If you don’t want to buy a gaming PC from the Internet or an electronics store, you still have the option of assembling a gaming PC yourself. But laymen in particular often have a hard time choosing the right components for it. For this reason, we would like to show in the following article which components are necessary for a self-assembled gaming PC and already provide the appropriate suggestions for the respective components.
In addition to our suggestions, you can also buy gaming PCs with a motherboard
The right gaming PC case
A gaming PC case gives your computer an attractive look that also makes a good impression on friends and relatives decent impression makes. Glazed side windows, externally visible fans and especially colorful LED lights give a gaming PC case a special look.
But not only because of the optics but also because of the function you should not buy just any PC case. One particularly important function of the case is namely its Ventilation, or. the cooling of the components installed in it. Components such as graphics cards, CPU or the main memory provide a lot of waste heat, especially when they are particularly powerful.
Even when installing several components of the same type, for example two graphics cards, you should always keep their heat emission in mind. If too much heat accumulates, the components could be damaged and their performance could drop or you could get graphic errors or a blue screen. Bluescreens.
So that it doesn’t get too hot in the case, you shouldn’t choose a model that is too small and cram the components in wildly, but rather plan for sufficient space. Many gaming PC cases also have already installed fans, which provide for the necessary dissipation of the warm air. We have written a separate blog article for the best gaming PC cases 2018, where we present some models that have fans already built-in.
Also important: The case should be aligned according to the type of the mainboard. There are different sizes to buy here. The most common type is ATX, which is used in most home PCs. In addition, there are also smaller designs like MikroATX or MiniATX. Rare are larger models. It is important that you can mount the motherboard correctly in the case, the drill holes have the appropriate distance.
Finally, you should take a look at the hard disk slots. If you want to retrofit several hard disks, you should make sure that they have the right size (2.5 inch or 3.5 inch) and that the gaming PC case has the possibility to accommodate them at all. offers the space to install additional hard disks.
We recommend as a powerful alternative: The Anidees AI Crystal XL RGB Version Full Tower
The right mainboard
The mainboard (or motherboard) serves as a central connection point for almost all components of a computer. For example, the CPU (the "processor") is placed on it, and it also offers some other connections, for example for the mouse or the boxes.
There are two essential factors to pay attention to when choosing a motherboard: On the one hand, it’s the height of the case Chipset, which gives information about the equipment of the mainboard. And on the other side the Socket of the mainboard, on which the processor is placed. Intel and AMD each offer their own processor sockets, which also only fit their own processors. While Intel offers the two series LGA1151 (resp. LGA1151v2) and LGA2066, AMD’s motherboard sockets are called AM4 and TR4.
The chipset roughly corresponds to the "Equipment package" of a mainboard. That means above all: How many and which connections does the board offer?? This includes, for example, the number of PCI slots required for the graphics card(s). In addition, attention is paid to various USB ports, interfaces for data exchange, the number of RAM slots, but also to heat sinks for the motherboard, for example.
As already mentioned above you should also pay attention to the size when choosing the motherboard, so that it fits into the chosen gaming PC case.
The right gaming PC processor
The processor is one of the most important components of any (gaming) PC and therefore deserves special attention. The processor will also CPU (Central Processing Unit) and takes over the computational processes of a computer or a game. of the programs running on it, regardless of whether you’re gaming, working or watching a movie with it.
When it comes to processors, there are really only two manufacturers worth mentioning: Intel and AMD. Both offer CPUs of all price and performance classes at. Starting with the entry-level models (Core i3 at Intel, RYZEN 3 at AMD), the mid-range models (Core i5 at Intel, RYZEN 5 at AMD) over the upper-range models (Core i7 at Intel, RYZEN 7 at AMD) up to the high-end models (Core i9 at Intel, RYZEN Threadripper at AMD), there is something for every demand and budget.
It is important to note that these classifications have partly been valid for many years and there are several generations of, for example, Intel Core i5 processors. Just because you buy an i5 processor, you don’t have the newest model in your hand. Which manufacturer is better, by the way, has been the subject of discussions among gamers for years, there is no clear favorite.
Two things play a decisive role when buying CPUs: The Number of cores and the Processor’s computing speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz). 4,6, or 8 cores are common for current processors. The more cores and the higher the clock speed (the speed at which the cores work), the more powerful the processor is. In addition, newer processors are, of course, usually more powerful than those of the older generation.
Also important when buying is the socket size on your motherboard. Because not every processor fits on every motherboard. The socket size must match the size of the processor.
The right gaming PC graphics card
The graphics card is probably the most important component of every gaming PC besides the processor. In fact, these two components are also close together. The processor (the CPU) is responsible for the "calculation" of the game. That means it takes care that opponents have an artificial intelligence, physical processes, for example the ballistics of a bullet are calculated, logical processes are calculated and linked, etc.
The CPU communicates this information to the GPU (the graphics card). The graphics card then ensures that graphical conversion on the computer screen. The output of these image sequences is also called "rendering".
When choosing a graphics card, it is important to have a suitable processor should have at their disposal respectively. vice versa. Because the most powerful graphics card is useless without a corresponding processor. Then the situation occurs that the CPU is constantly working "at the limit" while the GPU is rendering more or less in idle mode. So it would be unused potential and therefore wasted money.
Of course, the same applies the other way around. Is the graphics card too slow, or. If the CPU is clearly too fast, the processor only uses its capabilities to a fraction, to the player’s detriment. That’s why you should always have the processor’s performance in mind when buying a graphics card. vice versa.
A guideline as to how far a specific graphics card matches with a specific processor is provided by the online tool http://thebottlenecker.com/ where you can put both components. The lower the calculated value, the less performance is lost when playing games from the CPU to the GPU to the screen.
The right gaming RAM
The RAM could be seen as the link between the processor and the hard disk. The main memory contains data that retrieved at short notice have to be used or will be used in the near future. The newest generation of RAM are the DDR4 series (DDR=Double Date Rate). Two things are important for RAMs: The memory size and the clock rate.
RAMs are currently typically available in following gradations the memory size: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB. For a halay solid gaming PC, you should get yourself a 16GB RAM. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be 32GB. These RAMs are more suitable for elaborate image editing software.
The clock rate is also important. Speed of the working memory. Common clock rates are for example 2133MHz, 2666MHz or 3000MHz. With the Choice of speed but you should also keep the processor in mind. Because if the CPU isn’t able to process frequencies of more than 2666MHz, a RAM with 3000MHz unfortunately doesn’t help you. The motherboard must also support the corresponding speed.
By the way, if you don’t want enough RAM, you have the following options two RAMs to install it in your gaming PC and double the performance. This also works with RAMs from different manufacturers. The only important thing is that both have the same memory size, for example 16GB.
The right gaming hard disk
For hard disks, a distinction is made between HDDs and SSDs. While hard drive discs (HDDs) offer a lot of storage space and are mostly already built into finished PCs, SSDs offer significantly faster access speeds. SSDs can access files about 5 times faster than ordinary HDDs. If you want to learn more about the difference between these two types of hard drives, you can take a look at the following article: Top 5 internal SSDs with 500GB.
A popular method is to move important things like the operating system or games that are played frequently to the SSD and to store files or programs that are only used now and then on the HDD. This way, the programs that are often needed are loaded quickly and don’t take up any space on the HDD. My tip so at this point: Get both an SSD and an HDD hard disk and distribute your applications intelligently on both hard disks.
Important: Both hard disks are connected to the mainboard via a so-called SATA interface. When buying, you should make sure to order a suitable connection cable, because this is not always included in the scope of delivery of the hard disks.
The right CPU cooler
Especially when gaming, your CPU runs at full speed for a longer period of time and produces a lot of heat accordingly. For this reason the Cooling of the processor so important. If there is no cooling, the CPU overheats and your computer crashes. So this is where the CPU cooler comes into play.
A CPU cooler usually consists of a heat-dissipating metal plate and a fan that draws the warm air away from the processor. There are many processors that already come with a CPU fan ("Boxed" version). This version is, for example, completely sufficient for normal office work. But if you want to be on the safe side and protect your processor from "heat death" while gaming, you should go for a "Unboxed" version (i.e. a CPU without integrated cooler) and buy a separate CPU cooler for it.
The separately purchased CPU coolers usually have a better heat dissipation and also work quieter. Good CPU coolers are already available from about 25€. This small additional expense could well pay off. When buying, however, you should still make sure that the CPU cooler also fits the socket of your own processor. The coolers are namely tailored to the different socket sizes. If you buy a particularly large CPU cooler, you should also look for a suitable "backplate", with which the cooler can be attached to the mainboard.
The right gaming PC power supply
Last but not least, all the components for your gaming PC need to be powered of course. The right power supply is needed!
When choosing the right power supply, it’s important to make sure that it fits to your installed components, because of course, a power supply needs a lot of power Gaming PC consumes more power than a standard office computer. This is mainly due to the graphics card and the CPU, which both take up the lion’s share of the required power. While drives, hard disks or even fans only need a few watts of power, the processor, but especially the graphics card, draws several hundred watts of power.
The problem is that the power consumption of these two components is not always the same, but depends on their load. In especially computationally intensive gaming situations the graphics card and the processor, for example, are much more demanded, thus consume much more power, than in low computing game situations. Of course, your gaming PC shouldn’t crash immediately during these "peaks" in power consumption, which is why the power supply should also meet such high requirements.
For this reason, when choosing a power supply, you should pay attention to the so-called "power factor" TDP value the individual installed components. This indicates the maximum power loss in watts and can be used to calculate the power consumption. The best thing to do is to google the TDP value/power consumption of your graphics card, your processor and your other gaming PC components. You can also find overview tables with the consumption values of many graphics cards on the internet, for example here and here.
Finally, you simply add up the consumption values of all components and you get the final (theoretically maximum) consumption of your gaming PC. This could look like this, for example:
- mainboard: 20 watts
- DVD burner: 8 watts
- 3 fans: zsm. 7.5 watts
- Sound card: 6 watts
- Working memory: 2 watts
- hard disks: zsm: 4 watts
- Graphics card 250 watts
- CPU: 150 Watt
Together, this brings the total consumption to 447.5 watts. To be on the safe side, when choosing the right power supply, you should still have a Buffer of at least. 10% add it up. For our example, a power supply with 500, better 550 watts would fit well. Before buying, you should also take a look at the efficiency of the power supply. Values around 80-85% are common, but it is obvious that power supplies with a higher efficiency convert less power ineffectively into heat!
Conclusion: Putting together a gaming PC – What do I need??
If you want to put together your own gaming PC, you have maximum control over the components used. However, there are also some things to consider. Many components are interrelated and need to fit together for the gaming PC to run smoothly.
There is no limit to the budget when putting together a gaming PC. However, there is a lower limit: you shouldn’t spend less than 500€ for a halay good gaming PC. And even that is already very low.
On the other hand, a well-equipped gaming PC offers a lot of power maximum gaming power, especially when the components are well matched. In addition to the components mentioned above, there are of course a number of other hardware that can be installed in a PC, but they are not an absolute must. For example a DVD drive, a sound card or various fans.
We are interested in your opinion! What equipment does your gaming PC have?? Feel free to write us in the comments what hardware you have installed!