$740 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build for EverQuest Next: Landmark - April, 2014

After our interview with Dave Georgeson of the EverQuest franchise (including Landmark) and follow-up on the beta's availability, we've started the process of playing Landmark for content purposes.

The first bit of related content, as is usually the case for us, is a mid-range gaming PC build that's spec'd for EverQuest Next: Landmark at near-max (high) settings. You could certainly build a cheaper AMD system (keep eyes open for that), but this one will get you running EQNL at high (or thereabouts) settings and still provide room for high graphics output with more demanding titles. If you're interested in Titanfall, you'll be happy to hear that this machine will also easily run Titanfall on max settings, as we benchmarked over here.

This budget gaming PC isn't meant to be overclocked. The parts were selected specifically to reduce initial cost and get users playing games quickly with minimal tweaking; if you're more enthusiastic in your hardware endeavors and would like overclocking as an option, check out our overclocking primer and other PC builds. Jumping to the DIY PC parts list after EverQuest Next: Landmark's system requirements!

EverQuest Next: Landmark Requirements & Recommended System Specs

$740 EverQuest Next Gaming Computer - April, 2014 PC Build

OS & Recommended Extras

How to Build a Gaming Computer - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Video Card 

EVGA SuperClocked GTX 750 Ti 2GB ($160): In the sub-$200 range, the best video cards presently available are going to be AMD's R9 270 and nVidia's GTX 750 or 650 Ti Boost, if you can find one available. The R9 270 covers the upper-end of that range (~$200-$220) while nVidia's GTX 750 Ti or GTX 650 Ti Boost cover the budget-friendly segment (~$160). Other cards, like the R7 260X, are also available and perform competitively with the 750, but at that point the choice needs to be made on a game-by-game basis.

EVGA's 2GB SuperClocked 750 Ti makes it one of the highest-clocked versions of nVidia's first consumer-ready Maxwell GM107 GPU; for a game like EverQuest Next: Landmark, I think you'll be impressed with how smoothly the card handles things. EQNL has frame drop issues that stem from its software (hence the ongoing beta test and hardware surveys), but the GPU itself is powerful enough to handle EQNL with finesse as patches roll out.

Its low TDP helps mitigate thermal concerns within our budget enclosure, so we don't have to worry about pumping too much heat into the rig like the first Fermi cards guiltily did. You can read more about the 750 Ti over here.

CPU 

Intel i5-4570 Haswell CPU ($200): Again, this system isn't meant for overclocking or enthusiast endeavors, so we've stocked it with a more-than-adequate i5-4570 CPU for basic gaming and other task execution. This is a sort-of install-it-and-forget-it CPU; you won't really need to do any post-install tweaking and your clock modifications will be heavily limited, but that's the point of opting for an H-series chipset and non-K CPU. The fact of the matter is that not everyone needs (or even wants) an unlocked CPU for overclocking, and as far as gaming, the 4570 will handle games just fine since most of them will be GPU-bound anyway.

That said, if you did want to replace this with the gaming flagship 4670K CPU, it'd also be wise to change to a Z87 motherboard. You can read about chipset differences here.

Memory 

GeIL EVO Veloce 2x4GB 1600MHz RAM ($65): RAM's finally coming back down. It's been a long wait -- we've still got a long way to go, too -- but $65 for 2x4GB at 1600MHz is actually a pretty decent price these days. GeIL's EVO Veloce memory sports an "aggressive" look with its heatsinks, though the modules are pretty standard and will perform all our gaming tasks above par since we're not relying upon an APU or IGP. Two sticks of this will put us at the 8GB recommended spec for some modern game releases, including EQNL.

Motherboard 

MSI H87-G43 Motherboard ($80): This motherboard is pretty straight-forward. With no serious overclocking support, you're limited to 1600MHz native operating frequency for your memory and the VRM isn't too complex (fewer phases); that said, for what we're doing, the board is still well-equipped and runs a good deal cheaper than an enthusiast-targeted board. In terms of PCI-e slots, the H87-G43 hosts 1xPCI-e 3.0 x16 slot for your video hardware and then 1xPCI-e 2.0 x4, 2xPCI-e x1, and 3xPCI (why?). There's no noteworthy SLI or CrossFire support, so a single-GPU configuration is where we'll stay for this motherboard.

Power Supply 

Corsair HX650 Gold PSU ($80): This PSU is almost disproportionately good to the rest of the rig, but the MIR and instant promo discount level out its price. Use coupon code "EMCPGHB53" at checkout for an additional $10 off.

Corsair's HX650 is, unsurprisingly, 650W -- more than enough -- and is 80 Plus Gold certified, meaning it's a pretty efficient PSU. The power supply is modular to make cable management easier and is of standard form factor.

Optical Drive 

Lite-On DVD Burner ($15): Use promo code "EMCPGHB99" at checkout for $5 off. CD/DVD burners are no longer a requirement for a PC build; if you feel confident that you can use a Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 USB installer, then there's no need to buy an optical media player unless you're still using discs.

HDD 

WD Blue 1TB 7200RPM HDD ($60): Because this build is more budget-targeted, we're not going to slip an SSD in here and will be sticking to magnetic storage media. If you'd like an SSD for your primary drive, I'd strongly encourage checking out Crucial's M500. As for this hard drive, it's 7200 RPM -- which is a good mid-range speed for a primary disk and gaming -- and fits 1TB of data. WD is one of the top two manufacturers when it comes to reliability, which is ultimately what matters most for a hard drive.

Case 

Enermax Ostrog ($60): Enermax's Ostrog was first sighted when we visited their booth at PAX East 2013 and has made further exhibitions at CES; the Ostrog is a budget-friendly PC enclosure with a "gaming" aesthetic, large window, stock 1x120mm + 2x140mm fans with toggle-able LEDs. This case is a mid-tower ATX form factor, so it'll fit our build easily but doesn't take up a ton of space in the office (19" x 9.6" x 19.49").

If you need further PC building advice and support, check out our PC build forums over here or drop a comment below!

- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.