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How to choose a gaming PC?

This article is not so written to help you fold your computer at home, but rather not to fly dealers who do not offer optimal gaming computers.

Why do our PC builds often differ from other gaming computer vendors' offers? Jako počítačový hráči víme, že nejdůležitější komponent v herním počítači by měla být grafická karta. For this reason, we design assemblies with the most powerful graphics card in the given price range, and assemble the other components in such a way that they do not degrade its performance at the overall price of the computer. A large percentage of sellers probably have no idea about the more accurate performance of graphics cards, or worse, they consciously try to sell a "gaming" computer with less gaming performance than the customer usually imagines according to the offer.

Jaký k tomu mají důvod? The powerful graphics card is a very expensive component compared to other components, which also requires a more powerful and expensive source with its increasing power. A regular customer from the title of the graphics card usually does not read its real performance and therefore it is more commercial to offer cheaper processors with many cores and high frequencies or strong Intel i5 and i7 processors, along with many GB RAM and large hard disk, where values ​​and capacity can Customer assess in laymanship - a higher number is simply better.

The processor performance does not differ so much between individual models and can be used in practice in the same way as the performance of different graphics cards.

Recently, interested parties have been hit by unoptally tuned assemblies and should stick to these advice:

1. Focus on the performance of the graphics card and a specific model from a particular manufacturer, which may vary both in power and operation (noise).
2. if you have a more limited budget, it is always more profitable to invest in components that must be changed than in those that can only be added gradually. You can buy an SSD disk, a larger HDD, more RAM or, at worst, a better processor cooler at any time later, and you don't have to invest in them right away at the expense of a more powerful graphics card, processor or a more equipped motherboard.

3. when comparing PC assembly prices, you need to compare the same or qualitatively comparable components

How to choose/design/build a gaming PC/s

Computer price:

The price levels of honest sets can be simply characterized roughly as follows:

set up to approx. 10.000 CZK – cannot be considered a true gaming computer.

set up to 14.000 CZK – you will play all the games, but you cannot expect high and often not even medium settings for demanding games.

set approx. 15.000 CZK – you play everything at least on medium and sometimes on high settings.

set approx. 20.000 CZK - Playing most games in high sometimes even maximum settings.

set approx. 25.000 CZK – playing games always at high and often maximum settings.

set approx. 30.000 CZK – for playing all the most demanding games at maximum settings.

set from about 40.000 CZK - To play all the most demanding games in maximum settings and high resolutions, IS perspective in the future.

processor

More cores - always more performance?……..NOT really!!!!! This applies mainly to AMD's 6 to 8-core processors vs Intel's 4-core processors, which are usually more powerful despite the smaller number of cores.
They have more threads per core and thus provide higher performance where there is no software support for 4 or more cores. Intel processors are more powerful (especially for the i5 and i7), but not always clearly more convenient. Due to the price, the AMD processor is sufficient in cheaper game gaming segments, for example, a 4 core AMD Ryzen 3 1200, which is cheaper than 2 core Intela i3, could be recommended for a cheaper segment. In modern games and in the future, its 2 cores (although multi -thread) may be limited. For more expensive processors, we recommend Intel i5 processors and if you want maximum, I7. A good variant is a little cheaper AMD Ryzen 5 processors with 4 and 6 cores and the same number of fibers. Such a favorite to the middle class reports is AMDYZEN 5 1600. In practice there is the difference between AMD processors and Intel. využity, je výkonnější procesor Intel. Inteels generally have better performance per processor core.

Advantages of Intel processors – more balanced performance and performance per core, higher clocking limits.

Advantages of AMD processors – cheaper and when all cores are used they will be more powerful (which is not a rule) than competition from Intel, possibility to clock all models, mostly cheaper motherboards with the same equipment.

Motherboard: There is no need to choose the most expensive models for the motherboard, but if you are tempted by the cheapest ones, you have to take into account certain limitations. You can only have lower component speed support, the board will have less slots for RAM, disks and additional components.
Furthermore, you may not digitally connect a 5.1 speaker or you will have a lack of USB ports. SATA3 and USB 3.0 support, fast M.2 SSD drives or new processors are also useful for the future. There are also minor differences in the individual versions of the chipset and board classes (improved clocking options), but apart from the most powerful assemblies or planning a higher clocking, a mid-range board will be enough for you. We can roughly divide it so that the board should be about 10% (+- one hundred kroner) of the total amount for the entire assembly. It is not necessary to have a board equipped for everything, but with the rising price of other components, the computer should be fitted with an appropriate motherboard. An integrated network and sound card is part of the basic equipment of today's boards. GIGABYTE, ASUS, MSI motherboards can be recommended.

RAM memories:
In current games, it is not necessary to have 16GB of RAM in PCs in sets up to approx. 20.000. Even 8Gb is sufficient when playing the most modern games. Therefore, it is good to compare mainly the performance of other components. Even the basic 2133Mhz is fast enough. We recommend also choosing faster 2400Mhz memory for a small extra fee (simply effective mainly with Intel processors thanks to the so-called XMP profiles), but you practically cannot tell the difference and also check the support of faster memories on the motherboard. Where a high frequency is known is the case in combination with AMD RYZEN processors (mainly the more powerful ones), where we recommend 2666Mzh memory and faster. . The last value you might notice is memory latency (eg CL13, CL15). The latter is also relatively important, and in it a smaller number is more powerful, i.e. that eg CL13 is better than CL15 or CL16.     

Grafic card: A gaming PC does NOT mean that there is any additional graphics card in the build. The biggest problem with some offers is the almost false information about the suitability of the offered set, such as "gaming". A graphics card is the foundation of a gaming rig and should usually be the most expensive component in a PC. Therefore, in the vast majority of offers, the computer is equipped with a weaker/cheaper graphics card, and sellers rely on the ignorance of customers. So how do you know if the offered graphics card is suitable for you? For a quick orientation, we have prepared a graph of the performance of gaming graphics cards for you, which you can find at the beginning of this article or you can look at online hardware magazines.

Grafické karty Nvidia jsou lepší než karty ATI/ dnes AMD?……NENÍ TO PRAVDA!!! Tento mýtus je pozůstatkem z relativně dávné doby, kdy grafické karty ATi trpěly nedoladěnými ovladači. At the moment, understandably, there are also occasional temporary failures in the controllers, but now both manufacturers have nothing to blame and occasional problems occur on both sides. In some price ranges AMD/ATi Radeon is more advantageous, at other times both graphics cards are comparable and it is more a matter of liking the brand. The differences can be rather in different versions of the same cards from different manufacturers (Gigabyte, Asus, MSI,... etc.), which differ mainly in the installed cooler and equipment.

Currently, graphics such as the Nvidia GTX 1050 and 1060 have very low consumption and less heating and sometimes noise, but AMD's competition (RX 570 and 580) at similar prices has slightly worse operating characteristics, but often at the highest resolutions so it does not lose performance in the most demanding scenes and can have a greater perspective for future demanding games.
It is up to everyone whether it prefers the operating characteristics or theoretical perceptually in performance.

How much RAM memory is required on the graphics card?…..for the current time, the minimum is 2GB, the optimum is 3-4GB, for the future and for the most demanding games, 6-8GB.

Sound card: For most users, the integrated sound card on the motherboard is sufficient for sounding the computer. You just have to think about whether you will only connect a stereo or 2.1 speaker or if you have or are planning 5.1 (7.1) speakers. Some motherboards have only 3 audio outputs, to which you cannot connect a 5.1 speaker.

There are also some differences in the integrated sound units, and higher versions of chipsets usually have a better quality integrated sound unit. However, it is not worth paying extra for a better record just for the soundtrack.

If you have a high-quality loudspeaker for listening to music, we recommend paying extra for an additional sound card at prices starting at around CZK 1000 and up. In the case of cheap speakers, the difference compared to integrated ones is very small.

Hard disk: Everyone can choose the capacity of the hard disk according to their needs, but 1000 Gb of space is usually enough for data storage, and if you would like more space, 2 TB disks can be purchased for a decent price, but we would rather recommend buying another separate hard disk or an external 1 TB disk. It's good not to depend on only 1 HDD, imagine losing 2 TB of data in case of failure. Although we can also talk about smaller disks in this way, it is also about the number and types of files. If you want a large disk for storing many large files (e.g. movies in Blue ray quality), you can buy a 2TB HDD, but we do not recommend buying a large disk for gradually storing small files over several years. We would definitely recommend the 7200 RPM models for the system drive. Models with 5400 rpm can be used as storage disks for PC or NAS systems. Their advantage is lower consumption and, theoretically, a longer service life under long-term load.  
SSD disks are a separate chapter, which are not worth it in terms of capacity/price, but you can recognize the agility of the system (especially during startup) at first glance. We recommend combining an SSD disk for the operating system and a classic HDD for data storage.

On the market, you can also find a kind of hybrid between an SSD disk and a classic HDD. With this type of SSHD, which is actually a classic HDD, there is also a smaller quick-access storage space on which the most frequently launched files are stored and thus speed up their loading. This solution is not as powerful and fast as a classic SSD disk, but the difference from a classic HDD is noticeable.

Whether to pay extra to the classic HDD for an SSD disk, where its entire capacity is fast, or just a smaller amount to replace the HDD with a hybrid SSHD with less space for the most used files + classic HDD capacity for speed, depends on expectations, needs and financial possibilities each user.

For some time now, we have been able to choose from SSD disk variants directly into the M.2 slots on the motherboard, where this connection has a higher theoretical transfer rate. A bit of a problem is their higher price, and the cheaper ones do not have noticeably higher performance than classic sata SSD disks. On the other hand, with an M.2 SSD, you save on connecting a power and data cable, it is only a card inserted in the motherboard, which must of course have a slot for M.2 drives. 

Computer case: Computer cabinets basically differ only in terms of?…. Very underestimated is the choice of computer cabinet, which may end in unpleasant surprises. In the picture, the seemingly dear -looking cabinet can actually be a super -cheap and shiny box with weak resonating sheets and minimal cooling options, which will not even fit a more powerful graphics card. Therefore, we advise that the customer selects not only by appearance, but also take into account other important features of the PC cabinet. Choose the cabinets roughly to cost 5% or more of the price of the entire assembly.

Source: The more watts the better?……NOT really. For PC resources, we recommend focusing on the gross need for performance and then mainly the brand and experience with it. High wattage at a low price may not be a bargain. An ideal example is the APPROX power source with at first glance a beautiful 500-550W, which is at half the price, better quality than any other with a power of 400W, and such an extremely low price must of course be reflected in the quality. In our offers from approx. 10000 NOK, we use proven SEASONIC, FORTRON and Corsair sources, with which we have many years of experience and have a superior warranty of 36 or even 60 months. In terms of power supplies, we generally recommend that it is not a good idea to buy the cheapest models with high wattage, but on the contrary, it is not necessary to buy a power supply that is more expensive than a well-chosen motherboard. Mainly for the most powerful assemblies, you can choose powerful models with a high efficiency of around 90% (maximized energy utilization and minimization of residual heat) and detachable cables, for a better arrangement inside the cabinet. The data in the description of the graphics card requirements can roughly tell you how powerful a power source to choose. However, graphics card manufacturers usually state a higher wattage than would be sufficient for higher-quality sources, due to customers who buy the cheapest sources. 

Cooling: Given that a poorly cooled assembly can have a considerably shortened lifespan, we recommend that you also focus on this very underestimated issue. First of all, we must draw attention to the cooling of the processor. In the basic configuration, we offer a cooler that is included in the package with the processor. Although it is sufficient for basic cooling, it does not stand out in terms of silence or cooling performance. If you do not choose from computers under 10.000 or you no longer have a cooler from an older PC at home, we recommend paying extra for a more powerful and quieter model (e.g. SilentiumPC Fera 3). We recommend a better cooler especially for AMD processors (certainly with 8 cores), which have basic coolers that are a bit noisier and have higher heating. With Intel, it is advisable to pay extra for models with an open multiplier for clocking (marked “K”) or to minimize noise. In connection with the selection of the cabinet, a "draught" should be created inside from front to back. This will allow for fans that draw in cold air on one side and blow heated air out of the case on the other. For this, you need to focus on cabinets that allow proper front suction, which at the same time cools the HDD. Additional fans (mostly 12 cm) can be purchased from us for 120/piece or even later according to your own experience and requirements. If you are concerned about the noise of the assembly, you can choose from soundproof cabinets (e.g. Fractal design Define R5). However, keep in mind that maximum cooling does not go together with minimum noise. You have to focus on this or that side of things, but the ideal is a compromise tuned slightly on the side of cooling or silence, according to the requirements of each customer and the conditions in which the computer operates.

Monitor and accessories:

With today's monitor prices, we can usually think about sizes 22″, 23″, 24″ and 27″. In terms of price, 22″ and 24″ monitors are roughly CZK 1000 apart, which is not much, and every user will certainly appreciate a larger screen. The most widespread resolution is 1920 x 1080 px ( fullHD ), which is today's standard for all the mentioned diagonals. The size of the monitor could be compared to other accessories (keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.), if you don't know better, worse will do. The quality of today's monitors at "popular" prices up to approx. 6000 NOK does not differ as much as the price difference would sometimes suggest, so you can easily focus on home use even in lower price ranges and you will most likely be satisfied. IPS and PLS panels have slightly better image quality characteristics. Classic older TN panels often have a better response. If you play fast online games, models with a refresh rate of 120 or 144Hz can be beneficial (others have 60Hz or 75Hz), but you will hardly find such monitors under 6000. Graphics card manufacturers AMD and Nvidia also have developed technologies that monitor manufacturers incorporate into their models and, in compatibility with the respective graphics card, this will contribute to a smoother display. AMD's technology is called FreeSync, Nvidia's GSYNC. Monitors for FreeSync are available from around 3500 NOK, there are quite a few more on the market, and you won't find the cheapest GSYNC monitor for less than 10000 NOK either. You can notice various equipment and connection options for monitors. We would recommend choosing a model with at least a DVI digital connection and, in newer monitors, HDMI or DisplayPort. The HDMI connector can be useful for connecting other devices (game console, set-top box, etc.). Currently, it is becoming more affordable to connect 3 monitors to a computer and play or work at a resolution of 5760 x 1080px. Naturally, such a large display area needs a fairly powerful graphics card for gaming, such as at least Radeon RX580 8GB or Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or better Nvidia GTX 1070 and 1080. You can also connect 3 monitors to cheaper graphics cards, but for more demanding games you will have to reduce a lot image quality. Another specialty is wide and curved monitors with a resolution of 3440×1440, or a cheaper 2560×1080, so a slightly narrower, but frameless version of the connection of three monitors.

Accessories such as keyboard and mouse can be selected with a large number of models according to your own needs and price options. Even for less demanding users, however, we recommend (especially for the mouse) to choose from models from at least CZK 400. Again, I do not know better, just worse, but a few hundred crowns can divide you from much better features that you will appreciate.       

QUESTIONS about reports:

If you have selected several sets and do not know which one to buy, we will advise you objectively and point out the differences, even if they may not be presented by our store and offer an alternative from us.

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