My current home PC, which I use for both video editing and gaming, is built around an Intel Core i5-2500K with only 8GB of RAM. Needless to say I’ve been long overdue for an upgrade. But an editing machine ain’t cheap, and I’ve been holding off for a chance to save some cash. I finally bit the bullet on Black Friday. This PC build is using my own hard-earned money, so watch what it’s like with real skin in the game.
Preparations
I’ve been debating this build for months, so what deals did I get and why did I choose these specific parts? Check out this prep video:
Parts list and prices paid
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K – $329.99
- Mobo: Gigabyte Z370 AORUS ULTRA GAMING WIFI – $119.99
- CPU cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – $19.99
- PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 750G2 750W Power Supply – 59.99
- RAM: G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3000 – $229.99
- NVMe SSD: Western Digital Black 500GB High-Performance NVMe PCIe M.2 – $99.99
- SATA SSD: Crucial MX500 2TB 2.5 Inch SATA SSD – $309
- GPU: borrowing an Nvidia GTX 980 Ti from Gordon
- Case: reusing old Phanteks Enthoo case
- Third SSD: reusing 500GB SSD
Build
Tune in Friday, November 30, at 10:00 AM PT on PCWorld’s YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, or Facbook pages to join the fun!
Testing
After the new PC is built, we’ll compare it to the benchmarks I ran on the old one. With video editing as the PC’s primary purpose, I’m hoping the big jump from the Core i5-2500K to Core i7-8700k will make Adobe Premiere Pro fly. Check back later to find out whether my build was worthwhile.