When you’re looking to build your first computer it’s important to choose the right parts. This guide will help you learn to find all the right parts for your personal computer. This guide will go in-depth on how parts integrate together and make sure you don’t buy the wrong products as well as choose the right products for you.
Choosing a case
There are many considerations to make when looking for a case to start your build. Your case is the Skeleton upon which the rest of the computer is built. Choosing a case is more than picking what looks the coolest. Some thought has to go to the application of the computer. How much space do you have to store the computer? What will you be using the computer for? These are questions that you have to answer before looking to buy a case.
Case size
There are 4 different sizes of computer cases: full tower, mid tower, mini tower and SFF (small factor form). To choose a case it’s important to think about what you will be using the computer for. If you are using the computer for gaming for example then a mini to full tower would be the best pick for you. However if you are doing basic office work then mid to SFF would be a good choice. The important consideration here is that you have to have enough room for the parts that need to go into the machine. Then lastly you need to consider the amount of space you have for the computer. If you’re low on space for a gaming computer then a mini tower would be best for you.
Airflow
Another important part of finding the right case is airflow. If you’re building a gaming pc you need to make sure you have good airflow; for when those components get hot! The Corsair 4000D is unprecedented when it comes to airflow. When creating airflow in a case you have to pull air in one side and put it out another. A common mistake people make is they don’t add a separate exit point for air. When you’re only pulling in new air you often actually trap the hot air inside the case. In my experience it’s often best to pull in air flow from the front and push it out the back.
Choosing a CPU
Choosing the right CPU for you is very important. So I will give you a few things to consider. There are two different types of CPU’s to choose from: AMD and intel. Both chips are great respectively. however they have their individual applications. I will go over the pros and cons of each so you can make the decision for yourself.
AMD
When talking about AMD its criminal not to mention Ryzen as they have become the super power for AMD processors. Ryzen makes the best chips on the market for AMD. However, knowing if AMD is right for you takes some consideration. Let’s start with an application if you are doing heavy processing like gaming for example. Then Ryzen’s high thread multi core system may be best for you. As of recent Ryzen’s AMD chips has blown intel out of the water bringing unmatched performance especially on the high end. Ryzen’s threadripper 3990x is a true monster. Although its a bit overkill to say the least. Unless you plan on rendering a whole planet to 3D print its application may be far below its capabilities. Although AMD offers the best performance per watt. Ryzen makes extremely efficient chips. They offer high output in performance with low heat and power consumption. Ryzen makes the chip for creativity.
Intel
Intel makes some of the best computer chips in the world. while they aren’t as efficient as their AMD counterparts. They do offer the better price often by a considerable amount. every year or two AMD trades who makes the better gaming chip. So when buying it’s best to do the research. Intel is known as the corporate chip they offer the best in workload performance. So if you’re looking for a chip for your office computer intel is a strong candidate.
CPU cooler
There are two types of CPU coolers: Air and liquid. They both have their pros and cons. Air cooling is great for mid to low tier CPUs. As well as air cooling is very easy to set up. Liquid cooling tends to require more set up time and can lead to big problems if the system fails. Overall though liquid cooling apart from looking cooler does maintain a benefit of having lower temperatures.
Motherboard
When choosing your motherboard you have to consider the changes you made earlier. There are different sizes of motherboards mini-ITX micro-ATX, ATX and EATX. Each are different dimensions. So you have to know what size your computer can hold. If you have a full tower any will work if you have a mini tower then you’re going to need a micro or mini motherboard.
Storage slots
your computer will hold two types of memory: volatile and non volatile. RAM (random access memory) has to have slots. So when you’re buying a motherboard you have to make sure it has the amount that you want. People often try to save money on the motherboard by getting one with low RAM slots. Please do not do that! RAM is sold by storage and speed and when you want more storage it will cost a lot more. The price between 4 8 GB sticks and one 32 GB stick is outrageous; you will not save any money by skimping on storage or graphics lots.
Form factor
Now earlier you hopefully chose the type of cp you want. Now when you’re buying a motherboard you have to pay attention to the type of form factor it is. If you have an AMD processor you more than likely need an am4 or am5 slot. luckily for you most AMD motherboards are cross compatible for both. Now if you chose intel you have to pay attention to the form factors compatible. Intel processors have LGA followed by a number for example LGA1700. That’s your processor form factor number. You have to make sure the motherboard you buy will accept that form factor for the processor.
RAM
RAM or (random access memory) is a type of volatile storage that is used to store packages the computer may not have to save to memory. When choosing RAM you have to consider speed and space. If you are using your computer for gaming most games recommend at least 16 GB of space to not encounter lag or stutter. However if you’re using the computer to do basic office work you may only need 8 GB of storage. Now speed of your RAM does make difference. RAM is measured in MHz the higher the number the better the recommended minimum right now is 3200+ anything below that you will start to experience issues.
GPU
GPU or(graphics processing unit) is the piece of hardware that as you probably could have guessed deals with the graphics. Also known as a video card the graphics card makes a huge difference when you are using your computer. As always so far it comes down to application. What do you plan on using the computer for? If you are doing high end rendering or gaming then you will need a higher end graphics card. Looking at the storage amount on the graphics card is a good way to see if it is going to be a good option. Most triple-A games are using 4GB of storage at 1080p so you are going to need a little bit more than that so you don’t burn out the card. however if you plan on planning indie games or non graphic intense games you may be able to get away with less.
Storage
Non-volatile storage comes in two different types: SSD and HDD. For this one I can only recommend SSD with faster read and write times there’s almost no point to having a HDD. They are so similar in price it really makes no sense to use HDD unless you have a habit of magnetizing your drives. when buying SSD’s watch for the form size. Your computer case has slots made for mounting the SSD. make sure you get an SSD that fits that slot. Another item of importance is the transfer read and write speed. Speed measured in Mb/s you want the highest number you can get at least you want 500 Mb/s. and Storage again depends on application, look at the size of the games you may want to download and make a wise decision, however remember you can always add another SSD.
power supply
I chose to put the power supply at the very end because you need to make all of the other decisions first. To help with this I recommend that you use a PC part picker. This free website allows you to pick all of the parts that you want and at the top right it will tell you the estimated wattage. Take this number and add a little bit more. NEVER LESS! you run the risk of damaging parts if your power supply is not strong enough.
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