Gone are the days when people liked to play outside. The games would include physical and mental exercise apart from enjoyment. Today, technology has offered a version of playing and rejoicing that doesn’t require you to step outside.
Yes, you guessed it right. Gaming computers have become a popular way of entertainment among almost every age group. It has also made people closer by offering online, multi-player games. Making teams and going on quests together is teamwork portrayed beautifully by the players all across the globe.
Things To Consider Before Buying Gaming Computer
While playing video games is fun, buying a suitable PC model is another story altogether. Gather an ample amount of knowledge before buying such an expensive technology product. It is always a good idea to do your research and weigh down the pros and cons before making a purchase.
Here is the list of a few things to look out for;
Design/ Build
Let’s talk about the exterior first. Who doesn’t like to showcase their passion most stylishly? From colored cables to see-through windows, custom paint, logos, or sleek design, the options are tempting. And that large screen to enjoy your game on is unmatchable joy.
A high-resolution giant screen makes the experience more valuable. Although classy build or fine looks doesn’t come cheap. Hence if your pocket allows, build yourself an eye-catching gaming castle. And enjoy it with your friends and gaming clan.
PC size makes a difference
The size of your gaming unit matters, and depends upon the space availability. There are several sizes available in the market such as full tower, mid-tower, mini-tower, small form factor, and desktop.
Choose the size according to the space and future equipment additions. For example, a full tower is 24’ in height and will require a lot of space, unless you have an entire room dedicated to gaming. A mid-tower on the other hand is 18’ in height and will leave room for additional specs if required.
In the same manner, a mini-tower averaging 12’, occupies less space, allowing upgrades to be much easier. Then comes the small form factor and desktop PCs. These can fit in a small corner of your room. And offer a little to no option for upgrades.
Another thing to keep in mind is that while small form factors and desktops are manageable in little nooks of your room. These tend to heat up quickly, are louder, and will not allow modification. Full-tower, on the other hand, has endless upgrade and modification possibilities but can cost you an arm and leg.
Conversely, mid to mini-towers are reasonable to most players and spare you space to increase your gaming jam in the future.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
One of the very first specifications to look for before making a purchase is the processor. It will regulate system performance with most software on your PC. GPU is responsible for a smooth gaming experience. Investing in a good processor for the ultimate gaming experience is worth every penny.
Processor core count is the main thing to take into consideration. It ranges from 2 to 16 cores, 6 being most appropriate to start with for gaming. AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel i5 are good options for this purpose.
Most games nowadays are featuring multiple core utilization at once, paired them with the same GPU makes the performance almost alike.
Rapid Access Memory (RAM)
A suitable system RAM for a gaming computer is between 8-16 GB. Since memory is the easiest feature to upgrade, there is no need to buy more than what you need at a time. However, this should be kept in mind that memory is not just used by the games. Every running system in your PC requires memory. Hence choose RAM accordingly if you wish to run other applications as well. For example, AutoCAD or editing will require more RAM than 16 GB.
Solid-State Drives (SSD)
Although most PCs nowadays come with in-built space hard drives. Sometimes an extra memory space is required for the best gaming experience. And that is when we need to purchase solid-state drives to make the system more efficient. The good thing about them is that they are cheaper as compared to the memory space they offer.
With SSD under the hood, you will be able to upload games as fast as 10-20 secs. Moreover, windows will also boot faster.
There are two types of SSDs available namely SATA and M.2, the latter being much more expensive, faster, and with other additional features. However, both will work fine with the gaming setup.
Upgrade friendly
Wisely choose your options on this one. Always keep room for modifications and updates whether it’s regarding money, specs, or space. This additional feature will give you flexibility for any future additions. Furthermore, with this ever-growing technology, you never know what new technology is going to release. At least you should be able to avail those upgrades without changing your whole gaming system.
Ports
For the ports, I would say the more the better. The best gaming PC is the one with several porting sites. The system should have at least 6 of 3.0 USB ports, an HDMI port, and 3-4 DisplayPorts.
Thunderbolt port and USB type-C should also be considered for additional advantages.
Power supply system
Never attempt to use a cheap quality plug-on for your gaming computer. Spend a little extra if you should on the power supply of your PC. A low-quality power supply (PSU) unit will not only cause frequent power cuts but will also damage other components as well.
Always choose a power unit that is a bit higher than your PC’s required wattage. Another factor to consider is power efficiency certification. An 80 plus certification should opt for this purpose. This ensures 80% power efficiency at average power draw.
PSUs come in modular, semi-modular, and non-modular forms. With non- modular having all power supplies detached from PSU. Semi-modular comes with essential cables attached and other detachable cables for components. And finally modular with all power supplies attached to the PSU.
Cool and calm
No one wants their computer systems to heat up, right? Although, this doesn’t directly affect the gaming performance, it definitely has an impact on the PC. And if you are concerned, you can go for coolers, fans, and venting pipes.
Secondly, the noise will reduce dramatically with this. A pair of noise-canceling headphones is also a good option.
Budget
At the end of the day, it all comes to how much you can spend. Remember your budget is as important as other specs to consider while purchasing the gaming computer. Buy whatever is most important and you can always upgrade it later. you should be able to buy a decent setup in your budget range.
Refresh rate and response time
The number of times your gaming computer screen updates or refreshes per second is directly proportional to the playing experience. That means the more it updates the more smoothly the game will run. Its measuring unit is hertz (Hz). In simple words, a higher refresh rate is a delightful experience but costly as well.
Similarly, response time is opposite to refresh rate. Response time is how quickly the screen goes from active to inactive and vice versa. This one is measured in milliseconds (ms). Unlike refresh rate, response time should be less.
Conclusion
I hope that the above-mentioned things will help you to make your purchase. You will now be able to look for particular specifications which will help you to decide. However, choosing the right gaming computer differs from person to person, depending upon likes, preferences, and budget, the basic things to consider remain the same.
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