Have you ever been interested in building a gaming PC?
Gaming PCs have recently become popular amongst many people because they're powerful and can run anything. They can do much more than gaming, making them a great investment for those that like to do editing, multitasking, and more.
Some of the best gaming PCs can be quite expensive, but you can still get a modern one without breaking the bank. Building one will require you to get several parts, so we'll go over all of the important stuff.
How much does it cost to build a gaming PC? Read on to learn everything you need to know!
Processor
The processor will be one of the most important parts of your computer because it acts as the brain of the system. Processors are responsible for running tasks on your computer, so you'll need to invest in a strong one to play modern games.
Some games come out poorly optimized, meaning that they don't work well for a variety of systems. With a powerful processor, you'll be able to run almost anything for several years. Processors can typically cost you between $200-300 depending on what you get, but AMD processors are usually cheaper than Intel.
Graphics Card
The graphics card will be just as important as the processor, if not more important. Graphics cards are what display games onto your monitor. Without one, you won't be able to run anything besides flash games on your browsers.
There are numerous cards that you can get, but there are generally a few that dominate the market at once. You can go for something like a GTX 1650 or RX 580 for around $150, or you can go big and get an RTX 2080 for about $700.
Any of these cards will run most modern games, but you're essentially paying for longevity. The RTX 2080 will last for many years to come whereas the 1650 and 580 might only last a few. When it comes to graphics cards, the two major brands are Nvidia and AMD.
RAM
Random-access memory (RAM) is what allows your computer to multitask. RAM is temporary storage for your computer when it opens programs. For example, let's say you open Google Chrome. Your RAM will actively store data from Chrome while you're using other programs.
Today's gaming computers are built with nothing less than 16 GB of ram. This is because modern games end up using around 8 GB, so you'll need much more to run games alongside other programs.
Programs like Chrome are notorious for being RAM-intensive, so you'll need 16 GB unless you plan on having a single-monitor setup and only running games. You can find sticks of 8GB for about $50-100 depending on the type of RAM.
HDD/SSD
Most people today are familiar with hard-drive disks (HDDs). They're responsible for storing everything on your computer from the operating system to the programs. However, solid-state drives (SSDs) are quickly becoming the standard for good gaming computers.
SSDs are much quicker than HDDs, allowing your PC to start up and open programs within seconds. Unlike HDDs, SSDs don't use internal discs to operate. They run solely on magnets, so they don't need to wait for a disc to be read.
Hard drives are inexpensive, generally costing around $50 for 2 TB. SSDs, on the other hand, are about $100 for 1 TB. When choosing between the two, we recommend you go for an SSD simply because you'll have a much better experience.
Motherboard
Motherboards are the core of your computer as they connect everything. All of your parts will connect to the motherboard, and it will transfer data between everything to run as a unit. While the processor can be thought of as the brain, you can think of the motherboard as the heart of the computer.
Today's motherboards aren't that expensive, with many of them going for around $80-150. You'll have to do some research to decide which one is best for you because you need to have specific RAM and processors for each one. For example, some motherboards only accept DDR4 RAM and a certain Intel chipset.
Power Supply
The power supply is what your computer needs to receive power. This will connect to the motherboard and provides a port that can be used for a cable to plug into an outlet. You can find most power supplies for about $50-100 depending on the wattage.
Peripherals
Peripherals are everything else that you'll use for your computer, such as the monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, mousepad, etc. These vary dramatically depending on the brand that you're getting.
Gamers usually spend $100-200 on just their mice and keyboards because many of them prefer mechanical keyboards, which cost more than membrane ones. You can get a decent monitor for about $100, but you'll need to spend much more if you want a high resolution or large size.
So How Much Does It Cost to Build a Gaming PC?
To build a gaming PC, you'll have to spend several hundreds of dollars. To better answer the question, you'll need to decide what kind of games you want to play. If you're looking to play modern games, expect to spend a lot more than you would if you wanted to play classics.
Because there are many parts of a computer, it's easy to spend a lot on new components. Fortunately, you'll only have to do small upgrades every couple of years once you have a computer.
Rather than asking, "how much does it cost to build a gaming PC?" You can browse our gaming PCs that don't require any work.