If you are new to the world of PC gaming, you may find it overwhelming. As a field that consists of many hardware components, a variety of gaming options, and newer innovations on a regular basis; it can turn confusing or difficult to follow. Gaming PCs have several advantages over gaming consoles. You can easily enjoy custom PC games based on your interests. It can increase the portfolio of gaming applications- ensuring variety, flexibility, and freedom. Another advantage is customization. You can pick the different components of a gaming PC as per your preferences. By building a custom gaming PC, you can assemble the necessary parts according to your budget and purpose.
It is also possible to upgrade to newer components with passing time. After you have spent enough time in understanding the basics of custom PC games and gaming PC, you can buy newer upgrades with higher specifications. As a beginner, you can start by understanding the different components, types, and options of custom PC games. In order to start, you would require a thorough understanding of the hardware. It is necessary to understand the significance of every hardware part so you can allocate the right amount to the budget.
After choosing the hardware, you can look for places where you can buy new games on a regular basis. There are many options for buying digital copies of games as physical copies are turning obsolete. Finally, you can start exploring the world of custom PC games. It takes time to find the right choices as per your preference. You can always read blogs or reviews to learn about the newer releases and updates.
1. Choosing the hardware for custom PC games
This is the first and foremost step to get started with custom PC games. You would require the right assembly with individual components. The primary computer parts include processor, RAM, graphics card, storage, power supply, and peripheral parts. There is no right or wrong component in a gaming PC. The correct component depends on the type of applications that you intend to run. For example, if you engage in multiple activities that consume more data, you would require a processor and RAM to support it. Likewise, depending on the type of games, you would need an appropriate graphics card or GPU.
A GPU handles the transfer of optics, video, and images that form the building block of any custom PC game. Hence, you would need a GPU with appropriate capacity, speed, and number of cores that can handle all the data.
You can either go with gaming laptops or gaming desktops. Laptops generally possess an integrated graphics card that can support most of the basic gaming applications. For example, Ryzen 4000 and Intel Xe laptops with integrated graphics can offer optimum performance capability. But if you prefer to enjoy a larger portfolio of games with possible upgrades in the future, you can opt for a desktop gaming PC. It allows you to change and improve along the way.
a. GPU and CPU for custom PC games
For a desktop computer, GPU and CPU are the primary essential components. A GPU would handle the graphics portion, while the CPU can process all the other streams of data. It is possible to change a graphics card when you can find something within your budget. Also, when you transition from an entry-level gamer to a mid-level, you can always change the GPU. But it is relatively difficult to change the CPU. You may have to change the entire motherboard. Hence, you must choose the right type of CPU at the start itself. AMD and Intel are the main players that have a wide variety of processors. AMD is particularly known for an impressive performance capability when it comes to gaming. You can easily find options of AMD processors with different specifications. For example, AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series desktop processors are an excellent option for gaming applications.
For graphics cards, you can pick either AMD or Nvidia. Nvidia has a wide variety with differences in terms of number of cores, processing speed, capacity, and much more.
b. Storage and memory
After picking the right GPU and CPU, you must look for storage options. An HDD is like a traditional hard disk drive that is useful for large workloads. But if you require storage for gaming, you can go with an SSD. An SSD consists of memory chips that can handle large streams of data. SSDs offer the dual advantage of speed and capacity. Hence, you can easily invest in an SSD of up to 1TB capacity to extract the maximum benefit from gaming.
Samsung and Western Digital are the primary players that have many options for SSDs. You can start with a 250GB SSD for custom PC games and upgrade later as the need arises. It is possible to pair a lower SDD with a higher HDD. SSD can handle the gaming applications, while the HDD can store your bulk workload. You can also sell used SSD or HDD and use the cash value for an upgrade. In terms of RAM, a 16GB capacity is a preferred and ideal option for gaming. It allows enough space for intensive applications and gaming. If you have a RAM with lower capacity of 4GB or 8GB, you can also trade it for cash and pick a higher capacity.
c. Peripheral components
This includes the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and headsets. You can easily go with any option that suits your budget. It would not affect the overall performance capability of the custom PC games. It can only enhance the experience if you would like to select any particular unique feature. For monitors, you can look at refresh rate and resolution. Refresh rate represents the maximum frame rate that can influence the display. A refresh rate of 60 Hz can be ideal for gaming. For resolution, you can pick either 1080p, 1440p or even 4K.
2. Buying the custom PC games
With the right hardware in place, you can look for exciting game titles. Steam, Epic Games store, and GOG are three online places where you can find most of the custom PC games. These stores offer digital copies of the games. You would notice that each of these stores has a comprehensive library of all the games. It is easy to navigate and explore games based on different categories. The GOG does not contain any DRM. This means it can launch games independently without any reliance on the launcher or internet connection. Some other launcher options include Origin and Ubisoft connect.
With the hardware and launcher in place, you can explore the world of custom PC games. You may not have all the information and resources right away. The idea is to start with something basic and upgrade to higher levels for maximum fun.