Experience Gaming Properly: 10 Need-to-Know Features When Building Your Next Gaming Computer System
We all love to play some games. They’re essential for our general well-being. Technology has seen a transformation of the gaming process with the introduction to the popularity of PC gaming over the past few years. Building your next gaming PC can be a very complex and challenging experience. You’ll need to have enough and relevant knowledge and materials necessary to ensure you do it right the first time. Below is a list of 10 need-to-know features that will guide you through to ensure you get a proper gaming experience. Please read on.
Choose the Right CPU
The CPU acts as the brain to the computer system. Obviously, having a powerful brain that can perform its function within the shortest time possible is very important. The same applies to the CPU that you’re to choose. You need to invest in the right CPU that can effectively carry out the instructions of your PC program. Intel and AMD currently have some of the best CPUs in the market owing to the competitive nature of the market. You can, therefore, get yourself a good CPU at a reasonable price to minimize on your expenditure. However, Intel has gained popularity for producing a good number of best-performing CPUs. You may also choose to consider getting a quad-core chip over a dual-core chip because of its benefit of being able to support multi-core processors. In case you need help with selecting the right components or in assembling these components, you can seek help from one of the several platforms available around your area. For instance, you can check out the BLD to learn more about the services offered.
Motherboard
The motherboard is an essential feature that controls everything that runs through it. Think of it as the PCs nervous system. However, not just any motherboard type is fit for your custom PC. Backing your components with an outdated technology will do you nothing good considering the sole purpose for building your computer system. You need to select the right motherboard that can help you achieve your objective. You can either choose to go with AMD or Intel®. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. AMD, for instance, is good for budget systems and Intel has amazing raw power – making it fit for use in gaming. Go for a motherboard whose reliability is worth investing in. You also need to consider a motherboard that can support all of your custom PC’s hardware. The board should be able to support the wattage requirements of your CPU. It should contain ports for drives, USB ports for peripherals, and slots for video cards among other relevant features.
Cooling System
The cooling system is an essential feature to consider when building your custom gaming PC. Playing any kind of game causes the system to overheat and this will significantly affect its operation. You need to have sufficient fans in the PC to help lower ambient temperature when the system is on. While some CPUs normally come with stock fans, some do not. There are several types of cooling system that you can choose from. Ensure to make a careful selection to avoid compromising on some operations when playing your favorite game. Choose a system that can manage to effectively maintain your PC temperatures as low as possible.
RAM
The RAM is responsible for holding your OS and any other concurrent program in the system. For convenient gaming experience, you need to look for the right RAM that can successfully perform the designed tasks as quickly as possible. The market is flooded with several RAM options that can easily confuse you. However, knowing what you need will make your work much easier. Most games require that you have 8GB RAM. This, therefore, means that going for 32GB RAM will not add you an extra benefit. A 16GB RAM can do just fine but with no much benefits as compared to the 8GB RAM. When choosing the RAM to use, ensure to also pay close attention to the processor speed as this is also very essential. If you find one with 1600 MHz, the better. These have built-in heatsinks to help prevent overheating, hence, affecting the performance of your PC.
The Storage System
While RAM acts as short-term memory, the storage system is long-term. This is a very vital feature for every PC – both for gaming and other purposes. For your storage system, you can opt for Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid-State Drive (SSD) or both. HDD can easily become outdated and can slow your PC performance. Installing different games and operating systems on your hard drive can even worsen the performance situation and you’ll hardly enjoy the gaming experience. SSD, on the other hand, has the potential to solve different kinds of computer-related problems. It can, therefore, be an essential feature for you as a gamer when building a gaming PC. You need to choose an SSD that can significantly reduce your load times. This SSD should allow for the installation of different games and operating systems without compromising on the performance of your system. You’ll then be able to operate your favorite games and other important operations at a much faster rate.
Operating System
What applications and programs are you planning to run in your PC, apart from the games? This will guide you on the type of operating system to select. Go for an OS that can support your game without compromising on other important operations. Most common OS choices include Mac* OS, Linux*, and Windows* 10. Therefore, write down all the applications and programs to help you identify an OS that’ll be a perfect fit for your machine.
Graphics Card
Graphics card gives essential life to your gaming PC hence it’s a key component of your build. Are you planning to add more graphics cards in the future? If Yes, you need to consider that the chosen motherboard, PSU, and case have all that it takes to support more than one video cards when that time comes. These components should have efficient card options reliable for most demanding games. You need to do a lot of research on different components before making a decision on the types of graphics cards depending on your expectations. This way, you’ll be able to avoid blind purchases that may not be compatible with the type of games you’re planning to play.
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
Your PC will be as good as a dead machine if it’s not powered. This makes a PSU one of the most essential features to consider when building custom PCs. But you can agree with me that some PSUs are of better quality than others and different systems demand specific amounts of power for them to run efficiently, right? This, therefore, means that too low or too high power supply will be inconvenient on the machine. Low supply will be weak to turn on the machine while too much power may destroy some of the machine components. Plus, you’ll be spending much on energy that gets wasted. You need to put aside the unit’s cost when looking for a PSU for your system. Rather, go for one that’s of better quality and that meets your demands – do a proper calculation to obtain a relevant value for this demand. Avoid relying on the pre-bundled unit that comes with the machine’s case as this is a custom-built system and cannot rhyme with the power supplied by the pre-bundled option.
Input and Control
For maximum gaming pleasure, you’ll need to have high-performance gaming mice and keyboards. High-end keyboards come with a variety of amazing benefits, especially if you’re obsessed with playing online games. Such keyboards and gaming mice do support high DPI levels. You can either go for either tethered or wireless input devices depending on your preferences and, of course, budget. Wireless inputs can offer great gaming performance and low latencies but are generally more expensive than tethered input devices. This is not to mean that tethered input devices are not cannot give you what you need. There are good tethered gears that cost significantly less but work pretty much like wireless devices.
The Case
This is yet another key feature that you can easily forget to consider when building your gaming computer system. Probably because you might tend to focus too much on the features above. After all, it’s just a box, right? But of course, you won’t want to have something that exposes your handiwork. This will not only make your build look ugly but will also be vulnerable to get damaged easily. Therefore, ensure to choose a case that’s strong enough to protect the contents inside and which can last. Choose a case that looks attractive and classy. A case that is large enough to house all the relevant and essential components. Remember, the type of case you’ll choose speaks something about you. You need to also consider a case that has sufficient and strategically designed spaces to allow for proper ventilation.
Conclusion
You’re yet to build your own customized gaming PC. This means that you’re the boss and get to decide the choose specific features to use in your system. Perhaps, depending on what you’re intending to do with the PC. These features are enough to guide you to find the best that you need for your gaming system. Proper research is very key prior to making any decision in order to ensure you make informed decisions that you won’t regret later. Good luck! Enjoy your gaming experience.