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Building a Gaming Computer:

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Every Dollar You Spend

One of the biggest knocks on PC gaming is that, in order to play at an acceptable level, you have to spend a ton of money on a new gaming computer. While computers generally are more expensive than consoles, you definitely don’t have to drop $1,000 on a computer in order to enjoy gaming on the PC platform. In fact, a solid gaming computer can be had for around $500 and that cost can be reduced even further if you follow some key advice.

 

The first thing that you will need to do in order to cut the price of a new gaming computer is to build it yourself. By building your own gaming computer, you will avoid the high markup prices that come with a pre-built gaming PC. This will allow you to save money without sacrificing performance. For $500, you can buy the parts necessary to building a good gaming computer.

 

If you still don’t want to spend even $500 on a new gaming computer, there are ways to get your system for even less. However, it’s important to understand that while gaming computers do cost more than consoles, they also provide more functionality and present you with a broader range of benefits. And, since it’s likely that you need a computer anyways (for various tasks such as internet browsing, email, word processing, etc.), it makes sense to add some extra performance to your PC and us it for gaming as well.

 

So, if you think you’re up for the challenge and you want to know more about building a gaming computer and how to spend the least amount of money for the most amount of performance, continue reading this page. We have a number of buying tips and strategies for each component and a whole section on additional steps you can take in order to get a gaming computer for less.

 

Tips for Choosing Parts

 

The first thing you will need to do if you are going to build your own gaming computer is to select the necessary components. A computer is comprised of multiple parts and each part plays a pivotal role.

 

Here is a list of the components you will need in order to build a gaming computer:

 

• Processor (CPU)

 

• Motherboard

 

• Video Card

 

• Memory (RAM)

 

• Hard Drive/Solid State Drive

 

• Case

 

• Power Supply

 

• Optical Drive

 

• Operating System

 

• Monitor

 

These parts are required if you want your computer to function. Without any one of these components, you will not be able to get your computer to turn on. (Your computer will be able to turn on without a video card. However, a video card is typically the one component that separates a standard computer from a gaming computer.)

 

**When purchasing your components, the two main parts that you want to focus on are your processor and your video card. These two parts will dictate the kind of processing and graphics power your computer will have.

 

Here are the things you should look for when buying each component for your new gaming computer:

 

Buying Tips for Processors

 

• You want to spend approximately 20-25 percent of your budget on your processor.

 

• You should always choose a processor that is based on relatively new technology. (Right now you should look for a multi-core processor that operates at 2.8 GHz or higher. 3.0 Ghz and over is preferable.)

 

• The minimum amount you should spend on your processor is around $90. Anything less is usually not acceptable for gaming. (Unless, of course, the component is on sale.)

 

• Determining between AMD and Intel is really up to you. AMD processors can be a little more budget friendly, while Intel processors can provide a little more performance. In the end, they’re so close in price relative to performance that there really is not one major reason to choose one processor over the other.

 

• Make sure you match your processors socket (LGA 1155, 1156, 1366, or AM3+, G34, etc.) with a compatible motherboard.

 

• Consider the other kinds of tasks do you want your computer to be able to handle. If you’re planning on doing video editing, or game recording, you will probably want a really high-end processor. Of course, the more stuff you plan on doing on your computer, the more you should expect to spend.

 

Buying Tips for Motherboards

 

• Don’t save money by skimping on your motherboard. No matter how good your other components are, if your motherboard can’t fully utilize them, then they are useless.

 

• Obviously you want to match your motherboard with your processor (Intel based motherboard for Intel processor and same with AMD) and you will need to choose a board that has a compatible socket for your CPU.

 

• If you have selected a processor that is unlocked (meaning that it can be overclocked past its stock frequency) then you will need to choose a motherboard that will allow you to overclock as well.

 

• If in the future you want to run dual video cards, then you will need to choose a motherboard that is SLI or CrossFire ready.

 

• The minimum you should spend on your motherboard is ~$60.

 

• The better quality your motherboard is, the easier it will be to upgrade in the future.

 

Buying Tips for Video Cards

 

• You should spend approximately 25-35 percent of your budget on your video card.

 

• Not having a stand-alone video card will put the graphics processing
  responsibilities on your motherboard. This will lead to you experiencing low FPS (frame rate) in your games and will ultimately leave you frustrated.

 

• Choose a video card based on fairly new technology. However, for gamers on lower budgets, sometimes it’s a good idea to choose a card based on video processing technology that is 1-2 years old. This will allow you to get a card with a lot of power at a lower cost. It may not be as efficient as the newer technology, but it will give you good performance results.

 

• Cache is important. The more you have the better. Choose a video card with 1-2 GB of cache.

 

• What games do you play? If you play games that aren’t too demanding on your graphics processor—like Minecraft or World of Warcraft–you obviously don’t want to spend as much on your video card. If, however, you’re playing games like Battlefield 3, Crysis, and Metro 2033, then you’ll want to get a better card.

 

• Are you doing some video editing? Or, are you recording gameplay footage? These are factors that will play a huge role in which video card you choose. The more video-intensive tasks you plan on doing, the better the video card you will need.

 

Buying Tips for Memory

 

• 4GB is the current recommendation for RAM. 8GB is preferred… and anything more is considered optional.

 

• If, however, you are planning on doing a lot of video editing, you will probably want to consider getting 16+ GB of RAM.

 

• Always choose from a reputable manufacturer. Corsair, G.Skil, Kingston, and Patriot are all solid choices.

 

• Memory is extremely affordable and will give a noticeable performance increase… so don’t be afraid to go with a high quality product.

 

Buying Tips for Hard Drives/Solid State Drives

 

• If you’re working with a budget, consider getting a 250GB hard drive. This should hold you over until you can add more storage space and will either allow you to stay under budget, or use the savings to put into your processor or video card.

 

• If you have a higher budget, consider pairing a 64GB or 128GB Solid State Drive with a decent sized hard drive (500+ GB). Install your operating system on your SSD and use your HDD for files. This will give you maximum performance at a reasonable price.

 

• Make sure you buy your hard drive/solid state drive from a reputable manufacturer. Western Digital, Seagate, and Samsung all produce high quality hard drives. For SSD’s, go with Intel, Crucial, and OCZ.

 

Buying Tips for Computer Cases

 

• How important is the appearance of your case to you? Do you want something a little flashier? If so, expect to pay more. If not, you can save some money by going with a simple design.

 

• Choose a case with good air flow. The way a case is designed in relation to air flow is critical to ensuring that your computer components stay cooler and last longer.

 

• Make sure you choose a case that is sturdy and durable.

 

• For the best quality, buy a case that is built by one of these manufacturers: Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Corsair, Silverstone, and Lian Li.

 

• You may be able to save some money by getting a case with a power supply already in it, but it’s usually better to choose a power supply separately so that you can ensure its quality.

 

• Choose the size of your case based on your needs. Planning on doing a lot of upgrading in the future? Go with a mid or full tower case. Will you be taking your computer to a lot of LAN parties? Choose a mini-ITX case for mobility.

 

• You can get a quality case starting at around $40.

 

Buying Tips for Power Supplies

 

• A quality power supply is critical to ensuring that your computer runs efficiently. So, make sure you take time when picking out a power supply.

 

• 400W is the lowest wattage you should consider. Scale the wattage upward according to the power of your video card, processor, and whether or not you plan on overclocking/running dual video cards.

 

• Always choose a trusted manufacturer that backs their power supplies with solid warranties. Typically, PSU’s manufactured by these companies are excellent choices: Corsair, SeaSonic, Antec, Cooler Master, and PC Power & Cooling.

 

• Look for PSU’s that are 80 PLUS certified—this will ensure that they are energy-efficient.

 

Buying Tips for Optical Drives

 

• Optical drives aren’t the most important aspect of a gaming computer. A simple DVD drive will do the trick just fine.

 

• If you have a bigger budget and you want to turn your computer into a media center as well, you might want to consider adding a Blu-ray drive.

 

Buying Tips for Operating System

 

• The latest edition of Windows is usually the best operating system for gaming. However, if you want to save some money, there’s nothing wrong with using an older generation operating system.

 

• Use a 64-bit operating system for best performance and use of memory.

 

Buying Tips for Monitors

 

• The monitor you choose will have a huge impact on your gaming experience. If you choose a high quality video card and pair it with an old and outdated monitor, your video card’s graphic-processing-power will be wasted.

 

• Get a monitor with a low response rate. The lower the response rate is on your monitor, the more quickly your monitor can change pixel colors. The quicker your monitor can change pixel colors, the more smoothly your game will appear to flow. Generally, a response rate lower than 5ms is ideal.

 

• LED monitors provide better backlighting than LCD monitors which helps produce a better quality image. However, LED monitors are a bit more expensive than LCD monitors.

 

• 20”-23” monitors are considered to be the optimal screen size. Anything larger and your eyes can’t take everything in and are therefore forced to move around a lot. Of course, if you do choose a bigger monitor, you could always move further away from the screen to fix this problem.

 

• The higher the resolution of the monitor, the more you will pay. 1980×1080 is currently a good option that shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg.

 

Buying Tips That Will Help You Maximize Your Budget

 

Most gamers don’t have an unlimited budget for their gaming computers. If you are on a tight budget, you probably want to look for ways to maximize the amount of money you spend.

There are a number of ways that you can spend less on your computer without sacrificing too much performance. The following is a list of tips that will help you maximize your budget:

 

Making Some Sacrifices that Won’t Cost You a Lot of Performance

 

• Instead of getting 8GB of ram, save yourself about $20 and get 4GB. You won’t see too much of a drop in performance.

 

• Instead of getting one of the best processors on the market, settle for a solid i3 or AMD Phenom model processor. These processors are budget friendly and are still more than capable of running today’s top games.

 

• Look for good combo deals on sites like Newegg, TigerDirect, or Amazon. Sometimes you can save a good chunk of change by buying your parts in a bundle.

 

• Forget overclocking. Unlocked processors and motherboards cost more. Stick with the stock settings (which you’ll still be able to overclock a little bit) if you’re working with a budget.

 

• Don’t go for that flashy case. You can always get a new case when you have the money, but for now you should worry about performance and staying under budget.

 

• Get a 250GB hard drive rather than a 500GB or 1TB hard drive. This will help you save a little more money.

 

Use Parts from Your Old Computer for Huge Savings

 

• Take the optical drive out of your old computer and save yourself another $20.

 

• Have a monitor already? Even if it’s not great it will allow you to game. And, for right now that’s all that matters. If you use your old monitor you can save yourself around $150.

 

• Use your old hard drives. If your old hard drives have enough space to hold you over until you can save up for a bigger one, then use them!

 

• Your old PC has an operating system… use it! You can save about $100 if you use your old operating system rather than getting the latest version.

 

Getting a New Gaming Computer Doesn’t Have to Empty Your Wallet

 

If you’re smart about it, you can get a gaming computer at a very affordable price. However, you will need to build your own gaming computer in order to maximize every dollar in your budget. And, since building a computer isn’t as hard as you might think, you really have no reason to not get a gaming computer!