Build a Gaming PC

I believe everyone is capable of building their own computer. Are you a gaming nut? Do you love computers but are fed up with PC companies? Are you a seasoned pro looking to build a gaming pc and are on the hunt for information? This is the place to be. I have been building computers for over 10 years, and along the time I have discovered a few key things about constructing your own computer. This site is an effort to put my opinions and experience to use informing you about the best path to creating your own computer. My goal is to provide you with the information necessary to build your own computer that has parts which are not only excellent quality, but which will work well together.

There are many different philosophies to build a gaming pc. Everyone has a different goal for building their computer - and everyone has a different amount of $$ to build a computer. I find that most people try to build a computer for as cheap as possible (and often this is why they are building a computer themselves).

However, a certain amount of money needs to be spent when building a gaming pc. You can't really build a decent gaming pc for less than $500 - you can get creative and use old components to get by, but thats it. You can of course spend upwards of 15,000 if you want to get nuts.

A general approach to build a gaming pc looks like this - pay the lowest price for highest performance and you will be getting the best value. There are a LOT of component options out there. There are a dozen different manufacturers providing countless different options. Most enthusiasts either fancy themselves experts at figuring out the best value at the lowest price. Let me ask you a question though, would you rather save $50 now, or have your system last an extra year? I used to build computers out of the least expensive parts - until I got tired of fixing constant problems.

My philosophy - spend 20% more now, to have the system last 40-60% longer, with less chance of problems and smoother performance. I look at a system build as an investment. There are some components where you can shave $. For the most part, RAM is incredibly stable and easily well built - you can get by purchasing your ram from pretty much any manufacturer, this can be a way to save a few $. You can acquire a lower level graphics card if you don't mind sacrificing performance. The one place you don't want to play at shaving $ is the motherboard. One motherboard might be less expensive than another, but remember - you get what you pay for, and the most complex piece of equipment in the whole machine is the motherboard. Of all the problems I have had on all machines, I would guess that 80% of them happened with the motherboard. I remember one cheaper motherboard I purchased had the CPU fan power connector fail. The CPU overheated and fused to the board, burning the circuitry out.

Horror stories aside, these problems are easily avoided by purchasing from reputable manufacturers with good customer service - even if it means spending a little bit more at the start.