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Gaming PCs Buying Guide

The latest upcoming games.

Gaming PC Manufacturers

If you want one of the major PC manufacturers to build a gaming system for you, you'll want to order it with specific parts. Keep in mind also that of any type of consumer computing system, gaming PC, be prepared to make the full investment on all fronts. The models mentioned below for each manufacturer are what each company considers their gaming line, but great Building or Upgrading a Gaming Rig You can save some money and get the system perfectly customized to your desires by building it yourself or upgrading the parts in your current system. On top of that, building or upgrading a computer isn't as difficult as you might think, and it can actually be a lot of fun as a daylong project. The downsides are that you won't have a warranty on the entire system that you can use with a manufacturer's tech support if something eventually goes wrong, though you will have warranties on all the individual parts; as long as you can isolate what the problem is, you can get a replacement from that part's manufacturer as long as it's under warranty. The most difficult thing about building your own PC is finding the parts for cheap. You avoid the nasty shipping and labor costs that manufacturers tack onto the price of their systems, but they also save by ordering parts in bulk. You won't get bulk discounts for ordering one part, but fortunately ShopWiki will help you find the best deals on all the components you'll need. You can learn more about building a computer in our guide, but here's a rundown of the parts that are most important to a gaming PC. Also remember: laptop parts and desktop parts are NOT interchangeable! If you're building a laptop, you'll need parts designed for laptops, and the same holds true for desktop PCs. # '''extra fans, and then you'll need a case that can accommodate those as well. # '''Motherboard.''' All of your other parts will need to interface correctly with the motherboard, so choose wisely. The different connections on the motherboard will dictate the connections you'll need for every other component. If you want to use CrossFire graphics card arrangements, your motherboard will need to support it, and the number of memory slots (DIMMs) is also determined by the board you choose. In short, know what kinds of hardware you're going to want and how many of each type of connection and buy your motherboard accordingly. # '''RAM.''' Short for Random Access Memory, this is often simply referred to as memory and it represents your computer's ability to run simultaneous streams of information. The more RAM you have, the more processes your computer can run at once. There are limits to the RAM that you can use based on your operating system, so check that out before you choose your version of Windows; you don't waste that extra RAM. RAM is measured not just in quantity but in interface (DDR, DDR2, and DDR3) and in memory speed (measured in MHz). DDR3 is generally preferred over DDR2, and DDR is not often found anymore and in clock speed, the faster the memory, the better. RAM is one of the most crucial aspects of a gaming computer, as games are very intensive on memory because of all the processing they must perform. # '''Processor. '''The main muscle behind a computer is the processor, the two main brands of which are Intel Core i7 is pricey, but the performance from its eight threads is incredible. # '''surround sound speakers you'll want to use, then make sure your sound card can output in surround sound. # '''Solid State Drive.''' Your case might be able to support multiple drives for storage. You'll want something that runs quickly and has lots of storage space. Hard disk drives (HDDs) are less expensive and have more overall storage than solid state drives (SSDs), which are flash based, but SSDs don't fragment data like hard drives do, and they have faster access to data. They also don't slow down over time like hard drives do, and they use less power and are quieter. If a solid state drive isn't out of your price range and you can afford one large enough for your tastes, then go for it. If not, there's no shame in getting a spacious hard drive for all your storage needs. # '''Windows 7.

Competent Components and Potent Parts

These components will provide great value for your gaming desktop if you want power on a budget, or get you all the getif you can spare no expense.

Choosing a Display

All that video processing power will go to waste if you don't have a good monitor or largeTelevisions'>Plasma TVs. These are some of the best computer monitors around for gaming.

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