A Breakdown of the Cost to Customize Your PC for Gaming
Buying a computer is one of the best ways to access the world of online gaming. Even though consoles are very popular, these kinds of systems have limitations when it comes to enjoying the very best modern and indie games.
If you enjoy niche games, and you want to pay the lowest prices when you are buying games, a computer is going to serve you better than a console. However, you may also be worried that investing in a desktop gaming computer will cost too much money.
But as long as you invest your money in the appropriate components, you can set up your ultimate gaming PC without having to pay an arm and a leg.
Below is a guide that estimates the cost of customizing a computer for gaming.
Invest in Quality Components
The mistake a lot of people make when they are buying a computer is choosing low quality parts. Perhaps you are thinking about buying components for your computer from less than reputable sources. Going down that route would be a mistake, as you can never be sure how well those components will perform.
Buy name brand parts from vendors you trust. Taking such measures will ensure that you are building your computer with genuine components. Even if you must pay a little more money, you are reaping the rewards by having a computer that will last you a very long time.
Choose a Solid State Drive
Even if you have a tight budget for your gaming computer, choosing a hard disk driver over a solid state drive is a huge mistake. SSDs may be a little pricier, but they deliver far better performance.
The operating system is snappier and more responsive when you are booting off a solid state drive. Even though modern hard disk drives are fast, they cannot compete with NVMe SSDs.
Make sure you are buying a drive that has enough disk space to hold all your games. If you do want both the speed of an SSD and the storage capacity of cheaper hard drives, you may want to install both in your computer.
You can use the SSD to boot your operating system and launch your main applications. The HDD can store all your media files and games, which do not benefit as much from being on your SSD.
RAM Matters
Gamers make the mistake of assuming the only RAM that matters for a gaming machine is the RAM on your graphics card. That is not the case, as your system RAM also determines performance when gaming.
Tests from reputable sources show that if you are playing famous online games with a computer that has 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM, if your computer’s RAM becomes overloaded performance will suffer – so you will get better performance from 16 GB model by avoiding that. That is the case even if both computers have the same processor, SSD, HDD and graphics card.
Say you download an online casino’s program on your computer. When you have more RAM, you can run multiple heavy applications and the casino app without any hiccups. The video quality you see while playing online poker or blackjack will blow you away.
Pick Your Ideal Graphics Processing Unit
The graphics processing unit, or GPU, is the part of your computer that impacts how games perform when you launch them on your computer. Think about the games you play regularly before you invest in a graphics card.
Gamers that play a lot of graphically intensive games should invest in a GPU that can handle playing AAA titles at 1080p 144Hz at minimum. Such a resolution and refresh rate results in a smooth gaming experience, while the graphics card is future-proof as well.
If you tend to play indie games, sports games or less graphically intensive games on your computer, you may not need the latest and greatest graphics card. Even a mid-range card that you can get for a modest price will allow you to run the games you enjoy.
When you are buying a gaming computer, you should devote roughly one third of your budget to your GPU.
Find the Appropriate Power Supply
One of the issues you can experience when building a gaming PC is buying a low wattage power supply. Even if the power supply you bought has a limit that is slightly more than the average energy usage of your computer, you may have issues using that power supply.
A rule of thumb from computer experts is that your power supply should have at least 30 to 40 percent of its maximum wattage available to ensure the best performance. That means a computer with a peak load of 250W needs a power supply of 450W or 500W at minimum.
Build the Computer Yourself
Anyone who has concerns about the cost of buying a gaming PC should look to build the computer themselves. You can order the parts through various online retailers before you assemble them at home.
Even first-time computer buyers should consider a DIY build, considering you can find countless step-by-step guides on YouTube and other websites. So long as you have access to a table where you can place everything, an antistatic wristband and a precision screwdriver set, you can build a PC within an hour.
The satisfaction you get from building your computer is hard to match. If you bought a pre-built computer with the same specs, you may not have the same attachment to the device. A computer you build is one that you will cherish for a long time.
