I'm planning to build my first gaming PC and I've got a budget of $2,000. I'm not very familiar with PC components or how to choose them, so I would love some advice on where to start. I want to use the PC mostly for gaming, and while aesthetics matter a bit, they aren't my top priority. What should I research and look for when selecting my parts?
5 Answers
Before picking parts, figure out which games you want to play, their resolutions, and FPS targets. That will really help you understand what kind of hardware you'll need to achieve your gaming goals. Start there, then choose the components to fit those needs.
Definitely watch a ton of build guides! Trust me, small mistakes in assembly can ruin your components. Also, keep an eye out for tier lists and reviews for each component, so you know you’re making smart choices.
First off, I recommend watching a bunch of YouTube videos on PC building. You'll find a lot of forums with discussions on popular builds that highlight the components people often choose and why they're great. Getting familiar with the trends can really help you narrow things down.
I agree! Start with watching videos that focus on recent hardware. A good resource for beginner builds is PCPartPicker; they have guides and starter builds that you can customize. For the CPU, AMD is a solid choice right now. For GPUs, Nvidia generally offers good performance, but AMD is usually more affordable. Feel free to post a draft build here once you have some ideas—lots of folks would be happy to help you refine it!
Totally agree with this! Also don’t forget to consider cooling and airflow in your case.
With a $2000 budget, you can aim for a high-end setup. Consider a 9800X3D CPU and a 9070XT or 5070Ti GPU. Go for a B850 or X870 motherboard, and at least 32GB of DDR5 RAM at 6000MHz. Make sure your case has good airflow—having at least three fans is a must. And don’t skimp on your power supply; an 850W 80+ Gold PSU is recommended. If there's a MicroCenter nearby, check out their bundles too; they can save you some cash!
Thanks for the tips! I’ll check out those resources.