BUILD MY OWN COMPUTER CHECKLIST HOW TO
BUILD MY OWN COMPUTER CHECKLIST INSTALL
BUILD MY OWN COMPUTER CHECKLIST PC

Optional parts, like optical drives, aren’t included, but you need one to play games or media off discs.

BUILD MY OWN COMPUTER CHECKLIST PC

Last note: Our example builds include all the necessary parts for modern PC gaming, but they only cover the PC itself.

In that case, refer to resources like PC Part Picker or Newb Computer Build’s example builds to find suitable replacements. We can’t guarantee every part in our lists will be available, or even the same price, at a given time. That said, take our example desktops as suggestions rather than strict loadouts, since many online stores are experiencing product shortages and shipping delays due to the global chip shortage. The first is a high-end rig powerful enough for bleeding-edge gaming performance, and the other is a more affordable $1000 build that will run most games at decent settings. We know this can be overwhelming, so we created example builds from hardware available at the time of writing. There are several components that you need, each with a plethora of models, specs, and compatibility requirements to consider. Obviously, more expensive parts usually mean more power, but shopping for a build that fits your budget is often the biggest obstacle for first-time builders. Gaming PCs can cost as little as $500, or as much as several thousand dollars to build. Finding the right parts can be confusing - and expensive.

BUILD MY OWN COMPUTER CHECKLIST INSTALL

Step 10: Install your CPU cooling systemīefore we get to the actual building portion, we need to talk about finding and buying the parts for your PC.

Step 9: Plug your case and power cables into the motherboard.

Step 8: Connect any SATA hard drives/SSDs.

Step 7: Install your power supply (PSU).

Step 6: Install your motherboard into your case.

Step 5: Get your case ready for your motherboard.

For suggestions on which peripherals to pick up, check out our roundups of the best gaming keyboards, best gaming mouse, best PC gaming headsets, best PC controllers, and best cheap gaming monitors.

You'll have to pair it with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse (at the bare minimum). We've also included a couple of sample builds below that you could follow in order to build a high-end or budget gaming PC.īefore we dive in, we should note that this guide only covers the actual PC.

BUILD MY OWN COMPUTER CHECKLIST HOW TO

If you're interested, we've created this handy guide to teach you how to build your own gaming PC. But if you're in that camp, you'll probably be surprised to learn that building your own PC isn't nearly as colossal of an endeavor as it used to be. Those without any familiarity of the internal workings of a PC may think that the process is too daunting and and opt for a pre-built PC. Building your own gaming PC is a rewarding experience and gives you far more control over the pieces and parts that wind up in your PC tower.

Build my own computer checklist