In the week leading up to our separation, I promised I would help you choose the parts for your PC or find the right pre-built for you. I would’ve loved to sit with you as we built the setup you deserve. It is one of the many promises I can still keep so below you’ll find my recommendations. Below I’ll include a brief description of the parts to consider when building your PC, I’m sure you already know most of them but I’ll add them just in case. I’ll also add my setup as a reference as well as 2 options, one high budget and the other low, just click on the link to see the list, feel free to mix and match the parts to fit your needs.
Parts to Consider :
CPU: “Brain” of the computer, where calculations take place, determines how fast programs run. Ryzen considered the best bang for your buck.
CPU Cooler: Keeps the CPU cool while it works to prevent overheating, there are 2 main kinds, Air and Liquid coolers.
Motherboard: Main board for the computer, connects all other components.
Memory (RAM): short-term memory, more RAM speeds up multitasking. Would recommend at least 16G if not 32G.
Storage: Long-term storage or data and programs, 2 types, SSD (fast/ efficient) and HDD (slower than SSD). I recommend at least 1TB.
Video Card (GPU): Renders images, video, and animations, the most important component for gaming, worth investing in. I suggest NVIDIA.
Case: The enclosure that house and protects all the internal components. Make sure it fits all components and its up to you, there are some cute ones out there.
Power Supply: Provides power to all components, make sure you have enough wattage for all your components.
Wireless Network Adapter: Allows computer to connect to the internet wirelessly.
Monitor: Your screen, lowest is 60Hz, I highly recommend a 144Hz screen.
My PC
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bCY9kJ
Built this during the GPU shortage so at the time the GPU on its own cost me ≈$1100. I believe it was well worth it however, its been 3 years and the PC runs new AAA on high settings.
Low-Budget PC
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MMqmwg
Will cost you ≈$775 not including the monitor, will probably cost you around $1000 total if you include an okay monitor. I highly recommend you opt for a mid-range PC a mix of this list and the high-budget, with emphasis on the CPU, GPU, and monitor.
High-Budget PC
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pkGL34
Will cost ≈$1550 not including the monitor, which I suggest getting a 144Hz to fully make use of the powerful CPU. It will run whatever you throw at it, a bit overkill but will last you forever.
Pre-Built Options
I wouldn’t recommend going pre-built for most people, the usual markup for these is 10-20% but you are, for the most part, gurranteed a working PC, usually with a warranty if anything goes. In your case I would consider a pre-built just because I’m not sure if you’d have someone help you build it which is a must for your first time, in my case I had my brother help me.
At the Crossroads 