PC Building: Advice and Budgets
Introduction
I was not always the ‘computer whiz’ that I am today. My journey took nearly a decade and was filled with plenty of missteps and aggravation. Before leaving for college, I purchased a gaming laptop. While today, I would compare all different models and performance and look through reviews, back then I was a different person. I purchased a Dell Inspiron 7567 laptop solely because it was featured in Spider-Man: Homecoming being used by Peter Parker. The marketing campaign around this laptop was very much aware that this was a big selling point for this device.
Marketing image for the Dell Inspiron 7567 Gaming Laptop to coincide with the release of “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.
At the time, I simply did not have the media literacy to understand that I was buying a device based on a movie I liked rather than performance. Regardless, I loved that laptop so dang much. I named the laptop “Karen” after the AI in the Spider-Man suit featured in the movie and she was extremely reliable for my college experience. While this device was my daily driver for schoolwork, I was using the laptop for gaming as well. As the years went on, I felt that the laptop was struggling to keep up with the graphical demands that were required by newer titles. At this point, now a more media literate adult, I took a deep dive into the world of PC Building alongside my college roommate. I had no idea how much I was about to learn, and how my mindset on tech was about to drastically change.
Building computers is a notoriously expensive hobby. I largely understood this from arguments regarding whether PC gaming or console gaming was king. Most of my exposure to gaming prior to this time was console gaming. Having access to a Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, Gameboy Advance, DS Lite, 3DS, and Xbox One gave me a bit of a bias. My notable memories of PC gaming in my adolescence include playing Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (yes, the 2005 one), and learning that just because a device is new does not mean it is powerful. I had acquired an original Microsoft Surface at the beginning of high school and attempted to play Star Wars: The Old Republic on it. I was shocked to discover that the game ran like, in a word, dogshit. I had incurred a false notion that new devices can play new games without for a moment considering that there was a variety of components that control how ‘powerful’ a device is. Now in college, as I stood upon the precipice of designing my new computer, I knew that I would need to become well-researched on a topic I seemingly knew very little about.
I started with a slew of YouTube tutorials and guides. I wanted to know primarily what was required in order for me to build a system without anything going awry. Once my primary objective was complete, I wanted to become versed on the current make-up of the PC component market so that I could make informed decisions regarding my purchases. Here are some of the YouTube channels that helped me get started understanding the tech market. In addition, here is a video made recently that I think will be helpful in showcasing the mindset of balancing budget and performance.
Building the Computer
So, what are the essential parts needed to build a computer? At minimum, a modern-era PC running Windows will need the following:
Motherboard - This is the circuit board that all the other components will connect to. It acts as the nervous system of the computer, allowing communication from the components to one another.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) – Largely the brains of the operation. The CPU can do mathematical operations quickly and at large volume. ‘Faster’ CPUs are ones that can do math operations faster, or can handle more operations at once.
CPU Cooler – Running electricity through things can heat them up rather quickly. A CPU cooler attaches to the CPU and dissipates the heat, the major forms of CPU cooler are air cooling (a big fan or fans) and water cooling (a loop of water in tubes is used to carry the heat from the CPU to a radiator).
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – These video cards output the images that we see on the monitor. For gaming, they do the heavy lifting in rendering the frames of any 3D graphics.
Random Access Memory (RAM) – These memory sticks slot in near the CPU. They are designed to hold onto short-term data that the CPU accesses to do its math operations.
Hard Drive/Solid State Drive (SSD) – File storage has undergone serious transformation over the past decade. Hard Drives are mostly a thing of the past for home computers. They would use mechanical magnetic disks to store data. Because of the moving components, they were prone to failure over time. SSDs use flash memory instead so are considered less prone to failure but typically cost more.
Power Supply – The components of a computer do not plug directly into a wall outlet, instead, the plug to the wall is connected to the power supply, which connects to all of the other components of the system, ensuring that the right amount of voltage and power is delivered where the system needs it to go. Some components use more wattage than others so it is important to get a power supply that can handle the total needs of the computer. These come with an efficiency rating called 80+ (eighty plus) which will have a term like Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum afterwards. I currently use an 80+ Gold Power Supply. My advice would be to avoid cutting costs on the power supply. It may feel enticing, but this component will plug into literally every other component you have. If it fails, it could easily take the whole system down with it.
Case – A computer case houses all the components. Different cases can provide different aesthetic to a build. Checking that the components will all fit in the case before the build can be challenging, but having incompatible components will be a major issue.
Monitor – The screen that displays the image generated by the computer. Monitors are categorized by factors like how many pixels they have (resolution) as well as how often they update the image on screen (refresh rate, measured in Hz).
Peripherals – These items let you interact with the system. Mice, keyboards, headphones, etc. Devices that allow you to exchange data with the computer fall into this category.
I would like to reiterate that this is quite the expensive hobby. Unlike videogame consoles, there is no set MSRP for a gaming computer. There is only the builder’s set budget and the decision to stick to it or not. My personal strategy has been to acquire parts over time with a clear upgrade path. When I was ready to upgrade, I used the parts I was no longer using to build new systems which I could give to family or friends. The first PC case I purchased now houses my mother’s computer. The first graphics card I ever bought now lives on in my father’s PC. When I wanted to switch from a large case to a smaller form factor it was a great opportunity to gift my sister my older system for Christmas. The point I am trying to make is that you can get back some value in this hobby by selling or giving components and old systems to others which can help with subsidizing the cost of newer components.
Another way of saving money in this market is to be patient. Online storefronts like Newegg and Amazon (though I try to avoid Amazon these days) have plenty of sales throughout the years such as Summer Sale or Black Friday/Cyber Monday offerings. These can save you hundreds of dollars at the cost of some patience. Trust me, I know how difficult that can be. The feeling of getting something at reduced price or having a free item included with purchase (I have seen games and storage drives primarily included this way) can bring more expensive components back down into budget or let you splurge on other parts of the system. Lastly, while not available for everyone, I would recommend seeing if a Micro Center brick & mortar store is in your area. I was so fortunate enough to have one within spitting distance from where I went to college and it made all the difference. I could often find components here that were at a reduced price from the online storefronts (or more accurately actually at MSRP instead of inflated prices). In addition, I was able to ascertain a Micro Center credit card which saves me 5% on all purchases. This is certainly nothing to scoff at regarding cash back deals. I personally think of this as eliminating sales tax so that I can budget more effectively.
When building my first system, I was enthralled. I built my computer alongside my college roommate who was also constructing his own PC. Having someone to talk through this process was undeniably very helpful. I remember slowly piling up components in my bedroom until the fateful day in September of 2020 where we finally had all of the pieces we needed. Graphics cards were still in shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic so I ended up purchasing a less powerful graphics card while I waited for something better. This decision would set me on my upgrade path. I remember being impatient and unable to sleep one evening. I was up in the wee hours of the morning and decided to scroll through the Micro Center inventory. Much to my fortune, it appeared that there was going to be limited stock of GPUs. At around 4:00 AM, I drove myself to Micro Center to camp out until 8:00 AM when the doors of the store were set to open. This was in the winter months so I was plenty cold waiting. To my surprise, I was nowhere near the only one waiting. I was about 6th or 7th in line and that line ended up being about 30 people long in total. I was able to spend a ludicrous amount of money on a video card I could barely afford, but I was content. That GPU lasted me from the end of 2020 to the end of 2024 and could have had a longer life with me had I not decided to gift it to my sister with her computer. It has been such a joy to watch components and cases that I put a lot of love into have second lives with my family.
I want to impart some of the knowledge and skills that I have developed to you, dear reader. I hope that this will get you started on your journey, and if nothing else, leave you with some financial literacy and media literacy skills that you can utilize in other markets for hobbies you may be interested in.
Firstly, have a vision. Start with a goal in mind of what your system needs to do. What sort of tasks will you be using your system for (gaming, productivity, just browsing the web)? Next, determine a budget. I’ve always had the most trouble with this aspect which is why I often defer to sales and deals in order to keep costs lower than MSRP. Consider where your system is going to go. Measure desk space with a tape measure to ensure that everything will fit in your space without too much trouble. Cases, monitors, and other desktop components will likely have dimensions listed in the product info. As someone who had his second monitor nearly falling off the desk at one point because of improper planning, I can attest it’s very important.
There are online tools for price tracking and determining what parts to select. The website I use, pcpartpicker.com is an excellent hub for designing your computer. It takes into account part compatibility (Intel CPUs require a compatible motherboard which will not work with AMD CPUs and vice versa) which is great for filtering out options and components which will not jive with the build. There are plenty of community builds uploaded to take a look at (including mine). These can provide inspiration and pitfalls to avoid. The market for PC components is intentionally confusing and misleading in some instances. Naming schemes for parts like monitors and graphics cards can obscure what the consumer is really getting. I heavily advise doing extensive market research on any component before purchase as these controversies and anti-consumer practices are covered by various tech reviewers before or at launch. The recent notable bad practices that come to mind are graphics cards having different VRAM (dedicated memory for the GPU) configurations with the same name (usually a 8 GB and a 16 GB variant). What may look like a good discount is actually due to the fact that the card has half of the onboard memory dedicated to the GPU. Cards with 8 GB of VRAM are largely finding themselves unable to keep up with the latest games and it feels wrong that these companies market them as having similar speeds to their 16 GB counterpart even going so far as to name them the same card. Another issue that arises similarly comes to pre-built systems. There are various companies that will build a system for you and ship the completed computer. This can remove the need for the consumer to worry about whether their components will be compatible (a reasonable fear for those who are not well versed in PC building) but these companies usually fail to mention what types of motherboards, power supplies, and brand of RAM they utilize. They can cut corners on these components thinking that the consumer will not know the difference.
Once all of the pieces of the build are acquired, it is time to start having some real fun! I have often seen PC building called ‘Adult Legos’, I think that is an apt comparison for the most part. Putting the components together is fairly simple, most of the pieces click, snap, or screw into place. The real challenge comes from organizing everything. Cable management is an easy skill to understand but difficult to master. I have used everything under the sun at this point. Tubes, cable ties, wire organizing trays, and hidden desk troughs are some of the things I have used both presently and in the past. I almost find managing the wires in the system and outside on the desk more difficult than building the computer. I find that picking a larger case can be a better option for newcomers. Smaller form-factor cases typically are much more difficult to build in and much more difficult to cable manage. Personally, I really value aesthetics of a build which can be seen through the fact that I had a bright red gaming laptop, my first PC was in a sleek white case, and my current build is more muted and built to make all of my tasks and equipment conveniently accessible from my seat. The sky is the limit for how organized and themed a build can be so this hobby can be a great outlet for creativity.
My college PC build.
An intermediate build.
My current PC setup.
Gaming
Once the system is complete, acquiring PC games can present another layer of struggle. Today there are multiple storefronts from which to acquire games. Steam is the most prominent of these platforms. They used to have an overwhelming amount of market dominance in the space, but now other marketplaces have arrived on the scene such as the Epic Games Store and the Xbox Store. I would encourage consumers to explore the various game launchers and store fronts in order to determine what is best for them. To me, I do not find value in having all of my game licenses under one roof so I just use the storefront with the best deal at the time. Unlike physical gaming mediums back in the day, you do not own the files of the game you purchased. Instead, you are provided a license to play the game using your device. Should the marketplace you purchased the license from decide to stop providing its services, you may no longer have the ability to access the game. This has caused quite a stir in the gaming community, especially lately as now even physical games may be treated more like digital downloads. The reason I make this belabored point regarding game keys and digital downloads is because the marketing behind these types of releases is purposefully misleading. In my personal experience, I have had a few issues with games going offline completely (which I had paid money for) that are inaccessible now. This portion of the gaming industry is not widely regulated and there is no requirement that once you purchase a game or a license to play a game that this privilege is permanent.
With this being said, I mainly utilize three PC storefronts in order to find the best deals for PC games. Primarily, Steam is my go-to marketplace. This digital store is one of the oldest and most widely used platform for finding digital games. There are plenty of Steam sales throughout the year for various holidays or times of the year. The next platform I utilize is the Epic Games Store. This marketplace receives a lot of ire due to anti-consumer practices (buying developers for exclusivity, users have reported buggy UI experiences, etc.), but they do have one aspect that I do appreciate. Once a week, there will be at least one free game offered. Sometimes more are offered (usually split between a mature title and a non-mature title). I presently have 391 games in my Epic Games library and I would be shocked if I had paid for more than 15 of them. Not all these games are absolute winners, but games like Control, Dicey Dungeons, Deathloop, Into the Breach, and Sonic Mania are examples of quality games (some with a $60 price tag) that I would not have played were it not for the free game program. Finally, I frequent the Xbox store for PC. While this is a bit confusing, since Microsoft owns the Xbox platform as well as Windows (the only OS with reliable PC gaming support, sorry Linux folks) the Xbox app has PC games. I subscribe to the PC Game Pass program which gives me the ability to play any Game Pass games as long as they remain in the library. Presently I pay $11.99 per month for Game Pass (~$144 annually) so I figure as long as I play at least three $60 dollar games on it in the year, I feel that I have recouped the value. If on a budget, I would definitely just recommend the free games from the Epic Games Store first as it is much easier to build a library without the fear of titles being removed in the future which is a weakness of Game Pass.
Productivity and Conclusion
I have received an extreme amount of satisfaction from delving into this hobby. I have played some incredible games that I otherwise would have missed out on if I remained exclusively on consoles. In addition, through this website and other side projects I have undertaken, I have become versed in a variety of programs and equipment that I otherwise would have no clue about. I have become proficient in using OBS (Open Broadcast Software I use for capturing footage), OpenShot Video Editor, and audio programs like Soundpad and Bridgecast. I learn more each and every day through troubleshooting issues I come across with my system and optimizations I envision so that my workflows become quicker and less tedious.
Building a computer is no small feat. It can require countless hours of planning, troubleshooting, and the price tag is daunting on top of everything else. I find this hobby rewarding because of the versatility it brings to my daily tasks as well as the skillset I have developed along the way. With any luck, some of you will walk away from this piece with a better understanding of how to get started building your own computer or at least with some new media literacy skills that you can employ in your daily life. Thank you for reading!
