When you go to buy a computer, you often see machines with very impressive configurations, advertised as PC Gaming. But that doesn’t mean that every expensive, high-configured device can play games.
At present, when you have abundant financial resources, building a “gaming” system is not difficult: just go to the store, and ask to buy 2 RTX 2080Ti, and 1 3950X… in general, these are the best things. What I want to mention in this article is something more popular, because obviously when people don’t have much money in their pockets, they need to calculate, and to calculate, they need basic concepts.
So, first of all, the parts needed to build a gaming PC are the same as for a regular PC:
Motherboard
Microprocessor (CPU)
Internal memory (RAM)
Storage device (HDD or SSD)
Graphics card (VGA/GPU)
Power (PSU)
Radiators
Phloem
Any computer must have the above components. Except for the graphics card, because many computers will use the graphics processing core that comes with the CPU.
So what makes the difference between a regular computer and one specialized for gaming? Of course, hardware power comes with compatibility. These concepts are very ambiguous because in reality many computers were originally built for office purposes but with a few simple adjustments, they can immediately meet the requirements to become a powerhouse game console (of course only to a certain extent, not 100% OK). To make it short, if you want perfection, pay attention to the following 4 factors:
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Table of Contents
Motherboard (Mainboard)
The motherboard is one of the most important components. It is like the foundation, the first basis to decide what the next components are when building your gaming PC. So I recommend starting with the motherboard. Nowadays, many gamers choose the Intel B365 chipset. This is one of the new, most popular chipsets that works well with Intel 9th generation processors, it offers solid performance and basic connections that most average users need. Why do you need high-priced motherboards with many functions that you probably won’t touch in your whole life? Money is not an infinite resource, use it for good.
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Microprocessor (CPU)
The processor is also an important component. Even though games tend to use more GPUs these days, the CPU still plays a huge role in overall system performance. “Luxury” gaming PCs will often have i5 or i7 processors with up to 6 or 8 processing cores, but for cheap gaming PCs, a 4-core processor is all you need. If your budget is on the lower end, you can opt for a dual-core processor, but at this point, you’ll see a significant drop in gaming performance. Intel core i5 processors with 6 cores will usually be the best balance between power and money spent. Processors with names ending in K, like the Core i5-9600K and Core i7-9700K, are multiplier unlocked so they can be overclocked, provided you have the right motherboard. The processor is one of the hardest parts to upgrade, while other components like storage devices, RAM, and graphics cards are much easier. The general advice when you start buying a gaming PC is to choose the best processor possible, so your computer will last for many years, and when you upgrade, you only need to upgrade the components.
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RAM
To have a smooth running PC we must have enough RAM. But a purely gaming computer doesn’t need to be too important in this regard. RAM is currently very cheap so 16GB is no longer far away for the majority of gamers. While you can always choose more, going beyond this in most cases won’t give you any extra performance. The more RAM you have, the more applications you can run at the same time, but games usually eat up more VRAM, not regular RAM.
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Graphics card (VGA/GPU)
Ultimately, the most important aspect that sets a gaming computer apart is a dedicated graphics card. This is where you will see the biggest increase in gaming performance, and it’s important not to be timid when investing in this. I recommend allocating about 1/3 of your total budget to buying the best graphics card you can afford. For the mid-range, we recommend at least the GTX 1660 or GTX 1660 Super. If you only play simple e-sports games, the GTX 1650 Super is a reasonable choice.
Summary
Another important factor is hard drive speed. Although it’s just a bonus, an SSD will provide much faster boot and load times and will add to the quality of your experience. In short, at present, if possible, buy yourself a gaming system with at least a 6-core CPU, 16GB RAM, graphics card from 1660 or higher, and full SSD + HDD… you will not have to regret your choice.