Skip the Console, Build a Gaming PC

[Guest]

If the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 don't excite you, it may be time to build your own gaming PC. It takes some dedication and technical know-how, but a few basic concepts will see you through.

Skip the Console, Build a Gaming PC : Read more

 

[drewhoo]

While there is no need to inundate beginners with technical details, there is a good cause for at least listing some citations for the claims this article is making, as well as resources for further exploration and learning. There are many build guides out there, but perhaps a beginner wouldn't know what words to use to search for them, so here are a few:

Newegg's video series
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPIXAtNGGCw
Tom's Hardware's
http/www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1657114/step-step-guide-building.html

A decent power supply calculator
http/www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

Also,
To a beginner, the power supply section seems to suggest that the actual units differentiate based on whether they contain bronze, silver, gold, or platinum, when those are just the names given to the different levels of energy efficiency certification.

In addition, it would be worth noting that a large downside to playing on a PC has just been removed because the Xbox One and PS4 will both, for the first time, be using the same computer architecture as PCs, which at least means that PC ports will be of a higher quality and might even mean that more games get ported!

 

[MasterMace]

Why give a beginner a guide and tell them to drop over $700?

There are plenty of builds for $500 and under. You don't need to drop $100 on a power supply, especially not for a $100 graphics card. You don't want a $100 graphics card. You don't want a $200 graphics card with a $300 processor. There are plenty of coolers from $20 to $30 for builds that anybody can use.

 

[Kurshu]

I think a $400-$500 build would go down a lot better with someone new to PC gaming than dropping as much as $700 on a machine.

There are plenty of builds around for $400 that are extremely effective at playing newer games at medium settings. Just check you Tom's own forums for brilliant suggestions from the forum members.

 

[Poul Wrist]

What motherboard doesn't fit a discrete graphicscard? I know some mini-ITX and smaller that don't, but any mATX and ATX? Huh?

 

[xero141]

2003 called.. they want their article back!

There are a lot of pretty good boards under $150... 99% of modern boards support external graphics and have on-board audio.. plus 2gb of visual memory... really, toms? you're telling newbies to look at video ram size as a basis for buying a video card?

 

[cats_Paw]

These are sad times. PC games lowering their standards, corruption in Politics, economical crysis, and Tomshardware putting more ads than real articles.

I need to find myself a girlfriend .

 

[photonboy]

1. So vague as to be almost useless. Plenty of better articles.

2. 16GB is not "better" than 8GB for gaming.

3. Good PSU's below $100 exist. For $40 the Antec VP-450 is perfect for 450W builds.

4. $150 to $200 for graphics card? Rather limited choices there.

5. about $30 for Cooler Master Hyper 212/Evo (below $50 to $100)

7. No mention of Game Controller for a GAME PC?

Too vague. Prices issues. Omissions.

 

[shaun_shaun]

what do u need 16gb ram for?? 8gb is more than sufficient atm....

 

[rajesh com]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause controversy. I suppose that science and math have changed, and perhaps there is truly IS more to learn. I have tried to keep up to an extent,
<a href=http/www.xidax.com/desktops>custom gaming pc builder</a>

 

[rajesh com]

Well you can upgrade them very easily if you build them….ya
<a href=http/www.xidax.com/desktops>custom gaming pc builder</a>

 

[tiret]

This article is stupid. If I were ignorant to Pc's this would in no way encourage me to give it a try. just by the way you did not include the cost of windows! Most of the other costs listed are too high.