Introduction
In this new day and age where technology rules over our every-day lives, investing in the best devices with high quality and lasting performance has now become an investment worth giving into. A pre-built gaming PC is one of the latest investments that have risen in popularity.
When choosing a gaming desktop either to buy or to build, there are a lot of individual parts that need to be considered. When building a PC yourself, you typically need to do in-depth research, select and order every part individually, you need to be careful to watch out for incompatibilities, and then assemble those components all-together.
However, when ordering a prebuilt gaming PC from us, you can rest assured that we help with all of your questions and decisions.
So if you are looking to invest into a gaming computer, as a customer, there are two questions you need to ask yourself: “Which model of gaming PC should I buy, and what upgrades should I select for it?”
The model of a gaming PC determines the set of standard components it uses.
The set of components used determines the computer’s strengths and weaknesses, as every game, program, or app will use different parts of the system to different degrees. In this article, we will be looking into the main components that make a PC into a gaming rig!
What Parts are in a Pre-built Gaming PC?
There are two critical components and eight secondary components to every gaming computer. The two primary components are the CPU and GPU; the eight secondary components are the Memory (also known as RAM), storage, power supply, cooling, motherboard, networking, case, and flair.
CPU (Processor)
The CPU is the central “brain” of the computer. It determines both how fast the computer can perform a single task, and how well the computer can multitask and run multiple programs at once. Newer CPUs generally run single tasks faster, and CPUs with more Cores and Threads can multitask more efficiently.
Most games are played using only one or two threads, so for gaming, only 4 or 6 cores (giving 8 or 12 threads) is often enough. While the higher core-count CPUs are often more powerful, most games will not use all of that power. Those CPUs are generally more appropriate for work-related tasks, like video editing and rendering, or software development.
GPU (Graphics Card)
The GPU is effectively a second tiny computer inside your computer, which is solely tasked with handling visuals. “AAA” games, like the Call of Duty games, are generally extremely visually complex and thus make heavy use of a powerful GPU. Larger display screens (1440p or 4K) or multiple screens also require a more powerful GPU to handle.
So, if your taste in playing games leans towards more visually simple games like Minecraft, Factorio, or Dwarf Fortress, a more powerful CPU will generally be more useful. While if your taste in games leans towards more visually complex games like Cyberpunk 2077, or you play on one (or more) 1440p or 4K screens, a more powerful GPU with ray tracing will help get you those frame rates you want to see! Consider getting the RTX 3070 or RTX 3090 in your prebuilt PC.
Secondary parts are needed to link the system together, but they don’t affect the system’s performance much.
Ironically, despite their lower importance, there is a lot more to be said about them, since there are more special cases where attention needs to be paid to them. However, in most circumstances, we at VRLA Tech will choose secondary components appropriate to your primary components.
Memory
RAM (formally known as “Random-Access Memory”) determines the computer’s ability to run multiple complex programs at the same time. Memory choice is mostly about having enough capacity.
For most normal gaming uses, 16GB is sufficient, however if you know you will be engaged in heavy multitasking, using engineering software like Solidworks, or running Google Chrome with 300 tabs open, 32GB may be more ideal.
Memory speed can have a small effect on performance, but using one or two memory modules can make a big difference. That’s why VRLA Tech builds all their systems with two modules.
The RAM also comes in RGB-lit variants. RGB memory has the same performance capabilities as non-RGB memory, but now it glows in bright colors.
Memory also now comes in two further families: DDR4 and DDR5. AMD Ryzen 5000 (Zen 3) systems run on DDR4, AMD Ryzen 7000 (Zen 4) systems run on DDR5, and Intel Core 12th gen and 13th gen systems (Alder Lake and Raptor Lake) can run on either DDR4 or DDR5. DDR4 is an older and more stable technology, however its life has run its course and there will likely not be further upgrades to DDR4 memory technology in future years.
DDR5 is the newer-age memory, and can achieve higher performance and storage capacities; however that comes at the cost of (1) price, DDR5 is more expensive than DDR4, and (2) potential system stability issues.
Those stability issues have been largely ironed out over the last year since DDR5 launched to the world. However, DDR5 is still more prone to run into issues in testing, especially when using 4 sticks of memory as opposed to 2 sticks of memory.
Nonetheless, we at VRLA Tech will never ship a system without thorough testing and ensuring it is fully functional.
Storage
Storage determines how many games, programs, or apps you can have installed, or how many large videos you can have recorded or downloaded.
Storage space comes in 3 forms: Hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), and PCIe NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) . Every system we ship contains either an SSD or PCIe NVMe drive, and most contain a larger HDD.
What are SSDs, HDDs, and NVMe drives? A hard disk drive (HDD), or also known as a “conventional hard drive”, is an older style of storage device that uses rotating magnetic disks to store large amounts of data. They are an inexpensive means of storing large amounts of data. An SSD, or “Solid state drive”, stores data in slabs of circuitry.
On the usual, types of SSD are more expensive than HDDs, but they have higher read and write speeds. NVMe drives (formally “Non-Volatile Memory Express”) are a newer technology and the next generation of solid state drives. They have the same properties as SSDs but with even higher speeds.
In general, in a system containing both an SSD or NVMe drive, and an HDD, the Windows OS and any extremely important or high-use programs should be installed to the NVMe SSD, and any games or large videos should be stored on the HDD.
Power Supply
Computer components consume electrical power. The power supply must be strong enough to handle their requirements. A larger supply has no impact on system performance, however a power supply which is too small can cause the system to unexpectedly turn off under heavy load. We do not offer system configurations which will overload their power supplies, and if a customer attempts to upgrade components in an inappropriate manner we will warn them and encourage upgrading their power supply to handle the load.
Power supplies also have an efficiency rating, known as the “80+ Certification”. This certification is a guarantee on how efficient the power supply is at converting electricity from a wall outlet into electricity that the computer can use.
The 80+ Certification comes in a number of different grades, but all of them indicate that the power supply is at least 80% efficient at power conversion, and higher grades indicate higher efficiencies.
(As a side note, there is no such thing as “90+ certification”, that line is a marketing myth and in reality that would be “80+ Gold certification”.)
Cooling
Computer components generate heat while in use, and that heat needs to be released. The heat generated is based on the power consumed. To do this we use intake fan, and exhaust fans to make sure your system has proper airflow.
System cooling comes in the form of the CPU Cooler and Cooling Fans. Higher power CPUs require larger CPU coolers, and more powerful CPU-GPU combinations require more cooling fans to move more air through the case. Cooling fans also come in a number of different aesthetic flavors, with different levels of noise and lighting flexibility.
A very common question among both customers and PC enthusiasts is: “How many fans should I buy?”
The answer to that can be split into three categories, based on how powerful the computer’s CPU and GPU are.
The first category applies to systems containing:
-AMD Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 CPUs
-Intel Core i3 or Core i5 CPUs (without a “K” designation)
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX or RTX “-50” or “-60” series GPUs
-AMD Radeon RX “-600” series GPUs
For systems in this category, the components have low enough power consumption that they do not require intensive cooling. For this category, a gaming PC can generally be cooled with an AMD Ryzen Wraith or Intel Laminar RM1 stock cooler, or a 120mm tower cooler, and only two case fans (one front intake and one rear exhaust). Additional fans may be added for aesthetic reasons, but will not generally be necessary to control system temperatures.
The second category applies to systems containing:
-AMD Ryzen 7 CPUs
-Intel Core i5 CPUs (with a “K” designation) or Intel Core i7 CPUs
-NVIDIA GeForce RTX “-70” series GPUs
-AMD Radeon RX “-700” and “-800” series GPUs
For systems in this category, the components are a bit more power-hungry and hot. The CPU will need a 120mm tower cooler or a 240mm AIO water cooler to handle the heat, and the case itself may benefit from additional fans.
Using a 240mm AIO necessitates at least 3 fans (two for the radiator, and one more for additional airflow), and depending on the region you live in, more fans may be ideal. In a colder region, 3-4 fans can be enough to control the heat, but a warmer region may require 5-6 fans.
The third category applies to systems containing:
-AMD Ryzen 9 CPUs
-Intel Core i9 CPUs
-NVIDIA GeForce RTX “-80” and “-90” series GPUs
-AMD Radeon RX “-900” series GPUs
These components are usually hot, and some of them are often very hot. The CPU should not be approached without a 2x120mm tower, 2x140mm tower, 240mm AIO, or 360mm AIO. That means, at minimum, 2 fans for a 240mm AIO or 3 fans for a 360mm AIO, plus 2 more fans to match the radiator’s airflow, making for a minimum of 4-5 fans in the system.
That number can, and often should, be pushed higher; at the level of an Intel Core i9-13900K, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, with no expenses spared on the core components, no expenses should be spared on cooling them.
Motherboard
The motherboard is an important circuit board that connects the computer parts and makes the system work. All components plug into the motherboard, and the motherboard determines how many components and add-in cards can be plugged into the system. It also determines the set of CPUs and memory that the system can contain.
In general when ordering a gaming PC from VRLA Tech, you do not need to worry about choosing a motherboard, as we will choose a motherboard that can hold the components and add-in cards ordered.
Networking
How does a computer connect to the internet? For desktop computers or desktop gaming PCs, the answer to this is usually ethernet. Every desktop motherboard has an ethernet port, which accepts an ethernet cable that runs to your router and connects you directly to the internet.
“But what if I can’t connect an ethernet cable to my router?” In that case, the answer is Wi-Fi. Some, but not all, motherboards have Wi-Fi transmitters built into them. For those that do not, Wi-Fi correspondence can be added to the system, either via an add-in card, or via a USB transmitter device.
Many small home devices also use Bluetooth to communicate. Motherboards that have built-in Wi-Fi transmitters generally also have built-in Bluetooth transmitters, however for boards that do not, Bluetooth capabilities can also be added via a USB transmitter device.
Case
The case is the (generally) steel and tempered glass box that holds the computer. It protects the system from getting kicked around, and it looks pretty nice.
Choice in case is largely an aesthetic or stylistic choice, however cases can also have effects on system cooling based on how many fans they can hold, where those fans are mounted, and how much air those fans have access to. This is partly why, at VRLA Tech, our higher-end systems generally come in larger and more open cases with more fan mounting points.
Flair
This is what makes a PC a pre-built Gaming PC and not just an ordinary desktop PC. This is making a computer look as powerful as it acts. And we live in a society where that power is shown in the form of brightly glowing lighting; colored cable extensions, RGB fans, RGB cooling systems, RGB memory, RGB strips and highlights. RGB lighting effects do not have any impact on system performance, however they do have a strong influence on how flashy the system looks on your desk.
So there we have it. What goes into a prebuilt gaming PC, and what are each of these parts for. And here at VRLA Tech, we provide you with affordable, high quality best prebuilt gaming PCs, made with sensibly chosen components, fully pre-configured or fully customized to suit your desires.
If you buy a pre-built Gaming PC from us, it’s plug and play ready, that means you just need a monitor, keyboard and mouse and you can join the other PC gamers to game on!
Check out our Gaming PC line up to choose your Gaming rig today!