Building your own PC may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually simpler than you think. Today, I’m going to take you through some basic steps from deciding what you need to pick your parts! Please note, that this article will not be covering how to build your own PC from the ground up, but rather how to select the parts you need and what you should consider when it comes time to assemble. So let’s dive in.
PC For Your Needs
So first off, you have to consider your needs when it comes to building yourself a new PC. What games do you play? What’s the heaviest running game you play? That is to say, which games do you play that are the most taxing on your PC? Most games, especially on platforms like Steam and Epic will give you both recommended and minimum required PC specs.
If you’re looking to future-proof your PC for a time, consider games that are coming out soon that you would like to play and check out their requirements as well. These can usually be found on Steam (if the game is available there), but otherwise, you can always do a little research as well!
For example, these are the minimum and recommended requirements for Baulder’s Gate 3, which was just released on August 4th, 2023!
Planning on Streaming?
Streaming adds an additional load to your system. Consider having a stronger processor (CPU) than required for the game you want to stream, if you’re going to be streaming, a stronger graphics card (GPU) also will help with this. A strong cooling system is also recommended if you’re streaming, to keep that CPU in peak condition.
Consider Your PC Budget
The next important thing to consider is your budget for building your PC. There are many options available for parts out there these days, but they range in price and availability. Your most expensive parts are going to be your graphics card (GPU), your motherboard, and the ‘heart’ of your PC, the processor (CPU).
Shop around when you’re picking your parts, consider your options for your price range, set a strong budget, and then proceed to pick your parts!
Picking Your PC Parts
I personally recommend, especially if you’ve never built a PC before, that you use https://pcpartpicker.com/list/. This will allow you to ensure that all your chosen parts are compatible and will help you shop around for buying options for those parts as well. PC parts picker is an invaluable tool if you’re looking to build a new PC for yourself.
This is a sample view of PC Parts Picker’s tools, allowing you to select each part that you’ll need and ensure that they all work together. If they do not, there will likely be a warning replacing the green bar at the top. A lot of the time it has to do with the port types available on your motherboard and the port type of your parts, so choose carefully!
Time to Assemble Your PC
This is the hardest part about assembling a custom PC. You have several options here, the cheapest and most difficult is to assemble the parts yourself and hope that you’ve done everything right for this to work. I was lucky enough to have someone in my life that knew what they were doing and was able to help me when I recently built my new PC.
The second option, although more expensive, is to have a service or company assemble the parts for you. They may also install your operating system and do everything else you need to get your PC up and running. For this, I’d source a local computer repair and/or computer supply shop. Just like your parts, take the time to shop around and see what your best prices and options are for your new PC assembly.
We’re not going to be going into how to assemble a computer today, that would require a lot of research into each part and how to assemble it all together. I recommend if you are going to assemble your own PC, that you follow all the instructions included with each part very carefully. Sometimes they even specify how to do things like apply thermal paste to your CPU. (Yes, that’s another whole ball of wax!)
I strongly recommend, if you’re wary or unsure of assembling your own PC (I understand, those parts are expensive!), that you either have a friend or loved one who knows how to build PCs help you out, otherwise go to your local PC shop (after shopping around of course) and have them assemble it for you. Either way, it is sure to be an adventure, but an exciting one!
Conclusion:
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to building your own PC. There’s significant cost involved, but buying and assembling your own parts is still far more cost-effective than buying a pre-built computer any day! If you’re looking to build your own PC, you will need a bit of knowledge on parts, thankfully PC Part Picker is there to help you out! Finally, you need the know-how of assembly, this may cost a bit extra if you have someone else do it for you, but it may be easier than doing it yourself if you’re uneasy or unsure.
Also, if you’re planning on streaming why not up your game with Elgato on Amazon?
All in all, we hope you have a lot of fun with your next build and all the possibilities it opens to you! Stay hype.
Like what you’ve read? You can support GlitterTail by purchasing some Hype swag from their referral link. They get credit for every sale!
