How to build a PC: What do I need?

There are 7 main components you will need:

1. Motherboard

2. CPU (AMD or Intel)

3. RAM

4. Graphics Card (GPU)

5. Storage (HDD or SSD)

6. Power Supply (PSU)

7. PC Case

8. **Case fans/Cooling**

Let's begin with the motherboard and case. The first thing you want to think of is what size computer you would like to have. Would you like a small form factor or a form factor that you can upgrade and change as time goes on? There are different form factors of motherboards to list a few ITX, mATX, ATX. With these size motherboards, you need to make sure that a case will support this part.

Q. How do I know the case will support my motherboard?

A. Check the spec section of the case and it will state the motherboard compatibility.

The CPU is also known as the Central Processing unit, but most just say the processor. There are two mainstream desktop processors Intel and AMD. At this stage they perform about the same, some will argue that AMD Ryzen series is a better bang for your buck. Besides that, why would one pick one over the other? In short, AMD processors are stronger with multitasking due to multi-core performance and Intel processors are stronger at the single-core performance which gives them a slight advantage for gaming.

Random Access Memory, or as we all know it as RAM. You have the choice between single-channel or dual-channel. If you go the single-channel route this may/will affect the speed of your CPU. As a precaution go the dual-channel route. What is dual-channel you ask? 2 sticks of RAM for example if you want 16GB of RAM in your set up get 2 x 8GB sticks. **Make sure your motherboard supports dual-channel, most do**

Q. How much RAM do I need?

A. Depends on what your PC will be used for.

4GB - Bare minimum would be used for basic computer tasks

8GB - Works well with modern games on low-medium settings

16GB - Best option for gaming, multi-tasking, 1080p60fps video editing, and streaming

32GB - Great for 4k video editing, intensive game development, just Overkill

Graphics Card, Graphical Processing Unit. If the name its self doesn't tell you the job, but this is what will handle all of the graphics of your computer. Some CPUs have integrated graphics so you may not need a GPU, again that all depends on what you will be using your computer for.

Q. How do I know What Graphics card to pick?

A. Due to the variety of graphics cards on the market. I can tell you the best amount VRAM you may want to go with for your needs. I do recommend watching a few Youtube videos with side by side comparisons for game performance.

4GB - 1440p lowsettings decent from rates, 1080p on high settings

6gb - 1440p mid/high settings, 1080 on ultra or pro settings great for video editing

8gb - Same as 6gb but 1440p on high ultra settings

Q. How do I know if the GPU will fit?

A. In the specs, the case will tell you what length is supported. Also, the GPU specs will state the length of the card.

Storage, you have the choice between HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive)

Q. What's the difference?

A. An HDD has a spinning disk and has slower read and write speeds. It also has lower durability due to the physical moving parts. An SSD has no moving parts and has higher durability.

SSD options you can use a regular SATA SSD or an M.2 which can be installed directly on the motherboard and typically have faster R/W speeds than SATA SSDs.

I would recommend installing both an SSD and HDD, SSD for OS and programs and an HDD for storage of games, video files, projects, etc.

Power Supply, this component will power all of your components. When purchasing a PSU you will need to make sure you have enough power to supply all components.

Q. How do I know how many watts each component needs?

A. Check the specs of the component, there will be a wattage number

Last the Case fans and cooling your system not all cases comes with case fans but you can purchase them for cheap 120mm or 140mm fans I recommend a minimum of 3 case fans. You want enough to keep your system cool especially if you plan on overclocking any part of your build.