOCTUA NH-L9i – Best Budget Low-profile Cooler

Noctua is known for making some of the best cooling solutions for PCs. So, there is no surprise that we have yet another Noctua CPU cooler. This one has a low profile design which is ideal for small form factor builds. This will allow you to build a smaller PC without having to compromise on performance.

Our Low-Profile Cooler Pick

NOCTUA NH-L9i

The Noctua NH-DL9i CPU cooler is a low-profile CPU cooler that is easy to install and ideal for smaller PC builds if you do not want to sacrifice performance.

The cooler comes with a single 92mm fan which is enough to keep the 8600K cool even is you have overclocked it a bit. You should have no issues with RAM clearance with this CPU cooler. The cooler also comes with a noise adapter that controls the speed of the fan and reduces the noise. This cooler is great is silent operation is what you are looking for.

Noctua has simple mounting solutions and installing this cooler is pretty straight forward. All things considered, this is a great CPU cooler for smaller PC builds.

Pros

Cons

4. Gamemax Gamma 500 Rainbow

The Gamemax Gamma 500 Rainbow is a very nice looking cooler for the price. If you have a motherboard that comes with an RGB header then you can program the lighting and customize the looks of the CPU cooler. This is an inexpensive cooler that is not going to break the bank and is ideal for people that are on a budget.

The socket support is very impressive indeed and it will work with pretty much any CPU that you have. The cooler comes with a single fan out of the box but you could install another one on the other side as well. The cooler is well made even though it does not cost a lot of money.

Budget RGB CPU Cooler

Gamemax Gamma 500 Rainbow

The Gamemax Gamma 500 Rainbow is a great cooler for the price especially if you are on a budget. If what you are looking for is RGB lighting and decent cooling then this is an option that will not disappoint.

The cooler features 4 copper heat pipes to move heat away from the CPU. The included fan can be plugged into a controller or you can plug it directly into your motherboard and control the different settings in the motherboard software.

Related: Best Air Cooler for i7 8700k

The installation process is relatively simple and you do not even have to take out the motherboard to install the cooler. The fan can easily be removed for cleaning. The cooler comes with a 36-month warranty in case something goes wrong.

Pros

Cons

5. be quiet! BK009 Pure Rock

Be quiet is known for making coolers that are relatively silent and the Pure Rock is the budget option that the company has to offer. Even though the price is lower, the cooler is still made well, performs great and looks cool too.

be quiet! BK009 Pure Rock

The be quiet! BK009 Pure Rock is an ideal CPU cooler if silent operation is what you are looking for but you are not interested in spending a lot of money.

The cooler comes with a 120mm PWM fan which is Black. The design is relatively thin as compared to the other models that the company makes. The cooler has 4 heat pipes which are more than ideal for keeping CPU temperatures in check unless you are interested in intense overclocking.

The installation process is relatively simple and you do not even have to take out the motherboard to install the cooler. The fan can easily be removed for cleaning. For the price, I think that this cooler is great value for money and this is an option that you should look into if silent operation is what you are looking for.

Pros

Cons

6. Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK

This is a very special cooler indeed. Not only do you get an RGB fan included with the cooler but the top part of the cooler features RGB lighting as well. This is something that we see in AIO liquid coolers but not in air coolers. This is the main feature that sets the Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK apart from the rest of the coolers on this list.

The RGB lighting is nice and bright and can be controlled using the header on your motherboard or an RGB controller. This is a great cooler for people that want a centerpiece for their setup that stands out. A controller is included in the box and can be used to change the different settings and effects.

Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK

The Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK is a very unique air cooler with top RGB lighting similar to AIO liquid coolers. You can get this cool RGB lighting without breaking the bank with the Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK.

While you do get a controller out of the box it only supports 2 devices which means that you can only sync the lighting of the cooler itself and the included fan. If you are interested in getting more fans then you should pick the triple fan pack as it includes a controller that supports up to 6 devices.

The fans are relatively quiet and the cooler is more than capable of keeping temperatures in check unless you are interested in some serious overclocking.

Pros

Cons

7. Arctic Freezer 33 Esports ONE

The Arctic Freezer 33 Esports ONE has a very sleek design. It comes in Black with Red accents and should blend in with the rest of your build nicely. The fins have a Black coating as well which gives it a very nice look. The fins are not sharp so you are not going to cut yourself during installation.

Arctic Freezer 33 Esports ONE

The Arctic Freezer 33 Esports ONE looks great and does its job of keeping CPU temperatures in check. IF what you are looking for is an inexpensive cooler that blends in with the rest of your build then this is a great option to consider.

The installation process is pretty straight forward and the fan can be installed and removed with ease too. There is no pre-applied thermal paste but it does come with the MX-4 thermal compound that you can apply when installing the CPU cooler.

Out of the box, the cooler comes with a pair of fans that can be set up in a push-pull configuration. The cooler also comes with 4 heat pipes that are more than ideal of keeping the temperature in check unless you are doing some serious overclocking.

Pros

Cons

What Budget CPU Cooler Should You Pick?

All of these coolers are the best in one way or another but the best overall is the Cooler Master Hyper 212.

If that is not something that you are interested in getting then the Scythe Mugen 5 is a great alternative. The Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK is the most unique looking cooler on this list due to the RGB top.

If you are interested in getting a cooler that stands out and you already have other RGB parts then the Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK is the option that you should go with.

The post Best Budget CPU Cooler under $50 in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Cooler for Ryzen 1700X in 2020

Mike Jones — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 21:59:56 +0000

The AMD Ryzen 1700X is a bit old, keeping in mind that the third generation of AMD Ryzen CPUs are out now, but it is still a beast, and you can get one at a discounted price.

The high-end CPU does not come with a cooler, and if you are interested in getting one, then we have included some of the best coolers for the AMD Ryzen 1700X that you can get right now.

We have included budget options, premium coolers, air coolers, and all-in-one liquid coolers in this guide so that there is something for everyone, and you find what you need.

Best Overall

NOCTUA NH-D15

Liquid Cooler Pick

NZXT Kraken X62

Budget Pick

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

Top Rated Coolers for Ryzen 1700X Processor

The following are all the CPU coolers that we are going to look into and some of their features that you might be interested in learning about at a glance.

Now that we have got an idea of what these coolers have to offer, we can look at each one of them in-depth. The following is what you need to know about these CPU coolers.

Best Cooler for Ryzen 1700X in 2020

1. NOCTUA NH-D15 – Best Ryzen 1700X Cooler

Noctua is known for making some of the best cooling solutions on the market so there is no surprise that the NH-D15 is the first cooling solution on our list. The cooler and fan come in black and have a very stealthy look. The cooler should blend in with the rest of your build.

The cooler has won more than 300 awards from sites around the world. The 140mm dual-tower design is more than ideal for the 1700X. The cooler supports all kinds of sockets like LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA2011, LGA2066, AMD AM4, AM3+, AM2+, FM1 and FM2+. So you can use it with all kinds of CPUs if you upgrade your CPU down the road.

Our Pick

NOCTUA NH-D15

The cooler is a bit beefy but that is true for any high-end air cooler. Other than that, it comes in black, does its job of keeping high-end CPUs cool and does not cost too much. If you are looking for the best air cooler on the market then this is the one for you.

The cooler features 6 heat pipes in order to dissipate heat quickly and effectively from the CPU. The fans have a low noise adapter and these are PWM fans so you can control the speed and fan curves using the motherboard software. The performance of this cooler is on par with popular all-in-one liquid coolers.

The cooler comes with NT-H1 thermal paste and easy mounting solutions for quick and easy installation. Noctua has some of the most reliable and easy to use mounting systems so installing the cooler is going to be a walk in the park. The cooler comes with a 6-year warranty so you can rest assured that your investment is going to be safe if something goes wrong.

Up to three fans can be installed on the cooler but you can install one in the middle of the dual-towers in order to maximize RAM clearance. All things considered, this is a well thought out product that you can use with any high-end CPU and you can rest assured that the cooling performance is going to be top-notch.

Pros

Sleek color that blends in well with other PC parts
140mm dual-tower design
Impressive RAM clearance
Supports up to 3 fans
2 fans included
Easy mounting
Thermal paste included
Ideal for high-end CPUs

Cons

2. NZXT Kraken X62 – Premium Air Cooler for Ryzen 1700X

The NZXT Kraken X62 has been around for a while but it is still an amazing AIO liquid cooler. It comes with a 280mm radiator and you can install 2 fans on it. The unique mirror design sets it apart from the competition and while there are plenty of great AIO liquid coolers on the market right now, you can’t really find something that has the same performance and looks.

Our Liquid Cooler Pick

NZXT Kraken X62

The NZXT Kraken X62 is very special. If you are fine with paying the premium then you should go for it. You will not find this perfect blend of performance and looks anywhere else. The CPU cooler can be seen as a bit expensive but I would call it a work of art when it is on display and you really can’t put a price tag on that.

If you are spending a decent amount of money on a cooler then chances are that you want it to look good as well. The cooler has all kinds of customization options. You can control the RGB fans and effects in the software and you can sync fans and other components that support RGB lighting.

Related: Best Air Cooler for i7 8700k

The price is pretty high compared to other coolers that you can buy but look at it as a long term investment. You are not really going to change your CPU that often. The cooler is durable and will last the test of time. You can check out any review of the cooler and that is what you will learn.

Pros

Cons

3. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – Budget Cooler for Ryzen 1700X

The Dark Rock Pro 4 has a 250W TDP and is a massive air cooler. It comes in black so it will blend in with the rest of your build nicely. The cooler has 7 large copper heat pipes and 2 fans. The 135mm fan is supposed to sit between the towers while the smaller 120mm fan is supposed to sit on the side for better RAM clearance.

Our Budget Pick

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

The Dark Rock Pro 4 looks great and has impressive cooling performance. This is a massive cooler but it can keep high-end CPUs cool and will allow you to overclock your Intel i5 8600K.

The installation process is relatively easy and a screwdriver is included with the purchase of the cooler. This is a magnetic screwdriver and is very long so that you can easily install the cooler in place. There are holes on top of the cooler through which you can pass the screwdriver and screw in the screws. The screws themselves are not small enough to pass through these holes so you will need to hold them at the mount while you pass the screwdriver through the hole in the top of the cooler.

The cooler looks great and the cooling performance is impressive as well. All things considered, this is a very nice cooler for the 8600K that will keep the thermals in check and allow for overclocking as well.

Pros

Cons

4. Corsair H100i

If you are interested in getting an all-in-one liquid cooler but do not want the Kraken X62 then this is another great option to look into. The Corsair H100i is available in Black and White so it should blend in well with the rest of your build. It is worth mentioning that we do not get many White PC parts so this is something that you might be interested in getting is you are going for an all-White build.

This is a 240mm cooler with RGB lighting. The water black has RGB and so do the two radiator fans. Corsair has great RGB lighting support and you can sync the lighting effects with other supported products.

Dealing with RGB lighting and liquid coolers can be a bit tricky but the H100i is pretty easy to install and if you know what you are doing you can even make do without the instruction manual.

Also Great

Corsair H100i

The Corsair H100i is a bit expensive compared to other options on this list but the same can be said about pretty much any AIO liquid cooler. The cooler is available in Black and White and the cooling performance is very good indeed. If you are interested in getting an AIO liquid cooler then this is a great option to consider.

Dealing with RGB lighting and liquid coolers can be a bit tricky but the H100i is pretty easy to install and if you know what you are doing you can even make do without the instruction manual.

Pros

Cons

5. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

Cooler Master Hyper 212

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo features a relatively slim design for better RAM clearance. It comes with 4 heat pipes and a single 120mm fan.

Pros

Cons

What Cooler Should you Pick for the AMD Ryzen 1700X

Now that we have gone over all these different coolers, the question is, which one is the best for the AMD Ryzen 1700X?

There is no clear answer to this question but you should get the one that suits your needs the most beneficial. If you are interested in the most reliable air cooler that is on the market then you should go with the Noctua NH-D15.

If you are on a budget then you can go with the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo. Those are the air coolers that we recommend. If you are interested in getting an all-in-one liquid cooler then the NZXT Kraken X62 is one of the most trustworthy options to pick right now and the Corsair H100i is an impressive alternative.

The post Best Cooler for Ryzen 1700X in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best RGB Case Fans for Gaming in 2020

Mike Jones — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 21:34:24 +0000

RGB lighting picked up in popularity just a couple of years ago and is still very popular, especially when cases for water cooling became part of the PC building community.

It can be used to customize the look of your system — many components, such as motherboards and graphics cards, feature RGB lighting.

But if you want the best lighting setup, then you are going to need RGB fans to compliment all the other parts in your build.

Here we are going to look into some of the best RGB case fans that you can buy right now.

Our 120mm Pick

Corsair LL120 RGB

Our 140mm Pick

Corsair LL140 RGB

Budget Pick

Thermaltake Riing Plus

Top Rated RGB Case Fans Comparison Table

The following are all of the RGB case fans that we are going to look into here and some of their features that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

Model	Size	Light Loops	Fan Speed	Sound Level
Corsair LL Series LL120 RGB	120mm	2	600-1500 RPM	27 dBA	Check Price
Corsair LL Series LL140 RGB	140mm	2	600-1300 RPM	25 dBA	Check Price
Thermaltake Riing Plus 12 RGB	120/140mm	1	500-1500 RPM	24 dBA	Check Price
NZXT AER RGB 2	120/140mm	1	500-1500 RPM	27 dBA	Check Price
Pccooler Moonlight Series	120mm	2	1000-1800 RPM	30 dBA	Check Price
DEEPCOOL RF120M 5IN1	120mm	1	500-1500 RPM	27 dBA	Check Price

The Best RGB Case Fans in 2020

1. Corsair LL Series LL120 – Best RGB Case Fans

Corsair is a very well-known brand in the gaming and PC hardware space. So, there is no surprise that our pick for the best RGB fans is the Corsair LL Series RGB fans. These fans have a dual loop of RBG lights. So not only is the outer rim of the fans illuminated, so inner ring lights up as well. This is what gives those bright colors.
Each fan has 16 independent RGB LED lights which are divided between the two separate loops. You can use the corsair software to customize the different lighting effects. You can select the colors and the effects for example. You can also control the speed at which the fans run. The fans can run between 600-1500 RPM.

These are smaller fans so they run a bit faster to make up for the size. This also means that they produce more noise. The fans are not that noisy overall so you will not be able to tell even when they are running at full speed. If you are interested in silent operation then you can turn them down as well.

Our 120 mm Pick

Corsair LL Series LL120 RGB

The Corsair LL Series RGB fans look great and function well. You do need the Node Pro controller to get the RGB lighting to work but it is included in the triple pack so that should not be a problem unless you only need a single fan. These are the best RGB fans that you can buy right now.

Note that in order to get the RGB lighting working you do need the Node Pro controller. You will not be able to get the lights working without the controller. Fortunately, the controller is included with the triple pack. You can buy another single fan if you need more and connect it to the same controller. The controller can control up to 6 fans at a time.

Corsair LL Series RGB fans can be synced with other Corsair products like headphones and keyboards. You can also sync the lighting with other supporting parts such as the graphics card and the motherboard.

Read also: Coolers for Intel i7 7700K

Pros

Cons

2. Corsair LL Series LL140 – Best 140 mm RGB Fans

These are the same fans with the same features but are larger at 140mm. These are great for case cooling as well as using on your radiator. Each fan has 16 independent RGB LED lights which are divided between the two separate loops. You can use the corsair software to customize the different lighting effects. You can select the colors and the effects for example. You can also control the speed at which the fans run. The fans can run between 600-1300 RPM.
The fans are larger compared to the 120mm, that is why they do not need to run as fast in order to provide the same level of cooling. That is also one of the reasons why they are able to run silently. So, these fans look good, do a great job at cooling and are silent. What more could you ask for?

Our 140 mm Pick

Corsair LL Series LL140 RGB

We recommend the Corsair LL 140 RGB fans to anyone that is in the market for some new fans for their case or radiator and wants RGB lighting. The only drawback is that you need to Node Pro controller to get the RGB lighting to work. That is only an issue if you need a single fan as the controller is included in the triple pack.

Pros

Cons

3. Thermaltake Riing Plus – Budget RGB Case Fans

Thermaltake has made a name for itself over the year and is known for making some very cost-effective products. The Thermaltake Riing Plus 12 RGB fans aim to take RGB to the next level. The premium edition has better lighting than the older models and software support. The fans have hydraulic bearing and you get anti-vibration pads on the edges so quality is not compromised. These will help reduce the noise that is created by vibration.

The fans run at 24 dBA, which is pretty silent. If you are looking for fans that look good and are silent as well then this is an impressive option to look into. The fans run at up to 1500 RPM which is ideal for case cooling and radiators as well. The triple pack includes a new controller that supports up to 5 fans. 16 controllers can be chained together which means that you can hook up 80 fans in total. That is pretty overkill for a gaming PC but the option is there if that is what you are interested in doing.

Our Budget Pick

Thermaltake Riing Plus

While the Thermaltake Riing Plus 12 RGB fans are a bit expensive compared to the competition you can customize the lighting and control the fans from the software, which is a major plus point. If that is what you are looking for, then you should definitely consider getting a pack of these fans.

The software allows you to control all the fans that you have connected to the controllers. It is worth mentioning that the older controllers are not compatible with the new Riing RGB fans which is a bummer. You can use the internal USB 2.0 header to install the controller and all the fans are going to plug into the controller. This makes the installation process very easy and clean. The lighting effects are great and Thermaltake offers 16.8 million colors. The software is clean and functional. The file size is small and it only takes a few minutes to download and install.

Pros

Software control
Support for multiple controller and fans
Plenty of effects
Consistent RGB lighting across the fan
Uses internal USB 2.0 header
Easy and clean installation

Cons

4. NZXT AER RGB 2

NZXT is known for offering boutique PC hardware solutions and the NZXT AER RGB 2 fans are the new RGB fans that the company has to offer. The design of the fan is similar to the previous one and the RGB ring is clear around the fan. There are connectors on the fan that allow you to connect multiple of them.

Like the previous ones, these can be daisy-chained with one another for a much cleaner and easier installation. This comes in handy when you need to install the fans on a radiator. The blades of the fans are Black which means that you only get RGB on the outer ring rather than across the board. A translucent fan would have been a much better looking option here.

NZXT AER RGB 2

The NZXT AER RGB 2 fans are a bit expensive but if you already have NZXT products and want them to work together then it might make sense.

The fans are pretty expensive and it is odd to see that the frames of these fans are a bit tacky when compared to competing products that we have mentioned here. The fans do come with rubber mounts that should decrease vibration and help in silent operation.

You do need the controller to get these fans working properly. The controller is pretty expensive on its own but is made of plastic which is a bit of a bummer. The controller uses a Molex connector for power, has a USB port and 4 channels for setting up RGB lighting. The fans run at 500-1500 RPM which is pretty standard and the operation is pretty silent.

Pros

Cons

5. Pccooler Moonlight Series

You might not have heard of this brand before but these are seriously great fans and the RGB lighting is pretty impressive for the price. You can get a pack of three fans for pretty cheap. The fans feature hydraulic bearings which help in durability. The max fan speed is 1800 RPM. While these are inexpensive fans, they are well made. They look and feel pretty impressive for the price.

The plastic housing is very solid and there is little to no flex. The mold is not as premium looking as some other fans but still better than similarly priced fans. There are 9 blades on each fan and the cooling is pretty impressive indeed. The design is very similar to a be quiet fan. Both sides of the fan have rubber to decrease vibration.

The lights are arranged in a ring but it is very thin. The ring is not complete and is divided into 4 segments. Some people might like this look while others might not but the RGB lighting is bright and looks very nice indeed. The sides have a unique concave design which everyone might not like and that can be considered one of the drawbacks of this fan.

Pccooler Moonlight Series

The Pccooler Moonlight series fans offer impressive value for money and the RGB lighting is bright. The fans work with and without the controller and you get pretty much everything you need in the box.

The cables are sleeves which is very nice indeed and one of the cables sticking out of the fans is a PWM cable. This means that you do not need a controller for this fan to work. You do get a controller if you want to use that for RGB lighting. You can also plug it into your motherboard. Out of the box, you get a splitter so that you can plug all three fans into the same header if you want.

Note that while these fans can ramp up to 1800 RPM at their lowest speed they run at 1000 RPM so they might create more noise than what you are used to.

Pros

Cons

6. DEEPCOOL RF120M 5IN1

The DeepCool RF120M case fans are another great budget option that you can buy in packs of 3 and you also get the controller with the bundle. If you do not have a supported motherboard then you can use the included controller but if you do, then you can plug the fans into your motherboard and control them with the software.

The fans run between 500-1500 RPM and the blades are white which means that you get much better RGB lighting across the board when compared to Black blades. Each fan comes with 6 built-in LEDs. The fans are compatible with Asus motherboards so if you have one then you do not need to rely on the controller.

DEEPCOOL RF120M 5IN1

The DeepCool RF120M is a budget-oriented option that you can pick up. It works best with Asus motherboards as you are not limited to the controller. If you do not have an Asus motherboard then this might not be the best option for you.

Deepcool does not have propriety software of its own so you cannot adjust the different settings from the software if you do not have an Asus motherboard. You will have to reach into your PC and use the controller each time you need to change the lighting effects. The RGB lighting is pretty bright and there are plenty of effects that you can play around with.

Keep in mind that while you do have the option to adjust the brightness of the lights from the controller, you can only do that when you have the lights set to a single color. If you are cycling through different colors then you will not be able to adjust the brightness of the RGB lighting.

Pros

Cons

Which RGB Case Fan Should You Pick?

All things considered, it is safe to say that the Corsair LL Series LL120 RGB or the Corsair LL Series LL140 RGB is the best case fans that you can buy right now. These offer impressive RGB lighting effects which are bright and customizable. Not to mention that these fans are very durable.

If you are looking for something a bit cheaper then you can pick the Pccooler Moonlight Series fans. These have a unique design and are inexpensive. Not to mention that you can use them without a controller.

The post Best RGB Case Fans for Gaming in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling in 2020

Mike Jones — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 21:08:56 +0000

What’s the Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling?

The PrimoFlex soft tubing for water cooling loops is probably the best soft tube available today and is a favorite pick amongst many custom build enthusiasts. At least when it comes to clear and white tubing, if you are looking for soft black tubing, EK-Tube ZMT is the best tube on the market.

Soft tubing is much easier to use as compared to hard tubing when it comes to water cooling, but you need to know which tubing to use.

If you pick up some cheap tubing, then the color of the tubes can stain the water or any other liquid that you have inside the loop.

You can have plenty of other problems as well, like leaking, which is obviously unacceptable. Here we are going to look at some of the most reliable soft tubings that you can get right now.

Without further ado, let’s look are our absolute top picks when it comes to tubing for water cooling systems.

Our Clear Tubing Pick

PrimoFlex Crystal Clear

Our White Tubing Pick

PrimoFlex Elegant White

Our Black Tubing Pick

EK-Tube ZMT

The Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling in 2020

1. PrimoFlex Crystal – Best Clear Soft Tubing for Colored Coolant

PrimoChill is known for making some great soft tubings. There are plenty of colors to choose from but if you are interested in clear tubing then you should go with PrimoFlex Crystal Clear. You can pick different color coolants with clear tubing and see it move around in your system.

Clear tubing is great if you are going to use colored coolant, as the liquid will be shown while going thru the tubes.

Our Clear Tube Pick

PrimoFlex Crystal

The pack includes 10 feet of tubing which should be more than enough for your water cooling needs. The inner diameter is 3/8 inch and the outer diameter is 5/8 inch. There are no logos or any other kind of printing on the tubes. You also get Liquid Utopia and SysPrep–Cooling Loop Pre-Treatment included in the box.

Read also: Top Intel i7 7700K Coolers

2. PrimoFlex Elegant White – Our Favorite White-colored Tubing

Here we have another kind of tubing from PrimoChill but this one is white rather than transparent. The inner diameter is 3/8 inch and the outer diameter is 5/8 inch. There are no logos or any other kind of printing on the tubes.

Our White Tube Pick

PrimoFlex Elegant White

You also get Liquid Utopia and SysPrep–Cooling Loop Pre-Treatment included in the box. The pack includes 10 feet of tubing which should be more than enough for your water cooling needs.

3. EK-Tube ZMT – Top Rated Soft Tube

EK is known for making some of the best water cooling products on the market and here we have the ZMT tubing. These tubes come in Black. The inner diameter is 1/2 inch and the outer diameter is 3/4 inch.

Our Black Tube Pick

EK-Tube ZMT

The tubing works fine between -30C-110C. The tubing is made of industrial-grade EPDM rubber and does not require any maintenance.

4. Mayhems Ultra Clear

Mayhems Ultra Clear is another transparent tubing that you can look into. You can see through the tubing and call use different colors of coolant for your loop.

Our Great Clear Pick

Mayhems Ultra Clear

The inner diameter is 3/8 inch and the outer diameter is 5/8 inch. The pack includes 5 meters of tubing but you can also get the 3-meter pack as well.

5. EK-DuraClear Soft Tubing

If you want to stick with EK but do not want black tubing then this is an option for you. These tubes are clear and you can fill them with colorful coolants. The inner diameter is 3/8 inch and the outer diameter is 1/2 inch.

EK-DuraClear Soft Tubing

The tubing is transparent like glass and there are no logos or any other kind of printing on it. The temperature rating is -20C-80C. These are ideal if you are new to water cooling.

What Soft Tubing For Water Cooling Should You Pick

EK has the best water cooling products on the market and we recommend using EK soft tubing if you are looking for the best possible experience. PrimoChill is a great alternative if for some reason you do not want to get EK soft tubing. The EK-Tube ZMT is a great option if you do not mind the Black color. If you want clear tubing then EK-DuraClear and PrimoFlex Crystal Clear will meet your needs just fine.

Does The Diameter Of Soft Tubing Matter?

People have been asking this question and it is a valid one. The simple answer is that this was a factor back in the day but since the last decade or so, it no longer matters. You can pick any diameter of the tubing and it will not affect the cooling performance of your build. You can try using different diameters of tubing and you will get similar cooling performance.

Soft Tubing Vs Hard Tubing

The following are the differences between soft tubing and hard tubing that you should know about:

Ease Of Use

Soft tubing is much easier to use. You can cut the tubes according to the sizes that you need and fit them into place. Hard tubing is much more complicated and you need proper tools to bend the tubing. Hard tubing is much more complicated and time consuming compared to soft tubing. That is why soft tubing is recommended for beginners.

Cost

Soft tubing is much cheaper when compared to hard tubing. Water cooling parts can be very expensive and hard tubing adds to that cost.

Aesthetics

This is a subjective thing but generally, hard tubing looks much better as compared to soft tubing. In some cases, kinks can form in soft tubing. That is not the case with hard tubing.

Clouding

PVC pipes can cloud over time. This is something common with soft tubing but you will not face the same issues with hard tubing.

Breaking

While hard tubing does not get kinks, It can break. That is something that you should keep in mind when deciding between the two.

The post Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Air CPU Cooler for i5 8600k in 2020

Mike Jones — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 20:18:25 +0000

Intel has released newer CPUs, but the Intel 8600K is still a beast of a CPU for gaming and content creation.

It comes with six cores and six threads, and because it is a bit older, you can get some really sweet deals on this processor.

If you are interested in getting one of these CPUs, then you are going to need a CPU cooler as the Intel i5 8600K does not come with a cooler out of the box.

In this article, we are going to go over some of the best coolers that you can get for the Intel i5 8600K.

Best Overall

NOCTUA NH-D15

Premium Pick

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

Budget Pick

Cooler Master Hyper Evo

Top Rated Air CPU Coolers for Intel i5 8600k

The following are all the CPU coolers that we are going to go over and some of their specifications that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

Model	Fans	Heat Pipes	Type
Noctua NH-D15	2	6	Air Cooler	Check Price
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4	2	7	Air Cooler	Check Price
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo	1	4	Air Cooler	Check Price
Noctua NH-L9i	1	2	Air Cooler	Check Price
Scythe Mugen 5	1	6	Air Cooler	Check Price

The Best CPU Cooler for i5 8600k in 2020

1. Noctua NH-D15 – Best i5 8600k CPU Cooler

The Noctua NH-D15 is one of the best dual-tower CPU coolers that you can buy right now and it replaces the NH-D14, which was the king of its time. High-quality fans are included in the box and you can have them both installed with each tower. You can even add a third fan for even better cooling.

The cooler features 6 heat pipes that are soldered onto a flat shiny surface. The fin stacks have been widened as compared to the older model. This allows the 6 heat pipes to have more space between them for better efficiency. The bottoms of the heat stacks have been cut away for better RAM clearance.

Our Pick

Noctua NH-D15

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU is a bit beefy but the same can be said about pretty much any air cooler. This is one of the best coolers that you can buy right now and it is highly recommended for the 8600K.

Inside the box, you also get low noise adapters that decrease the speed of the fan from 1500 RPM to 1200 RPM. You also get a splitter so both fans can be plugged into a single fan header. You also get some thermal paste from Noctua. You also get the mounting hardware that you will need.

Pros

Great RAM clearance
6 heat pipes
2 fans included
3rd fan can be installed as well
Fans are PWM
Excellent thermal paste included
6-year warranty

Cons

2. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – Premium Intel i5 8600k Cooler

Our Premium Pick

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

The Dark Rock Pro 4 looks great and has impressive cooling performance. This is a massive cooler but it can keep high-end CPUs cool and will allow you to overclock your Intel i5 8600K.

Read also: Best Air Cooler for i7 8700k

Pros

Cons

3. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo – Budget Cooler for i5 8600k

Our Budget Pick

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo features a relatively slim design for better RAM clearance. It comes with 4 heat pipes and a single 120mm fan.

Pros

Cons

4. Noctua NH-L9i

Our Low-profile Pick

Noctua NH-L9i

The Noctua NH-DL9i CPU cooler is a low-profile CPU cooler that is easy to install and ideal for smaller PC builds if you do not want to sacrifice performance.

Noctua has simple mounting solutions and installing this cooler is pretty straight forward. All things considered, this is a great CPU cooler for smaller PC builds.

Pros

Cons

5. Scythe Mugen 5

Scythe Mugen 5

The Scythe Mugen 5 is big and bulky but it is inexpensive and does the job of keeping the 8600K cool even when overclocked. This is a great alternative to the 212 Evo.

Pros

Cons

Which Cooler Should You Get For The Intel i5 8600K

All the coolers that we have mentioned here are great in their own way. If you are looking for the best cooler on the market then you should go with the Noctua NH-D15. If you are building a small form factor PC then you should go with the Noctua NH-L9i. If you do not want to spend a lot of money then the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo and the Scythe Mugen 5 are both great options to consider.

The post Best Air CPU Cooler for i5 8600k in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Cases for Water Cooling in 2020

Mike Jones — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 19:13:31 +0000

When you build a PC, you need to keep the different parts cool so that you can get the best possible performance.

Water cooling is a very effective way of keeping the temperature in check. When deciding on the build and its parts, a major factor that can easily be overlooked is the case.

If you are interested in water cooling, then you are going to need a case that supports radiators and fans, amongst other things.

Here we are going to look into some of the best cases on the market that are designed with water cooling in mind.

Best Overall

NZXT H510

Premium Pick

NZXT H710i

Budget Pick

Thermaltake V200

Top Rated Water Cooling PC Cases with Tempered Glass

The following are all the cases that we are going to look into here and some of their features that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

Model	Weight	Motherboard Support	Fan Support
NZXT H510	6.6 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX	Front: 2 x 140 or 2 x 120mm with Pull Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
NZXT H710i	12.3 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX and EATX (Up to 272mm or 10.7-inches)	Front: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm with Push/Pull Top: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
Thermaltake V200	7.07 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX	Front: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm with Push/Pull Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
Fractal Design Meshify C	4 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX	Front: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm with Push/Pull Top: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
Cooler Master MasterBox	10.3 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX	Front: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm with Push/Pull Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
CORSAIR 680X	11.6 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX	Front: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Top: 2 x 140 or 120mm Rear: 1 x 120 or 140mm Bottom: 2 x 140 or 120mm	Check Price
Dark Flash Phantom	9.9 kg	ATX, Micro-ATX, ITX	Front: 2 x 140 or 4 x 120mm Top: 2 x 140 or 2 x 120mm Rear: 2 x 120mm Bottom: 3 x 120mm	Check Price
Cooler Master H500	10.5 kg	ATX, Micro-ATX, ITX	Front: 2 x 200mm Top: 2 x 140 or 2 x 120 or 1 x 200mm Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
AeroCool Cylon RGB	3.8 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX	Front: 3 x 120mm Top: 1 x 120mm Rear: 1 x 120mm	Check Price
Dark Flash DLM21	6.5 kg	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX	Front: 2 x 140 or 3 x 120mm Top: 2 x 120mm Rear: 2 x 120mm	Check Price

The Best Cases for Water Cooling in 2020

1. NZXT H510 – Best Water Cooling Case

The NZXT H500 was one of the best gaming PC cases on the market that you could buy a while back and the H510 refreshes the same design while adding some improvements. This is a very nice looking case that does not cost a lot of money. You get two fans included with the case. One is mounted on the top and one is at the rear to exhaust hot air out of the case. There are no fans at the front, out of the box but you can add two fans if you wanted to.

You have some ports on the front for easy accessibility which also includes a USB Type-C port. The front I/O only comes with a single headphone microphone combo jack but you do get a splitter with the case. The case has a clean and minimal design with a side panel on the side for showing off your hardware and RGB lighting. This is an ATX mid-tower case and supports Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards.

Our Pick

NZXT H510

The NZXT H510 is great value for money keeping in mind the design and features that you are getting for the money. The side panel is made of proper glass and does not feel cheap. There are plenty of options for water cooling which makes building a PC and setting up a water cooling loop so much easier.

Taking the side panel off is super easy. The screw stays in place when you are trying to remove the side panel so that it is not misplaced. The case has a slot at the rear for reservoir mounting which is a very nice touch keeping in mind that this is a relatively inexpensive case.

The PSU shroud has a mesh design that blends in well with the rest of the case and on it you have toolless mounting for your SSD. On the back, you have 2 slots for HDDs and 2 slots for SSDs behind the motherboard. The case features a routing kit and channels for cable management so that you do not have any issues hiding all those cables.

The case also has a removable bracket for radiator installation which makes water cooling a bit easier. It also comes with a couple of dust filters to keep your PC clean.

Pros

Clean minimal design
Can mount 5 fans
Impressive cable management
Slot at the back for reservoir
Removable bracket for radiator installation
Impressive value for money
Tempered glass side panel

Cons

2. NZXT H710i – Best Tempered Glass Case

Now that we have got the cheaper option out of the way, we can look at the NZXT H710i which is a premium PC case that features all the bells and whistles. The box design looks great with the mesh around the tempered glass side panel. The glass does not protrude out of the case which is a nice touch. This is a premium case so you have plenty of options for water cooling and you can get creative and try different things with his case.

4 screws hold the side panel in place and interestingly the glass sits on a lip so it does not fall even when all the screws are removed. The rear side panel comes off with a push of a button, so you have access to the back very easily. The case has plenty front I/O and this refreshed version even comes with USB Type-C.

Our Premium Pick

NZXT H710i

The NZXT H710i is a bit expensive but this is a premium case that is functional and looks great too. This refreshed model even comes with a USB Type-C port at the front. If you are looking for a premium case for water cooling then this is an excellent option to go with.

An interesting feature of this case is that it supports vertical GPU mounting. You can use the feature to mount your graphics card vertically to show it off properly. 2 fans are included with the case but you can mount more if needed. The case comes with a controller that controls RGB lighting effects as well as the fan curves. So you can do all that using the software.

This is a great case for easy PC building and the cable management options make hiding those pesky cables very easy as well. All things considered, this is one of the best cases that you can buy right now.

Pros

Clean and premium design
Tempered glass side panel
Easy single-button access to the back of the motherboard
The radiator mount is detachable for easier installation
Velcro ties and channels for proper cable management
Plenty of options for water cooling
Integrated fan controller

Cons

3. Thermaltake V200 – Budget Case for Water Cooling

The Thermaltake V200 is a reasonably priced case and one of the best ones that Thermaltake has to offer right now. The case has a tempered glass side panel along with a glass front through which you can see the three RGB fans that come with the case. The case is functional and looks great in too. At the back of the case, a single fan is included for exhausting air out of the case.

Read also: Best Air Cooler for i7 8700k

Four screws hold the tempered glass side panel in place so you will need to be careful as it will pop off. The case has plenty of spaces for routing your cables and you have room for mounting a pump, reservoir and radiator. Fit, finish and build quality is very good. There is a cutout for the power supply if you want to show that off but other than that the bottom part of the case is mostly covered.

Our Budget Pick

Thermaltake V200

The Thermaltake V200 is a great budget case with plenty of room inside for water cooling. The case has a tempered glass side panel and comes with 3 RGB fans and a standard fan out of the box.

Cable management options are well thought out and you can mount your SSDs next to the motherboard as well. The case comes with a controller to customize the RGB lighting. There is a button on the front that allows you to change the lighting but the controller can be plugged into your motherboard so that you can control the RGB effects from the software rather than the button on the case. LED strips can also be plugged into the controller to add even more lighting to the case.

At the back you have plenty of places to tie down your cables and routing your cables is not going to be an issue. You also have 2 drive bays for installing HDDs or additional SSDs if needed. A drawback with this case is that the PCIe slot covers are cannot be used again. If you pull them off then they are going to stay off. This is a bit odd but if you are not planning on upgrading any time soon then this is not going to be a major issue.

Pros

Included RGB controller
4 fans included (3 have RGB)
Tempered glass
The case has a button to control RGB lighting
A lot of room inside the case
3 USB ports at the front

Cons

4. Fractal Design Meshify C

The Fractal Design Meshify C comes with a tempered glass side panel and is a compact mid-tower case. It is designed with airflow in mind and you can probably tell by the name alone that the case has a lot of mesh. The design is similar to the Define C. Nothing much on the interior has changed but the exterior is a bit different.

The front has protrusions that are only visible at an angle along with the company logo. Overall the design is very attractive and while the case is minimal it is not bland. On the side, you have the tempered glass side panel that is held in place by 4 screws, which is pretty standard. There is a dust filter on the front and the bottom which can be taken out and cleaned.

At the front of the case, you have the power and reset buttons along with a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a headphone and a microphone jack. The power LED is hidden in the front panel and is very subtle but looks nice. There is no USB Type-C which is a bummer. On the top, there is a magnetic dust filter and you will find room for mounting 2 140mm or 120mm fans. This space can also be used to mount the radiator if you are interested in water cooling.

Also Great

Fractal Design Meshify C

The Fractal Design Meshify C is a compact case but it comes with all the features that you are going to need for water cooling your system. It is reasonably priced and highly recommended.

At the front, you can install 2 140mm fans or 3 120mm fans. Two fans are included with the case. One is installed at the front and the other at the rear. You have plenty of options when it comes to fans and cooling. If you are interested in water cooling then you can install a 360 radiator in the front as long as you move the HDD storage bays back, which can easily be done. If you do this then you will need a shorter power supply. You cal also go with a smaller radiator is you have a larger power supply.

At the top, you can fit a 280mm radiator and you will need to slide the rear exhaust fan down, which you can easily do without having to remove the fan and then installing it again. 3 SSDs can be installed on the bracket behind the motherboard, so you have plenty of storage options.

Interestingly with all these features and the impressive design, the case is not too expensive. You can pick it up for under $100 pretty easily.

Pros

Compact PC case
Minimal design
Tempered glass side panel
Plenty of airflow
Numerous fans can be installed
Water cooling friendly design
Comes with 2 fans

Cons

5. Cooler Master MasterBox Pro 5

The Cooler Master MasterBox Pro 5 is another case that comes with a tempered glass side panel but the front is plastic. It still looks nice though. You cannot install fans or a radiator on the top so you are limited to 3 fans in the front and a single fan on the back. The case is ideal for a mid-range PC build and the price of the case reflects that. You can pick this case up for under $100.

The case comes with 3 RGB fans at the front. The blades are white so the RGB lighting is bright across the board compared to Black blades. The tempered glass has 2 screws at the top and none at the bottom. This is because there is a lip in which the glass sits. This is great because the glass is not going to fall off even with the screws removed.

Cooler Master MasterBox Pro 5

This case comes with three pre-installed 120 mm RGB fans right behind the front glass panel. Which will save you some money on fans and give you some fancy lighting at the same time.

You can mount a 360mm radiator in the front of the case. You will need to remove or move the HDD storage bays but it can be done. Or you could just go with a smaller radiator. This is only ideal if you use a mesh front on the case. You can mount 2 SSDs next to the motherboard and you can even install 2 SSDs in the HDD storage bays. So you have plenty of storage solutions.

The rest is pretty much standard but keeping in mind the price that you are paying for this motherboard is is safe to say that you are getting some impressive value for money.

Pros

Cons

6. CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X

Corsair has been in the PC hardware market for a while now and the company even makes PC cases. Here we have the Crystal series 680X which is a mid-tower ATX case. This case is similar to other mid-tower cases in height but it is much wider which is something that you should keep in mind.

The case has a dual-chamber design that is optimized for airflow. This means that the case is divided into two different parts. One of the parts has important hardware including the CPU and graphics card. In the other chamber, you have all the cables, PSU and storage drives. This looks great as all these parts are hidden out of sight and this kind of design is great of airflow as well.

Our Pick

CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X

The Corsair Crystal Series 680X is great for water cooling and you get support for numerous fans and radiators. If you are looking for the ultimate case for over the top cooling then this is an option to consider.

This is an ATX case so you can install any standard ATX motherboards or smaller form factors. The case comes with 4 fans out of the box. 3 of these fans are RGB fans while the 4th one is a regular exhaust fan that is at the back of the case and removes hot air from the case.

Like other PC cases in this list, this one also has a tempered glass side panel. Other than that, the front has tempered glass as well and the top is partially covered in tempered glass as well. The fans are the LL120 RGB fans which we openly recommend to people that want RGB fans. The case also comes with a controller that is used to control the lighting of these fans. You can change the lighting and play with the effects of the software.

In terms of cooling, there are plenty of options. You can install up to eight 120mm fans or seven 140mm fans. The case also supports up to 4 radiators. That is what the major selling point of this case is.

Pros

Dual chamber design
Optimize for airflow
Up to 8 120mm fans can be installed
Up to 7 140mm fans can be installed
Up to 4 radiators can be installed
3 RGB fans included
Multiple dust filters

Cons

7. darkFlash Phantom Black

This is another tempered glass side panel case that you can pick up for a reasonable price. It comes with 6 fans preinstalled. 4 are installed in the front and 2 of them are at the back. All of them feature RGB lighting. Not only is the side panel tempered glass but 2 other sides have glass as well. There is a dark tint to the glass which gives it a very sleek and stylish look ones you have the RGB lighting installed and ready to go.

This is called a mid-tower case but it is taller than most mid-tower cases. Interestingly it is not called a full tower case. Just keep that in mind if you are interested in getting this case. At the front, you get 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports along with the headphone and microphone jacks and the RGB button for changing the RGB effects of the fans.

darkFlash Phantom Black

The darkFlash Phantom is a very nice looking case that comes with plenty of options for water cooling and fan mounting. The case is a bit tall but it is very easy to build inside.

At the top of the case, you can install a 280mm radiator. At the front, you can install a 240mm radiator and at the back, you can install a 120mm radiator. So you have plenty of support for fans and radiators if you are interested in water cooling your PC. At the bottom of the case, you have the PSU shroud that does have a window, which can be used for showing off your fancy power supply. You can even show off your RGB lighting if you have an RGB power supply.

The case comes with a controller that controls the RGB lighting of the fans. It is connected to the button at the front of the case which allows you to change the lighting effects. At the top of the case, you also get a magnetic dust filter which will keep the dust out The filter sits on the top of the case so removing it and cleaning it is very easy.

Pros

Cons

8. Cooler Master MasterCase H500

The Cooler Master MasterCase 500 is designed with airflow in mind. You can get the case with a mesh front panel or a plastic one. We recommend the mesh one for better airflow. At the front, you get 2 giant 200mm fans with RGB and on the back, you get a standard non-RGB fan 120mm fan for exhausting heat out of the case. The case comes with a controller so that you can change the RGB lighting effects and customize the look of your build.

There is a tempered glass side panel like all the cases that we have looked into here. The glass panel on the other side is not available on the other side which is a nice update. This helps bring the price down and makes the design much better in the process. The side panel is held in place with two flathead screws which are not the best solution but there is a lip at the bottom. So, when you remove the screws the panel is not going to drop down and break.

Cooler Master MasterCase H500

The Cooler Master MasterCase 500 is cheaper than other similar models and comes with 2 front panels. It has massive 200mm fans at the front with RGB lighting and a standard fan at the back. The case even supports vertical mounting for water-cooled GPUs. All these features make the case impressive value for money.

The GPU can be mounted vertically but there is only a single slot for that and you will need an entry-level single-slot card or a water-cooled card in order to take advantage of the feature. A 360mm radiator can be installed in the front of the case. A 240mm radiator can be mounted on the top of the case and the top natively supports 200mm radiators from Cooler Master.

At the top, you get a magnetic dust filter that is going to keep the system much cleaner. It can easily be removed for cleaning. The case comes with a handle that will let you lift it up. At the front, you also have 4 USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks along with LED indicators and the power button.

Pros

2 front panels included (mesh and plastic)
3 fans included (2 RGB)
Huge 200mm fans at the front
Supports 360mm radiator
Supports vertical mounting for water-cooled GPUs
Impressive airflow
Cheaper than other 500 series cases

Cons

9. AeroCool Cylon RGB

The AeroCool Cylon RGB is a budget case that comes with an RGB LED at the front. The lighting can be controlled with the button on the top but you cannot turn it off unless you remove the cable that is powering the LED light. The case comes with an acrylic side panel which looks fine but you do get a hint that this is a cheaper case and that makes sense because it indeed is. It is understandable that corners were cut in order to keep the price low.

AeroCool Cylon RGB

This is a relatively inexpensive case but it looks and feels like it as well. If you are on a budget then this is an option that you can look into.

The case supports a 240mm radiator at the front and a single 120mm fan at the top. You also have a 120mm fan at the back to exhaust air out of the case. There is a dust filter at the bottom and the top of the case. You might not want to keep something heavy on the top of the case as it does have some flex. Another drawback is that the PSU shroud is not spacious and if you do not have a semi-modular PSU then tucking away extra cables can be an issue.

At the back of the case, you have HDD storage bays which can be used for SSDs as well. There are slots for you to mount SSDs next to your motherboard as well.

Pros

Cons

10. darkFlash DLM21

The darkFlash DLM21 is a smaller case that supports Micro ATX and ITX motherboards. Even though it is a smaller case, it still supports a 120mm radiator at the rear as a 240mm radiator on the top. At the front, you can install up to 3 120mm fans as long as you remove the HDD storage bay.

darkFlash DLM21

The darkFlash DLM21 is a nice compact case that supports up to 240mm radiators. It comes with 3 RGB fans out of the box and the side panel opens up like a door without having to remove any screws. If you are interested in building a smaller PC then this is a great option to consider.

The HDD storage bay can be used for HDDs or SSDS. You have slots for 2 SSDs next to the motherboard. The case has a tempered glass side panel but the interesting thing here is that the side panel opens up like a door rather than having to remove screws. This is very convenient indeed. Once the side panel is open, you can lift it up a little bit to remove it, if needed.

The design is simple and minimal and you even get dust filters for the top and the bottom of the case. The cable management options are decent. The implementation is not the best in the world but that is understandable keeping in mind that this is a compact case that is reasonably priced.

Pros

Cons

The post Best Cases for Water Cooling in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best LGA 1150 CPU

Mike Jones — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 12:53:32 +0000

High-end gaming CPUs can be very expensive, especially Intel products, but you do not need to spend a lot of money on the latest CPU for gaming, particularly if you are only going to game at 1080p. When it comes to gaming, the graphics card is doing most of the heavy lifting, and you just need a CPU that can keep up with the graphics card. You can easily save some money on an older CPU and use that money towards a better graphics card for gaming. Today we are going to be looking at the best LGA 1150 CPU.

Best Overall

Intel Core i7-4790K

Also Great

Intel Core i7-4790

Budget Pick

Intel Core i5-4690

Over the years, Intel has not provided consumers with groundbreaking performance through the different generations of its CPUs. The performance boosts have been minor.

The past few generations are based on the same manufacturing process, so you are not missing out on much. If someone already has a decent 8th generation process, then the jump to the 9th generation might not seem worthwhile.

These CPUs are roughly 3-4 years old, and that is why you can get some killer deals. Not to mention that they are still great for gaming and come with the essentials that you need, including 4 cores, 8 threads, and support for 32 GB RAM, if not more.

Top 5 Best LGA 1150 CPUs for Gaming

Here are the CPUs we will be checking out in the rest of the article. This is a quick overview to compare different specifications.

SKU	Cores/Threads	Clock Speeds	Integrated Graphics	Memory Support
Intel Core i7-4790K	4/8	4-4.4 GHz	HD Graphics 4600	32 GB	Check Price
Intel Core i7-4790	4/8	3.6-4 GHz	HD Graphics 4600	32 GB	Check Price
Intel Core i7-4770	4/8	3.4-3.9 GHz	HD Graphics 4600	32 GB	Check Price
Intel Xeon E3-1230V3	4/8	3.3-3.7 GHz	No	32 GB	Check Price
Intel Core i5-4690	4/4	3.5-3.9 GHz	HD Graphics 4600	32 GB	Check Price

Best LGA 1150 CPU

1. Intel Core i7-4790K – The Best LGA 1150 CPU

The Intel Core i7-4790K is a few years old, but it was the top of the line SKU back in its day and our pick for best LGA 1150 CPU. The CPU has an unlocked multiplier, which means that you can overclock it. The i7-4790K was the first Intel CPU that could run at 4 GHz across all cores out of the boss. This is an overclockable CPU so you can take the clock speed even higher provided that you have proper cooling.

4 GHz is excellent for gaming, and the CPU does come with 4 cores and 8 threads. In 2020, more cores and threads are coming to the mainstream, but game developers are not catching up as fast as you might think. Most mainstream users still use 4 cores for gaming, and only enthusiasts use more than 4 cores. 4 cores and 8 threads are ideal for gaming even in 2020. It is safe to say that you will be able to play pretty much any game with such a CPU in the upcoming few years, provided that you have a decent graphics card to do the heavy lifting.

The CPU uses the LGA1150 socket like all the other CPUs on this list, and we recommend using a Z97 motherboard with this CPU if you are interested in overclocking. You can use the CPU with Z87 motherboards, but you will need to update the BIOS, which could be tricky, keeping in mind that this is an older CPU. If you do find a way to do that, you could save some additional money.

Our Pick

Intel Core i7-4790K

The CPU supports 32 GB of RAM, which is more than ideal for gaming. Keep in mind that this is an older CPU, so you will be limited to DDR3 memory rather than the latest DDR4 standard. The CPU does feature Hyper-Threading, which improves performance when multitasking or multi-core workloads such as video editing.

The CPU comes with Intel HD Graphics 4600 integrated graphics, which is fine for display purposes, but you are not going to use it for gaming. The CPU does run a bit hotter than older versions, but it also offers more overclocking potential. Be sure to use a decent cooling solution, and the heat should not be a problem.

Read also: Best Motherboard for i7 9700K

Interestingly, I had this CPU paired with the Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB and upgraded to the Intel 9400F a while back. The older CPU was able to run games such as The Division 2 and Destiny 2 perfectly well at 1080p at more than 60 FPS with reasonably high graphics settings. The CPU did its part and performed well. It would have lasted a few more years, but I wanted to build a better-looking gaming PC with RGB goodness.

2. Intel Core i7-4790

This is the locked version of the 4790K that we mentioned above, which means that you cannot overclock it but still has similar specifications. The CPU can boost to 4 GHz, but the base clock speed is lower at 3.6 GHz. That is still decent for gaming. You get support for 32 GB of RAM, which is pretty overkill for gaming. You cannot overlock this CPU, so you do not need to get a fancy Z series motherboard. You can save some money by getting any mainstream motherboard that supports the CPU.

If you are not looking to overclock your CPU and are more comfortable using the CPU with the stock speeds, then this the best LGA 1150 CPU. It still has 4 cores and 8 threads, which will give you plenty of performance for gaming and multitasking.

Also Great

Intel Core i7-4790

The CPU comes with Intel HD Graphics 4600 integrated graphics, which is fine for display purposes, but you are not going to use it for gaming. Other than that, you will still be limited to DDR3 memory. If you are looking for a non-overclockable CPU, then this is a great option.

3. Intel Core i7-4770

Here we have yet another Intel 4th generation CPU. This one also comes with 4 cores and 8 threads and cannot be overclocked. The CPU has a base clock of 3.4 GHz and can boost to 3.9 GHz, which is decent for gaming. The CPU cost around $300 when it first came out, but it has since lowered considerably. This is not an unlocked CPU, so you can make do with a mainstream motherboard as well.

Other than that, the features are pretty similar to that of the 4790. You get support for 32 GB of RAM, which is plenty for gaming, and you also get the Intel HD Graphics 4600 integrated graphics. These can be used for display output, but gaming, you will rely on your graphics card. As mentioned before, the leap in performance through the generation is not very significant, so you can play all the modern games with this CPU provided that you have a decent graphics card to render all those pixels.

Intel Core i7-4770

You can also use this CPU for gaming at 1080p, but you can also use it for 1440p gaming. If you are looking for a locked CPU for a reasonable price, this is one to consider.

4. Intel Xeon E3-1230V3

Xeon CPUs are not typically designed for gaming, but they can be used for that purpose. The Intel Xeon E3-1230V3 features the same LGA 1150 socket and comes with 4 cores and 8 threads like the i7 variants that we have looked into above.

Read also: Best Motherboard for i7 7700k

The power requirement is similar as well, and the CPU supports 32 GB of RAM like the other SKUs that we have looked into here. The CPU has a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz and can boost to 3.7 GHz, which is lower than the i7 models that we have looked into here. This is because Xeon CPUs are made for industrial use where they will run around the clock.

Intel Xeon E3-1230V3

The processor does not come with integrated graphics, but that is not going to be a problem as you are going to use a graphics card for gaming anyways. Even though this is not a traditional consumer CPU, you can still get some good deals on it, making it great for money in 2020. You still get plenty of performance, cores, and threads that will deliver smooth gaming experiences and the ability to muti-task.

5. Intel Core i5-4690

The Intel Core i5-4690 was a decent mid-range CPU back in the day, and it still is. It still has 4 cores, but instead of 8 threads, it only has 4. That does mean lower multithreaded performance, but you still have the 4 cores, so gaming is okay. If you are only going to play games at 1080p, this is an ideal CPU to go with as you can save some money, compared to the i7, and this CPU is going to work with a mainstream motherboard rather than a high-end Z series board.

You still get support for 32 GB of RAM, which is more than what you need for gaming. The CPU has a base clock of 3.5 GHz and can boost to 3.9 GHz.The clock speeds are higher than the Xeon SKU, and you will get impressive performance in games. The CPU does not support Hyper-Threading, but you do get the HD Graphics 4600 like the more expensive models.

Budget Pick

Intel Core i5-4690

This is the best LGA 1150 CPU if you are interested in saving money and putting your savings towards powerful graphics cards, which will do most of the heavy lifting in games.

Which is the Best LGA 1150 CPU For Gaming?

If you are interested in the best performance and over-clocking then the Intel Core i7-4790K is the best LGA 1150 CPU.

If you would rather stick with the stock speeds and save some money by going with a mainstream motherboard, then the I ntel Core i7-4790 is the clear winner.

If you are looking for value for money, then the Intel Core i5-4690 is a great option to pick, keeping in mind that it comes with 4 cores and 4 threads at a lower price and works with mainstream LGA 1150 motherboards.

The post Best LGA 1150 CPU appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best AM4 Motherboards for AMD Ryzen in 2020

Mike Jones — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 07:58:36 +0000

The AMD Ryzen 3000 series was recently released, but the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is still one of the best CPUs that AMD has to offer today.

It is a generation older, and you can get some killer deals for it. If you are interested in getting the AMD Ryzen processor, then you are going to need an AM4 motherboard that supports the high-end CPU.

Here we are going to look into some of the best motherboards that you can buy for the AMD Ryzen CPUs today.

We have included X570, X470, B450 and B350 motherboards on this list as all of these support overclocking. We will also cover the differences between these chipsets, so keep reading for more information.

Best Overall

MSI X470 Gaming Plus

Premium Pick

ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero

Budget Pick

GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO

Top Rated AM4 Motherboards for AMD Ryzen

The following are all the motherboards that we are going to look into in this article and some of their features that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

Motherboard	Chipset	M.2 Slots	RAM Support	Wi-Fi
MSI X470 Gaming Plus	X470	2	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3200+ MHz (O.C)	No	Check Price
ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero	X570	2	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3466+ MHz (O.C)	Yes	Check Price
GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO	B450	2	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3466+ MHz (O.C)	Yes	Check Price
MSI B450 Gaming PRO Carbon AC	B450	2	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3466+ MHz (O.C)	Yes	Check Price
ASUS Prime X470-Pro	X470	2	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3466+ MHz (O.C)	No	Check Price
MSI B450 Tomahawk	B450	1	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3466+ MHz (O.C)	No	Check Price
ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F	B350	1	4 x DIMM; Max. 64GB DDR4; 3200+ MHz (O.C)	No	Check Price

The Best AM4 Motherboards for AMD Ryzen in 2020

1. MSI X470 Gaming Plus – Best AM4 Motherboard

Here we have another motherboard from MSI. The X470 Gaming Plus coms in Red and Black which is a pretty common theme amongst gamers. This motherboard should blend in well with the rest of your build. The PCIe x16 slot is reinforced for better GPU support and durability.

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of memory at 3200+ MHz. It has 2 M.2 slots with heatsinks that compliment the theme of the board. Other than that you get 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. You have plenty of options when it comes to storage expansion.

Our Pick

MSI X470 Gaming Plus

The X470 Gaming Plus comes at a very reasonable price and has all the features that you are going to use for gaming and content creation. If you can live without a USB Type-C port then consider getting this motherboard.

The motherboard supports multiple AMD graphics cards. We recommend using a single powerful graphics card for gaming but the option is there if you need it. The motherboard does not come with a USB Type-C port which is a bummer but it is reasonably priced to make up for it.

Related: Best i7 9700K Motherboard

It does feature an EZ Debug LED which will come in handy when troubleshooting in case something goes wrong.

Pros

Cons

2. ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero – Premium AM4 Motherboard for Ryzen

Asus is known for making some of the best motherboards and the ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero is one of the top of the line boards that you can buy in 2020. The major selling point of this motherboard is that it features PCIe 4.0. You can take advantage of the higher bandwidth that the new standard has to offer with storage devices and graphics cards that are supported. Right now, there are not Intel products that support this feature.

This is a premium motherboard, so you get plenty of armor all over it. The PCIe slots are reinforced and there is a small chipset fan to keep the temperature in check. There are temperature sensors all over the motherboard as well. The motherboard has 2 M.2 slots and heat sinks that match the look of the board.

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of memory at up to 3466 MHz. Other than that, you get 8 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. It is safe to say that you have plenty of options when it comes to storage.

Our Premium Pick

ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero

The ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero is a premium motherboard and the price reflects that. You do get all the bells and whistles that you could ever ask for in 2020 and PCIe 4.0. If you are looking for the best motherboard that money can buy then this is it.

The motherboard does not have any display output but you need not worry as the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X does not come with integrated graphics. You will need to rely on the ports on your graphics card for display. You do get plenty of USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB 3.2 Gen 1. You even have a USB Type-C port.

Read also: Best Motherboard for Ryzen 7 1700

The motherboard even comes with clear CMOS and BIOS flashback buttons on the back in case something goes wrong with the BIOS. You also get onboard Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11Ax) with MU-MIMO support. The I/O shield is pre-installed for easy installation. This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like Fan Xpert 4 and SupremeFX. The motherboard has plenty of RGB zones and headers for supported LED strips and other components.

Pros

Cons

3. GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO – Best Budget AM4 Motherboard

The GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI is not the top of the line version but it still has all the features that you are going to use and much more. It comes with plenty of armor and a Black and Silver theme which should blend right in with the rest of your setup. The motherboard comes with a pre-installed I/O shield for easy installation.

The motherboard does come with HDMI and DVI ports but you are not going to use them as the AMD Ryzen 2700X does not have integrated graphics. You do get plenty of USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 ports. You even have a USB Type-C port. It even features Dual-band 802.11AC Wi-Fi.

Our Budget Pick

GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO

The GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI looks great and is functional as well. If you are looking to save some money and want good value for money then this is a motherboard that we recommend.

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of memory at up to 3466 MHz. It has 2 M.2 slots with heatsinks that compliment the theme of the board. Other than that you get 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. The PCIe x16 slot is reinforced for better GPU support and durability.

There are plenty of RGB zones on the motherboard that you can customize in the software and you do have headers for LED strips and other components that support the feature. This is a GIGABYTE motherboard, so you get features like Smart Fan 5 and AMP UP Audio for added in-game immersion.

Pros

Cons

4. MSI B450 Gaming PRO Carbon AC

The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC is a very nice looking motherboard that has a sleek Black design. There is RGB lighting on the side and the chipset armor as well. If that is not something that you are into then you can turn the lights off as well. The Black theme of the motherboard is great to look at and it should blend in with the rest of your build very well.

The x16 PCIe slot is reinforced to provide better support to your graphics card and ensure durability. The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of memory at up to 3466 MHz. Other than that you get 2 M.2 slots for fast storage and 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs.

The motherboard supports Crossfire if you are interested in using two AMD graphics cards. We recommend a single powerful graphics card for gaming but the option is there if you need it. The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need including HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 3.1 and even USB Type-C.

Supports 2-Way AMD Crossfire Technology

MSI B450 Gaming PRO Carbon AC

The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC is great value for money. This is not a top of the line model but it comes with all the features that you are going to use. Not only is the motherboard function but it looks very nice too.

Mystic Light provides a lot of customization when it comes to RGB lighting and you can sync other supported products like graphics cards, keyboards and mice. It also comes with an EZ Debug LED which is great for troubleshooting in case something goes wrong.

The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC comes with onboard Wi-Fi. We recommend a wired internet connection for gaming but the option is there if you are interested in using it.

Pros

Cons

5. ASUS Prime X470-Pro

We have another motherboard from Asus. The Prime X470-Pro is not the latest motherboard on the market but it is a decent mid-range motherboard with plenty of bells and whistles. The motherboard comes in Black and Silver which looks really nice. There are 2 M.2 slots and one of them has a heat sink that goes with the overall look of the motherboard.

ASUS Prime X470-Pro

The Asus Prime X470-Pro is a decent mid-range motherboard for the AMD Ryzen 2700X. It works with the CPU out of the box and does not need any BIOS updates. The motherboard looks great and has all the features that you are going to need.

The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of memory at up to 3466 MHz. Other than that, you get 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. It is safe to say that you have plenty of options when it comes to storage. The PCIe slots are reinforced for better GPU support and durability.

This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like Fan Xpert 4 and SupremeFX. The motherboard has plenty of RGB zones and headers for supported LED strips and other components.

Pros

Cons

6. MSI B450 Tomahawk

The MSI B450 Tomahawk has a sleek design. The motherboard comes in Black and Grey which looks very nice. This is an ATX motherboard and will fit into any ATX case. The motherboard is a very good combination of looks, price and features.

You get 4 RAM slots and the motherboard supports up to 64 GB of RAM. That is more than enough for gaming and ideal for content creation. The motherboard supports RAM speeds up to 3466MHz, which is very impressive indeed. It also comes with a pair of M.2 slots that can be used for fast storage. Other than that, you get 6 SATA 3 ports for HDDs and SSDs. So you have plenty of storage options.

Also Great

MSI B450 Tomahawk

The MSI B450 Tomahawk offers impressive value for money. Not only does it look great but it comes with all the features that you expect from a modern motherboard. This is a great motherboard to pair with the AMD Ryzen 7 1700

This is an MSI motherboard, so you get features such as Game Boost, GAMING Hotkey, X-Boost and EZ Debug LED. Other than that, the motherboard supports Crossfire so you can use multiple AMD graphics cards. We recommend using a single more powerful graphics card for gaming but the option is there if you need it.

The motherboard has been tested by Esports players to ensure high performance and reliability. You should not have a problem with this motherboard is you are going to use it for gaming.

Pros

Cons

7. ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F

Here we have yet another motherboard from Asus. The ROG STRIX B350-F is an older model but you can get it at a discounted price. This mid-range motherboard supports the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and looks great too. It has plenty of RGB Lighting zones that you can customize and it comes with RGB headers to sync the lighting effects with other compatible parts and peripherals.

The motherboard has a Black and Silver theme and should blend in with the rest of you build very nicely. There is no armor on the I/O and some people might not like that but there is armor on the chipset and the VRMs. The PCIe slots are reinforced for better GPU support and durability.

ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F

The Asus ROG STRIX B350-F has a design that gamers are going to love. If you can make do without USB Type-C then this is a motherboard that you should consider buying for the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X.

There is a single M.2 slot for high-speed storage but other than that you get 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs.The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of memory at up to 3466 MHz.The motherboard does come with HDMI and DVI ports but you are not going to use them as the AMD Ryzen 2700X does not have integrated graphics. You do get plenty of USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 ports. Unfortunately, there is no USB Type-C port.

This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like Fan Xpert 4 and SupremeFX. The motherboard has plenty of RGB zones and headers for supported LED strips and other components.

Pros

Cons

X570 vs X470 vs B450 vs B350: What Is The Difference?

All these motherboards do look the same and come with similar features but the chipsets are different so there might be some different, right?

That is indeed the case. The X570 and X470 motherboards are for enthusiasts that want the best of the best. The difference between the two is the PCIe generation and high-speed platform lanes.

The X570 is the latest chipset that AMD has to offer right now and the major selling point of this chipset is PCIe Gen 4 support. The chipset also features 40 high-speed platform lanes. The X470 is similar when it comes to features like overclocking support, graphics card slots, AMD StoreMI, etc. The difference is that X470 does not support PCIe Gen 4 and has 38 high-speed platform lanes, which is 2 less than that of X570.

Moving on to B450 and B350 chipsets. The B450 chipset is the newer one but both of these are for mainstream users. Both of these chipsets support overclocking and have 28 high-speed platform lanes.

B450 supports AMD StoreMI technology while B350 does not. Neither of the two has dual x8 graphics slots. So keep that in mind when deciding between the two.

Which AM4 Motherboard Should I Pick for AMD Ryzen?

The term best is relative but what we can tell you is that if you are looking for the best motherboard that you can buy today and money is no object then you should go with the ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero. It has all the features of the other motherboards and comes with PCIe Gen 4. You get all the bells and whistles that you could ever ask for in a motherboard.

If you are interested in saving some money and would rather get a mainstream motherboard then you should look into the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI. This is a very nice mid-range motherboard that looks great. It has all the features that you are going to need and even comes with USB Type-C and onboard Wi-Fi. These are the motherboards that we can openly recommend.

The post Best AM4 Motherboards for AMD Ryzen in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Motherboard for i7 9700K

Mike Jones — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 06:41:58 +0000

The Intel 9700K is one of the top of the line CPUs that you can buy on the market right now, so be sure to get the best motherboard for i7 9700k for the best performance.

If you are getting this CPU, then we are going to assume that you are going to overclock it as well. That is why we have included motherboards that support CPU overclocking out of the box. Additionally, they all have support for 8th and 9th gen Intel core processors.

Best Overall

MSI MPG Z390

Premium Pick

GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra

Budget Pick

ASUS Prime Z370-A II

Top Rated Motherboards for the Intel i7 9700K Processor

Here is a quick overview and spec comparison of all the motherboards we will feature in the reviews below:

Motherboard	Wi-Fi	CPU Support	Memory Support	M.2
MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC	Yes	9th & 8th Gen Intel	4 DDR4 4400+ MHz	2	Check Price
GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra	Yes	9th & 8th Gen Intel	4 DDR4 4133+ MHz	3	Check Price
ASUS Prime Z370-A II	No	9th & 8th Gen Intel	4 DDR4 4133+ MHz	2	Check Price
GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7	No	9th & 8th Gen Intel	4 DDR4 4133+ MHz	2	Check Price
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero	Yes	9th & 8th Gen Intel	4 DDR4 4400+ MHz	2	Check Price

The Best Motherboard for i7 9700K in 2020

1. MSI MPG Z390 – Best Motherboard for i7 9700k

MSI is a well-known name in the PC hardware industry and starts with the best motherboard for i7 9700K. Here we have the MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC, a high-end motherboard that is ideal for going with the Intel i7 9700K. The motherboard comes in Black and has plenty of armor on it. The White accents provide excellent contrast, and this motherboard should blend in very nicely with the rest of your build.

Two PCIe slots are reinforced for durability and should last the test of time even with beefy graphics cards installed. It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.

Our Pick

MSI MPG Z390

The MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC is a lovely motherboard that comes with all the bells and whistles you can want. If the shorter armor over the I/O does not trigger your OCD, then this is a motherboard that you should consider getting for your Intel i7 9700K CPU.

For storage, you have 2 M.2 slots for fast NVMe storage. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. The motherboard supports Intel Optane memory and comes with Mystic Lighting for RGB control. Audio Boost 4 provides immersive audio when gaming or consuming content.

Related: Best Motherboard for i5 8600k

The motherboard comes with Intel Wireless-AC 9462 and Bluetooth support. We recommend a wired internet connection for gaming, but the option is there if you need it. The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, HDMI, and Displayport.

Pros

Cons

2. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra

The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra is a high-end motherboard, and the price reflects that. You do get the top of the line chipset that Intel has to offer right now, which means better features and power delivery for overclocking. The motherboard comes in Black and Silver and has armor all over it, which gives it a very aggressive look. There are lights all over the motherboard, and even the M.2 heatsinks match the motherboard’s theme.

It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.

For storage, you have 3 M.2 slots, and all of them come with heatsink covers as well. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. 2 of the PCIe slots are reinforced for better GPU support and durability. The motherboard has plenty of RGB zones that can be customized and synced with supporting parts and peripherals.

Premium Pick

GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra

The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra costs a lot of money, but you do get a premium motherboard with all the bells and whistles. This motherboard not only works well but looks nice too.

The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, DVI, HDMI, and Displayport. You also get Intel CNVi 2×2 802.11ac wireless. We recommend using ethernet for gaming, but if you need to use wireless internet, then the option is there. The motherboard supports Intel Optane Memory, and there is a debug LED indicator for troubleshooting in case something goes wrong.

Pros

Cons

3. ASUS Prime Z370-A II – Best Budget Motherboard for i7 9700K

Asus is known for making some of the most reliable motherboards on the market, so there is no surprise that we are starting this list with the ASUS Prime Z370-A-II. The motherboard supports the 8th and 9th generation of Intel CPUs and comes with all the features you need for gaming and content creation.

The motherboard has a Black and Silver look. It has plenty of armor, which gives it a clean look. If you are interested in building a Black and White PC, this motherboard will fit right in. It is an ATX motherboard, and it will fit into any ATX case.
It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.

Our Budget Pick

ASUS Prime Z370-A II

The ASUS Prime Z370-A-I is a great Z370 motherboard if you are not interested in spending too much money. It looks great and comes with all the features that you are going to need. It is ideal for overclocking your CPU and RAM.

The motherboard supports CPU overclocking as well, and with proper cooling, you can get the Intel i7 9700K to 5 GHz. For storage, you have 2 M.2 slots, and one of them comes with a heatsink cover as well. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. 2 of the PCIe slots are reinforced for better GPU support and durability.

The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, DVI, HDMI, and Displayport. Like all Asus motherboards, the ASUS Prime Z370-A II gives you features like Auto-Tuning, Fan Expert 4, AURA Sync RGB lighting, and 8-channel HD audio.

Pros

Cons

4. GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7

The GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 motherboard is an ideal motherboard to pair with the Intel i7 9700K. The chipset is not the top of the line version, but you are not missing out on much. The motherboard has a very aggressive design, and the M.2 shield matches the armor, which is a lovely touch.

The RAM slots and the PCIe slots are reinforced and feature RGB lighting just like the motherboard’s other parts. It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.

You have 2 M.2 slots for fast NVMe storage. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. The motherboard also supports Intel Optane’s memory. The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, HDMI, and Displayport. Other than that, you also get a USB Type-C front header.

GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7

The GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 is a motherboard that looks really nice and offers plenty of customization options. This is a high-end motherboard, and overclocking support is ideal for the 9700K.

The motherboard supports multiple graphics cards, but we recommend a single powerful graphics card for gaming. The option is still there if you need to use more than one graphics card. All GIGABYTE motherboards give you features such as Smart Fan 5 Cooling and RGB Fusion Lighting.

The motherboard does not have onboard Wi-Fi, but that is not going to matter if you are gaming. We recommend using a wired internet connection, anyways.

Pros

Cons

5. ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero

ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is a costly motherboard, but it has the top of the line Z390 chipset and all the bells and whistles that you could ever ask for in a motherboard in 2020. This is an ASUS product, so you are paying a premium. The motherboard has a charming design and plenty of RGB lighting on it.

The board comes with an integrated I/O shield for easy installation. The 2 PCIe slots are reinforced for GPU support and durability. You also get 2 M.2 slots with heatsinks that match the theme of the motherboard. Other than that, there are 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs.

ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero

The ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is a premium motherboard that comes with all the bells and whistles. This is one of the most popular motherboards that you can buy for the Intel 9700K, but it does come at a very high price.

The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, DVI, HDMI, and Displayport. This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like Auto-Tuning, Fan Expert 4, AURA Sync RGB lighting, and 8-channel HD audio.

It even comes with onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi if you need it. This is one of the most excellent motherboards that you can buy for the Intel i7 9700K.

Pros

Clear CMOS button
BIOS flashback button
Designed for overclocking
Very easy to install
User-friendly BIOS
Impressive VRM cooling
Improved audio

Cons

Z390 Vs Z370: What Is The Difference?

The Z390 and Z370 chipsets support the same CPUs and have similar features, but you must be wondering what the difference is. These are two different chipsets, after all. The Z390 chipset has a slight upper hand as it supports USB 3.1 (10Gbps). Motherboards with these chipsets have 6 of these ports while you get none with the Z370 motherboards.

Other than that, Z390 chipsets come with integrated Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Z390 motherboards can potentially support 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB, but that depends on the motherboard’s firmware. Z390 motherboards feature the newer version of Intel ME Firmware, but this will not impact most users.

Final Thoughts

“The best” can be different for different people, and if you look at the price and all the features that a motherboard has to offer, then the ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is the most trustworthy motherboard that you can buy currently.

If you are not interested in spending all that money on a motherboard but still want to have most of the features, you should opt to go with the ASUS Prime Z370-A-II instead.

If you need need a more reasonably priced motherboard that also comes with integrated Wi-Fi then you should pick the GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra.

These are all the motherboards than we can openly recommend for the Intel i7 9700K processor.

The post Best Motherboard for i7 9700K appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Motherboard under $100 in 2020 (Intel & AMD)

Mike Jones — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 20:17:09 +0000

Motherboards can get very expensive, especially the higher-end models that come with all the bells and whistles. But that does not have to be the case.

You can pick up a decent motherboard for around $100. These motherboards might not have all the features compared to high-priced models, but essentially they all have the features that you are actually going to use day in and day out.

The trick here is to know which features you are going to use and find the best value for the money that you are spending. That is what we have looked into here today.

Our list of best motherboards under 100 dollars covers relatively inexpensive motherboards that come with all the essential features whether you are interested in going with Intel or AMD.

The budget is under $100 so we are not going to include motherboards that support overclocking, at least not on the Intel side. However, you can do a bit of overclocking on the AMD CPUs.

Our Intel Motherboard Pick

MSI B360 Gaming Plus

Our AMD Motherboard Pick

MSI B450-A PRO

Micro ATX Pick for Intel

Asus PRIME B360M-A

Top Rated Budget Motherboards under $100

The following are all the motherboards that we are going to look into here and some of their features that you might be interested in knowing about at a glance:

Motherboard	CPU	Chipset	Form Factor	RAM Support
MSI B360 Gaming Plus	Intel	B360	ATX	4 DDR4 Memory Slots, up to 2666 MHz	Check Price
ASUS PRIME B360M-A	Intel	B360	Micro ATX	4 DDR4 Memory Slots, up to 2666 MHz	Check Price
GIGABYTE B360M DS3H	Intel	B360	Micro ATX	4 DDR4 Memory Slots, up to 2666 MHz	Check Price
MSI B450-A PRO	AMD	B450	ATX	4 DDR4 Memory Slots, up to 3466 MHz	Check Price
ASUS TUF B450M-Plus	AMD	B450	Micro ATX	4 DDR4 Memory Slots, up to 3200 MHz	Check Price
MSI B450M Gaming Plus	AMD	B450	Micro ATX	2 DDR4 Memory Slots, up to 3400 MHz	Check Price

Now that we have gone over the basic features of all these motherboards, we can take an in-depth look into all of them. Here is what you need to know about these motherboards.

When it comes to raw performance in single-core applications and games, Intel is the winner (in most cases). So it is understandable why you would want to get an Intel CPU, but AMD has closed the gap a bit and offers impressive value for money.

If you do want to get an Intel CPU, like the 8400 or the 9400F, then the following are the motherboards that we recommend.

However, AMD has made a comeback into the CPU market with the AMD Ryzen series of CPUs and with the 3rd generation, AMD has come on par with Intel.

AMD offers impressive value for money and was the one that brought more cores and threads into the mainstream. If you are interested in building an AMD powered PC then the following are the motherboards that we can recommend.

The Best Motherboards under $100 in 2020

1. MSI B360 Gaming Plus – Best Motherboard under $100

The MSI B360 Gaming Plus is another great option to consider if you are interested in building an Intel build but you are not willing to spend too much money on a motherboard. It comes in Red and Black, which should blend in well with the rest of your build.

While this is a relatively inexpensive motherboard, you still get plenty of armor and the upper PCIe slot is reinforced to support your graphics card better and ensure durability. MSI has made a name for itself in the motherboard market over the years and this motherboard is a great example of why that is the case.

Our Intel Motherboard Pick

MSI B360 Gaming Plus

The MSI B360 Gaming Plus is a great looking motherboard but it is functional as well. You get all the features that you expect from a modern motherboard without a high price tag. It is compatible with 8th and 9th generation Intel CPUs.

This is an ATX motherboard and will fit right into any ATX case. If you are interested in building a tower PC for gaming or content creation then this is going to be a great pick for you. You have 4 RAM slots that support up to 64 GB of memory. Other than that you have an M.2 slot for fast NVMe storage and 5 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. So, you have plenty of options when it comes to storage.

The motherboard is ideal for the Intel 8400 CPU but it can be used with other 8th generation and 9th generation CPUs as well. Other than that you get features like Mystic Light and Audio Boost. The motherboard comes with all the ports that you will need including HDMI, DVI, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and even USB Type-C.

Out of the box, the motherboard is VR-ready and supports AMD Crossfire if you are interested in using multiple AMD graphics cards. We recommend using a single more powerful graphics card for gaming but the option is there if you need it.

Read also: Best Intel i7 9700K Motherboard

Pros

Cons

2. MSI B450-A PRO – Budget Motherboards under 100 dollar

The MSI B450-A Pro is a very sleek and clean looking motherboard. This is an ATX board, so it will fit into any ATX case and is ideal if you are interested in building a tower PC. It comes in Black and should blend in with the rest of your build pretty well. The motherboard does not come with plenty of armor but the PCIe slot is reinforced to support the graphics card and ensure durability.

You have 4 RAM slots that support up to 64 GB of memory. Other than that you have an M.2 slot for fast NVMe storage and 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. So, you have plenty of options when it comes to storage. It comes with all the ports that you expect to see on a modern motherboard including HDMI, DVI, VGA, USB 3.1 Gen 2 but unfortunately, there is no USB Type-C port.

Our AMD Motherboard Pick

MSI B450-A PRO

The MSI B450-A Pro is a motherboard that not only looks good but is functional as well. It is reasonably priced and is ideal for mid-range AMD Ryzen CPUs but you could use it with high-end processors as well.

The motherboard is VR-ready and supports AMD Crossfire if you are interested in using multiple AMD graphics cards. We recommend using a single more powerful graphics card for gaming but the option is there if you need it.

This is a relatively inexpensive motherboard that comes with all the features that you are going to need for gaming or content creation.

Pros

Cons

3. ASUS PRIME B360M-A – Good Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Asus is known for making some of the most reliable motherboards on the market in 2020 so there is no surprise that we are starting off our recommendations with an Asus motherboard. The Prime B360M-A is a micro ATX motherboard which is great if you are interested in building a relatively smaller gaming PC rather than a tower build.

Even though this is a smaller motherboard, you still get all the essentials for gaming. You have 4 RAM slots that support up to 64 GB of memory. Other than that you have dual M.2 slots for fast NVMe storage and 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. So, you have plenty of options when it comes to storage.

Our Runner Up Intel Motherboard

ASUS PRIME B360M-A

The Asus Prime B360M-A is a smaller motherboard which is ideal for people that are not interested in building a tower PC. It comes with all the features that you expect to see in a motherboard in 2020 but costs under $100 which makes it great value for money for an Asus motherboard.

This is an Asus motherboard so you know that it is going to be reliable and will stand the test of time. The motherboard is ideal for the Intel 8400 CPU but it can be used with other 8th generation and 9th generation CPUs as well.

The motherboard comes with all the ports that you will need including HDMI, DVI, VGA, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and even USB Type-C. If you are in the market for an Asus motherboard to go with your Intel CPU but you are on a budget then this is a very nice option to consider.

Pros

Cons

4. MSI B450M Gaming Plus

The MSI B450M Gaming Plus comes in Black and Red. The motherboard looks great and should blend in well with the rest of your build. This is a micro ATX motherboard and is ideal for building small form factor builds for gaming or content creation. This is a smaller motherboard and you only get 2 RAM slots but you can still have a total of 64 GB memory. On the brighter side, the memory can be overclocked to 3466 MHz. Ryzen does like faster memory and that is something that you can take advantage of in this case.

Our Runner Up AMD Ryzen Motherboard

MSI B450M Gaming Plus

The MSI B450M Gaming Plus is a great option to consider if you are interested in building an AMD Ryzen PC but do not want to spend a lot of money. You do only get a single M.2 slot and 2 RAM slots but other than that the motherboard is a great option to consider.

The motherboard only has a single M.2 slot but you get 4 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. You can use a single NVMe SSD for quick storage and SATA SSDs and HDDs for mass storage. It comes with all the ports that you expect to see on a modern motherboard including HDMI, DVI, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and even a USB Type-C port.

The motherboard comes with the EZ Debug LED which is great for troubleshooting in case something is not working properly. You can use this feature to easily find out what the problem is. All things considered, the motherboard is reasonably priced, looks good and is great for smaller builds.

Pros

Cons

5. GIGABYTE B360M DS3H

Gigabyte is known for making some pretty great motherboards that are cost-effective. The B360M DS3H is another example of just that. This is a Micro ATX board, so it is ideal for people that want to build a PC that is relatively smaller.

Even though this is a smaller motherboard, you still get all the essentials for gaming. You have 4 RAM slots that support up to 64 GB of memory. Other than that you get an M.2 slot for fast NVMe storage and 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. So you are not compromising on too much when it comes to expandability and functionality

Intel Motherboard

GIGABYTE B360M DS3H

The B360M DS3H does not have an aggressive gamer design but it makes up for it with the lower price and the fact that it comes with all the essential features that you are going to need for gaming and content creation. If you are on a budget then this is a great option to consider.

The motherboard looks clean and comes with all the ports that you expect to see on a modern motherboard including HDMI, DVI, VGA, USB 3.1 Gen 2 but unfortunately, there is no USB Type-C port. The motherboard does not compromise o RGB lighting either. You can use RGB fusion to connect to LED strips and other compatible products.

Read also: Best Motherboard for i7 7700k

Pros

Cons

6. ASUS TUF B450M-Plus Gaming

The Asus TUF series is budget-friendly but does not compromise on the quality of the parts. It is made of military-grade parts like the UF LANGuard, TUF Chokes, TUF Capacitors, and TUF MOSFETs. This is an Asus motherboard so you can rest assured that you are getting a quality product that is going to last a very long time.

This is a micro ATX board which is ideal for people looking to build a relatively smaller PC rather than a tower build. Even though this is a smaller motherboard, you still get plenty of armor and the PCIe slot is reinforced. You have 4 RAM slots that support up to 64 GB of memory.

AMD Motherboard

ASUS TUF B450M-Plus Gaming

The Asus TUF B450M-Plus Gaming is a small motherboard but it comes with plenty of armor and features that you are going to use on a daily basis including a USB Type-C port. This is an ideal motherboard for smaller form factor builds.

Other than that you have an M.2 slot for fast NVMe storage and 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. So, you have plenty of options when it comes to storage. It comes with all the ports that you expect to see on a modern motherboard including HDMI, DVI, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and even a USB Type-C port.

This is an Asus motherboard, so you get plenty of support for RGB lighting and the motherboard comes with a 3-year warranty. You can get other TUF parts and peripherals to match the looks of your build to make things even better.

Pros

Cons

What is a Good Cheap Gaming Motherboard?

You might have learned by now that getting an inexpensive motherboard is possible if you are not into all the bells and whistles that you are not actually going to use. If you are still stuck on which motherboard you should get then it all comes down to what you need and your requirements.

On the Intel side, we recommend the ASUS PRIME B360M-A. It comes with plenty of ports and features that you are going to use on a daily basis. It is a Micro ATX motherboard and is ideal for smaller builds. If you need an ATX motherboard then the MSI B360 Gaming Plus is an impressive option to consider. You do lose an M.2 slot but the rest of the features are the same. You also get an additional PCIe slot for another graphics card or any other PCIe based part.

On the AMD side, the ASUS TUF B450M-Plus Gaming is a Micro ATX motherboard that is great value for money. It features military-grade parts and dos not miss out on any of the essential features that you will need for gaming or content creation. If you are interested in an ATX motherboard then you should pick the MSI B450-A PRO. This is a great looking motherboard that supports CPU overclocking.

It does not have an over the top design, which is something that most people like to see in a motherboard. It should go well with the rest of your build.

What to Look for in a Budget Motherboard

Buying the cheapest motherboard on the market might seem like the right thing to do if you are on a budget but that is not something that we recommend. Here are some factors that you should keep in mind when buying a motherboard in 2020.

CPU Support

The motherboard that you are buying needs to support the CPU that you have in mind. For this guide, our Intel motherboards support the 8th and 9th generation Intel CPUs.

Related: Best Motherboard for i7 8700k

On the AMD side, all the motherboards support 1st and 2nd generation AMD Ryzen CPUs while some of them support the 3rd gen Ryzen processors as well. On the AMD side, while the chipset is the same support for older or newer CPUs depends on the motherboard manufacturer.

Form Factor (Smaller Motherboards Have Fewer Options)

Standard ATX motherboards have the most options. Moving down to Micro ATX gets you fewer ports and features and moving a step down to Mini ITX gets you the bare essentials in most cases. You will give up on M.2 slots, PCIe slots, and even RAM slots as you shift to a smaller motherboard. So do keep that in mind when deciding which motherboard to buy.

Future-proofing

You should not pay for features that you are not going to use. If you use ethernet for gaming, which we recommend, then you should not be paying extra for Wi-Fi on the motherboard. But you should pay for features that you might need in the future like USB 3.1 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 3 support. These can come in handy and in this case planning ahead might be a good idea in the long-run.

Memory Support

ATX motherboards come with 4 RAM slots but that can change if you get a smaller motherboard. You can get a pair of 16GB RAM sticks for a total of 32 GB but that can cost a lot of money. If you have 4 RAM slots then you can buy a pair of 8 GB sticks and get another pair later on. This way, the will still be running in dual-channel. All this depends on your budget and personal preference. You might be fine using a single stick of RAM even though we do not recommend it.

Expansions Slots and Connectors

You are going to need PCIe slots for your graphics cards and high-speed storage solutions. You will need connectors for display. If you have a CPU that does not come with integrated graphics, like the 9400F then you will have to rely on the ports on your graphics card for display output.

In this case, the display output ports on your motherboard are not going to matter. This is something that you should take into consideration when buying a new motherboard.

USB 3.1 ports are going to be useful for data transfers and you are going to need SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. So keep that in mind as well.

Aesthetics

Even on a budget aesthetics of the motherboard can have a major role to play. If you have a specific theme in mind then you should pick a motherboard accordingly. You can also look into features such as RGB lighting if that is something that you are into. You can sync the lighting of different PC parts and even peripherals such as keyboards, mice and headphones.

Headers

Headers are used to install case fans. You can connect them to the motherboard so that you can sync them with the CPU fan and take better control of the thermals. You can tune them for better airflow or for silent operation. Headers can also be used to sync RGB lighting or add RGB LED lights in your case.

Pricing

A motherboard can cost anything between $70-1000. The trick is to figure out the features that you are going to use and not pay for the ones that are not important to you.

Once you have that figures out you need to get the motherboard that offers those features for the least price. But you should not take quality lightly. This guide is proof that you can get a decent motherboard for Intel and AMD CPUs for around $100.

The post Best Motherboard under $100 in 2020 (Intel & AMD) appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

Best Motherboard for Ryzen 7 1700 in 2020

Mike Jones — Sun, 29 Sep 2019 19:54:34 +0000

The AMD Ryzen 3000 series is out now, but the AMD Ryzen 1700 is still a great and solid processor that will last you a long time.

And you will save a lot of money. Additionally, the Ryzen 1700 comes with 8 cores and 16 threads which is a great bargain.

Because of the newer models, you can pick up the AMD 1700 series for a relatively low price.

So if you are interested in getting this AMD Ryzen CPU you will also need to get a good motherboard. It would make no sense of buying a processor without a reliable motherboard.

Today, we are going to look into some of the best motherboards for Ryzen 7 1700 that you can get to pair with your CPU.

Best Overall

MSI B450 Tomahawk

Premium Pick

ASUS Crosshair VII Hero

Budget Pick

GIGABYTE GA-AB350

Top Rated Motherboards for AMD Ryzen 7 1700 CPU

The following are all the motherboards that we are going to look into here and some of their features that you might be interested in learning about at a glance:

Model	CPU Support	Form Factor	M.2 Support
MSI B450 Tomahawk	AMD 1st & 2nd Gen Ryzen	ATX	2	Check Price
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero	AMD 1st & 2nd Gen Ryzen	ATX	2	Check Price
GIGABYTE GA-AB350 Gaming 3	AMD 1st & 2nd Gen Ryzen	ATX	1	Check Price
GIGABYTE B450M DS3H	AMD 1st & 2nd Gen Ryzen	mATX	1	Check Price
ASUS Prime X470-Pro	AMD 1st & 2nd Gen Ryzen	ATX	2	Check Price

Now that we have gone into the basic features of these motherboards, we can take a closer look at what they have to offer. Here is what you need to know about these motherboards.

The Best Motherboard for Ryzen 7 1700 in 2020

1. MSI B450 Tomahawk – Best Ryzen 7 1700 Motherboard

Our Pick

MSI B450 Tomahawk

The motherboard has been tested by Esports players to ensure high performance and reliability. You should not have a problem with this motherboard is you are going to use it for gaming.

Pros

Cons

2. ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero – Premium Motherboard for Ryzen 7 1700

Asus is known for making some of the best motherboards on the market and this list would be pretty dull without an Asus motherboard. Here we have the Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero which is one of the high-end motherboards that the company makes. You can expect all the bells and whistles but the price is higher as well.

This is an ATX motherboard that will fit into pretty much any ATX case. This is a high-end motherboard so you get plenty of armor that not only looks good but helps in durability and keeping the temperature in check. The motherboard comes with all the essentials that you are going to need for gaming and much more. You get dual M.2 slots for fast NVMe storage. Other than that you get 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs.

Our Premium Pick

ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero

The Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero is a premium motherboard that comes with all the features that you will need for gaming and content creation. It features all the bells and whistles that you expect to see in a high-end motherboard in 2019.

The motherboard features Wi-Fi. We recommend using ethernet for gaming but the option is there if you need it. This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like 5-Way Optimization, Auto-Tuning, FanXpert 4 and SupremeFX S1220 drivers for the audio. The motherboard comes with an integrated I/O shield. Not only does the motherboard feature RGB lighting but you even get two RGB headers, which is nice keeping in mind that most motherboards only come with one.

The motherboard lighting is compatible with Philips Hue, so not only can you sync the lights of your PC with your peripherals but you can also sync the lighting with your room. The motherboard comes with plenty of ports including HDMI, DVI-D, USB 3.1 Gen1 and USB Type-C.

Pros

Cons

3. GIGABYTE GA-AB350 Gaming – Best Budget Ryzen 7 1700 Motherboard

Here we have another motherboard from Gigabyte, the GA-AB350 Gaming 3. This motherboard comes in Black and Red which is a classic theme for gaming. It should go well with the rest of your build. This is an ATX motherboard so you get all the standard features and this board will fit right into any ATX case.

You get 4 RAM slots and the motherboard supports up to 64 GB of RAM. That is more than enough for gaming and ideal for content creation. It also comes with an M.2 slot that can be used for fast storage. Other than that, you get 4 SATA 3 ports for HDDs and SSDs.

Our Budget Pick

GIGABYTE GA-AB350-Gaming 3

The GA-AB350 Gaming 3 is a reasonably priced motherboard that comes with all the features that you will need for gaming. It works out of the box with the AMD Ryzen 1700. This is a motherboard for someone that does not want to spend a lot of money but wants reliability and functionality.

The motherboard comes with plenty of ports including HDMI, DVI-D, USB 3.1 Gen1 but you do not get USB Type-C. Another downside that you should keep in mind is that the motherboard only has a single CPU fan header and a single case fan header. So you can only have a single fan plugged into your motherboard. It does come with RGB support and Smart Fan 5.

This does look like a basic motherboard but interesting the PCIe slots are armored to better support the graphics and ensure durability. Another advantage of the motherboard is that it supports 2nd generation AMD Ryzen chips as well. So if you want to upgrade your CPU down the line then you will not need to change your motherboard. This is a bit older motherboard so you can get one at a discounted price.

Pros

Works out of the box with AMD Ryzen 1700
Easy overclocking
clear upgrade path
Impressive value for money
AM3+ CPU cooler can be used
RGB controller
Lots of USB ports

Cons

4. GIGABYTE B450M DS3H – Best Gaming Motherboard for Ryzen 7 1700

Gigabyte has made a name for itself in the PC hardware market and has been operating in this space for a very long time. The company is known for making reliable products that are cost-effective. The Gigabyte B450M DS3H motherboard is another one of those products.

This is a Micro ATX board which is ideal if you are interested in building a smaller PC and not a tower build. This is a relatively smaller motherboard but it still comes with plenty of features that you can use for gaming and content creation.

GIGABYTE B450M DS3H

The GIGABYTE B450M DS3H does not have the bells and whistles of the higher-end motherboards but it is built well and is impressive value for money. If you are not interested in spending a lot of money on a motherboard then this is an option that you should look into.

Another advantage of the motherboard is that it supports 2nd generation AMD Ryzen chips as well. So if you want to upgrade your CPU down the line then you will not need to change your motherboard.

Pros

Cons

5. ASUS Prime X470-Pro

The X470-Pro is not a top of the line model but it is high up there with the big boys. The motherboard comes with all the bells and whistles that you expect from a higher-end motherboard. The motherboard comes with dual M.2 slots for fast storage and 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs.

The motherboard comes in White and has RGB lighting on the armor as well. The armor hides the components under it and gives the motherboard a very nice clean look. This is an ATX motherboard that will fit into pretty much any ATX case.

ASUS Prime X470-Pro

The X470-Pro is a nice mid-range motherboard that is ideal for people that are interested in i building a white gaming PC. This is a very popular motherboard that supports the 1700 out of the box and comes with all the features that you are going to need for gaming and content creation.

This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like 5-Way Optimization, Auto-Tuning, FanXpert 4 and SupremeFX S1220 drivers for the audio.

The motherboard does not come with Wi-Fi but that is not going to be an issue as you are going to use a wired connection for gaming anyways. The motherboard comes with plenty of ports including HDMI, DVI-D, USB 3.1 Gen1 and USB Type-C. Another advantage of the motherboard is that it supports 2nd generation AMD Ryzen chips as well. So if you want to upgrade your CPU down the line then you will not need to change your motherboard.

Pros

Cons

What Motherboard Should You Pick for The Ryzen 7?

All these motherboards are the most beneficial in one way or another, but if you are interested in getting a top of the line model that has all the bells and whistles then you should pick the Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero.

If you are more interested in saving some money then you should go with the GA-AB350 Gaming 3 motherboard from Gigabyte. It does not have all the fancy armor but it does come with all the basic features that the average consumer is actually going to use.

The post Best Motherboard for Ryzen 7 1700 in 2020 appeared first on GamingFeature.Com.

PC Parts Archives - GamingFeature.Com

Corsair 460x vs 570x – PC Case Comparison 2020

What the difference between Corsair 460x vs 570x?

Corsair 460x vs 570x PC Case Comparison

Corsair 460x

Conclusion

Corsair 570x

Conclusion

Which Corsair Case Should You Pick?​

Best Budget CPU Cooler under $50 in 2020

Top Rated CPU Coolers under 50 dollars

The Best CPU Cooler under $50 in 2020

1. Cooler Master Hyper 212 – Best Budget CPU Cooler

2. Scythe Mugen 5 – Premium CPU Cooler under $50

3. NOCTUA NH-L9i – Best Budget Low-profile Cooler

4. Gamemax Gamma 500 Rainbow

5. be quiet! BK009 Pure Rock

6. Deepcool Gammaxx GT BK

7. Arctic Freezer 33 Esports ONE

What Budget CPU Cooler Should You Pick?

Best Cooler for Ryzen 1700X in 2020

Top Rated Coolers for Ryzen 1700X Processor

Best Cooler for Ryzen 1700X in 2020

1. NOCTUA NH-D15 – Best Ryzen 1700X Cooler

2. NZXT Kraken X62 – Premium Air Cooler for Ryzen 1700X

3. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – Budget Cooler for Ryzen 1700X

4. Corsair H100i

5. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

What Cooler Should you Pick for the AMD Ryzen 1700X

Best RGB Case Fans for Gaming in 2020

Top Rated RGB Case Fans Comparison Table

The Best RGB Case Fans in 2020

1. Corsair LL Series LL120 – Best RGB Case Fans

2. Corsair LL Series LL140 – Best 140 mm RGB Fans

3. Thermaltake Riing Plus – Budget RGB Case Fans

4. NZXT AER RGB 2

5. Pccooler Moonlight Series

6. DEEPCOOL RF120M 5IN1

Which RGB Case Fan Should You Pick?

Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling in 2020

What’s the Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling?

The Best Soft Tubing for Water Cooling in 2020

1. PrimoFlex Crystal – Best Clear Soft Tubing for Colored Coolant

2. PrimoFlex Elegant White – Our Favorite White-colored Tubing

3. EK-Tube ZMT – Top Rated Soft Tube

4. Mayhems Ultra Clear

5. EK-DuraClear Soft Tubing

What Soft Tubing For Water Cooling Should You Pick

Does The Diameter Of Soft Tubing Matter?

Soft Tubing Vs Hard Tubing

Ease Of Use

Cost

Aesthetics

Clouding

Breaking

Best Air CPU Cooler for i5 8600k in 2020

Top Rated Air CPU Coolers for Intel i5 8600k

The Best CPU Cooler for i5 8600k in 2020

1. Noctua NH-D15 – Best i5 8600k CPU Cooler

2. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – Premium Intel i5 8600k Cooler

3. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo – Budget Cooler for i5 8600k

4. Noctua NH-L9i

5. Scythe Mugen 5

Which Cooler Should You Get For The Intel i5 8600K

Best Cases for Water Cooling in 2020

Top Rated Water Cooling PC Cases with Tempered Glass

The Best Cases for Water Cooling in 2020

1. NZXT H510 – Best Water Cooling Case

2. NZXT H710i – Best Tempered Glass Case

3. Thermaltake V200 – Budget Case for Water Cooling

4. Fractal Design Meshify C

5. Cooler Master MasterBox Pro 5

6. CORSAIR Crystal Series 680X

7. darkFlash Phantom Black

8. Cooler Master MasterCase H500

9. AeroCool Cylon RGB

10. darkFlash DLM21

Best LGA 1150 CPU

Top 5 Best LGA 1150 CPUs for Gaming

Best LGA 1150 CPU

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