PC Building Checklist – How to Build a Gaming PC in 2025
If you’ve always wanted to build a gaming PC, now is the perfect time to make that one of your New Year’s resolutions. Many gaming enthusiasts have listed building their own PC as one of their personal goals. Yet, the process can be intimidating, especially if you are inexperienced at building PCs. However, building one’s own PC is indeed a worthy goal for anyone. However, you may wonder to yourself, why even bother trying to build a gaming PC since so many come readymade? While this is a worthwhile question, there are many reasons why you should consider building a gaming PC for yourself rather than purchasing a premade one. Here are a few:
Cost efficiency – If you are on a budget, building your own gaming PC is definitely the way to go. Although buying a prebuilt one can save you some time, building your own can often save you hundreds of dollars in labor costs and marked up prices.
Customizability – You will be able to build the PC that is tailored to your own wants and needs. So if you want an entry-level build, you will be able to create one for just a few hundred dollars. However if you want a system that will deliver maximum performance, you can spend as much money as you think you need. If you want to splurge on a higher quality component and spend less on other components, you will be free to do so.
Easy tinkering – People who opt to buy a prebuilt system from a store, are less willing to tinker with and upgrade their computers when it becomes necessary. Building your own system helps you become comfortable with adding, removing or upgrading components such as fans, graphics cards and RAM. Later on, you may be able to delay purchasing a new gaming PC by selectively upgrading outdated components.
Eliminate bloatware – Bloatware is the bane of computers everywhere with manufacturers packing your build full of software that you don’t want or need. If you’ve ever had a store bought PC that started running slow for no obvious reason, the answer could very well be bloatware. Quite frankly, manufacturers install bloatware because they are paid to. However, building your own PC is the best way to avoid that.
It’s clear that building a gaming PC is far better than buying one. Consequently, there has been a surge in the number of people seeking to build their own systems. Now that you know the benefits of building a gaming PC, how do you even begin such a task? Understanding how you begin is even more important considering the fact that technology changes abruptly and dramatically every few months. Trends that are making waves one day won’t necessarily be important in a few months or even weeks. Clearly, building a gaming or any PC is a time-sensitive endeavor and it’s important to know what are the best PC-building tips and tricks that are still applicable in 2024. Additionally, you need to decide whether the gaming PC you’re going to build is going to be an entry-level, mid-level or high-end gaming system. This knowledge will serve as a guide to determine how much money you are going to spend on this build. Will you be satisfied with decent graphics and performance or do you want a computer that can perform as well as those you see being used by the top streamers on Twitch? Once you determine what is acceptable to you, it will equip you with the necessary starting point.
Here is a checklist anyone preparing to build a gaming system should know.
Building your own gaming PC comes down to the individual components and how they work with each other. Therefore, it is important to select the best components you can afford that will work well together.
CPU – Without a doubt, the CPU is the most important component of any PC build. It can also be one of the most expensive components of your entire build. The CPU or central processing unit is sometimes referred to as the brain of your computer. Often referred to simply as the processor, the CPU is responsible for all the calculations, logical processes and tasks that your computer handles. Generally there are two main processor manufacturers that builders are likely to encounter, Intel and AMD. Among AMD CPUs, the Ryzen series whose 5000 CPUs are more than capable of delivering a strong performance. From Intel, look for their 11th and 12th generation CPUs.
Motherboard – Colloquially referred to as the “MoBo”, this is essentially a large circuit board that allows all of your components to be connected. The motherboard you pick will help determine how many features you can enjoy. It can be difficult identifying which is the best motherboard for you, especially since prices can vary so widely. However, the key is not to overspend and instead try to pick a motherboard with features that are important to you.
Graphics Card – Great graphics cards (GPU) can come at a high price and it should be no surprise that a pretty good one could become the most expensive component in your new computer. Graphics cards can also be the most power hungry of all your components. The graphics card is responsible for everything you see on your screen, including how good your games look and perform. Graphics cards work in tandem with all your other components and this is why it’s important to select a card that can match the output of the other components of your system.
RAM – How much Random Access Memory (RAM), often shortened to just “memory”, your system has is the capacity of your system to handle the short-term storage periodically accessed by your CPU. Your computer keeps itself zippy by having often used data available in a more accessible form of storage. The system is typically able to access the data from memory modules quicker than it can from an SSD or HDD. Clock speed is important when it comes to selecting RAM for your system. While 16GB of RAM will work well on a budget system, you should typically try to acquire more. If you are looking to invest in AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series or Intel’s 12 gen CPUs, you should consider the latest DDR5 RAM.
CPU Cooler – Your CPU is going to be putting in a fair amount of work to keep your system running smoothly. And this means that it’s also going to generate a considerable amount of heat as well. Built in protections shut down your computer if your CPU gets too hot and threatens the life of the CPU. For this reason, your CPU will require its own dedicated cooling system to prevent it from overheating. You can opt for either air or liquid cooling. Air cooling is far more commonplace and generally cheaper, consisting of a combination of heatsink and pipes. However, they come with less ability to dissipate the heat generated by the CPU. LIquid cooling consists of a pump, a block that sits on the CPU and a radiator. This system is far more effective at dissipating heat, but it also commands a higher price.
Storage – The amount of storage your computer has will determine the amount of data it can hold, whether your operating system documents, movies, music, and yes, games. There are two common types of storage, Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Hard Drive Disks (HDDs). The type of storage you select will help determine how your computer performs, especially with regards to load times and bottleneck. SSDs, a newer technology, cut down the wait times for your computer or your games to boot up. Some SSDs are faster than others and of course, the faster your drive, the more expensive it is per GB.
Power Supply – All the components of your computer will have different power needs. How does the computer ensure they all get exactly what they need? This is the job of the power supply unit or PSU. Your PSU distributes power among your motherboard, GPU, cooling units, storage devices and other components. The wattage is of chief consideration when selecting a PSU. However, you also want to consider its efficiency and whether or not the PSU is modular. Modular units help keep cables orderly since you only need to plug in the essentials. You should use a power supply calculator to determine the wattage you need.
Case – This is what holds everything together. However it also has an important role to provide additional fans to maintain an adequate airflow through the unit. Your case will also provide connectivity for your components such as a power button, audio jacks and USB ports. A number of factors will help you make a decision on which case to purchase. This will include price and look. Additionally, you will want to ensure that it will have enough room for your components including the GPU, your motherboard and the cooling system you plan on installing.
