Maybe you are thinking of buying a new gaming computer for yourself or even for a loved one for Christmas. However, there is one small problem; amongst all the aggressive eBay advertising offering the most crazy insane gaming rig you can imagine for an unbelievable price (which is often where people first look) and all the technical jargon floating around it can often be quite daunting when trying to buy a new gaming computer.
If you follow these tips when buying a new PC, you can be worry-free in the fact you got a future proofed computer capable of playing modern day games at medium settings and above.
1. Choose the right video card for the job
Most people think that fast games use the CPU more than a graphics card however, the truth is that 90% of most modern day PC processors are more than capable of running games at maximum settings, its the video card that is doing all the hard work hence the considerable size increases over the past 10 years.
There is a few essential video card rules to follow when selecting your new gaming computer.
- Avoid integrated graphics if you intend on playing anything other than Facebook games, while this is not true for all integrated graphics solutions, if you want any chance of playing PC games at decent settings this is a good rule to follow.
- Try to aim for a minimum of 512MB GDDR5 onboard RAM, 1 – 2GB is ideal for HD gaming however, for 4K resolution gaming you will need at minimum 3GB however 4GB+ is ideal.
- If buying a PC with a single graphics cards, look for SLI upgrade capabilities.
- Always do your research.
2. Make sure the PC has enough RAM
While 4GB of DDR4 RAM might be enough for the casual web browser who plays a lot of Facebook games, 4GB of RAM is not going to be enough for any type of intensive use such as gaming or having multiple windows open.
For any gaming PC, 8GB should be considered minimum. If you want to be playing games with intense textures at 4K resolution then consider getting 16GB of low latency RAM.
3. Choose the right CPU
The CPU does not play as big a role as they used to 10 or 20 years ago however a good processer will still make a good dent in your FPS. If you are on a budget then get an Intel i5. If your budget can stretch a little further the almost certainly try and pick up an Intel Core i7.
4. Upgradable PC components
Considering a decent off the shelf gaming computer is going to cost you a good portion of your pay check, make sure its upgradable.
For example, if you was looking at buying a computer with a single AMD 290x video card, shop around and try to find yourself a computer with a solid power supply and the option to crossfire at a later date adding in a second 290x.
The same goes for your for SATA, make sure it is utilising the latest SATA3 technology instead of older SATA2 or SATA1 technology.
5. Build a Gaming PC Instead
Instead of buying PC off the shelf why dont you build your own gaming pc?
