How to Build Your Own Gamer PC

So you want to build your own gamer PC? Beware of one thing: a system that kicks tail this year will be mid-level next year, and entry level a year or 2 after that. Obsolescence begins at 4 years, decrepitude at 5 and beyond. For that reason, this article won't recommend specific parts to buy. Instead, it will focus on key features, brand names and price points; even as performance inexorably rises, the price of a high-quality gaming machine seems to stay in the same range: between $1,500 and $3,000.

Things You'll Need

• Sturdy case
• 500w or higher power supply
• Motherboard
• CPU
• RAM
• Video card
• Hard drive(s)
• Peripherals (keyboard, mouse, joystick)

Instructions

1. Choose a case. You're going to be paying hundreds of dollars for each piece of your computer. Why put them in a flimsy, cramped, poorly laid-out box that barely offers any protection? More importantly, if you're building computers yourself, the case is the one piece that can keep serving you for years even after you've changed motherboards and processors three or four times. If it's going to last, get one built to last.
   Cases come in many form factors. The ATX mid-tower seems to deliver the best combination of features without burdening your work area with something the size and weight of a tombstone.
   Look for solid construction, good airflow (fans front and back and a side vent), spaciousness, accessibility, expandability and front panel connectors (USB, FireWire and audio input/output.)
   Expect to pay $50 to $100.

2. Choose a reliable power supply. If you've never built a computer system, you might think this is a good place to save a little money. In fact, saving money on a power supply is one of the most expensive things you can do. A bad one can ruin your computing and gaming experience. When voltage and current levels vary too much, it shows up on your monitor as random error messages or even blue screens. You might think you're running buggy software, but, in reality, your hardware can't cope with unreliable power. Worse yet, power variations will drastically shorten the life of electronic components, no matter how well made.
   Look for: a minimum wattage rating of 500 modularity; which helps air flow inside your computer case by reducing cable clutter; and a reputable manufacturer such as Antec, Thermaltake, Ultra Products or Corsair.
   Expect to spend from $70 to $200.

3. Choose a CPU. The debate between Intel and AMD has raged for years, although Intel usually leads in marketshare. In terms of performance, the two have maintained a rough parity.
   Whichever one you choose, consider: chip speed, the number of cores, FSB (Front Side Bus) speed--the speed at which the CPU communicates with RAM (This is important when choosing RAM because RAM speed and CPU speed need to be multiples of each other.) and cache size.
   Expect to spend from $180 to $280 for desktop versions.

4. Choose a motherboard. The components of a good gaming system need to plug into a good platform.
   Consider: reputable manufacturers such as ASUS, Gigabyte, Intel and MSI; supported processors; maximum RAM--2, 4 or 6 slots; chipset, which handles communication between the CPU and everything else on the board (i.e., memory, hard drives, expansion slots); SLI (Scalable Link Interface) capability; expansion slots; USB and FireWire ports--at least 4 USB ports; and overclocking capacity.
   Expect to spend from $250 to $350.

5. Choose RAM, which will influence the speed of your system. Consider: speed/bandwidth, CPU compatibility, motherboard compatibility and reputable brands such as Kingston Technology, Crucial and OCZ Technology.
   Memory prices vary greatly, so it's difficult to suggest a range. For the high end, expect to spend at least $100 or more.

6. Choose a graphics card. For gamers, this is where the rubber meets the road. The market has consolidated around two GPU chip makers: Nvidia and ATI. In terms of performance, they are roughly comparable.
   Look for: GPU core clock speed, memory clock speed, memory type--graphics versus regular, memory quantity and stream processors.
   Expect to spend $200 to $500.

7. Put it all together. Attach a hard drive and peripherals. Power up. Install an operating system, drivers, applications and your games.

Tips & Warnings

• Handle components carefully. Wear a grounding strap. Your body carries enough static electricity to fry any and all of the expensive components you've just purchased.