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What to Look for in a Gaming PC
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Whether you’re on a budget or looking for the best gaming PC money can buy, knowing what matters and what doesn’t is crucial.
Gaming PCs are not all about looks. For a truly flawless gaming experience, you need to focus on the components and performance. Knowing which ones are all talk and which ones make a difference allows you to make the most out of your budget and get a PC that won’t disappoint.
With so many gaming PCs on the market and a broad range of components and parts to choose from, it’s not going to be an easy task. But, this quick read will ease the process and improve your chances of success.
The CPU
The CPU is the brain of your new gaming set up. It’s one of the most important factors and one that you shouldn’t hold back on.
The CPU has the complex task of interpreting the commands and demands that come from the other components. If it's not up to the task, you will have a lot of problems, particularly freezing as the CPU tries to catch up and process all of the requests.
Invest in a good CPU that is fast and robust. It will not only provide an excellent experience but also shield you from having to replace it as you go for more demanding games.
The Motherboard
Most gamers call this the backbone of the gaming PC. It connects other components within the PC and allows them to communicate seamlessly. The CPU, graphics card and the RAM are all connected to the motherboard.
Seeing the vital role that this component plays, it goes without saying the motherboard is future-proofed and designed to handle the demands of the other components.
Go for a versatile motherboard with the ability to handle more hard drives, graphics cards and other components that you might want to add once you buy the PC or in the future.
A good and capable motherboard might cost you more, but it will be worth it in the long run. It will give you more flexibility, especially when you want to expand some components of the PC like memory and the graphics card.
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RAM
RAM can make or break your gaming experience. It stores and processes data as it’s actively used in the system on a short-term basis. Having sufficient RAM will increase gaming speed and shorten loading time.
Luckily, RAM is not expensive. However, that shouldn’t be a reason for you to overthink it and end up compromising other components. Most gamers will do with 8GB RAM. If you have a serious rig going, you can go for 16GB which comes highly recommended. When it comes to RAM, you need to strike a balance and get just the right capacity.
Graphics Card
Once you have all the performance components sorted out, your priority now shifts to the graphics. Various parts and components come together to make the virtual world a reality. Of those different parts and components, the graphics card is the most essential.
The hype of gaming is largely driven by the graphics. Having a good GPU goes a long way in processing and rendering realistic graphics at lightning speed. The GPU and the CPU have equal roles, but given how important visuals are in gaming, the GPU might have more of a pronounced role.
Don't skimp on the graphics card if you want to have the best graphics and gaming experience. It might cost you quite a bit, but it's worthwhile.
Cooling
The high capacity CPU and GPU generate quite some heat. With heavy gaming, the PC can get hot really fast. With a quality cooling system, the PC will keep shutting down and rebooting to prevent damage.
To avoid such inconveniences and possibly frying various capacitors and other components, you need to consider having a state of the art cooling system.
It might not improve response time or graphics, but it will let you play longer. The cooling system differs depending on the kind of system you’re running.
Cooling systems vary from the conventional fan systems to water-cooled cases for those high-end gaming PCs that pull all the stops. Liquid-cooled cases are perfect if you're taking gaming seriously and you plan to upgrade really fast.
Upgradeable
When buying a gaming PC, always ask how upgradable it is. Games are rapidly changing. They have more realistic graphics and require better performance. Even if you invest in the best gaming PC today, at some point, you will want to swap out a few components. With an upgradeable system, you just have to switch out the components instead of buying an entire gaming PC.
Design
Don’t forget, design plays a significant role when buying a gaming PC. After choosing all the right pieces to guarantee flawless performance, you can now let loose and pick a design that reflects your persona or gaming style.
Giving your gaming PC that personal touch makes it more interesting and more appealing to you and your friends.
With these few tips, you have everything you need to go out and pick the best gaming PC possible. If you’re on a budget, pick the most important parts first. You can compromise on the looks but never on the performance of the PC.