If you have some money saved up for a custom gaming PC and are ready to make the splurge, how do you decide which one to buy? There are many gaming computers available on the market, and when you go the custom route there are literally an infinite number of possible configurations. For the uninitiated shopping for a custom gaming computer is certainly daunting. You have to know exactly what parts you want and be able to tell the difference between DDR4 vs DDR3 memory, the different chipsets and processors, and which graphics cards are better than others.
Let’s break this down into a more understandable way to shop. First, I recommend you decide on a form factor and a case. There are many different styles or types of computer cases available, but they all generally fit into one or two categories. First start thinking about where you’re going to place your computer. It is going to go under your table? Is it going to go in a certain computer shelf in your desk? In this case you’ll want to know the maximum height that a computer case will be.
Are you going to want to show off your computer and its components? You may want a flashy case, or at least one with a large window so you can see all the interior parts. If you want something discrete you may choose to opt for a quiet case that has some noise dampening features, especially if you’re into streaming your gameplay on Twitch or YouTube.
If you like going to LAN parties with your friends and taking your computer with you, consider the mini form factor. These smaller cases can still fit all the performance components you need, but they are easier to carry to gaming events. Some even have handles.
Once you decide on a case you’ll know what sizes of motherboards will fit inside that case. Don’t worry there are only a few standard sizes, like ATX, micro-ATX and mini-ITX. This will narrow down the choices of motherboards, but may also limit the number of graphics cards you can install. If you want to have multiple GPUs in SLI or CrossFire, don’t choose a mini form factor. Otherwise it doesn’t really matter.
When selecting a motherboard you’ll want to pay attention to the chipset and other features. The chipset most importantly determines which processors are compatible with it. If you want the newest Intel Skylake processors you’ll need to choose a motherboard with a chipset that supports them, like the Z170, H170 and H110. The motherboard will also determine if it’s easy to overclock and if it supports multiple graphics cards.
Next select the processor. Most modern games don’t fully make sure of hyper threading or multiple cores, so I wouldn’t recommend choosing an Intel i7. The i5 has all the same performance minus hyper threading and will save you some money that you can put towards the graphics card. Intel processor models that end in K, like the Intel Core i5-6600K, are designed for gaming and come unlocked so you can overclock them. There are also many good AMD processors to choose form.
Finally, select your other components like graphics cards, memory and SSDs and hard drives. This is the easy part. It doesn’t matter which graphics card you choose because they’ll all fit in your custom gaming PC. Memory is a bit trickier, but your motherboard specs will tell you what kind to look for: DDR4 or DDR3. Choosing hard drives is also easy. Look for speed and capacity, but also for reliability.
Let’s break this down into a more understandable way to shop. First, I recommend you decide on a form factor and a case. There are many different styles or types of computer cases available, but they all generally fit into one or two categories. First start thinking about where you’re going to place your computer. It is going to go under your table? Is it going to go in a certain computer shelf in your desk? In this case you’ll want to know the maximum height that a computer case will be.
Are you going to want to show off your computer and its components? You may want a flashy case, or at least one with a large window so you can see all the interior parts. If you want something discrete you may choose to opt for a quiet case that has some noise dampening features, especially if you’re into streaming your gameplay on Twitch or YouTube.
If you like going to LAN parties with your friends and taking your computer with you, consider the mini form factor. These smaller cases can still fit all the performance components you need, but they are easier to carry to gaming events. Some even have handles.
Once you decide on a case you’ll know what sizes of motherboards will fit inside that case. Don’t worry there are only a few standard sizes, like ATX, micro-ATX and mini-ITX. This will narrow down the choices of motherboards, but may also limit the number of graphics cards you can install. If you want to have multiple GPUs in SLI or CrossFire, don’t choose a mini form factor. Otherwise it doesn’t really matter.
When selecting a motherboard you’ll want to pay attention to the chipset and other features. The chipset most importantly determines which processors are compatible with it. If you want the newest Intel Skylake processors you’ll need to choose a motherboard with a chipset that supports them, like the Z170, H170 and H110. The motherboard will also determine if it’s easy to overclock and if it supports multiple graphics cards.
Next select the processor. Most modern games don’t fully make sure of hyper threading or multiple cores, so I wouldn’t recommend choosing an Intel i7. The i5 has all the same performance minus hyper threading and will save you some money that you can put towards the graphics card. Intel processor models that end in K, like the Intel Core i5-6600K, are designed for gaming and come unlocked so you can overclock them. There are also many good AMD processors to choose form.
Finally, select your other components like graphics cards, memory and SSDs and hard drives. This is the easy part. It doesn’t matter which graphics card you choose because they’ll all fit in your custom gaming PC. Memory is a bit trickier, but your motherboard specs will tell you what kind to look for: DDR4 or DDR3. Choosing hard drives is also easy. Look for speed and capacity, but also for reliability.