I've tried my best to keep the technical jargon down to a minimum and be as concise as possible because building a gaming PC can be a daunting task for those not in the know. Not everyone can be brushed up on the latest CPUs for gaming, and the best graphics cards, so I've done my best to be as illustrative and authoritative as I can for all audiences.
While some people may prefer to buy a prebuilt rig, and that's certainly a more-than-valid way into the PC gaming space, there's something special about assembling the machine of your dreams your own way. Not only will you choose all the components that are right for you, but you'll also be tailoring the rig to your budget, too. Here's how to build a gaming PC this year with our encompassing guide.
Before any kind of gaming PC building can be done, you'll need to consider a few things. Firstly, you will need ample space for the construction to begin. This should go without saying, but once you've laid all your parts out on the table, you're going to want the room to maneuver things around, as well as get your hands in where they need to be without feeling cramped or cluttered. You'll want something such as a large, clear gaming desk or even a standard wooden kitchen table; wood being particularly important for a pivotal factor here - static.
I'm sure you've heard the horror stories of people putting together machines only to short their boards at the last minute and have a rig that's dead on arrival before it's even powered up. Rest assured though, this won't happen to you if you're careful. When you're building, you build up static electricity as your move around, which is why it's incredibly important to ground yourself often before touching any sensitive components such as your motherboard, CPU, RAM - pretty much everything.
You can ground yourself in one of two ways, with the easiest being to wear an anti-static wrist band. These are typically only a few dollars through the likes of Amazon(opens in new tab), and completely mitigate this issue by grounding you to any metal object as your 'common ground' which discharges instantly through the band's crocodile clip. This is something I strongly recommend for new builders just to be safe, and if you're reading this, then that could mean you.
Alternatively, you can ground yourself by touching metal objects every few minutes, generally before and after each task is done. This can be anything from a radiator to a metal door handle, or the top of a running faucet tap just to name a few examples. If you want to be extra careful, though, you can buy a specifically engineered ESD mat(opens in new tab) to work on top of which contains a built-in anti-static band that can connect to any grounded metal, too. All of your precious components should come in anti-static bands as standard when unboxed, and you'll want to keep it that way until the building process actually begins. Follow this advice and you'll be fine; there's nothing to fear as long as you take the proper care. Also, it should go without saying but always read the manuals that come with your individual components thoroughly.
You're now all good to get gaming! Get out there and download Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG Galaxy, Ubisoft Connect, and all other digital storefronts to see what awaits you this year
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