Whether you’re a fan of multiplayer missions that you can play with people from all over the world, or you prefer to take on solo quests, there is a PC game for everyone. However, as you gain more experience as a gamer, you also find yourself wanting more from every game you play.
This could be higher-definition graphics, the opportunity to download and store more games, or the ability to live stream on Twitch to like-minded game enthusiasts while you play. These aren’t the sort of things you can get from any ordinary PC though, and a good gaming PC comes with a fairly relative spec-to-stats price tag.
It’s for this reason that more and more gamers are choosing to build their own gaming PCs. Not only is it cheaper to buy the hardware separately and assemble it yourself, but it also gives you the chance to customize your PC to your own gaming needs.
But where do you even begin? Don’t panic – we’re here to help! We’ve put together this ultimate guide to building a gaming PC. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about what parts are required, how they work, and, most importantly, how to put everything together. We also have guides for building the best gaming PC and buying the best prebuilt gaming PC.
This guide is intended to be used as a manual for people of all skill levels, from absolute novice to tech-wizard. After all, building a gaming PC is an intricate job, and even the most technologically-capable person might hit a bump in the road at some point.
Are you ready to embark on this adventure? Excellent! Gather your tools and equipment, and let’s get started!
Throughout this guide, we will assist you in:
- Finding the best components for your PC build, with a budget and your personal requirements (the games you play) in mind
- Understanding how each PC component works and why they are important
- Grabbing the right tools for the job and preparation for the PC build
Before we dive in, it is worth noting that this guide to building a gaming PC will also assist you when building a regular PC too!
Things To Consider
Before anyone builds a PC, there are a few things you need to consider. First, you need to ensure you understand your own needs in relation to the components you can afford to buy. After reading this section, you’ll know whether building a gaming PC is right for you (it almost certainly is) or if you should go with a prebuilt machine instead.
Choosing Your Budget & Understanding Your Needs
Start by setting yourself a budget. Component prices can vary dramatically depending on what you want from your PC, so you’ll need to think about whether you want to build an entry-level, mid-level, or high-end gaming PC.
What’s the difference between these levels, though? And what impact does each level have on your budget? We’ll explore this in more detail below but, to give you a brief insight into the estimated budget for each level, check out the table below:
|
PC Level
|
Estimated Budget
|
|---|---|
|
Entry-Level
|
$300 – $600
|
|
Mid-Level
|
$600 – $800
|
|
High-End
|
£800- $1000+
|
*Note: These prices cover casing and hardware, not gaming peripherals like monitors, mouses or keyboards.
Entry-Level
A $300-$400 budget will allow you to build a gaming PC that can run certain games (such as esports titles) in low settings but won’t be enough to build a PC that’s suitable for playing AAA or high-definition games.
This is fine if you’re looking to build a PC specifically for playing older titles, but you will need to remember that building an entry-level gaming PC is going to severely limit the choice of games you can play, as well as the quality of the games themselves.
Spending between $500-$600 on your gaming PC build will allow you to invest in a graphics card or a more powerful processor. This means you’ll be able to play some modern AAA games, however, these will need to be played with lower graphic settings.
So, while it might be a better choice for anybody working with a lower budget, it’s often a better idea to hold off until you’ve got a little more money to play with. You’ll then be able to build a gaming PC that can give you a much better performance.
Mid-Level
If you want to play modern titles and even enjoy the world of VR gaming, a budget of $600-$800 will be your minimum spend. Higher graphic settings of 1080p are achievable within this price range, as well as higher FPS counts of around 144+.
You’ll even be able to add multi-threading to your PC’s list of features if you choose to go with an AMD processor. This further enhances the gameplay of certain titles and gives you more versatility over the range of titles your PC can play.
High-End
With an $800-$1000 budget, you’re going to be able to build a super-powerful PC that is capable of much more than just simple gaming. You’ll be able to purchase components that give you powerful performance when playing with maxed out settings upwards of 1440p.
Spending $1000 plus on your PC build will give you all of the above performance as well as giving you the ability to play games with high-definition, 4K graphics. Heavier workloads tasks such as streaming and video rendering will also be handled with ease.
So, as you can see, the minimum budget you’ll need to build your own gaming PC is $300. This will give you an entry-level PC, though, so if you’re looking to play modern games or anything with 4K performance, you’ll need to put aside a lot more money.
This doesn’t cover any peripherals like monitors, mouses or keyboards, though – so this is something you’re going to have to factor in, too.
Should You Build A PC Or Go Prebuilt?
So, you’ve worked out your budget and have a better idea of what you can afford. You also know what you want your PC to be capable of.
Now it’s a good idea to think about whether building your own PC is the best choice or if purchasing a pre-built gaming PC is a better fit for your budget. There are pros and cons for each, so let’s explore these in more detail below.
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