It is quite natural to get overwhelmed with all the possible variables that may arise while building a desktop on your own. The first thing you need to understand and reach a decision on is what kind of PC do you need. When you have a clear picture of that, it would be much easier to get the most out of your build. Do you want a Performance PC or one to do regular works such as checking emails, creating simple documents, browsing, etc. If you are not looking for a performance build, I would suggest you go for a laptop as it might serve all of these needs and you have the ease of portability. But if you are looking for a performance PC, then you need to assess what kind of performance are you looking for. The gaming PCs and the creator PCs have different DNAs.

Bottlenecking will be present however good you are. Your goal should be to minimize the bottlenecks rather than trying to eliminate them as it is not possible as of now.

So, what are the key components on any PC builds?

• Processor
• Motherboard
• Memory (RAM)
• Storage
• Graphics Card
• Power Supply (PSU)
• Case
• Fans and Coolers
• Monitor/s
• Keyboard & Mouse

Processor

This is the first component you have to choose when you are building a PC. Now, the big players out there are AMD and Intel. Both have their own areas they excel. For instance, Intel is widely chosen by most for regular office works as well as a first choice for most of the gamers. But AMD has been catching up on this and with the release of Ryzen 3rd generation processors, some might say, they even surpassed Intel on many grounds. Also, AMD provides good performance at cheaper costs compared to Intel.

Motherboard

This is one of the primary components you want to choose. This component will dictate the physical form factor and size of your PC build. It will also determine what other components you can use in the build. Each processor will have a compatible chipset. The motherboard chipset should be compatible with your Processor not to mention the socket. It will determine what kind of RAM (DDR4, DDR3, DDR2, …) you can use and how many, the GPU – the interface, whether combining the power of multiple GPUs is an option, storage – how many and what type, etc.

Memory (RAM)

Even long after your build, by adding more memory, you could give your PC a good performance boost. The latest technology is DDR4. You should keep in mind that your processor as well as your motherboard is capable of providing the support for the Memory you are choosing. The RAMs also have a speed that they are operating on. The Processor as well as the motherboard will also have certain speeds that they will support and there will be maximum limits which they could handle. If you are choosing a slower RAM, the RAM will be a bottleneck and if you choose a faster RAM, your processor or some other components will be the bottleneck. As I said, try and reduce those bottlenecks.

Storage

Your files and data are saved long-term on your storage device. Currently the two available choices – Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Solid State Drive (SSD). Right now, the HDD will offer you more storage space for the same amount of money than an SSD. But SSDs are about 6 times faster and 90 times energy efficient compared to HDD. The difference in speed comes from how the two storage devices read and write data. HDDs use small mechanical moving parts and spinning platters to do this and SSDs use NAND flash technology. The result will be better speed, efficiency and durability. The spinning platters are much more susceptible to physical damage than NAND. You have to make sure that your motherboard does have ports for SSDs. Almost all the motherboards do support HDDs.

Graphics Card

There are various types and classes of GPUs out there now. The big players here are AMD and NVIDIA. When choosing your GPU, you have to understand what kind of performance are you looking for. The GPUs that offer high gaming performance are not the ones that provide smooth operation on rendering softwares. For instance, in NVIDIA, the GeForce Lineup provides high performance on gaming and game engines while the Quadro Lineup helps with high rendering softwares. The Real-time raytracing supported GPU lineup from NVIDIA has given them an edge over AMD for now. But if not considering raytracing support for now, one could say the AMD GPUs are on par with NVIDIA. While buying the GPU, you have to make sure that the GPU you select I compatible with the motherboard and will not offer much of a bottleneck to your processor or the memory. The connection ports should also be kept in mind because, if the port version on the motherboard is older than that of the GPU, it will result in slower speeds than expected.

Power Supply (PSU)

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most overlooked part while building a PC. You have to keep in mind the power requirement of every other component in your build and then while choosing the PSU, it should cover all those needs. Always go for PSUs with an 80+ certification. There are 80+ white, bronze, silver, gold, platinum and titanium certifications. It just refers to the efficiency of the PSU in delivering the power. 80+ means, it will do it with at least 80% efficiency. If you did not choose the PSU well, it might even cost you the whole build.

Case

Nowadays there are a wide variety of choices for the cases. But you have to consider the size of your components before deciding on a model, especially your Motherboard. The cases come from mini-ATX to ATX sizes. The ATX cases will usually support smaller motherboards but not vice-versa. Also, you have to make sure you have enough space to install extra fans in order t provide better cooling to your build.

Fans and Coolers

When you are building a high-performance PC, the components are going to generate a good amount of heat. Most of the components cannot work beyond a level of temperature. The CPU should have a dedicated cooler – no questions asked. You can have air/water cooling according to your need and convenience. Most of the new AMD processors, comes with a stock cooler, but you could opt for another cooler as per your need. In case of Intel, you have to buy a separate cooler. Also, the Case accumulate more and more heat, if there was not enough circulation. So, you have to make sure of the same in order to keep your components in an optimum temperature, which will not only result in higher performance, but also the longevity of them.

Monitor/s

This should be a no-brainer. You must have a monitor. But now there are lot of choices out there. If you are a creator, it is better to go with a monitor that offer high resolution and more colors. But if you are building a gaming PC, a 1080p or 1440p resolution screen with high refresh rate and response time is the one you should go with. There are screens that offer higher resolution and high refresh rate together. But they are much more costly and you also need costlier components to push that much data into the monitor.

Keyboard & Mouse

There are lot of options for keyboard and mouse now. These components are unavoidable for the inputs. With the choices available, I think one should explore on this one and choose for themselves. If it were me, I would go with a branded model which serves all the necessary needs, nothing fancy.

Knowing and choosing the individual components for your PC will make you understand more about how it all works and will help you get the most out your PC.

Disclaimer : The views and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organisation, committee or other group or individual.