Build a Gaming PC 2012 - Best Custom Gaming Computer Builds

I've written a lens entirely dedicated to the best gaming cpu of the year so if you're looking for more detailed information than what I provide here, then be sure to check that out here: Best Gaming CPU of 2012.

When you're building a rig it's important to pick out your CPU first because this will in turn decide which type of motherboard you need to purchase. If you really are just planning on using your system for gaming then most likely you want to spend around 25% of your overall budget on a CPU and 25% of your overall budget on your graphics card and then find a way to make all of your other components fit around that.

If it comes down between putting your money into a solid graphics card or a CPU, then make sure to put any extra money you have towards your graphics card.

Any time you see the release of new processors you'll generally see the release of new motherboards to accommodate the new technology. This year is no different. In general if you are building a new PC you should stick with the latest technology. That being said try to find a motherboard that is compatible with the newest specifications: USB 3.0, DDR3, PCIe 3.0, and SATA 6Gb/s. It's also important to find one that can handle your GPU. I've written a lens entirely dedicated to the Best Gaming Motherboards of 2012, so if you need more detailed information on motherboards I recommend you grab it there.

1155 Motherboards
1155 motherboards are for use with Sandy Bridge Processors as well as Intel's third generation Ivy Bridge Processors. If you chose the 2500k, 2700k (or any 2nd G "i" series), or even the new i7-3770k CPU, then look for a 1155 motherboard to match it. As a gamer the Z77 chipset will give you the most flexibility as it works with Ivy Bridge processors and is backwards compatible with Sandy Bridge Processors.

LGA 2011 Motherboards
Socket 2011 is for use with Intel's Sandy Bridge Enthusiast and Ivy Bridge Enthusiast processors (release date of late 2012). Consider the i7-3820 as a budget option or the i7-3930k as a high-end option combo for these particular motherboards.

AM3 PLUS Motherboards
AM3 Plus motherboards are compatible with AMD's new Bulldozer processors. In addition, these motherboards are forwards compatible with Enhanced Bulldozer or Piledriver.

As I mentioned above a good percentage of your overall build (at least 25%) should go to your graphics card. If you have the perfect machine, then the last thing you want is to be limited by your graphics card. In general GPU in the $250-500 range usually will run any new game at the highest manufacturer settings for around a year to 24 months.

Want to learn more about graphics cards? See these lenses on the best Gaming GPU of 2012 and the best video card for gaming.

The general consensus rule with ram is "the more the better". Wikipedia states that this is so because "if a computer becomes low on RAM during intensive application cycles, many CPU architectures and operating systems are able to perform an operation known as "swapping"... Excessive use of this mechanism is called thrashing and is generally undesirable because it lowers overall system performance, mainly because hard drives are far slower than RAM... if a program attempts to allocate memory and fails, it may crash."

It's also important to make sure that your motherboard can handle the ram you install at the speed that you want to run it. A lot of gamers throw the best ram they can find into a motherboard that simply won't allow it to run at full capacity making it default to a lower speed. Anything between 8-12GB of ram should be more than enough for most games. Consult your video game's recommended specifications for more details on what you need.

When purchasing ram and a motherboard consult the motherboard's memory standard specifications to see what its compatible with.

If you're purchasing DDR3, for example, then ideally you'd want your motherboard to be something like the following:

DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/ 1600/1333

If you want to see what brand or series of PC ram is best for gaming, then check out this useful lens on the best gaming ram.

While I won't be going over cooling options in this lens its important to consider what type of case you want to purchase for your rig. If you're going to be taking your system to LAN parties I suggest you pay attention to not only the fan options and space for your case but the weight also. Also, pay attention to the fan options, cords, and specifications included in your PC case. Even though a case may appear to be cheaper, you may not be comparing apples to apples and another case may come with more fans included etc...

To help you get your start, I've listed a few gamer favorites below. If you want to look at the top gaming cases of the year, then check out these lens completely devoted to the best PC gaming cases of 2012.

Hopefully this lens on building a gaming pc in 2012 has helped you begin or start the process in building your own computer. If I've missed the boat on anything, then be sure to leave me a comment below. Constructive criticism and feedback allows this lens to become better and for others to get advice stemming from your suggestions. It also keeps this lens more visible and fresh. You can support me by visiting my other lenses and if you haven't found a monitor yet be sure to read my lens on the Best Gaming Monitors of 2012. Cheers!