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triadgaming · 10 years ago

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Gaming PC Building for Newbies – Part 2

HEADS UP: There is a LOT of text in this post. I've tried to condense the information as much as possible while still providing detail. With that said, there are still things I may have missed. Feel free to submit any questions!

So you’re going to actually go through with this? High five! Now comes the hardest part: doing the actual research. This step can take the longest of all because there’s so much to actually choose from.

There are eight parts to consider (plus two optional pieces):

CPU

Motherboard

RAM

Graphics Card

Hard Drive

Cooling System

Power Supply

Case > Optional Pieces: Optical Drive & CPU Heatsink

CPU – Central Processing Unit

This is the brain of your computer. It runs your operating system and all the programs installed on it. Each processor has a set number of physical “cores”. These are the actual units that run the programs (or tasks). Generally speaking, the more cores you have, the better multitasking power you have. Think about having Photoshop open while watching HD videos on YouTube and playing Skyrim at the same time. Why you would be doing this is beyond me… The CPU will designate each process to a core for efficiency. Each core only has a certain amount of space to use for each program. Eventually, if you keep opening more programs, you’ll start to see responsiveness suffer.

Keep in mind, however, that many games and programs today aren’t very CPU demanding. Therefore, for the general user (who mainly does web surfing, emails, Netflix, Microsoft Office, and gaming at low-medium settings), having more cores isn’t always the most cost-efficient decision.

Processors are rated by GHz (clockspeed). This indicates how quickly the programs can be executed. Simply put, the higher the GHz the faster the loading times. Clockspeeds are not multiplied across cores. This means that a quad-core processor rated at 2.3GHz does not have a total speed of 9.2GHz. Each core will only run at 2.3GHz.

Some processors can be pushed beyond their rated speeds (known as overclocking). Be forewarned that doing this can damage your hardware and will void your warranty. This is beyond the scope of this series and will not be covered.

There are two major companies that make processors: AMD and Intel. There are others, but it’s best to stick with these two for simplicity’s sake. Which is better is a matter of debate. AMD is more budget-friendly, and Intel is known for stability. You’ll have to do some Google digging to decide which one is for you.

Motherboard – AKA the “Mobo”

In terms of analogy, this is your computer’s spinal cord. Everything will be connected to the motherboard. She determines things like how much RAM can be installed, USB slots, WiFi/internet capabilities, expansion slots (sound/video/capture cards), and – more importantly – how big your computer is going to be. Be VERY CAREFUL when choosing your motherboard. She must be compatible with your CPU of choice (AMD and Intel make different socket types!). Check to make sure the socket numbers match before buying!! If you use PCPartPicker, the website automatically tells you if there is compatibility issues. It doesn't hurt to double check.

Motherboards will come in three different sizes: mini-ATX, micro-ATX, and (full) ATX. The smallest is the mini-ATX (this is a little counter-intuitive), and the largest is the full ATX. The primary benefit of a mini-ATX is the form factor. You’ll have a very compact PC. However, a huge disadvantage is that you will be limited in your expansion options. You can only fit one video card onto one, and you’re going to have to make sure it’s small enough. For a first time builder, I would recommend going full ATX. This will give you enough room to see and move when you’re putting things together. If you absolutely need a small PC, try a micro-ATX first.

Recommended brands: ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock

RAM – Random Access Memory

RAM is the temporary memory storage for your computer. This is basically the holding area for all the programs you decide to start. They get loaded to here from your permanent memory (in your hard drive), and the processor can work with them from here. Think of this like your short-term memory. You can have thousands of thoughts stored in your brain, but you can’t process all of them at once. First you have pick a few, then you can really think about them, remember the details, and act. This is exactly how RAM functions.

As mentioned before, having more CPU cores allows you to multitask better. However, you also need a decent amount of RAM to take advantage of those cores. Every program takes up a certain amount of space to run (usually a few to several hundred megabytes). The more RAM you have, the more programs you can have open and ready to process. The second you turn off your computer, this memory gets wiped (all the programs are shut down).

RAM also comes with two ratings: frequency and latency. Frequency will determine how quickly a program can be loaded from the hard drive. Latency indicates how quickly the RAM will respond to a request (i.e. how fast your Q will be processed after you press it in LoL). A lot of performance tests have shown that these two don’t matter all that much (they tend to cancel each other out). You can watch some of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWgzA2C61z4 . Generally speaking, you want anywhere between 4-16GB of RAM with a DDR3 frequency and a latency of 9 or less.

Recommended brands: G.SKILL, Corsair, Crucial

Graphics Card – AKA Video Card

This is a little self-explanatory. A graphics card houses its own processing unit (GPU) and RAM. In a nutshell, your CPU sends it visual information about your desktop, programs, and games. It then takes this information, renders the images, and displays them on your monitor. Most processors will come with what are called “integrated graphics”. This allows your processor to render images without the use of a graphics card. However, if you want to do any decent 3D gaming or HD video watching you’re going to need a graphics card.

There are two big players in GPU manufacturing: AMD and NVIDIA. Yes, before you panic, AMD makes both CPU’s and GPU’s. This is a bit of a tricky area. The problem is that both are very good at what they do, but their internal designs are very different. This makes it difficult to meaningfully compare the two by specs alone. What a lot of people recommend is going on YouTube and watching reviews of various cards. It also helps if the reviewers are playing the games you will be playing.

That seems like a big shot in the dark, but the other half of this decision comes down to what you want to spend. Graphics cards can go from under $100 to over $1,000. Of course, the cards in the $1,000 price range are going to breeze through ultra settings on a 4k monitor. However, just like our CPU issue, will it be overkill? Having the $1,000 graphics card will not mean much if you don’t have a monitor that can support 4k resolution. It also won’t mean much if you’re just throwing Minecraft or DOTA 2 at it.

Recommended brands for NVIDIA: ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte, PNY, MSI Recommended brands for AMD: ASUS, Sapphire, MSI

Hard Drive – SSD vs. HDD

This is where all your programs are installed and files are saved. Hard drives come in a myriad of sizes. This is a category where going bigger isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Hard drives come in two types: solid state (SSD) and hard disk (HDD). Solid state drives are much smaller and less likely to fail (the use fewer moving parts). They’re exponentially more expensive than a traditional hard disk, however. Hard disk drives are much cheaper but more likely to fail (especially at capacities larger than 2TB). One trick many PC builders use now is to buy a small SSD (250GB or less) and a large HDD (1TB or more). The operating system is installed to the SSD and all the other programs are installed to the HDD. This makes it easier to uninstall and reinstall your operating system if anything ever goes wrong (system errors, viruses, malware, etc.).

Recommended brands: Western Digital (WD), Seagate, Samsung, Toshiba

Power Supply – AKA the “PSU”

Literally, this is the powerhouse of your rig. It’s best to choose this piece last. All the parts listed above are going to have an estimated wattage (how much juice they’ll need). Add all those numbers up, and you’ll know how big of a power supply you’ll need. As a rule of thumb, you should get a power supply with 100W or more above what your parts need. This gives you smudge room in case you estimated wrong (or if you decide to attempt overclocking).

There are two other things to consider when selecting a power supply. The first is 80+ certification. This tells you how efficient the PSU is at using electricity – which is important if you’re trying to save on your electricity bill, reduce internal temperatures, and reduce noise. The best you can get is an 80+ Platinum certification. It goes all the way down to bronze. Some PSU’s aren’t certified.

The second thing to consider is the cable system. PSU’s come as modular, semi-modular, and non-modular. Modular systems allow you to choose which cables you need and reduce the amount of clutter in your case. Semi-modular systems let you choose certain cables – the others are permanently attached to the unit. Non-modular systems have every single cable attached to the unit. The system you choose will affect your cable management.

Recommended brands: Rosewill, Coolermaster, EVGA, Corsair

Cooling System – Fans or Liquid?

Your new PC’s biggest enemy will be heat. This becomes a huge problem, especially if you are gaming at high settings for long periods of time. There are two options in cooling: fans or liquid. Some cases will actually come with fans pre-installed (like the NZXT H440). Many of them require you to buy a separate kit.

Fans are far easier to install but not as efficient at cooling. Liquid cooling systems are great at keeping temperatures down, but they take some skill to install and need more frequent maintenance. For beginners, I highly suggest starting with fans then upgrading to liquid.

Recommended brands: Corsair, Coolermaster

Case

This is where everything will be mounted. The only thing that really affects this portion is the size of motherboard you chose. Make sure you buy the right size for your board (or that the tower is compatible)! Other than that, this is all about preferences and how much you want to spend.

Let your personality shine. Go ham.

Optional Pieces

CPU Heatsink – Your CPU will come with a stock heatsink out of the box. This is enough as long as you’re not pushing your PC to its limits for extended periods of time. Although, it doesn’t hurt to upgrade. Using a better heatsink will extend the life of your CPU. Brands I recommend are Coolermaster, Noctua, and NZXT

Optical Drive – You may need this to install your operating system. You can also just use a USB flashdrive instead. This is a matter of preference. I bought an external optical drive that I can hook up and take down when not needed.

Where the Heck Do I Get This Stuff?

Great question! There are a lot of different websites that sell PC parts. Personally, I think the best way to go about this is entering the parts into PCPartPicker and using their price trackers to find the cheapest places. If you just want to browse through parts to see what your options are, check out Newegg. They're a huge PC part dealer, and their community reviews of products are very helpful.

Other Resources

So, of course, I've probably missed many things. Like I said, feel free to send in any questions. I've also compiled a list of more places you can get info on PC parts:

LifeHacker: Hardware Basics

Newegg: PC Building Series (video starts at 33 seconds)

Tom's Hardware: How to Build a PC

PC It Yourself (this one has cool animations!

That's all for now. Stay tuned for Part 3! This will be the actual building guide! If you missed Part 1, find it here!

Until next time, stay classy!

PEACE!

Vector credits: FreePik, Unrestricted Stock

#MI10Zmuses #triadgaming #how to build a PC #DIY PC #video games #first build #PC gaming #PC master race

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