**The Photon 2.0: A $500 Gaming Computer Build**

Hey guys, this is Austin. Today I'm here with the Photon 2.0, a gaming computer build that's packed with powerful components and can be assembled for just $500.

**The Case: Thermaltake Versa H15**

For the case, we have the Thermaltake Versa H15. I actually really like this chassis. Not only is it going to be fairly affordable, which is definitely appreciated on a build like this, but you're really not losing a lot. We have USB 3, we have a full 120mm fan around back. Now, importantly, especially if this is your first computer build, there's plenty of room inside, so it should be fairly easy to work on.

**Powering the Photon 2.0: EVGA Power Supply**

Powering the Photon 2.0 is this 500 watt EVGA power supply. This is actually a little bit overkill for what we need right now, however, with that 500 watts of capacity, that means that you have a little bit of extra capacity if you wanna do some upgrades, which is always nice, and it's still an 80Plus certified supply, which means that not only is it efficient, but also should be fairly well quality-ized.

**The Motherboard: Gigabyte H110M-A**

For the motherboard, we have a Gigabyte H110M-A. Now this is a fairly basic motherboard, to be fair, however, the most important thing is, is that you have a lot of future expandability options. While you can rock this guy for now, which makes the Photon a great system for today, however this will support a Core i5, a Core i7, we can bump up the memory. There's a lot that we can do, but this is a great starting point.

**The CPU: Intel Core i3-6100**

Powering the system is an Intel Core i3-6100. I'm actually a pretty big fan of Core i3s for gaming builds, especially on the budget side, while you can go AMD, I like the i3 for the expandability options. Here we have 3.7 gigahertz of raw, dual-core, Hyperthreaded fury. Honestly, this is actually fine for pretty much any game out there.

**Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport RAM**

For memory, we have eight gigabytes of Crucial Ballistix Sport RAM. Now, I like this for a couple reasons. First of all, eight gigs of DDR4 clocked at 2400 megahertz is totally fine for anything we wanna do today, and amazingly enough, it's also ready for upgrades.

**The Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060**

Powering everything is the new EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card. Now this thing is no joke, and especially when you consider that this is a $500 gaming computer build, we're spending most of our budget on the card, however, that's a good thing.

**Storage: Western Digital Blue Hard Drive**

Rounding things out, we have a one terabyte Western Digital Blue hard drive. I've used these in a ton of gaming PC builds in the past. They're rock solid reliable. While they might not be the fastest things in the world, if you don't wanna go full SSD, and this is gonna be a lot cheaper than that, this is gonna be completely fine.

**How Does It Perform?**

Alright, so the Photon 2.0 is done, however, now comes the fun part. How does it actually perform? Get into a game like GTA V, and you'll see that we're easily able to play on high settings at 1080p with well over 60 frames per second. Moving on to a title which has been a staple of my testing for a while, we have Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Here again, we're easily able to play on ultra settings at 1080p, at well over 60 frames.

**Get the Build and Tutorial!**

As always, all the links you guys need to build this will be in the description, as well as a full tutorial on how to put together a gaming computer. You also may wanna stay tuned to the channel, there may or may not be a giveaway going on pretty soon. Catch you guys in the next one!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin.Today I'm here with the Photon 2.0.For $500, this shouldbe a pretty solid computer,but first we have to put it together.So $500 is an interesting sweet spot.You're getting a systemthat's going to be a lotmore powerful than oneof the ultra budget rigs,while still not beingthat much more expensivethan something like a console.For the case, we have theThermaltake Versa H15.I actually really like this chassis.Not only is it going tobe fairly affordable,which is definitely appreciatedon a build like this,but you're really not losing a lot.We have USB 3, we have afull 120mm fan around back.Now, importantly, especiallyif this is your firstcomputer build, there'splenty of room inside,so it should be fairly easy to work on.Cable management mightnot be quite so clean,we'll see in a fewminutes, but this should bea great chassis to start with.Powering the Photon 2.0 is this500 watt EVGA power supply.This is actually a littlebit overkill for what needright now, however, withthat 500 watts of capacity,that means that you have alittle bit of extra capacityif you wanna do some upgrades,which is always nice,and it's still an 80Plus certified supply,which means that, notonly is it efficient,but also should befairly well quality-ized.For the motherboard, wehave a Gigabyte H110M-A.Now this is a fairly basicmotherboard, to be fair,however, the mostimportant thing is, is thatyou have a lot of futureexpandability options.While you can rock this guy for now,which makes the Photon agreat system for today,however this will support a Core i5,a Core i7, we can bump up the memory.There's a lot that we can do,but this is a great starting point.Powering the system isan Intel Core i3-6100.I'm actually a pretty big fanof Core i3s for gaming builds,especially on the budgetside, while you can go AMD,I like the i3 for theexpandability options.Here we have 3.7 gigahertz of raw,dual-core, Hyperthreaded fury.Honestly, this is actually fine forpretty much any game out there.With that Hyperthreading, it allows itto act like a quad-coreprocessor, so most any gameshould run fine on the Corei3, and we're getting itat like a hundred bucks,so it's hard to complain.For memory, we have eight gigabytesof Crucial Ballistix Sport RAM.Now, I like this for a couple reasons.First of all, eight gigs ofDDR4 clocked at 2400 megahertzis totally fine foranything we wanna do today,and, amazingly enough, it'salso ready for upgrades.Because this is a singleDIMM, that means that we havea full extra slot here ifyou want to ever upgrade.For example, if you wanna bump this upto 16 gigabytes, it's super easy.Powering everything is the newEVGA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card.Now this thing is no joke, andespecially when you considerthat this is a $500gaming computer build,we're spending most ofour budget on the card,however, that's a good thing.Graphics cards are easily one of themost important parts of a gaming computer.This is the three gigabyteversion of the card,however, it's still goingto be powerful enoughto handle, literally, any game out there.Around back you have upto five display outs,so if you wanna gomulti-monitor crazy, you can,though you might not wannagame on five monitors at once.It also shares a lot of DNA withits bigger brothers,the 1070, and the 1080.All in all, a great card for the build.Rounding things out,we have a one terabyteWestern Digital Blue hard drive.Now I've used these in a ton ofgaming PC builds in the past.They're rock solid reliable.While they might not be thefastest things in the world,if you don't wanna go fullSSD, and this is gonna bea lot cheaper than that, thisis gonna be completely fine.However, as always, Ifeel like I've said thisa million times with thisbuild, it's very simpleto use an SSD on top of this to getnot only the capacity, but also the speed.However, for now, we'rejust rocking the Blue.Alright, so the Photon 2.0 is done,however, now comes the fun part.How does it actually perform?Get into a game like GTA V, and you'll seewe're easily capable of running onvery high settings at1080p with a solid 60 FPS.This is a great example of getting gettingbetter than console graphics,and a rock solid frame rate.Moving on to a title which hasbeen a staple of my testingfor a while, we have MiddleEarth: Shadow of Mordor.Here again, we're easily able to play onultra settings at 1080p,at well over 60 frames.This is a title you can probablybump up to 1440p and still be fine.Getting into a DirectX 12 game,we have Ashes of the Singularity.This is a much more demandingtitle that especiallytaxes the CPU, but evenhere we're able to playon extreme settings at1080p with around 38 FPS.As always, all the linksyou guys need to build thiswill be in the description,as well as a full tutorialon how to put together a gaming computer.You also may wanna staytuned to the channel,there may, or may not, be agiveaway going on pretty soon.Catch you guys in the next one.