Due to the diversity of the market and the technical sophistication of the computer industry, assembling a gaming computer is not easy. You can go to the store, buy a ready-made solution and use it successfully, but in order to create a balanced, powerful system that will meet your specific requirements, you need to have certain knowledge.
Every year, or even a quarter, new, more advanced models are released. This applies not only to the computer market, but also to the market of mobile, household appliances, cars, etc. The economic situation dictates its principles of flexible marketing to manufacturers, so you need to understand that if you spend a lot of money on assembling a gaming computer, then in a year you can see announcements of more productive and powerful components at the price of the components you purchased. Therefore, in view of the constant updating of model lines from manufacturers, we will talk about the basic principles of assembly without mentioning any specific models.
CPU
In 90% of cases, it is advisable to start the assembly with the choice of the processor, or rather the platform on which it is based, because the processor is the most important element of a gaming computer (and indeed any one). It is he who will "pull" all the components, make calculations that come from a video card, hard disk and RAM. When choosing, everything is regulated, as always, by the main indicator - the budget, and if there is an opportunity, then you need to choose the latest platform, because similar to the memory format, it will make the PC more upgradeable.
Over the decades, such a tradition has developed - AMD processors are cheaper. They are hotter and require good cooling, they have higher power consumption, their calculation methodology is based on the principle of "higher frequency, more cores", while Intel is more competent in solving the problem of computing: they work with improved instructions and unique technologies, which, when lower specifications allows for excellent performance. But Intel is more expensive, because such research costs serious money. They are also cooler and more energy efficient. One way or another, millions of users have assembled computers on AMD and were very pleased with their choice.
If you plan to purchase a version of the processor without a cooler, then you need to purchase a separate cooling system. As of 2017, air cooling is preferred in most home gaming systems. When choosing, it is imperative to find out the heat dissipation of the processor and purchase cooling, ideally capable of removing 10-20% more heat. Also, the efficiency of CPU cooling depends on the correct application of thermal paste and its quality.
Video card
A video card is an essential element of a gaming system, the main purpose of which is graphics processing. All animation, all textures and colors on the screen are drawn by the video card. The amount of video memory and the frequency of the video chip grows with each generation of video cards, the lines and names change, and these devices, like processors, are divided into two camps. On the forums they are called "green" and "red". These are the corporate colors of two competing computing chip brands: AMD and Nvidia. Video cards are produced by such companies as Palit, Sapphire, Asus, MSI, Zotac, etc., but the key point when choosing is always the chip on which the video card is built.
There is a lot of debate about the advantages of each company, but in reality, as always, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Both these and other chips have their pros and cons, research departments of companies apply and successfully implement unique technologies, and thus keep up with each other. But the general principles, as in processors, are similar: AMD takes the price, Nvidia takes a smart approach. The principle of computing AMD video chips is in many ways similar to AMD processors, so the products of this company have become a favorite topic for mining, which boils down to solving one complex problem. And AMD is at its best in such matters, although for 2017 the company slightly changed the architecture and drivers for more flexibility. Nvidia has advantages comparable to Intel: technology and not much heat compared to AMD. As with Intel, these benefits cost money. General recommendations are as follows: if you plan to work in graphics and 3D editors, edit video and perform other complex tasks that require calculations and calculations - look towards Nvidia. Their technologies allow their smart cores to be connected to the computing of the central processor, thereby significantly increasing performance. If you just plan to play modern games and perform common tasks, choosing AMD will significantly save money when assembling a gaming computer. Mining planned? Definitely AMD.
In this matter, the spread is much more serious. Most companies offer their developments in the field of cooling and overclocking. Historically, users are very fond of Asus products for their good branded cooling, MSI and Sapphire have shown themselves well, Palit produces video cards just as well and inexpensively.
About the CPU - GPU bundle
It is no coincidence that the graphics card and processor were considered the first components to choose from. When assembling a gaming computer, you need to remember that performance in games will depend on these components by 80-90%. But the choice of each of them needs to be approached more carefully. During a dynamic game battle, the processor intensively communicates with the video card through the driver installed in the operating system. Solving their computational data unit, the devices transmit the results to each other for processing. If one of them works slower than the other, then the faster device will be idle waiting for the result. This often occurs when installing a very powerful video card and an average processor, which simply "does not keep up" behind it. When buying, consult with sellers and professionals, whether the processor you have chosen can handle the video card. If the processor is more powerful than a video card, then the situation will not affect the balance of the system so much: firstly, the processor performs a much wider range of tasks than a video card, and in this matter there is no extra power. Secondly, the video card is always easier to change than the processor.
Motherboard
After the issue with the processor is resolved, you can choose a motherboard. It is worth paying attention to the form factor - ATX format boards are larger, they have a higher potential for connecting equipment and components, but a PC case with such a board should also be chosen appropriately, it will be larger in size. If you plan to build a machine for simple tasks and games, quiet and with low power consumption, you should consider the Mini ATX format. Such boards are much more compact. If the budget allows, then you need to choose a motherboard with support for the latest memory format, then the computer can be easily upgraded later without replacing the processor or the board itself. Also pay attention to the number of connectors for connecting hard drives and drives. Currently, usually 2 connectors are required - for SSD and HDD. But if you plan to build a RAID array, then you need much more such connectors.
If, nevertheless, your gaming computer is planned to be used for non-standard solutions for home use, you should pay attention to the support of the board for special functions, for example, the presence of a RAID controller or support for hardware overclocking of components.
Power Supply
The power supply is the source of operation of the entire assembled gaming system, because it is he who powers all the components with electricity. It is always recommended to choose a power supply unit "with a margin", ie. 30-35% more powerful than the total power consumption of all components. Thus, the device will not work "in tightness", and therefore get warm and wear out. Try to choose branded devices. Ideally, if they have good efficiency and the corresponding certificates of energy consumption standards. Here the rule works well: less is more. When choosing, be guided by quality and do not chase after watts - often power supplies (especially for cheap models) do not give out the power indicated on the box and do not survive load surges well. Also, do not forget about the length of the power lines - it is not uncommon for the wires of the purchased power supply to reach the processor or hard drive.
RAM (random access memory)
If the video card / processor is 80-90% of the performance in games, then the processor / RAM is the main indicator of performance in work. The speed of executing programs and loading levels in games, the speed of surfing the Internet, complex file operations and table calculations depends not only on the amount of RAM. It is imperative to take into account such parameters as standard, timings and frequency. If there is a lot of memory, but it will work slowly, there will be little sense from it. When choosing, do not forget about the dual-channel mode, this is a kind of RAID array made of RAM strips: in dual-channel mode, the memory usually works 10-15% faster, but this can be achieved only with two memory strips of the same size. It is even better if they are 100% identical, then the desynchronization in work will be minimized. Do not forget, if the gaming computer turns out to be "hot" (for example, the processor and video card are powerful solutions from AMD), then it is highly advisable to purchase memory sticks with installed passive cooling. Heat dissipation from memory blocks in such models is more efficient.
HDD
In view of the large-scale proliferation of cloud storage systems, less and less information has to be stored on the computer. The volume required for personal tasks is always set by the user individually, but when choosing a system, it is important to understand the tasks ahead and make a choice based on their distribution: for example, allocate high-speed memory for OS and programs, and store games and personal data on more capacious devices, for which speed is not so critical. This will allow for better performance of the entire system.
Housing
It often turns out that the case allows you to save a lot of money, since it does not directly affect performance. Of course, if you assemble a gaming computer with a boring cheap case, then it will be difficult to get full satisfaction from the purchase. Appearance is always a personal issue, but the build quality is definitely worth a look. The thicker the iron, the more reliable the case and the quieter the computer. It is important that air circulation is correctly implemented in the case and there is a possibility of installing additional cooling. And the most important point is for the video card to be successfully installed: a common mistake lies precisely in the discrepancy between the size of the case and the size of the video card.
Rest
As a nice addition to the assembled gaming system, you can purchase additional peripheral equipment. For example, a discrete sound card for people who are sophisticated in sound, or a USB hub card if you plan to connect a large number of USB devices. The market is overflowing with interesting offers, so the choice is yours.
Outcomes
The market is moving forward very confidently. It is highly likely that manufacturers will not only develop new standards for connectors and devices - they can change the way a computer works. Today, there are very fast copies of SSD drives, and it is possible that they will someday replace RAM. So the main principle when assembling a gaming system is always the same - it is balance and the ability to prioritize. Do not forget that more expensive is not always better. But it is often better.
