Selecting the proper components
Building a gaming PC is arguably the simplest technological investment you'll make. a top quality gaming rig lasts longer than a smartphone, boasts more power than a gaming console, and is infinitely more versatile than even the foremost powerful streaming box. Regardless of whether you're composing up reports, altering video or wrenching up the settings on the most up to date and most noteworthy games, a gaming PC is that the best apparatus for the work. With regular maintenance, one among these systems could last five years — with regular upgrades, maybe ten.
Still, building a PC are often a frightening process, particularly for newcomers. There are numerous acceptable aides out there, especially from our sister locales like PC Gamer and Tom's Hardware. However both of those stories focus tons on mechanics: what components you would like , and the way to suit all of them into a motherboard. Before I built my first PC, even these guides would are a touch daunting.
Tom’s Guide has decided instead to separate the method into two parts and take a more experiential tack. Before you build a PC, you would like to make a decision why you would like to create it. What does one want that you simply can’t get from a prebuilt machine? Which parts will facilitate that goal? and the way are you able to add up of the many different tech specs between the half-a-dozen different pieces you’ll need?
With that in mind, the primary a part of our “How to create a PC” series focuses on picking parts. during a broad sense, we’ll cover the hardware that creates a PC tick. But I’ll also discuss my thought process behind each part, and what tradeoffs i used to be willing to form .
The basic parts
Before I lay out my thought process behind each part, there are, at minimum, seven parts you’ll got to build a gaming PC:
Graphics card, or GPU: Arguably the foremost important component during a gaming rig, the GPU (graphics processing unit) renders images from your PC and puts them on your monitor. All the more impressive GPUs work with better in-game designs and settings.
Processor, or CPU: More so than the other component, the CPU (central processing unit) is what makes your computer run. The CPU routes instructions from one system in your computer to a different . the higher the processor, the faster it can transmit information for both software and hardware functions.
Motherboard: The motherboard is where all the hardware in your computer lives. the foremost important thing a few motherboard is its compatibility with the parts you select , but motherboards also can have integrated graphics cards, Wi-Fi systems and more.
Memory, or RAM: RAM (random access memory) determines what proportion data your computer can process at any given moment. To oversimplify things considerably, RAM is where your computer stores information it must access directly . The more RAM you've got , the more efficiently your computer can process many information — helpful for productivity; essential for games.
Storage, or SSD/HDD: PC storage essentially comes in two flavors: Solid state drives (SSDs) and hard disc drives (HDDs). Either way, it’s where your files live when they’re not in use. Bigger drives mean more space for storing , which suggests more room for files, games, media then forth.
Power supply: Possibly the smallest amount interesting and most significant piece of the PC puzzle, the facility supply is strictly what it sounds like: It gets electricity from an outlet to individual systems in your computer. Picking the proper one are often tricky, but once you are doing , you’ll probably never got to believe it again.
Case: Your computer case is, for the foremost part, an aesthetic choice, although some models include fans for extra cooling. While it’s possible to try to to an “open-air” build, a case is perhaps a far better choice for keeping dust out and components sheltered.
Anything else, like additional cooling systems or secondary hard drives, are nice to possess , but not strictly necessary. These are the parts you would like to travel from a pile of hardware to a functioning PC
Conceiving a machine
Like any creative project, the toughest part about building a PC is getting started. There are actually thousands of possible components; where does one even start? does one pick a GPU and build around it? Find a case you wish and see what is going to fit inside? Scour Newegg for anything that's on special and expectation everything fits together?
Believe it or not, those are all viable build strategies, but mine may be a little simpler: find out the “why” first, and therefore the “what” will follow. What quite PC does one want to build? does one need a productivity machine which will play some games on the side? A more versatile alternative to the next-gen consoles? A high-priced powerhouse to last the ages?
Personally, i want to create a replacement machine because my current gaming rig is 10 years old. This wasn’t an enormous issue once I had a more powerful PC within the Tom’s Guide office for game and peripheral testing. But thanks to the pandemic, I’ve been performing from home for the previous couple of months, and therefore the old workhorse isn’t cutting it anymore.
As such: i want a computer which will run the newest games smoothly, but I don’t necessarily got to crank everything up to 8K resolution and 120 frames per second. I also need something which will be a minimum of as powerful because the PS5 and Xbox Series X, just in case i want to match games across platforms.
After performing some research, I found that $1,500 tends to be the sweet spot for a PC that’s powerful, but almost top-of-the-line. I have effectively got a mouse, console, headset and screen, so those didn't factor into my spending plan. You’ll need to find out what you’re comfortable spending and think about your own peripherals, but knowing exactly what you would like your PC to try to to will help tons .
How to buy parts
From there, I visited Newegg (the best place to shop for PC components online, in my experience) and began trying to find components. Remember: You can’t just buy the primary seven parts you see and expect all of them to suit together. It’s best to start out with the foremost important component (in my opinion, the GPU) and work your way down.
Obviously, Newegg is simply one place to buy . Once you discover the gear you would like , you'll bargain hunt at Amazon, Best Buy and other big electronics retailers. My personal favorite is Micro Center, especially if you've got one among these electronics meccas near you. you'll very conceivably enter with nothing and walk out with an unbuilt computer, at a really reasonable price.
Whenever the situation allows, purchase gear from set up, known brands Corsair, HyperX, Western Computerized, at that point forward. you'll theoretically save tons of cash by going with no-name storage, RAM or power supplies. But device quality may be a total crapshoot, and customer service in small brands tends to be either haphazard or nonexistent.
My last piece of recommendation is to be somewhat flexible together with your budget, if possible. Clearly, you would prefer not to burn through $1,500 on a $1,000 idea, yet don't toss the whole form out in the event that it includes $1,050. an honest PC will last an extended time, and a couple of dozen dollars make little or no difference over the course of a couple of years.
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 3070
As mentioned above, the GPU is that the foremost vital (or a minimum of the foremost straightforward) place to start out out with a gaming PC build. the first big choice you’ll got to make is between Nvidia and AMD, each of which produces high-end graphics cards. The pros and cons of each is probably worth its own article, but in my very own PC builds, I’ve had good luck with Nvidia and bad luck with AMD, and going with brands you trust is one of the only strategies during this process.
From there, it had been just a matter of selecting one of Nvidia’s three new cards: the GeForce RTX 3070, 3080 or 3090. Since I had a $1,500 spending plan as a primary concern, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 was the regular decision. the other two cards would have devoured an excessive amount of of the worth . Buying older cards can prevent some money, but makes your machine less future-proof.
It’s worth mentioning that at the time of writing, the RTX 3070 remains a few of weeks away from release, and it’s likely to sell out quite fast. If you absolutely, positively got to build something now, you'll accompany the older Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 series, which is currently dropping in price, or the similarly powerful AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT. However, AMD also will release a replacement GPU (the Big Navi) shortly, so it’s probably best to only twiddling my thumbs and catch a restock.
CPU: Intel Core i7-10700
When I ran my proposed build by the Tom’s Guide crew, the CPU was easily the foremost controversial selection. The Intel Core i7-10700 could also be a strong CPU, and while it’s conditionally top-of-the-line, it’s an honest match with the GeForce 3070 GPU. However, it had been a hard call between the 10700 and thus the 10700K. The latter is simply slightly costlier , but you'll overclock it — a huge boon for a gaming PC.
In the end, I settled on the 10700, because the 10700K would have caused quite a pricing cascade. While the 10700 comes with its own cooling unit, the 10700K doesn’t, and an honest cooling system would tack another $100 approximately onto the price . Furthermore, overclocking draws more electricity, which could have required a way bigger , costlier power supply. Overclocking isn’t really necessary for testing games and peripherals, therefore the 10700K wouldn’t add much to this build.
RAM: HyperX Predator DDR4 32 GB, 3200 MHz
RAM could also be a difficult topic, since there are plenty of variables at play. you will get between 16 GB and 128 GB of memory, and between 3000 and 4800 MHz of speed. Naturally, higher memory levels and speed cost extra cash .
Generally speaking, more memory is best than less, so I went with 32 GB twice what the PS5 and Xbox Series X will offer. RAM speed may be a smaller amount important. Higher numbers are generally better, but not every system can leverage higher RAM speeds perfectly, so don’t sweat it an excessive amount of .
Storage: WD Blue NAND 2 TB SSD
Another point of disagreement among the TG staff was whether to buy for an outsized SSD, or alittle SSD for Windows and an outsized HDD for game storage. Without going into an excessive amount of detail about the relative pros and cons, i ultimately decided that the PS5 and Xbox Series X will both use SSDs exclusively; why construct a PC that is less exceptional out of the entryway?
There was also the question of whether to buy for 2 SSDs: alittle one just for system files, and a much bigger one for games. the advantages from this arrangement will in general be restricted, in any case, and it builds the general framework intricacy.
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z490M Gaming Edge
Depending on how you build your machine, the motherboard could even be either the first or last component you decide on . My strategy was to choose my GPU and CPU first, then find a motherboard which may support them both. I also knew I wanted a motherboard with Wi-Fi inbuilt , since my computer desk is much from my router. i made a choice on a full-size ATX design, because it’s easier to suit components inside. (There are also mini- and microATX motherboards, and you will do some very cool things with them, but they're going to be expensive and difficult to put together.) The MSI MPG Z490M Gaming Edge was the foremost cost effective motherboard I could find that met my specifications.
To check compatibility with the parts you’ve selected, inspect the “Specs” section on a given motherboard (every site should have something like this), and confirm that each one the inputs match up. It’s harder than it sounds, but truthfully, this is often often a skill you’ll got to develop if you'd wish to create a PC. If you've any concerns, try Newegg’s PC Builder tool, which helps ensure compatibility. Alternatively, consult Reddit or Tom’s Hardware, both of which have “critique my build” options in their forums.
Power Supply: Corsair TX-M Series TX650M
A common meme in PC-building communities may be a power supply as a ticking time bomb. And they’re not wrong: If there's one component you case , really don’t want to ruin , it’s this one. The most ideal situation is overheating your segments and consuming them out well before their normal life expectancy. The worst-case scenario involves a fireplace extinguisher.
You’ll need to do a touch legwork to work out what proportion power each component of your machine draws, add it all up, and choose an influence supply that gives quite that by a cushty margin. But if you get a very enormous power supply, you’ll be spending tons of cash for power that you simply never use, so that’s not necessarily the simplest strategy, either. Regardless, Nvidia suggests a 650W force supply for a 3070-prepared machine, and that is with an i9 processor. Newegg’s Power Supply Calculator pegged my overall draw at a touch but 550W, so a 650W power supply should be quite i want .
Case: Corsair 4000D Tempered Glass
Selecting a case is usually a matter of looks. i used to be actually hoping for something a touch cheaper than the Corsair 4000D Tempered Glass case, but it had been the smallest amount expensive case I could find that likewise had a USB-C input on the front.Remember: Your motherboard will have front-facing USB options, so confirm that your case has the right connections for them.
Putting it all at once
In our next PC-building article, I’ll discuss the way to put of these various components together, also as common pitfalls you would possibly encounter along the way. Don’t forget that you’ll also need a replica of Windows 10 — which may be very expensive or free, counting on what kind of software you have already got available . (Building a Linux machine may be a whole different can of worms; let’s just say that Windows 10 is that the best gaming platform for many users.)
In the interest of full disclosure, Tom’s Guide will request these parts directly from their manufacturers, since we’ll hopefully be using this PC to check gear for subsequent few years. As such, our final build may have slightly different components, counting on what they need available. If you’re building a machine reception , you'll simply order what you would like , once you want it.
Finally, while I’m confident that these components will coalesce into an honest gaming machine, I make no claims that this is often a perfect build; an enterprising reader could probably do better, especially with a special budget. But that’s the sweetness of building a PC: No two are alike, and each one has pros and cons. We’ll have a far better idea of where this one excels and falls short during a few weeks.
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