Building a gaming PC can be one of the best ways to learn about how a computer works and possibly save yourself some money in the process. It gives you a fantastic foundation for future troubleshooting too. After all, if you built it yourself, you know exactly how it goes together, and how to access any troublesome components.
It’s easier than you might think, too. Modern PC building mostly just involves plugging everything in where it fits and it’s very hard to make mistakes if you have all the right hardware ready.
That’s the first step on any PC building journey – buying the right hardware. You’re going to want to make sure you get the best processor and the best GPU for what you’re trying to do with your PC. Once you have these components, the rest of your parts will help the rest of your spec list fall into place.
What You Need
Before you start building, you need to buy the right components. Which ones are right for you and your needs goes beyond the scope of this article, but here’s a list of components you need, and a few notes to help you choose them.
- CPU: One of the latest generation options from Intel, like the Core Ultra 5 245K, or AMD, like the Ryzen 5 9600X. If you really want to push gaming performance, consider the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, as its extra cache really helps make PC games run better.
- CPU Cooler: Some CPUs come with a cooler, but many don’t and high-end CPUs require more advanced cooling. Make sure the CPU cooler you buy is compatible with your CPU socket and can fit in your case.
- Motherboard: You don’t need to go too expensive here, but make sure it’s compatible with whichever CPU you’re interested in. Motherboards usually come in several different tiers, currently led by Z890 for Intel CPUs and X870 for AMD. B- and H-series motherboards are more than good enough for most people, though.
- RAM: Get 16GB at a minimum, but 32GB is affordable and a smart choice for gaming or professional tasks. Make sure it’s compatible with your motherboard, but don’t worry about getting the absolute best RAM on the market.
- Storage: A 1TB NVMe SSD is plenty for most, but 2TB or more is available at fair prices. Get PCIe 3.0 or newer, and while there’s little benefit to the latest PCIe 5 drives, a PCIe 4 drive will give you compatibility with DirectStorage, Microsoft’s next-gen game storage API.
- Graphics card: If you’re looking to play games, you’ll need one of these. If you’re playing AAA games, get the fastest you can afford. If you play older or casual games, get something affordable (but ideally with more than 8GB VRAM).
- Power supply: Get a unit that at least meets the recommended wattage for your graphics card of choice. If you aren’t using one, 500W will be fine. Don’t buy a super-cheap model as it can risk damaging your PC in the case of a power spike.
- PC Case: This is largely down to personal aesthetic preference, but make sure it’s big enough for your motherboard type (ATX, mATX, Mini-ITX), the length of your graphics card, and the height of your cooler.
Putting It All Together
Once you have all the hardware gathered, it’s time to actually start building. Be sure to ground yourself before starting, either by touching some steel on the PC case, or ideally by wearing an anti-static wristband. It’s also a good idea to build a PC on a non-conductive surface away from potential static build-up, like a desk or table – not a carpeted floor.
We’ll go through installing each component in turn. This is usually the best order to build a PC, but you don’t have to follow it exactly if your case or components have specific requirements.
Power Supply Remove any packing material from the case and take off both side panels. Grab the power supply and install it in the PSU mount (usually at the bottom rear) of your case. You may have to slide it in from the side, or remove a PSU bracket on the rear before slotting it in from the rear.
Use the included screws to secure it in place. If it’s modular, plug the power cables in that you’ll need. That usually means a Motherboard 20+4pin, CPU 8pin, and at least one PCIe 6+2 pin for graphics card power. You may need a SATA or Molex power cable too, if you have SATA drives or other tertiary components.
Motherboard Find the screw mounts on the motherboard tray of your case. They should have mounting standoffs in place already for your size of motherboard, but if not, screw those in now. Use your motherboard manual for guidance on where and how many.
If it’s not attached to your motherboard, install the rear I/O shield, then gently lower the motherboard into the case and screw it into each of the standoffs. Do not screw your motherboard directly into the case.
CPU On the CPU socket on the motherboard, lift the retaining arm, and fold back the retention bracket. Remove any plastic cover from the CPU socket. Look for the little golden triangle on the socket and match it with the CPU to orient it correctly.
Line the CPU up and gently place it into the socket. Give it a little wiggle to ensure it’s seated properly and is installed in the correct orientation. If in doubt, remove it and have another go.
Once you’re happy that it’s in the right place, cover it with the retention bracket, then lower the retaining arm and lock it into place. You may need to press firmly here, but it shouldn’t be too difficult – but don’t force it if it won’t go easily.
Apply thermal paste to your CPU If your CPU cooler doesn’t already have thermal paste applied (and honestly even if it does), take some thermal paste and apply a small amount to the CPU. There are several methods of doing this, but we like doing a little line down the middle of the processor. You don’t have to spread it out, but if you do, use a piece of plastic, like a credit card to spread it out into an even layer.
Cooler Follow the CPU cooler instructions to make sure you are using the right brackets and retaining arms. You may need to replace the CPU cooler’s backplate, depending on the model. If it uses screws, be sure to screw them in slowly and only partially, switching screws as you screw it in so that the load on the CPU remains even.
When the cooler is in place, be sure to plug the fan into the correct header on your motherboard.
RAM Locate the RAM slots on your motherboard and check the manual to make sure you’re plugging the sticks into the right slots. When you know for sure, push back the retaining brackets at the end of the RAM slots, then slide each stick into place. Ensure that its oriented correctly by lining up the notch on the sticks with the one in the slot.
When in place, you should hear a firm “Click” sound, and the retaining arms will snap into place. If they don’t, try pushing them into place yourself, or remove the sticks and try again.
Storage Locate the primary NVMe slot on your motherboard. You can do this just by eyeballing it, but check your motherboard manual or the manufacturer’s website if it’s hidden under a heatsink or you’re unsure. Usually, it’ll be the slot that’s physically closest to the CPU.
Remove any heatsinks or heatspreaders that are in the way, then locate the retaining screw or clip for the SSD. Remove it or turn it so that it opens the slot, and press the metal contacts of the NVMe SSD into the respective slot (bare in mind the notch for orientation). Press it gently, but firmly into place, then press it down and replace the retention screw or clip to hold it in place.
Repeat for any other NVMe SSDs you have. If you have an older SATA SSD or hard drive, you’ll need to power them with a SATA power cable from the power supply, and attach them to the motherboard with a SATA cable. There are usually mounting points for them in a case. Use the manual to locate them if necessary.
Graphics card Locate the primary x16 PCI Express slot on your motherboard – it’s usually the “top” most PCIe slot and it’ll be the longest on the board. Remove the PCIe bracket behind that slot and the one immediately down from it (and more if you are using a triple or quad-slot GPU).
Line the graphics card up with the PCIe slot and push it firmly into the port. You should hear a click when the retention bracket snaps into place. If your graphics card is particularly heavy, it can be a good idea to hold it up while you secure the retaining screws on the PCIe bracket-end. Also consider adding an anti-sag bracket or GPU support.
Plug in the respective power cable. It’ll either be one or more PCIe 8-pin power connectors, or one of Nvidia’s newer high-power designs, like the 12VHPWR for the RTX 5000 cards. In either case, ensure the cable is plugged firmly in and isn’t loose. Try to avoid hard kinks or bends in the wiring, too.
PSU cables and front panel connectors Plug in the motherboard and CPU power cables. The specifics will be dependent on your board, but usually that involves the larger 20+4 pin connector and at least one four-to-eight-pin CPU power connector.
You’ll then want to plug in the front-panel connector cables. These link up the case’s power button, ports, and indicator lights to the PC and can be rather fiddly. Use attached labels and your motherboard’s manual for guidance on specifics.
Power it up When you’ve finished, don’t put any of the panels back on yet. Just plug a power cable in and try to boot the system up. If it passes POST (power-on self test), and ideally lets you start heading into a fresh Windows install, you should be all good to go. If it doesn’t post, go back over these steps and make sure you haven’t missed something. It’s easy to forget to plug in a power cable or miss a RAM stick. We’ve all been there.
