Welcome
Custom PC Issue 200
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Ben Hardwidge
[email protected]
FEATURES EDITOR
Edward Chester
[email protected]
MODDING EDITOR
Antony Leather
GAMES EDITOR
Rick Lane
CONTRIBUTORS
Ali Abbas, Gareth Halfacree,
James Gorbold, Mike Jennings,
Phil Hartup, Richard Swinburne,
Tracy King
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Julie Birrell
PHOTOGRAPHY
Antony Leather, Brian O’Halloran,
Fiacre Muller, Gareth Halfacree
PUBLISHING
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
Russell Barnes
[email protected]This magazine is printed on paper sourced from
sustainable forests. The printer operates an
environmental management system which has been
assessed as conforming to ISO 14001.
Custom PC magazine is published by Raspberry Pi
(Trading) Ltd., Maurice Wilkes Building, St. John’s
Innovation Park, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DS.
The publisher, editor, and contributors accept no
responsibility in respect of any omissions or errors
relating to goods, products or services referred to or
advertised. ISSN: 1740-7443.DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME The information in
this magazine is given in good faith. Raspberry Pi
(Trading) Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for
loss, disruption or damage to your data or your
computer that may occur as a result of following or
attempting to follow advice given in the magazine.
If things do go wrong, take a break.A
s you’ve no doubt already deduced from the glossy
decorative parts of the front cover, this is the 200th
issue of Custom PC, and while we don’t want to
entirely disappear up our own posteriors in our rose-tinted
specs, we’ve marked the occasion with a special feature on
p84. While I only worked on Issue 1 as a freelancer, and didn’t
join the full-time team until a few months later, I remember
the build-up to the launch well, and it was an exciting time in
PC journalism.
Looking back on Issue 1 shows just how far we’ve come since
those early days, when the PC was finally starting to break free
from its bland business machine moorings. We no longer have
to tolerate the whiny racket of 80mm fans, liquid cooling is
now readily available in sealed packages, and cases now have
loads of dedicated holes and spaces for cable routing.
Meanwhile, mini-ITX machines now have performance
that can rival full-sized desktop rigs, and we have access to
amazing custom lighting setups. PC hardware enthusiasm is
no longer considered a niche hobby either – Intel deliberately
manufactures multiplier-unlocked processors for us, and
hardware makers are falling over themselves to make more
products that meet our needs.
Of course, technology continues to plough ahead, and the
march towards more powerful PC hardware shows no sign of
letting up. All the CPUs we covered in Issue 1 were 32-bit, single-
core models, as there were no 64-bit desktop CPUs then, let alone
even dual-core processors. Conversely, there’s a massive Labs test
of sub-£1,000 CPUs in this issue (see p40), that goes all the way
from 6-core mid-range models to top-end chips with 16 cores.
AMD has even just launched a 64-core desktop CPU (see p12).
In 2003, not many people would have predicted that our
print magazine about desktop PCs would still be here in 2020,
200 issues later, but it’s a huge privilege to be able to continue
doing what we love. We hope you enjoy reading Issue 200 just
as much as people loved reading Issue 1 at the time.200 issues later
DESIGN
criticalmedia.co.uk
HEAD OF DESIGN
Lee Allen
DESIGNERS
Ty Logan, Harriet Knight
COMMERCIAL
& ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING
Charlotte Milligan
[email protected]
+44 (0)7725 368887
DISTRIBUTION
Seymour Distribution Ltd
2 East Poultry Ave,
London EC1A 9PT
+44 (0)207 429 4000
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Unit 6 The Enterprise Centre
Kelvin Lane, Manor Royal,
Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9PE
Phone
01293 312182
Email
[email protected]
Website
custompc.co.uk/subscribeGEFORCE NOW WE TRY NVIDIA’S GAME STREAMING SERVICEMAY 2020 MAY 2020 // £5.99 £5.6CORE (^16) TESTEDCORE WORKHORSES IN BEASTS GAMES AND
CONTENT CREATION
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HHHOOWOWW YOYO (^333) YDDOUUURPRT RINOWOOWNNT (^)
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THE BESTSELLING MAG FOR PC HARDWARE, OVERCLOCKING, GAMING & MODDING / ISSUE 200
DEEPP DIVE HOW YOUR PC’S MEMORY WORKS
FINDFROM THE RIGHT £131 PROCESSOR TO £828 FOR YOU
ISSUE 200 / MAY 2020 THE BESTSELLING MAG FOR PC HARDWARE, OVERCLOCKING, GAMING & MODDING
ISSUE 200
SUBSCRIBERS
EDITION
ISSUE 200
EDITOR
Ben Hardwidge
[email protected]^
@custompcmag
/ FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome
Custom PC Issue 200
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Ben Hardwidge
[email protected]
FEATURES EDITOR
Edward Chester
[email protected]
MODDING EDITOR
Antony Leather
GAMES EDITOR
Rick Lane
CONTRIBUTORS
Ali Abbas, Gareth Halfacree,
James Gorbold, Mike Jennings,
Phil Hartup, Richard Swinburne,
Tracy King
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Julie Birrell
PHOTOGRAPHY
Antony Leather, Brian O’Halloran,
Fiacre Muller, Gareth Halfacree
PUBLISHING
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
Russell Barnes
[email protected]This magazine is printed on paper sourced from
sustainable forests. The printer operates an
environmental management system which has been
assessed as conforming to ISO 14001.
Custom PC magazine is published by Raspberry Pi
(Trading) Ltd., Maurice Wilkes Building, St. John’s
Innovation Park, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DS.
The publisher, editor, and contributors accept no
responsibility in respect of any omissions or errors
relating to goods, products or services referred to or
advertised. ISSN: 1740-7443.DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME The information in
this magazine is given in good faith. Raspberry Pi
(Trading) Ltd cannot accept any responsibility for
loss, disruption or damage to your data or your
computer that may occur as a result of following or
attempting to follow advice given in the magazine.
If things do go wrong, take a break.A
s you’venodoubtalreadydeducedfromthe glossy
decorativepartsofthefrontcover,thisisthe 200th
issueofCustomPC, andwhilewedon’twant to
entirelydisappearupourownposteriorsinourrose-tinted
specs,we’vemarkedtheoccasionwitha specialfeature on
p84.WhileI onlyworkedonIssue1 asa freelancer,and didn’t
jointhefull-timeteamuntila fewmonthslater,I remember
thebuild-uptothelaunchwell,andit wasanexciting time in
PCjournalism.
LookingbackonIssue1 showsjusthowfarwe’vecome since
thoseearlydays,whenthePCwasfinallystartingtobreak free
fromitsblandbusinessmachinemoorings.Wenolonger have
totoleratethewhinyracketof80mmfans,liquidcooling is
nowreadilyavailableinsealedpackages,andcasesnow have
loadsofdedicatedholesandspacesforcablerouting.
Meanwhile,mini-ITXmachinesnowhaveperformance
thatcanrivalfull-sizeddesktoprigs,andwehaveaccess to
amazingcustomlightingsetups.PChardwareenthusiasm is
nolongerconsidereda nichehobbyeither– Inteldeliberately
manufacturesmultiplier-unlockedprocessorsforus, and
hardwaremakersarefallingoverthemselvestomake more
productsthatmeetourneeds.
Ofcourse,technologycontinuestoploughahead,and the
marchtowardsmorepowerfulPChardwareshowsno sign of
lettingup.AlltheCPUswecoveredinIssue1 were32-bit, single-
coremodels,astherewereno64-bitdesktopCPUsthen, let alone
evendual-coreprocessors.Conversely,there’sa massive Labs test
ofsub-£1,000CPUsinthisissue(seep40),thatgoesall the way
from6-coremid-rangemodelstotop-endchipswith16 cores.
AMDhasevenjustlauncheda 64-coredesktopCPU(see p12).
In2003,notmanypeoplewouldhavepredictedthat our
printmagazineaboutdesktopPCswouldstillbehere in 2020,
200 issueslater,butit’sa hugeprivilegetobeabletocontinue
doingwhatwelove.WehopeyouenjoyreadingIssue 200 just
asmuchaspeoplelovedreadingIssue1 atthetime.
200 issueslater
DESIGN
criticalmedia.co.uk
HEAD OF DESIGN
Lee Allen
DESIGNERS
Ty Logan, Harriet Knight
COMMERCIAL
& ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING
Charlotte Milligan
[email protected]
+44 (0)7725 368887
DISTRIBUTION
Seymour Distribution Ltd
2 East Poultry Ave,
London EC1A 9PT
+44 (0)207 429 4000
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Unit 6 The Enterprise Centre
Kelvin Lane, Manor Royal,
Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9PE
Phone
01293 312182
Email
[email protected]
Website
custompc.co.uk/subscribeGEFORCENOWWETRYNVIDIA’SGAMESTREAMNGSERVICE(^6) TESTED 16 CORECOREINWORKHORSESBEASTSGMESAND
CONTENTCREATION
15 NTELTESTEDANDANDAMDOVERCLOCKEDCPUS
UURPTRINOWONTWN
YCCASSE
CPU
CLASH
DEEPDIVEHOWYOURPC’SMEMORYWORKS
FINDFROMTHERIGHT£131PROCESSORTO£828FORYOU
THEBESTSELLINGMAGFORPCHARDWAREOVERCLOCKNGGAMING&MODDING
ISSUE 200
SUBSCRIBERS
EDITION
ISSUE 200
EDITOR
BenHardwidge
[email protected]
@custompcmag
/ FROM THE EDITOR