CPUs, GPUs, RAM… If you’re unfamiliar with all the terminology, buying a new PC that perfectly matches your gaming needs might not be the easiest task. Knowing how many GB of RAM you need or which graphics card to get will make the difference between smooth gameplay and a laggy experience. With the wrong components, your favourite game might run poorly, or it might not run at all.

In this guide, we'll cover all the essential gaming PC components as well as how to choose the best parts for a gaming PC depending on your budget and needs. 

What’s In A Gaming PC?

Before we dive deep into the specifics of each component, you can have a look below at our quick reference guide to understand where each part sits within the case:

Best Parts For A Gaming PC

All individual components inside your PC will work together to give you the best experience when playing your favourite games. However, some components will have a direct impact on what your PC can actually do. Let’s have a look at the essential gaming PC components you should know of:

Processor (CPU)

When buying a pre-built gaming PC, you'll most likely get the option to filter products based on the CPU, and for good reason. The CPU (Central Processing Unit, also known as simply Processor) is one of the most important components in your PC, and the model you choose will greatly influence your gaming experience.

But what is a CPU? Usually called 'the brain of the PC', processors handle all the instructions and commands your gaming PC needs to perform any task. Nowadays, you'll see that most gaming PCs are equipped with CPUs from one of these two popular manufacturers:

• Intel
• AMD

While both have pros and cons, you won't go wrong with choosing either. Instead, you should focus on what you wish to get out of your gaming PC when choosing the right CPU. Below are our top 3 picks for the best processor for gaming:

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.

Other Important Components Of A Gaming PC

Now, let’s have a look at some other PC components which don't have a huge impact on performance, but are essential to making sure your hardware functions properly:

Motherboard

We've looked at the critical components of a gaming PC, but how do they actually work together? This is where the motherboard comes into play - it is the component that ties all other PC parts in one circuit board, helping them communicate with each other and achieve the high performance you're looking for.

You won't need to think too much about the motherboard when buying a pre-built gaming PC, as we make sure to select the right one for your chosen product's specs. 

Fans

Fans are essential in the long-term maintenance of your gaming desktop. If a CPU cooler helps keep your CPU cool, fans will remove warm air from all parts of your PC, improving air flow and helping everything run at optimal performance without any damage caused by heat.

Fans are also a great point of customisation for your rig, as they can house various colour-themed lighting including single colours, colour duos, and full RGB.

Power Supply Unit

While not a direct influence over how smoothly your game runs, the power supply unit (PSU) is still essential to a working PC. Just like the motherboard, we make sure to match the power supply to the needs of each rig.

PC Case

The PC case is the 'shell' of your build, where all your PC hardware will be installed. 

Your PC case won't affect the game performance, but it can be a great enhancer of your set-up aesthetics. Choose a black or white case, or go for a transparent case with glass side panels to showcase the inside of your PC - especially attractive if your set-up contains RGB lights.

Why Should You Know Your Gaming PC Components

If you're not building your PC from scratch, then knowing each component’s purpose and where it sits inside the case might not feel relevant.

However, understanding gaming PC components will definitely help you in the long run. If you already have an idea of what you want out of a gaming PC, roughly knowing which components will help you achieve your goals will make it easier to choose the best product.

Not only that, but once you have your pre-built PC, you can easily upgrade it later on to improve performance without replacing the whole rig (e.g. adding additional storage or RAM). Knowing which components could use improvement and how to do it will save you lots of time and money in the long run. 

Choose The Best Gaming PC With Alex Davis PCs

At Alex Davis PCs, we equip you with all the knowledge you need to choose the best gaming PC for your needs. No matter if you’re an Intel or AMD fan, or you want a high-spec build to dive into the immersive world of flight simulators, we offer a wide range of options to choose from. Browse our pre-built gaming PCs or contact us today for more information.