Gaming PC Components Explained - What To Look For In A Pre-Built Gaming PC

Note that your gaming experience will greatly depend on the overall specs of your pre-built system and not just the CPU.

Graphics Card (GPU)

The other essential component for a satisfying gaming experience is the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), also known as graphics card or video card. If you're looking to play games with intensive graphics, you'll need a good GPU that can handle the requirements. A good GPU will also influence your frame rate, resolution, and the quality of visual effects on screen, taking your gaming experience from lags and freezes to smooth and immersive.

The two main GPU manufacturers you'll see online are:

• NVIDIA
• AMD

You'll also find lots of discourse over which is better - however, GPU tech is always evolving, so rather than pitching two brands against each other, it's best to compare individual parts.

When buying a pre-built PC for gaming, it's important to consider which GPU to go for as it will have a huge influence over the types of games you can play. Here are our top 3 picks:

Memory / RAM

Memory or RAM (Random Access Memory) is your gaming PC's short-term memory. In other words, it helps store all information that your PC is actively using (e.g. open software, open files, browser tabs).

More RAM means more information can be processed all at once and better load times. In other words, your PC will respond to commands better even when you run multiple apps at the same time. For example, a video game streamer that has their game and streaming software running at the same time will need a lot more RAM to keep up with the processing demands.

16GB RAM is the golden standard for a gaming PC as that is usually the minimum requirement for a lot of popular titles nowadays. If you intend to use your gaming PC for more resource-intensive activities like video editing or streaming, we recommend you opt for at least 32GB instead.

CPU Cooler

To increase performance, gaming PCs will come equipped with some type of CPU cooling. That's because the CPU tends to generate a lot of heat, especially when your PC is running resource-intensive software and video games, which can damage it in the long run and lead to poor performance.

Your gaming PC will come equipped with one of two types of cooling:

• Air coolers - air cooling will help push heat away from your CPU through a system of heat pipes and fins called heatsink, and are considered the most budget-friendly cooling method
• Liquid coolers - the standard for efficiency, liquid cooling keeps CPUs running at lower temperatures, but also tends to be higher on the price scale

Storage

Another important consideration when buying a PC for gaming, video editing, or streaming is how much storage you have available. You'll need loads of storage to be able to install all the games and software you want on your PC, as well as save any other files like images or videos.

There are two types of storage devices to consider:

• HDD (Hard Disk Drive) - HDDs are the highest storage capacity devices and are essential for any PC. Limited space for storage will greatly limit the things you can do with your PC.
• SSD (Solid State Drive) - Solid state drives won't have as much storage capacity as HDDs but are faster, more durable, and generally more efficient as the technology is newer.

There's nothing more frustrating than being excited to install your latest game purchase and being told your storage is full. For the average gamer, 500GB - 1TB of storage should be enough, however we do allow for the ability to upgrade beyond this capacity if required.