Building a gaming computer is great, but before you can build that dream machine you've got to buy the parts. Buying computer parts is never an easy task: you've got to have a good understanding of the technology you're working with, and an even better understanding of how to make it all work. Of course, we have the top 5 tips to help you when you're buying your gaming computer parts.
Build Your Own Gaming Computer
You're in an intense firefight, there are three enemies in front of you and your teammates are dropping like flies. Suddenly, one of the enemies throws a grenade! You turn around to run and BAM: the game locks up and you're dead.
Sure, you can blame it on network lag, but you know what the truth is: your computer is just too slow to handle the game. Even when you turn all of the games graphical settings down to "low" your computer still chokes on all of the pixels being pushed out.
There is some good news: you can build your own gaming computer and get peak performance out of your system without spending thousands of dollars on the top of the line graphics cards.
Did you know that there's a "secret" formula you can follow in order to get the best price-to-performance ratio out of your machine? Sure, you COULD slap in two high-end SLI video cards in your machine, but if your monitor is only capable of displaying a resolution of 1024x768, then what's the use?
Here at BuildGamingComputer you'll learn how to build your own gaming computer that not only plays the latest games but also fits your budget.
How to Build Your Gaming PC
How to Select a Processor
Selecting a processor (CPU for short) is no easy task, but there are a few strategies that you can follow which will help you make sure you get the best bang for your buck - and you don't need to invest thousands of dollars in the top of the line.
How to Select a Motherboard
If the processor is the brains of the computer, then the motherboard is the heart, liver, and kidneys of your gaming machine. So, it makes sense to want to buy the best motherboard you can, but what motherboard is best for you?
How to Select RAM
Random Access Memory - RAM - is one of the most overlooked parts of a computer, but in a gaming rig it is a crucial component that cannot - and should not - be overlooked. How much RAM should you get and how fast should it be?
How to Select a Video Card
To a gamer the video card is the holy grail of computing: it provides the raw power needed to get a high FPS count and provide beautiful effects in games. A high-end video card would serve you well for a few years, but is it worth it?
How to Select a Hard Drive
Video games take up a lot of space, and the hard drive is the device that will store all of that data. You need to answer some questions before buying a hard drive: how much storage, how fast is it, and do you need more than one?
How to Select a Sound Card
Often, a good quality sound card can be the difference between a terrible gaming experience and a wonderful one. When the game sounds great it seems to play ever better, but do you even need a sound card?
How to Select a DVD Drive
DVD drives have become the standard over the years, but new breeds of drives have hit the market. Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, DVD: which one should you buy, how fast should it be, and how much should you expect to pay?
How to Select a Network Card
The network card plays an important role in the computer gamer's life: it provides access to networks for both LAN party fun and high-speed Internet access. But do you really need to buy a network card, or can you get by with a built-in card?
How to Select a Cooling System
Although it doesn't actually perform any calculations, the cooling system in your PC plays one of the most important roles: keeping your hardware from burning out. What type of system is right for you? Silent fans? Water cooling?
How to Select a Computer Case
The gaming computer case is the ultimate statement of style and flash, but you've got to remember to select the right case, otherwise you might not be able to fit your computer inside the case! Mid-Tower, Full-Tower - which one is for you?
How to Select a Monitor
The monitor is a pretty important piece of gaming equipment, since it lets you see what your graphics card is drawing. A cheap monitor is alright for desktop applications, but when you're gaming can you really afford to have a bad monitor?
How to Select a Mouse
The mouse lets you interact with various aspects of games, but do you need anything other than a basic mouse with two buttons and a scroll wheel? Should you even consider the high-end devices that allow you to adjust the weight?
How to Select a Keyboard
A good keyboard will let you play games, but a great keyboard will give you an advantage over other gamers. Should you choose wired or wireless? What keyboards are best for you, your gaming, and your budget?
How to Select Computer Speakers
Select the right set of speakers can be the difference between hearing someone creep up behind you and getting hit from behind with a melee attack. What speakers will work best for you? Should you get a headset instead?
How to Select a Joystick
Do you need a joystick? Probably not; but, if you're going to play simulators, 2D games or emulated games, you may want to consider getting a joystick. Which one is right for you and your gaming system?
Xbox 360 vs PC Gaming
Since the arrival of the Xbox 360, many people have questioned the use of a PC in a gamers life; however, the PX and the Xbox 360 have several differences:
Input Devices. The PC often uses the keyboard and mouse standard combination, but can also use other input devices as well, whereas the Xbox 360 is generally relegated to the dual- analog controller. While this may not be such a big deal for some, the loss of precision by using analog sticks can be very painful for experience PC gamers.
What is the Best Gaming Machine?
Finding the best gaming machine isn't as simple as buying the most expensive package you can find. Sure, sure, it would be nice to buy a Falcon Northwest machine with all of the bells and whistles, but at the end of the day do you really need a Quad-SLI machine to play the games you love? Short answer: no. Long answer: no, and if you spend thousands of dollars on a top of the line machine you're probably wasting your money.
Before you purchase your gaming machine, stop and consider the following:
What is the Ideal Computer?
Finding the ideal computer for your use can be a tricky question to answer, because you need to know what you're going to be doing with that machine. Generally, computers can be broken down into four main categories:
- General Purpose
- Media/Entertainment
- Gaming
- Niche
General Purpose Computing
How to Select a Mouse
Selecting a mouse for a computer isn't a very complicated decision; however, a gaming computer may need something special, especially if you're a professional gamer that's sensitive to the various nuances of your setup.
Optical vs Ball
How to Select a Monitor
Selecting the right monitor for your gaming computer is vital to your overall gaming experience, but knowing how to choose the right one can be the difference between a terrible experience and a fantastic one.
If you're looking for information on LCD vs CRT monitors, stop looking. With LCD monitors as cheap as they are nowadays, there is no reason to go with a similarly priced CRT monitor (and you'll have a difficult time finding a CRT monitor to purchase).
LCD Problems
How to Select a Computer Case
Now that you've built the internals of your gaming computer, it's time to take a look at the most obvious external component: the computer case. Buying the right computer case can be an amazingly complicated task, especially if you don't have all of the facts about your system in front of you.
Before you purchase your perfect computer case, you'll need to know some information about your setup:
How to Select a Cooling System
Most people don't think about how to properly cool their computers, but gamers often learn that the proper cooling system can be the difference between a fried computer and one that will function for a decade. Of course, most gamers don't actually need to build their own cooling system - the stock cooling fans bundled with most products will be enough; however, there are two major reasons to build a cooling system into a computer: overclocking and low noise.
How to Select a Network Card
The Network Interface Card (or NIC) was once the exclusive domain of professional technology consultants, geeks, and hardcore gamers. Believe it or not, at one point in time home computers didn't come with an on-board Ethernet connector, since these computers didn't need to think about home networking; but, thanks to the advent of broadband, every home computer has at least one Ethernet port - and some of them are even capable of gigabit speeds!
How to Select a DVD Drive
DVD drives are everywhere these days, and computers are no exception. From DVD to Blu-Ray, computers can host a variety of media readers and writers. Since computer games are generally shipped on a DVD disc (or multiple discs), a DVD drive is an essential piece of equipment for gamers of any budget, but, with a wide variety to choose from, which one should you buy?
Reader or Writer?
