Whether you plan to put together a gaming PC from scratch or upgrade an older system, you have more choices than ever with hardware. This guide includes a few essential things you should keep in mind before you start ordering the parts.
Tip: also learn about the mistakes to avoid when building a gaming PC and the best parts to upgrade an existing gaming PC.
1. Budget
How much are you willing to invest in this endeavor? Provided you have set aside at least $700 to $800 for your build, you can put together a decent mid-range 1080p gaming PC that can last you for years to come. Sure, you’ll need to make some tradeoffs, but a somewhat powerful machine is still possible within that budget.
If you have more cash to spare, say, around $1200 to $1400, you can really splurge on a value-for-money gaming PC with high-end components capable of 1440p Ultra and even 4K gaming.
If your budget is a bit more limited, you may want to consider taking a look at the used market. With the recent cryptocurrency crash and new CPUs and GPUs from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA, there’s a flood of older-gen products at great prices on the used market.
Used products can be scary when building a new gaming PC, but if you buy from reputable sites with buyer protection, you can rest assured that you will get a refund in the case of a dead-on-arrival product.
2. The Games You Want to Play
A PC for running esports games, like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, or even Fortnite doesn’t have to be nearly as high-end as one required to run demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2, or Alan Wake 2.
The resolution at which you want to play your games should also be factored in. For a long time, 1080p or full HD resolution gaming used to be the norm, but these days, 1440p or quad HD gaming has become the sweet spot for gamers in terms of picture quality and performance.
In terms of performance, you need to consider how many frames you need your PC to crank out. While many agree that 60 FPS+ gaming should be the minimum standard these days, which can be enough for story-based single-player games, you’ll need as many FPS as possible in more competitive multiplayer games.
3. Aesthetics and Size
Building a gaming PC is as much about looks as it is about performance. Your PC case choice determines not only the physical footprint of your PC, but also its looks. The aesthetics of your case are determined by its color, RGB fans, build quality, and more.
You need to choose between a mid-tower, full-tower, or small form factor case (SFF) to lock in the overall look of your PC. While a mid-tower or full-tower gives you ample upgrade options, high airflow, and room for large components, you may prefer an SFF case if you value a minimal, portable, and more console-sized build.
4. The Upgrade Path
The processor (CPU) and the motherboard decide the possible upgrade path you have access to in the coming years. For instance, Intel is widely known to refresh its motherboard sockets almost every year, which considerably limits the upgrade path for users. Instead, AMD continued releasing new CPUs for its AM4 platform almost six years after its initial launch in 2016. The company has promised to support the new 2022-launched AM5 platform through 2025 and possibly beyond that.
A long-lasting motherboard platform gives you plenty of options to slot in a new and more powerful CPU without changing your motherboard. Lastly, going the SFF route may limit your upgrade options due to a lack of space for beefy graphics cards or massive CPU coolers.
5. Alternative Uses
While gaming PCs are versatile machines, they need to be configured properly if you have additional uses in mind. For instance, a 6-core budget gaming CPU will be enough for gaming, but for a productivity build that needs all the CPU power it can get, you may want to go with an 8-core or even 12-core processor for the best results.
Moreover, having 32GB of RAM instead of 16GB will also improve performance on a machine you use for productivity.
The GPU on a productivity build, if not high-end, should at least be powerful enough to keep up with the central processing unit during graphically intensive sessions. Finally, if you need a high-performing yet silent and cool workstation, a bigger mid-tower or full-tower case would be the ideal option for your build.
Tip: confused how many cores you need? Find out whether to buy a 6-core or 8-core CPU in 2024.
6. GPU
Buying the right graphics card will single-handedly determine whether your gaming performance will be good or bad. Depending on your budget, you can either go for high-end RTX cards from Nvidia or better value options from AMD. There are also budget graphics cards from AMD and Intel, offering decent performance at affordable prices.
Additionally, Nvidia’s RTX cards are known to be better than AMD’s offerings for ray tracing in games. Even Nvidia’s AI upscaling tech is rated superior to AMD’s.
And, like with any other component, make sure the graphics processing unit you’re buying will physically fit inside your case. Building an SFF gaming PC might not be the best choice for a 3-slot graphics card these days.
7. Storage
For most real-world scenarios, like booting up your system or playing games, the best gaming SSD for you will be a decent Gen 3 or Gen 4 NVMe SSD. Sure, the latest (and expensive) Gen 5 solid-state drives have blazing-fast speeds, but you’ll rarely find any use for it in gaming. A 500GB NVMe SSD below $50 should be the bare minimum for your operating system and a few games. If you have some room in your budget, go for a 1TB or 2TB SSD.
Another specification to ensure is the availability of enough M.2 slots on your motherboard before buying an NVMe SSD. This is especially important for those building an SFF gaming PC with a mini-ITX motherboard that may not have all the storage expansion slots you need.
8. Adequate Cooling
There are multiple ways you can go in terms of cooling your CPU: stock cooler, air cooler, AIO liquid cooler, or a custom loop. Most modern CPUs will need at least an aftermarket air cooler to run at an optimal temperature during gaming. You can choose to buy an AIO liquid cooler if you prefer better aesthetics and lower noise levels, and need to cool a power-hungry processor.
Choosing a CPU cooler depends on your performance, looks, and size requirements. Our best CPU coolers have several air and liquid cooler options, if you need some suggestions.
9. Display and Power Supply
A high-refresh-rate monitor with a decent resolution and desirable gaming features is key to fully experiencing your gaming PC in all its glory. Over the past few years, 1440p 144Hz monitors have become the sweet spot, as they offer crisp image quality and a high refresh rate. They are also affordable, unlike pricey 4K displays.
Our gaming monitor buying guide explains what factors you need to consider and also recommends the best gaming monitors.
Another often overlooked aspect when building a gaming PC is choosing a good power supply. Always choose at least an 80+ bronze unit with sufficient wattage from a reputable manufacturer.
The size factor comes into play here as well. If you’re building in a standard ATX mid-tower or full-tower, you’ll have no lack of ATX form factor power supplies to choose from. However, the smallest SFF cases will only be compatible with an SFF power supply explicitly engineered for that compact form factor. Ensure that you’re not accidentally buying an incompatible PSU for your case.
10. Software and Peripherals
While building a gaming PC, give some thought to the software, too. You may need to accommodate the cost of a Windows license and the games you wish to buy. Of course, if you also wish to spend time on productivity apps, factor in the cost for those subscriptions as well.
Don’t forget peripherals. A good gaming keyboard, gaming mouse, and gaming headset can truly enhance your gaming PC experience. Make sure you’ve included the cost of the peripherals in your gaming PC budget, as it can really add up.
Tip: ready to explore used components? These are the best places to buy used PC parts.
Building a gaming PC in 2024 looks very different. You need to choose between multiple CPU platforms, navigate sky-high GPU prices, choose between DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, and keep your overall budget low, in a market where the budget segment is disappearing quickly. If you keep the above considerations in mind, your PC building journey can be hassle-free and rewarding.
Image credit: Unsplash
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