I put together my first parts list for a gaming PC and would appreciate feedback before buying anything. I'm in Canada, so Canadian pricing and availability matter. I'm aiming for a reasonably priced build that I can save up for and shop around for during sales, though I may wait if prices improve. My current laptop handles lighter games but struggles with more demanding ones.
I already own a 500GB hard drive, so I'd like to keep using it, but everything else can be changed. The build should be white if possible, with pink RGB lighting because aesthetics are important to me. I believe the lighting-compatible parts can be set to pink, but I'd appreciate confirmation. Gaming is the main purpose.
My only PC-building experience comes from a few high-school computer science classes where we took apart and rebuilt computers. I've done some research and made this list myself, but I'm not sure whether the parts are balanced or compatible. Please point out anything that could be improved, especially performance, value, storage, cooling, and Canadian pricing.
2 Answers
Make sure you’re using the Canadian version of the parts-list site, since the default version shows prices in U.S. dollars. That will give you a much more accurate idea of the total cost and which retailers actually stock the parts.
I’d make several changes to the list. Add an SSD alongside your existing hard drive—the hard drive is fine for bulk storage, but an SSD should be your main drive for Windows and games because it makes the system feel much faster. You can use a 500GB SSD if you need to keep the cost down.
I’d also choose the stronger CPU and power supply options that fit the same general budget. The power supply may not be white, but it will be hidden inside the case and reliability is more important than matching its color. The selected motherboard was also too small for the case, so a properly sized board would be a better fit. A white motherboard may be difficult to find, but a black one can still work with the rest of the theme.
You probably don’t need 64GB of memory for gaming; 32GB is already plenty unless you have a specific workload that requires more. For cooling, a liquid cooler can suit the look of the build, but a good air cooler will cost less and should be sufficient. Also, be aware that the original total was understated because it used U.S. pricing and some parts didn’t have prices included. You can save money with an air cooler and smaller SSD, but I wouldn’t cut back on the CPU, power supply, or SSD quality.
Thanks for going through all of that! I initially misunderstood liquid cooling and thought it required frequent replacement, but after looking into it more, I’m comfortable considering it for the aesthetics.
I completely missed that distinction. Thanks for catching it!