The CPU

The ❤️ of the machine

⬇️

What makes a good CPU?

🚀 Core Speed

allows a process to execute faster

🔢 Number of Cores

allows more processes to run at once

👴 CPU Age

newer CPUs have more features and are generally more efficient

What makes core "fast"

A "fast" core is made from a combination of clocking quickly (measured in Hz) and executing instructions in as few clock cycles as possible (measured in Instructions per Cycle).

How many cores do I need?

Modern games (⚠️ 2022) benefit from a minimum of 4 cores

(ideally with simultaneous multi-threading also known as hyperthreading)

How new of a processor do I need?

With the 12th generation of Intel, the processor wars between AMD and Intel have heated up significantly, so, ideally within the last 2 years. There are some 🦄s from previous generations if you are really strapped for cash, however, you will need to do your research for these.

How do I compare CPUs easily?

Most comparison websites (such as User Benchmark) have very skewed or opinionated data that can make it hard to directly compare one CPU to the next. The best way is to lookup reviews of a given CPU you are interested in from sites like Gamer's Nexus, Serve The Home, or Level One Techs.

The Cooler

Making things 🧊

⬇️

What makes a good cooler?

🚐 Form Factor

different styles fit cases differently

🥶 Cooling Ability

more cooling allows for faster/hotter processors

What form factors are available?

Custom Water Cooling - A custom loop you put together yourself

Closed-loop Water Cooling - An existing loop you buy pre-made

Tower Cooling - The easiest to install and maintain

How much cooling do I need?

This will depend on the Thermal Design Power (TDP) of your CPU which is the heat in watts that your cooler needs to be able to dissipate.

The Mobo

Bringing it all together 🤝

⬇️

What makes a good motherboard?

💫 Platform Features

more features provide more flexibility down the road

🦮 BIOS/UEFI Support

allows for more configurability and better stability

🔌 Power Delivery

allows for more power hungry processors to be installed

What platform features should I look for?

Generally you should look for features that bring generational improvements to connectivity (i.e. PCIe or USB). Sparkly ✨ features (like built in RGB) should only be purchased if you really want them.

What does good BIOS/UEFI support mean?

The BIOS/ UEFI is the boot environment your computer first goes into before loading the operating system. Having this well supported by your manufacturer adds stability and configuration options. Personally, I have had good luck with Asus in this regard, but other name-brand manufacturers like Asrock, Gigabyte, MSI, and others should work well as well.

What is "good" power delivery?

Good power delivery comes down to the quality of components (e.g. VRMs) used to deliver power to the CPU. Generally you should look at the total power that the motherboard can deliver to the CPU compared to the maximum draw of CPUs that are compatible with that socket. You should again stick to name-brands and not buy the absolute cheapest motherboard out there.

The RAM

Short-term memory 🗃️

⬇️

What makes good RAM?

🚀 RAM Speed

allows the RAM to transfer more data in bulk

✨ RAM Latency

allows the RAM to respond faster to requests

🫘 RAM Amount

allows more data to be readily accessible

How fast should my RAM be?

RAM speed is measured in transfers per second. and generally DDR4 (>= 2133MT/s) (⚠️ 2022) or better in dual channel (i.e. 2 sticks) is good enough for gaming.

How does latency affect me?

RAM latency is generally measured as CAS Latency though usually doesn't make a large difference unless you use system memory as graphics memory (i.e. for an integrated GPU which is only likely in laptops).

How much RAM do I really need?

Personally, 8GB minimum, 16GB or more for gaming, and 32GB or more for workstation tasks (⚠️ 2022)

The GPU

Bringing the ✨

⬇️

What makes a good GPU?

🚀 Number/Speed of compute units

allows the GPU to process more things faster

💫 Platform Features

allows for things like background encode/decode of video

🫘 VRAM Amount

allows more graphics data to be readily accessible

How do I tell if a GPU is fast?

GPUs can vary more than CPUs in frequency and core count so it is usually best to compare them in benchmarks for games that you intend to play. As with CPUs, look for reputable reviews from places like Gamer's Nexus or Level One Techs.

What platform features should I look for?

Dedicated video encode/decode hardware (i.e. NVENC), ray tracing hardware (i.e. RTX), or better support for operating systems other than Windows (i.e. amdvlk) can affect your experience if you will make use of them. You should also make sure that the card supports the latest DirectX API (⚠️ 12 in 2022).

How much VRAM do I need?

Personally, an absolute minimum of 4GB with 8GB being recommended. (⚠️ 2022)

The Disk

🗄️ Long-term storage

⬇️

What makes a good disk?

🚀 Transfer Speed

allows the disk to load things faster

🫘 Overall Size

allows for more data to be stored

How do I tell if a disk is fast?

Transfer rates of 500 MB/s are decent these days, with 7000+ MB/s being the current ideal. DRAM-less SSDs should also be avoided.

How much storage do I need?

This depends on how many games you want to store. Modern games (⚠️ 2022) can be 100s of GBs so plan accordingly.

The Power Supply

Supplier of ⚡

⬇️

What makes a good power supply?

⚡ Overall Wattage

allows the supply to deliver more power to the system

🏐 Modularity

helps with cable management

📈 80 Plus Rating

rates the efficiency of the power supply

How many watts do I need?

You can use an online tool such as this power supply calculator from Newegg, or add up the power draw for each component and then add ~25% headroom. Note that you need to add the real maximum power usage, not Thermal Design Power (TDP) which is a different metric.

Do I need a modular supply?

Modular (or semi-modular) power supplies are great in more compact builds where you don't want to manage extra cables. Personally I like them and feel they are worth the extra cost but YMMV.

What is 80 Plus?

80 Plus is a certification rating the efficiency of a power supply. You should look for a supply that is at least 80 Plus White since non-80 Plus supplies can have irregular power bands that increase apparent power at the wall. You can learn more about 80 Plus here.

The Case

Where it all lives 🏠

⬇️

What makes a good case?

💎 Aesthetics

you want a system that looks cool 😎

🚐 Form Factor

you want your parts to physically fit (hopefully)

💨 Airflow

helps manage temperatures or accommodate things like water cooling

What should my case look like?

This is entirely up to you. You could use a cardboard box if you wanted.

How do I tell if things fit?

Usually you need to look at the spec sheets for various components to determine widths/heights and clearances. Generally a larger case can fit more, and a smaller case can fit less. Building compact cases is harder in this regard.

How much airflow do I need?

It is usually best to lookup reviews of your particular case and see what the reviewer mentions it can handle or not. This is usually difficult to determine from a spec sheet alone as many factors can impact the case's cooling ability.