2020 has passed by and could arguably go down as both the quickest and longest year in recent memory. With most people being relegated to work from home and countries across the globe implementing quarantines and social distancing measures, there has been an uptick in those buying and building their own gaming computer setup, whether it’s to create a solid workstation or to finally create that dream rig that can run every release on ultra. With the advancements of processors and graphics cards these days, you can have a solid gaming PC that immediately means it has the capabilities to run much of the workload needed for office work.
Analysts from the PC gaming market have noted how there has been a millions-strong rise in new PC gamers seeking a way to pass the time by at home in an enjoyable way. Though the economic shift has affected the industry like many others (resulting in a price increase to meet demand and supply), the market is still as ripe as ever, and it’s hard to think of any other time when PC gaming has been as accessible to the mainstream as it is today. Whether you want customized specs on everything, a sleeper build, or just a basic mid-range system, it’s easier than ever to get it done.
You want to make three considerations when thinking of getting your rig – budget, usage, and parts. Once you set the amount you want to spend, what performance aspects you value most and the parts you want, it’s a safe bet to go for it, especially with AAA games coming out consistently and fresh GPU generations from both Intel and AMD.
There are also many online resources now, so you can do your research, especially if you want to manually build the whole thing yourself instead of going for a prebuilt system. If you want the same customizability that comes with building without doing the manual labor yourself, tons of rig builders specialize in that arena. Nowadays, companies have online systems that automatically let you pick through different parts with your specifications and budget and ensure that all parts are compatible. There’s a no bigger headache than finding out you can’t boot up because you didn’t hook up the right wires or your motherboard isn’t compatible with your processor. That’s what makes resources like these helpful, especially since more and more are getting into this world without the same know-how as enthusiasts quite yet.
Though there is much debate about “future-proofing” and whether it’s even really a tangible aspect to think about, the tech in the PC field right now is already at a point where you can essentially pick anything released in recent years and be assured that you’ll still be able to comfortably play at 1080p for at least a few more years down the line. The real question is not whether you should go for that build, but how you go about it. While there is much value to aesthetics, it’s important to ensure that most of your budget goes to quality pieces that won’t conk out on you mid-game or go into a fiery blaze of wasted money.
Though builders will already have online options that walk you through each part as you shop, it’s a good idea to remember the important components that make the whole thing work: the CPU (your central processing unit), the GPU (graphics card), your memory (RAM sticks), storage (SSD or HDD), and the PSU (power supply). There are a plethora of parts out there now ready for your perusing, so don’t scrimp on these crucial components and enjoy that gaming PC while you’re quarantining.