So you have decided to build a pc? In fact why not, a pc serves multiple purposes, whether you want entertainment, work or just casually surfing the internet.
For you to build your pc, you need to do a lot of research and follow the steps to ensure that you do not regret your purchase.
But, Let’s save you time! In the following article, I am going to write down the complete guide to building a pc in 2023.
Step 1: Why do you want to build a pc? (Is it Gaming, Casual or Content creation?)
Even though a pc can serve multiple purposes, still you need to have a clear purpose in your mind.
For Gaming, get a graphic card with the best performance with a processor that does not bottleneck the GPU.
For Content Creation, get a CPU that provides good multi-core and single-core performance based on the applications you use. Combine it with a GPU that supports your applications & level of content creation you want.
For Casual Use, get the latest CPU with an integrated GPU or add the best graphic card within your budget.
Step 2: Select how you want to buy your Pc
To buy a pc, you can either get it from a prebuilt manufacturer or you can buy the computer parts and assemble them for your pc.
Let’s look at both of these:
Pre-Built Pcs:
Here you will buy the complete system along with all the components from a brand. For the majority of the prebuilt pcs you have to go with the parts that are provided by the brand.
You only have basic information from the buyer such as the Ram, graphics card, and processor. Coming to the other components such as the pc case, RGB configuration, or power supply. You have to settle with what the brand is providing you.
Some major prebuilt pc brands in India: are Lenovo, MSI, Dell, etc.
Assemble your pc:
While assembling your pc, you have the complete freedom to choose what parts you want to put in your computer. Right from the Pc cabinet, ram, graphics card, fan configuration, processor, etc.
You can customise your PC the way you want, and build your computer that satisfies all your requirements. You can also leave scope for future upgrades that you can do later based on your requirements.
For assembling, you can take the DIY route and build your pc or you can get a pc expert to build the pc for you with your preferred components.
To make it easier for you, I am going to mention the pc parts you need and how to choose the right one for yourself.
Gettings started with your PC Parts
CPU:
The first thing that you should choose is your CPU which will help you to make it through your usage requirements. First and foremost, you should always try to get the latest CPU within your budget. If you are looking for a CPU for casual use, you can go with a quad-core processor.
If you are an intermediate user with an interest in gaming and productivity, then you can choose a processor with 6 cores at minimum.
This would be enough to handle your games and intermediate level of video editing at 1080p along with other creative work.
Now, if you need a high-end processor, the chances are that you already know your requirements or have a certain benchmark for the performance you need. Here, you can go for a processor with an octa-core processor or anything above.
Note: If you are not sure about your requirements, then you can choose a 6-core processor, as they provide you with the best value for your money right now. These would be able to handle your games and creative work without any problem. It is a great starting point, and keep in mind that you can always upgrade later.
Coming to the brands, you can choose between AMD 7th Gen or Intel 13th/12th Gen processor, where Intel is providing better value with their chips at a better price compared to AMD.
But, this can change based on the availability & price of these processors, so you have to keep your eyes on the market. Or, you can do something simple, subscribe to my email list.
Graphics Card (GPU):
The second component that you need to choose is the graphics cards. If you are a casual user, then you go for a processor that comes with an integrated GPU and this would be enough for you.
If you have a gamer or a content creator, then you can choose an intermediate to high-end graphic card. For starters, you can choose AMD RX 6600 or Nvidia RTX 3060, as these cards provide the best performance for the price in 2023.
Again this can change based on your requirements, market availability and price. You have to choose the GPU that provides you with the best value for your money.
CPU Cooler:
This is something that is for gamers and content creators. Many of the Hexa core and above processors come with a basic CPU cooler that keeps your CPU cool while taking the load and giving its peak performance.
You can either choose an air cooler or a Liquid Cooler (known as AIO) for yourself. Again this would depend on your choice of processor. For Hexa/Octa-core processor you can choose an air cooler/ or an AIO with a 240 mm radiator. If you are buying a CPU with more than 10 or 12 cores, then you can invest in a 360mm or higher AIO cooler.
Ram :
Ram stands for Random Access Memory, I bet everybody would know this full form. But, one mistake that a lot of people make is that they buy the wrong frequency of ram. It is very easy to overspend on ram in the name of high frequency.
The right frequency of ram would depend on your CPU and motherboard. Like, AMD processors perform better with a higher frequency of ram, but you do not need such a high frequency of ram for your intel processor.
All you have to do is to check how much ram does your CPU support and get the best one under your budget.
One more mistake that a lot of people make is that they do not use the ram in dual channel, there is a marking on the motherboard.
For example, if your motherboard shows two channels A & B, then you can add your two ram sticks i.e. one in A1 & one in B1 respectively.
Storage :
The next thing that you have to select for your pc is a storage device. When it comes to choosing an SSD or hard disk.
Always prefer to buy an SSD, maybe one with small storage such as 256 GB, but still SSD would make your experience way better compared to hard disks, as they are up to 10 times faster compared to hard disks.
For SSD, you find many options such as a SATA SSD, NVMe, M.2 SSD, and these products provide different speeds.
PSU:
Once you have finalised all the parts, next you have to buy a power supply unit for your system. A power supply unit makes sure that all your components have an adequate power supply for proper function.
The PSU units come with multiple protections such as overcurrent protection, overpower protection, short circuit protection, etc.
You can visit pcpartpicker and put your hardware and it will show you an estimate of power supply requirements.
After this, you can buy a PSU with 100+ Watts to be on the safer side, and leave free power supply room for future upgrades.
CPU Cabinets:
To put all your hardware together, you need to buy a CPU cabinet. It all depends on your requirements. Many people buy CPU cabinets to achieve a certain look or build a theme for their pc.
Then, other people just want a PC cabinet, with no theme or look requirement, all such users care about is usability.
Peripherals:
Once you are ready with all these components, then you have to select the peripherals i.e. monitor, mouse and keyboard.
Keyboard:
You can go for a mechanical keyboard or a membrane-based keyboard. Mechanical keyboards have individual switches for each key, unlike membrane keyboards.
Mechanical keyboards are expensive compared to membrane keyboards, you can choose the one that fits your budget.
Mouse:
You can buy a wireless or wired mouse for yourself. For gaming, buy a mouse that has better DPI and a good tactile feel to the keys. Also, if you want RGB then there are options for that as well.
Monitor:
For monitors, I would say that you should buy the biggest monitor that fits your budget. There are three different options available in the market: IPS, VA and TN panels.
Out of all these panels, IPS provide the best viewing angles; Whereas the TN panel does not have impressive viewing angles, but these are quite affordable compared to the IPS panel monitors.
VA panels provide the best of the worlds; As they show punchy colors, and their price sits between IPS & TN panel monitors.