Gaming, in general, is getting more popular day by day, especially after what we are living where everyone is forced to stay at home. This situation has made gaming an essential activity in order to have a better time while staying at home. But to have a great time playing your favorite titles, you will need a good gaming PC, where many people struggle to build.
Today we are here to make things easier for you to build a good gaming PC or even buy a used one in case you find a good deal. We will cover all the things that you will have to look for before buying any part.
Enough talking, and let’s dive into the most important part of your gaming PC, and it’s:
1-Graphics Card
Yeah, that’s right, the graphics card is the most important part of your system that you should put all your focus on. The graphics card will either offer you the best gaming experience or ruin it.
Before going after a graphics card, you will have first to identify your budget and what type of resolution you want to play at. For example, let’s say that you have a 1080P 60Hz Gaming monitor; in this case, it would be an overkill and waste of money if you decide to go with a high-end graphics card like the RTX 2070 Super.
If you are a simple gamer looking to play a specific game, for example, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, then, in this case, take a look at which graphics card is required for a smooth gaming experience. By doing this, you will know which type of GPUs you will need for the game you want to play.
Also, you don’t need to spend a significant amount of money in order to buy a good graphics card that can run modern AAA games in the right conditions. Sometimes, a $200 graphics card will be more than enough to offer you the performance you are seeking at 1080P resolution.
2-Processor
While graphics card is the main part of a gaming system, the CPU has a critical role as well. The processor should be chosen very carefully in order to get the best value for your money without compromising on the performance or overspending on a CPU that you won’t be able to utilize at its maximum potential.
Moreover, before choosing a processor, you will have to think about the type of tasks you are willing to do, such as content creation, gaming, streaming…
For example, if you are looking to build your PC just for gaming, then a good 6 Cores or 8 Cores CPU like the Ryzen 5 3600, Ryzen 7 3700X, or Intel Core i7 10700K will be more than adequate for any modern game. Whilst if you are a gamer and a content creator, then, in this case, it would be better if you go with one of the high-end CPUs, like the Ryzen 9 3900X or Ryzen 9 3950X, since they have more cores counts and threads at high clock speed.
If you want to learn more about the best CPUs & GPUs that will offer you the best performance for the money and prevent you from bottlenecking issues, we suggest that you look at our guide on the Best CPU & GPU Combo.
3-Motherboard
You will be able to choose a motherboard once you have picked a CPU because each motherboard has a socket that supports a specific lineup of CPUs, and you can’t put any motherboard with any CPU.
Also, you will have to choose your motherboard very carefully because if you take a high-end CPU with an entry-level motherboard, you may not be able to get the best performance out of your processor. You can learn more about the best CPU/Motherboard combo here.
Moreover, it would be best if you choose a motherboard according to your need and the features you will use. Going with a high-end motherboard that you won’t utilize its high-end features is just a waste of money.
Also, when looking for a motherboard for your gaming PC, you will find 3 different sizes. These sizes are ATX, Micro ATX (mATX), and Mini ITX. The main difference between these sizes is the features it offers, such as PCIe slots, SSDs slots, DIMM slots for your RAM, number of USB ports…etc.
PS: You should pay attention to the size of your case and your motherboard; for example, if you take a Micro ATX Case, then you will have to either choose Micro ATX or Mini ITX motherboard. Going with an ATX motherboard will be simply impossible to fit into your Micro ATX Case because physically, the motherboard will require more space than what your case can offer.
4-RAM
Another important part that has an essential role in improving both performance and aesthetics, the Random Access Memory (RAM).
Furthermore, there are some important factors that you should consider, such as CL (Cas Latency) and frequencies (speed of the ram). These factors will affect your gaming performance. Also, always look for RAM with high frequency (we suggest at least 3200MHz) and low Cas Latency (15 or 16)
However, before buying any RAM, you will have first to see on the manufacturer’s website of your motherboard if it supports the modules that you are looking to purchase.
5-Storage
Nowadays, games are getting greedier when it comes to the space occupied on your storage device. For example, Call of Duty Modern Warfare alone requires more than 200GB, which is insane. That’s why if you want to build a good gaming PC, you should go with both SSD and HDD unless you got enough budget for a full SSD.
No matter what type of gaming PC you are looking to build, you should at least include one little SSD for your system. Having your system on an SSD instead of an HDD will significantly reduce the loading time.
Although SSD doesn’t offer any performance gain in games, it will allow you to have a better gaming experience by reducing your loading time, especially in MMO games like World of Warcraft, where you are continually changing zones.
The best storage combo for midrange PCs is to include one little SSD (256GB-500GB), which will be enough for your system, plus one or two light games and one big HDD (1TB or 2TB) for your massive files and games.
6-CPU Cooler
In order to get the best performance out of your CPU, a good CPU cooler is a must to prevent your CPU from overheating.
While most people focus more on the aesthetics and RGB colors instead of performance, going with a bad CPU cooler may reduce your CPU’s lifetime if it’s constantly running at high temperatures.
If you are an Intel user, you will need an aftermarket cooler since the coolers included in the box are of bad quality. However, if you are willing to go with one of the Ryzen CPUs or you already own one, then the stock cooler is more than adequate if you want to use your CPU at its stock speed. But, if you’re going to overclock your CPU, then you will need an aftermarket cooler as well in order to maintain a good temperature while pushing your CPU beyond its limits.
Also, make sure that the case you are going to choose offers enough space for the cooler’s size that you are going to purchase.
7-Power Supply
The power supply is a very underestimated part, and the thing that you should remember is to NEVER go cheap on the PSU. We have noticed this many times where people pair their high-end PC hardware with a low-quality power supply. Unlike most people think, this latter will not save you money as it doesn’t have a long lifespan. Actually, it can even make things worse when it dies since it can destroy other components leading to a big disaster.
Using a cheap power supply is the same as planting a bomb on CS GO; you know that it will explode after a short amount of time, which can lead to massive damage.
In other words, a cheap, low-quality power supply will not last for long, and it also can damage your PC’s part or even destroy your entire system. Therefore, you will have to go with a reliable brand such as Seasonic, EVGA, Corsair… etc. These brands produce high-quality PSU that lasts for a long and offers enough power for your entire system.
PS: If you don’t know how much energy you need for your PC, you can calculate it through Power Supply Calculator from Cooler Master.
8-Case
Even though aesthetics and RGB colors are crucial factors for most gamers, you should always look first for a case that provides enough airflow.
In order to prevent your Pc’s components from overheating, you will have to ensure that the case that you are going to purchase offers enough airflow.
Final Words
We hope that we have given you enough information that can help you to build a good gaming PC that will offer you the gaming experience that you are looking for.
If you think that we have missed an important point, you can leave us a comment.
