How to choose the right desktop computer for the Internet. How to choose a system unit
Rostislav Kuzmin
Good time, dear readers! When buying any equipment, the user wants to get a device that meets his requirements as much as possible and at the same time at an adequate cost. This applies to all types of household devices - from an iron to a laptop. Today I will tell you how to choose a system unit for a computer for your home and buy exactly what the user needs, and not the seller.
To choose the right computer for home use, you should understand what tasks it is designed to perform. Conditionally, the desires of users can be divided into the following types:
- networking, surfing, office applications.
- multimedia tasks - the Internet, movies, music, simple entertainment;
- special tasks - photo and video processing, rendering, programming, modeling;
- gaming.
Often, users in the store say: “We need a gaming option,” but at the same time they mean games in classmates or VK. Obviously, the price tag of 60-70 thousand is surprising (this is how much gaming computers cost). For a better understanding of what exactly is needed, it is necessary to highlight the main programs or games that the buyer needs and then it will be realistic to choose the optimal device for the price and characteristics.
Criterias of choice
After the user has decided on what his system specialist should do, it is necessary to proceed directly to the choice. When buying, you should look at several important criteria:
- CPU.
- RAM.
- HDD.
- Video card.
Each of the components affects the system in its own way. At the same time, when choosing a PC, balance is important. It makes no sense to buy a powerful chipset and an integrated video card if the amount of RAM is small. In this case, the processor simply will not be able to give out the maximum of its capabilities.
CPU
Not every user knows how to choose the right processor. There is an opinion that it is extremely important to look at the number of cores. This is a common misconception, since in 2019 even the most budget processors can have 4 cores, while more powerful and expensive ones are equipped with only two. By what criteria in this case to determine whether the processor is suitable or not.
There are two major chipset manufacturers in the world - AMD and Intel. There are other companies, but their products are not widely used and are more often segmented, that is, they are used in a certain environment. For example, Russian Baikal chipsets are produced for military purposes.
Which company to buy a processor is an important topic that no user bypasses. Without going too deep into the topic, it can be noted that Intel chipsets are considered better. They heat up less, have a lot of built-in technologies, and a large selection of rulers allows you to choose the best option for any task.
Intel chipset lines:
- Celeron are entry-level processors for a home computer that won't be used for gaming.
- Pentium - chipsets with better productivity. Positioned as a combination of performance and price. On some Pentium models, you can play quite well.
- Core i3 - a line with the best performance, suitable for active work, multitasking.
- Core i5 - universal chipsets for any task, including games.
- Core i7 - a series of processors with high performance, but they are more often chosen for devices designed for "heavy" work.
- Core i9 - uncompromising gaming chipsets. They have maximum performance and they are also expensive. The choice of esportsmen and those who are not ready to make any compromises.
The line of AMD chipsets is the A and FX series. The second is more productive and here you can choose options for games. Series A has a division - A4, A6, A6, A8, A9, A10, A12. You can conditionally divide:
A8 is an average option for any tasks, but without any special loads, it can be compared with Core i3 chipsets. All chipsets up to A8 - for work at home, skype, surfing. Above A8 - productive options for games and resource-intensive tasks.
Having worked for many years in a digital equipment store and having experience of communicating with customers who have already purchased a computer, I concluded that AMD chipsets are optimal for multimedia tasks at home, as they show a good level of performance and at the same time are inexpensive, but if the user's task is heavy games and applications, then you should definitely choose Intel. Another observation is that more often buyers buy Intel instead of the old AMD.
When choosing a processor, it is important to look at the clock speed. The higher it is, the better. The kernel was mentioned above. A large number of them is good if they are high-frequency at the same time. In some situations, two cores perform better than four. An important point is that some chipsets support smart overclocking technology, that is, the device independently decides when to raise the frequency and when to lower it so as not to load the device once again. The increase in productivity occurs when performing heavy tasks and when working with several programs at the same time.
Recently, Ryzen processors from AMD have appeared on the market. They work just like the previous ones. That is, they heat up and are much cheaper than Intel, but they are not so loaded when working with games and heavy programs. So far, no one knows about them in terms of performance for ordinary users. That's when they start to buy up in large quantities, then at least some reviews and ratings will appear. In the meantime, we will lower them until better times.
RAM
This type of memory is necessary for faster data exchange between the chipset and the hard drive. To put it simply, the RAM stores information that the chipset needs more often, and in order not to receive it for a long time from the hard drive, it is written to RAM (random access memory). It is quite obvious that a large amount of RAM is a guarantee of speed. The minimum value for 2019 is 4 GB. Devices should be considered from this value, but it should be understood that this is not enough and in a year there will be a shortage. The ideal option is from 8 GB.
HDD
It may seem to many that this criterion affects the amount of information stored. This is true, but the data transfer speed depends on the type of disk. There are three types of memory:
- SSHD.
The first option is classic discs with slow speed and large volume. If an option for a home without games and heavy applications, then it will be enough.
An SSD is a solid-state hard drive without rotating parts, which affects its service life, operation volume, and most importantly, data transfer speed. They are expensive, but if the user has several important applications, then it is worth considering a combination - a small SSD + a large HDD. The first will be used for the OS and applications, and the second will serve as storage.
SSHD is a hybrid of the above types. In fact, there are two types of memory here - a small SSD for the OS and a large HDD. Today, such disks are widely used, as they are a compromise between speed and price.
video card
How to choose a video card for the system, which one to choose - integrated or discrete. These are questions that confuse buyers. The video card is the node that is responsible for the graphics in all its manifestations - whether the user watches videos, photos, plays or renders.
Video cards are divided into two types - discrete and integrated. Based on the names, we can conclude:
- discrete - a full-fledged separate video card;
- integrated - built-in, that is, in fact, here its functions are performed by the processor.
If the user is not going to play or process photos and videos, then he may well refuse to buy a system unit with discrete graphics. In this case, it would be a waste of money. Otherwise, you should look for models that have a discrete graphics card.
The manufacturers are AMD Radeon and Nvidia GeForce. Without going into details, it should be said that gamers choose the second option as more productive. The second point is that many games are mostly tailored for GeForce cards.
When choosing a card, you should pay attention to the numerical code of the model. The first number always refers to the generation. The higher it is, the newer the card, that is, it is better to choose it. For AMD, the most current generation is 9, for GeForce - 10. The second digit always indicates performance, that is, model 97** is more powerful than 94**, the situation is similar for GeForce. Nvidia gaming graphics cards have a second digit of 5 or higher.
By choosing a chipset, memory and video card, the user has actually determined the most important parameters for himself. Next, you should pay attention to the types and number of connectors, the size of the case, its appearance and location. These parameters are not key, so everything here depends solely on the specific desires of the buyer.
Top Models
Model for home use - surfing, movies, music, office applications. Classic vertical black case. Chipset - Intel Celeron G4900 with two cores at 3.1 GHz. The video card is built-in. Storage - HDD 1 terabyte. RAM – 4 GB expandable up to 32 GB. The model has a DVD drive with the function of recording discs, as well as a built-in card reader. Connectors: 3 USB 3.0, 2 USB 3.1, 1 Type-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, RJ-45. For the money, it is perfect for both home and office. The operating system is not installed. Price - from 21 thousand rubles.
Device based on AMD A9 9425 series chipset, 3.7 GHz (max), two cores. Like the previous version, the device is equipped with an integrated video card (but you can already play on it), 8 GB of RAM, 1000 GB of ROM. The system unit comes preinstalled with Windows 10, which affects its cost. Option for multimedia tasks at home, including not the most demanding online games, as well as any office work. Connectors: 2 USB 2.0, 4 Type-C, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45. There is a slot for a drive. The case is black, vertical arrangement. Price - from 26,000 rubles.
A good option for the home and those users who will not only work or surf the Internet, but also want to play. Chipset - AMD A10 9700, 4 cores at 3.8 GHz (max), memory - 8 GB, storage - 1 TB. There is a drive, a discrete graphics card - GeForce GTX 1050. It is small in size and made in blue in front and black in other places. Connectors: 2 USB 2.0, 2 Type-A, Type-C, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, RJ-45. Equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. OS - Windows 10. Price - from 30 thousand rubles.
HP OMEN Obelisk 875-0003ur, 4UA33EA
The HP Omen series is positioned as gaming devices. This model is suitable for games and serious work with graphics. Chipset - Core i3 8100, 4 cores at 3.6 GHz. Memory - 8 GB (max 32). Hard drive - 1 TB + 128 GB. Video card - GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4 GB. Wireless modules - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Connectors: 4 Type-A, Type-C, HDMI, Display Port, RJ-45. The operating system is not installed. Price - from 60 thousand rubles. ( 2 store).
It seems a grueling task: there are so many components, the parameters of which must be compared and taken into account ... If you assemble it yourself, you can damage some part, but it can be scary to trust consultants: what if they sell a very expensive option, but it was only planned to watch a movie on it? This article will help you to be sure. It talks about the main types of computer assemblies and what they should contain and what characteristics they should have. The information will help you buy a suitable option for a specific task: for watching movies at home, working with documents, games or video editing.
Main types of computers
To choose the right system unit, it is worth, first of all, to decide what exactly you need to buy a computer for. By appointment, all PCs are divided into 3 main types. The features of each of them are discussed below.
Gaming
It is clear that such a computer is chosen to enjoy gaming innovations. Therefore, its main task is to provide the most comfortable and smooth gameplay in modern games. The gaming industry is developing quite quickly, which means that the components of such a home assembly must meet the system requirements.
To get a realistic picture, forget about frame breaks and braking, you will have to spend a decent amount: they are not cheap. However, the main advantage of such system units is that they are suitable not only for games. Decent hardware makes it possible to use resource-demanding software without any problems, for example, for working with graphics and audio materials, video editing.
multimedia
As a rule, they belong to the middle price segment. Such assemblies are designed for listening to music, watching videos, comfortable Internet surfing. For undemanding games, too, enough.
A couple of tips:
- Fans of VR technology should choose a model with a graphics card that supports the corresponding devices;
- Music lovers and fans of multi-channel sound are better off buying a computer with a built-in audio interface. However, most modern motherboards are equipped with quite a decent audio chip with support for 5.1 or 7.1 speaker systems. With such a device, you can arrange an excellent party at home (the main thing is to invite all the neighbors so as not to swear).
Office
For everyday work tasks such as typing, sending emails, bookkeeping - what you need. They are also suitable for making voice / video calls via Skype or using programs for IP telephony. With access to the Internet, too, there will be no problems, and more is not needed for the office. At the same time, the components in such computers are simple, and therefore such assemblies can be bought quite inexpensively.
Note: an office PC is also suitable for home if the user needs a device to watch online videos, the simplest games and.
Criteria for choosing a system unit
To buy a suitable system unit for your home, you should choose the right components. In other words, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of hardware and choose a PC with exactly the parameters that are needed for certain purposes.
Motherboard
video card
If we talk about a PC for office work, in most cases a discrete is not required. It is quite possible to get by with an integrated graphics processor. For multimedia assemblies, this is also not important, but if the user really wants to connect glasses or a virtual reality helmet, then it is better to buy a model with a discrete GPU. It is important to study the product and pay attention to whether the device supports VR technologies.
One of the affordable graphics cards that can handle serious tasks is the Geforce GTX, starting with the 1060 model and up. For example, there is just such a component, and even with 6 gigabytes of memory. This is no longer a multimedia, but a very viable gaming solution. Of course, there are computers that are both simpler and cheaper, and not necessarily on NVidia. For example, you can find an option with a 4 GB Radeon rx570 -
RAM
When buying a computer system unit, you should know that in the case of RAM, first of all, pay attention to its volume. So how much RAM do you need? This is in the table below.
HDD
Choosing a hard drive is one of the simplest tasks when selecting components. For multimedia computers, it would be nice to buy an option with a 1 TB hard drive. This one costs in . For the office, you can use 500 GB, like that, and even less.
Gaming solutions need something more capacious. Modern games are quite "heavy", and the supply of free space will obviously not be superfluous. Suitable HDD 1-2 TB. The presence of an SSD for modern assemblies with demanding software is already becoming the standard. Plus to the speed and responsiveness of the PC will clearly be noticeable: games with SSD run faster. However, it is worth remembering that SSDs have a limited read/write cycle and can fail faster if files are written and deleted frequently. Therefore, if the user plans not only to store a lot of content, it is better to take a small SSD for the operating system, and choose a hard drive for all other files.
Interesting:if you want the most powerful and the best, you should pay attention to the top advanced gaming system blocks, the power reserve of which will last, perhaps, for 10 years. - just like this: 10-core “heart”, more than 60 GB of RAM, a total of 5 TB of storage and 2 very cool video cards allow him to solve absolutely any tasks. It also has powerful cooling, a case with a transparent wall and a backlight.
- 1. Processor and RAM
- 2. Hard drive
- 3. Graphics
- 4. Upgrade potential
- 5. Monoblock
- 6. Compact and ultra-compact PCs
- 7. Conclusion
Personal computers for business tasks rarely become objects of colorful advertising and reviews by top bloggers, but nevertheless they occupy a very significant share of the computer equipment market, which means that a significant number of users need instructions on how to choose a computer for the office. Today we will talk about how to choose the most reliable and less whimsical components to maintain, because it is these features that, as a rule, are of interest to buyers of such equipment.
Processor and RAM
Assembling a machine for absolutely any purpose begins with the selection of these elements. If in the case of a home gaming computer the principle the more expensive the better often applies, then for an office PC the price / quality ratio, convenience in everyday use, and the durability of the assembled kit come to the fore. If your company's tasks are not related to high-tech areas that require serious computing power, then it is unlikely that buying an Intel Core i7-based processor, and even more so the incredibly expensive Intel Core i9, will be a rational waste of money. 
If the equipment is needed to perform very primitive tasks like checking almost and accepting orders, then you can limit yourself to the very budgetary dual-core Celeron and Pentium CPUs, and they have a common base with “cores” and can also boast Skylake or Kaby Lake technologies.
If the tasks are not so simple, and employees often have to act in multitasking mode, then it makes sense to purchase a faster processor, i3 and i5 can handle serious calculations in Excel or work in engineering software, but graphic artists or data analysts still need to have under the hood is a modern quad-core Core i7. 
With RAM, everything is extremely simple - the quantity here certainly goes into the quality of the system, and therefore if the budget for the purchase of equipment is not too severely limited, it is better to take a little more with a future perspective. If you plan to install the latest version of Windows on your work machines, then it simply does not make sense to buy less than 4 gigabytes, and for full-fledged multitasking with resource-intensive applications, it is desirable to have 8-16 GB.
HDD
If you do not take into account server technology, then a standard office PC, as a rule, does not have large requirements for storage space - it is unlikely that it will have a collection of videos and music for hundreds of gigabytes. If the computer is used exclusively for working in office programs like Word, Excel or PowerPoint, then hundreds of gigabytes will be enough for it to store all working documents, which means there is a considerable temptation to use a not very capacious, but extremely fast SSD. 
For resource-intensive tasks, the speed of which the results of work largely depend on, it also makes sense to purchase a solid-state drive, but we must remember that models with a terabyte of memory and above cost very serious money, which means the price of the machine will increase by several hundred dollars. 
It's worth mentioning optical drives, which are a thing of the past with the advent of broadband Internet on home PCs, but for business purposes, some companies still prefer to use CDs and DVDs, and therefore it makes sense to equip a computer with such a device. They are not expensive, which means that such a purchase is unlikely to drastically affect the overall estimate in 2019.
Graphic arts
When assembling a computer for games, this item is the most important, but for office equipment, on the contrary, it comes to the end of the list. Most business computers have integrated graphics, meaning the graphics card is built into the processor itself. If you do not play modern 3D games, and the workstation does not involve such use, then this solution should be enough. 
If the work is related to graphic software, architectural design and similar areas of activity, then most likely you will need a discrete card, but at the moment, due to the incredible hype around top cards, it is almost impossible to make a profitable purchase of a good board - cryptocurrency mining has raised their prices to heaven . 
If you decide to buy equipment of compact or ultra-thin form factors for your office, then an integrated card will in any case be the only option available to you - modern components have very considerable dimensions.
Upgrade potential
Even if you decide that you will get by with integrated graphics or a single modest SSD, it would be nice to be able to add the missing components if necessary for optimal performance. Even small "minitower" class system blocks provide such an opportunity, having an additional slot for a hard drive and a slot for a video card in the arsenal. The presence of DIMM slots will help to add RAM without replacing the existing one with a more modern one. 
All elements require power, and the newer and more powerful the board, the more power it consumes, which means that the power supply plays an important role. If you have equipped your system with a weak unit up to 300 W, then even having the financial ability to insert a video card, you will not be able to do this, because it simply does not have enough power. Expert advice on choosing the right battery varies, but if you're not sure what features a particular PC will carry in 1-2 years, it's best to have some margin of safety.
Monoblock
Having confidence that you will not need additional components, you can look at the category of monoblocks. Such systems, which fit in the monitor itself, can have both fairly powerful processors and energy-saving components of average performance. In portable all-in-ones, you will usually find the Intel Core M chipset, which does not require additional cooling. 
Technique still tends to become obsolete, and therefore the equipment used even for the most primitive tasks will eventually need to be updated. So that your monoblock does not lose any value, you should look for HDMI and DisplayPort models with interfaces that allow you to use this device as a regular monitor. Most PCs of this format have a touch screen, which means that all-in-ones are perfect for working in applications focused on working with a sensor.
Compact and ultra-compact PCs
If earlier any system, regardless of its power, had approximately the same dimensions, then in recent years mini-computers have become widespread, which are small in size and capabilities, but in turn are inexpensive. At their core, they are similar to laptops, as they also use energy-saving components in compact dimensions. This option is suitable for those who do not require more from the machine than browsing sites and working in the office software package. 
If you want to save money and hope that an ultra-compact PC will still be able to perform tasks more complicated than checking mail and writing reports - we still do not recommend purchasing such a model, many professionals around the world have seen by their own example how inconvenient it is to try to carry out fast and voluminous calculations on equipment not intended for this. 
A more modern format is the new stick PCs, which are slightly larger than a standard flash drive. Such devices connect to monitors using an HDMI connector, and you can also use external peripherals like a keyboard and mouse with them. It makes sense to use such a gadget for the simplest tasks and in terms of functionality it is close to the same flash drive, but with its help you can not only store the presentation, but also, if necessary, correct it right on the go.
Conclusion
Many employers are tempted to buy the cheapest equipment in the hope that this will not ultimately affect the results of the work of employees of the organization. Saving is good, but it should not go to the detriment of the workflow, especially when acquiring the cheapest and, accordingly, the weakest option, it is likely that in a year such a system will not be able to perform the functions required of it, which means that the investment will not pay off.
By paying a little more and getting yourself more power, expandability, and a long warranty period and technical support, you will save much more on the road. It is necessary to select components so that the elements you have chosen have some margin for the future, and are not outdated today.
Updated: 13.02.2018 13:57:54
The system unit is not a single solid device. It is a complex of interconnected components, each of which determines the technical characteristics and specifications of the computer.
How to choose a system unit: a list of characteristics that you need to pay attention to
When choosing a system unit for your home or office, you need to pay attention to the following technical characteristics:
Model, clock frequency, number of cores of the built-in processor;
Volume and type of hard disk;
Clock frequency and memory size of the built-in video card;
The number of chassis fans.
Other parameters that you can pay attention to, but not necessarily:
The power of the power supply;
Specifications of the motherboard.
Parameters that determine the convenience, but not the capabilities of the system unit:
The presence of an optical disc drive;
The presence of a card reader;
Ports on the front panel;
Ports on the back.
The overall performance of a computer depends on four parameters - the clock speed of the processor, the number of its processing cores, the amount of RAM and the speed of the hard drive. The characteristics of the video card or graphics accelerator are also important, but not prevailing. They are important primarily for graphics processing - in the form of drawing models in computer games or rendering video in the appropriate editors.
Therefore, if high performance is required, a “more powerful” processor is also required - with 4 cores and a high clock speed. The most popular models in this segment are from the Intel Core i5 and i7 lines. However, it is worth remembering the generation of the processor. The same Intel Core now exists in seven generations, and the first is not very productive - unlike the last.
The Intel Core processor model, except for the line (i3, i5, i7), is supplemented with a four-digit digital code. The higher this number, the higher the performance of the chip, respectively.
The computer during its work writes a lot of data into RAM. Therefore, the higher its volume, the faster the system unit will work. The minimum amount required today is 2 GB. It will be enough for "study", web surfing, working with documents, etc. The optimal value is 4 GB.
If you need to perform more demanding tasks, including gaming, then the amount of RAM should be higher. For a gaming computer, the required minimum is 8 GB.
Volume and type of hard disk
The computer's hard drive stores all the necessary data - from the files of the operating system itself to documents, photos and user downloads. Therefore, the larger its volume, the correspondingly more information can be recorded in the computer's memory.
The minimum required amount for the operation of the operating system is 20 GB. But this is clearly not enough for the user. For example, a movie in acceptable quality "weighs" 4.5 GB. And the flagship games are over 100 GB each when installed!
Thus, you need to choose the size of the hard drive based on your needs. But it’s better to “stock up” than to frantically choose what to remove in order to free up space later. The minimum recommended hard disk space is 320 GB. 500 GB is better. 1 TB or more - if it is planned to arrange "file storage" on the computer.
The type of hard drive is also important. SSDs are faster and more stable than HDDs. However, they are much more expensive and have a limited operational period.
The optimal configuration is to use a small SSD (up to 100 GB) for the operating system and a large HDD (from 500 GB) for user files, games and programs.
Integrated graphics specifications
Without a video card, the computer will not be able to display the image on the screen. So it's needed anyway. However, it is worth remembering that there are two types of video cards - integrated and discrete.
An integrated video card is usually much less powerful. It uses the resources of the processor itself and RAM in order to process graphic information. Therefore, it is practically not suitable for games - except for the oldest and undemanding to the technical characteristics of a computer.
A discrete graphics card is better suited for processing graphic information - both games and video rendering or image editing. And the more powerful it is, the better it copes with these duties.
The performance of a discrete graphics card is affected by the power of the integrated computing chip and the amount of video memory. And, if it is difficult to obtain information on the first parameter, then the second is usually indicated on price tags or in the list of technical characteristics of the system unit. In short, the more video memory, the better. But also more expensive. Therefore, it is advisable to buy a system unit with a powerful video card if you need a gaming configuration or a system for processing video or images.
It is not difficult to understand whether an integrated or discrete video card is built into the system unit. If the screen connector is located on the top of the rear panel of the case, then it is integrated in it. If on the bottom, then it is discrete. The accuracy of this "test" is quite high.
Number of fans in the chassis
Almost all components of the system unit heat up intensively during operation. The processor, for example, when performing some particularly demanding task, can heat up to 80-100 degrees! The video card, hard drive, power supply, even RAM and cables that connect it all together also heat up.
High heating leads to a drop in performance and a decrease in the operating period of the system unit. In order for the temperature not to be too high, the most strongly "hot" elements are equipped with fans - coolers. They are installed, for example, on the processor, video card and power supply.
But due to the closed configuration of the system unit, these coolers do not do their job very well. Additional fans are needed that will pump cold air into the case and remove hot air from there.
For an average configuration, 1 cooler on the rear panel is enough. When it comes to a powerful or simply high-performance system unit, more fans are required. 2-3 will be enough.
Power supply power
The main function of the power supply is to convert alternating current from a household network into direct current, which is necessary for the operation of a computer, and deliver it to components (motherboard, video card, etc.). And the power of these components directly depends on how much current they consume.
Therefore, the more components installed in the system unit and the more productive they are, the more powerful the power supply is required.
However, it is worth considering that in ready-made configurations a power supply of sufficient power is already installed, so you do not need to worry about this issue. The problem can only occur when upgrading (installing new components) of the computer. Often, the power of the unit installed in ready-made configurations is limiting and does not imply the connection of other devices. Then, when upgrading, you will need to install a new one.
Motherboard options
The motherboard is the main functional element of the computer. It is to it that the rest of the components are connected - from the processor to the video card.
Paying attention to its characteristics is required only if you plan to upgrade your computer. Then the following parameters are important:
The number and type of expansion slots (required for installing expansion cards - video cards, network cards, sound cards, specialized devices);
The number and frequency of RAM slots (the last parameter is important for creating an optimized configuration);
Chipset characteristics (required to optimize the interaction of all peripheral equipment - processor, video card, permanent and RAM, connected via USB devices);
Processor socket (determines which processor can be installed on the motherboard);
The presence of a built-in video card;
The presence of built-in "expansion cards" - sound, network card, etc.;
Connector configuration (for example, if you need to bring an additional USB box to the front panel, this will require a separate connector).
However, in the vast majority of cases, these parameters can be ignored.
Summary
The choice of a system unit begins with determining the purposes for which it will be used. Based on the purpose of the computer, you can identify the necessary and sufficient characteristics. First of all, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of the processor, RAM and permanent memory, as well as the video card.
For specialized configurations, it is also desirable to take into account the power supply capacity and the number of fans built into the case.
For configurations that are planned to be upgraded in the future, it is required to take into account the features of the motherboard so that you do not have to change it.
And finally, it is desirable to take into account the ease of use of the system unit.
Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.
Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Giforces, Radeons, Gigabytes,Gigahertz ... How not to get confused in beautiful words? What to look for when choosing a gaming PC? What is important to knowto avoid making mistakes?
What you need to know before choosing a gaming computer?
1. Choosing a gaming computer starts with choosing the game that you will play on it - more precisely, with determining the system requirements of the game (s) for the computer.
There are many games and the requirements for the equipment are different for everyone. For example, Counter Strike is not at all demanding on hardware, while Mafia III, on the contrary, can slow down even on powerful computers. And popular among gamers, GTA V falls somewhere in between: it can be run on simple computers, but if you want to enjoy the stunning graphics of this game at maximum settings, you will need an above-average computer.
- The requirements of the game to the computer can be viewed on the website of the developer or publisher of the game, on the official website of the game, or you can ask our consultant (chat form with a consultant - at the bottom of the site)
2. The second parameter that is important to know before choosing components is the resolution of the monitor (or TV) that will be connected to your gaming computer.
Why is it important? The higher the resolution, the more powerful video card you need to take for an acceptable FPS (frames per second).
- The screen resolution in pixels can be found in the technical documentation, on the manufacturer's website according to the monitor / TV model, or in the device menu.
So, we have learned 2 inputs:
- System requirements of the game to the hardware;
- The resolution of the device that will show us the picture.
Based on these two data, we will choose the configuration of our future computer.
Where does the choice of a gaming computer begin?
1. The protagonist of the gaming computer: the video card.
It is the video card that creates the image that we see on the screen, it depends on its power whether the picture will be smooth or instead of the game we will get an intermittent slide show.
The graphics card must be able to handle our game on our screen. The word "handle" means that at medium settings the video card will be able to produce a stable FPS of at least 35 frames per second.
In this table, you can find out the minimum required video card for some games and the most popular resolutions at the end of 2017:
Didn't find the game in the table? Contact our consultants for help!
If you have not decided on the games yet, we suggest sticking to the line that for most modern games at high settings in FullHD (1920x1080) resolution, an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics card is enough– this is a very successful graphics card that runs fast, and the heat dissipation and power consumption are at a very low level!
The cooler and more expensive the video card (GTX 1060, 1070, and so on), the smoother the picture will be, the higher the graphics settings you can set in your favorite game– and thus get a more beautiful image, with shadows, highlights, reflections and more accurate details.
What to choose from video cards: NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon? NVIDIA graphics cards are slightly faster in games, less demanding on power and cooling, and moreover, they are cheaper! You can find out the correspondence between the performance of GeForce and Radeon in the first table.
2. Select the central processor.
Surely you have heard that some processor "reveals" (or vice versa) some video card. The phrase "processor reveals the graphics card" implies that the power of the processor corresponds to the power of the video card - that is, the processor is powerful enough to give out FPS no less than the video card.
Why is it necessary? Each game process consists of 2 main components:
- Physics. Quantity, interaction of objects, heroes, their behavior– It's all calculated by the CPU. Each game loads the processor differently. The degree of processor utilization does not depend on the resolution and almost does not depend on the quality settings.
- Graphic arts. Texture overlay speed on objects and their quality , special effects, all this is the task of the video card. The higher the resolution, the higher the load on the video card.
The video card and the processor in games work in tandem. Each has its own area of responsibility.
In order for the game to avoid slowdowns, FPS drawdowns and other unpleasant lags, it is necessary that the processor allows the video card to work at 100%. That is, FPS in games should be limited by the video card, not the processor. Otherwise it will turn out that the video card– most expensive gaming computer component– does not fulfill all the money paid for it.
What processor to choose for the previously selected video card?
The answer again depends on the resolution of your monitor (TV)! The lower the screen resolution, the more FPS the video card can give.- the more FPS the processor should provide! Conversely, the higher the resolution- the less powerful processor you can take for the selected video card
In the table you can see the minimum allowed processors for each specific video card, depending on the resolution at which you will play.
The table is compiled on the basis of numerous tests in a variety of games
For example, you want to play GTA 5 at maximum settings on a 23" monitor with a resolution of 1920x1080 and decide to use an NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics card.- it means that for these purposes it is worth taking an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor, or better– Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7. But if you play on a monitor with a resolution of 2560x1440 or higher, then the processorIntel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 will be enough
3. Motherboard for your new gaming computer.
There are many motherboards, but games, despite the sometimes 10-fold difference in price, are not significantly affected. There is one universal advice here: if you do not plan to practice overclocking and want to save money, choose a motherboard with a "medium" chipset: for Intel it is B250 (B350 for the new 8th generation Coffee Lake processors), for AMD– B350. It is important that the capacitors on the motherboard are solid-state (Solid Capacitor in English): this will significantly increase the reliability of the board. If you have difficulty choosing– contact us for advice!
4. RAM.
Volume - n It's less than 8GB. 16GB is better, but you can make yourself an "installment plan"- buy a second 8GB some time after buying a computer. Most modern games still have enough 8 GB. Increasing the RAM yourself is very simple. There is no point in 32GB of RAM for a gaming computer today.
5. SSD or HDD - which is better for a gaming PC?
SSD is very fast but expensive. SSD drives speed up the loading of the operating system and remove any delays when accessing data on the computer. However, in games, SSD only speeds up the loading of the game itself and individual levels, applying settings, etc. Therefore, the ideal option is to install a 120-240GB SSD for the OS and a couple of your favorite games that you play most often, and a separate hard drive with a capacity of 1TB or more to store a large amount of personal data (photos, videos, games, programs, etc.) .
But if the budget is limited, you can get by with one ordinary hard drive, the main thing is that the spindle speed is at least 7200 rpm, otherwise there may be slowdowns in games: there were such cases in our practice!
6. Should I buy an expensive gaming PC case? Or can you get it cheap?
The case, as you understand, does not affect FPS in any way. Even in the cheapest case, the Core i7 will remain itself and will not turn into a Celeron. The main differences between expensive and cheap cases, in addition to design, are as follows:
- metal thickness. The thicker, the more rigid the construction, which eliminates the possibility of deformation of the walls of the case and boards over time. In addition, the thicker the metal of the computer case, the better its dust, noise and vibration isolation.
- Thoughtful cooling. In expensive cases, you can often find additional fans or additional places for them.
- The bottom location of the power supply. This improves heat transfer in the case, its stability.
- Additional connectors and useful "chips". For example, twice as many USB ports or a screen with temperature indication, reobas (allows you to change the rotation speed of case fans)
The conclusion is this: you can save on the case in the case of an inexpensive system, otherwise it looks like "saving on matches": the difference in price between a simple case and an "advanced" one is not worth losing all the advantages of the latter.
7. Healthy eating
Everyone needs it, not just people! The power supply is a very important part of any gaming computer. Power should be selected based on the recommendations of the video card manufacturer (the requirements are usually indicated on the video card page on the manufacturer's website). Modern video cards are characterized by low power consumption. For example, for systems based on the GTX 1060, a 500W output power supply from a good manufacturer is enough: for example, Zalman, Aerocool, Chieftec, FSP.
8. Cooling system. How to choose a CPU cooler?
The processor heats up during operation and it needs to be cooled - this is a fact. How to choose an efficient CPU cooler? To do this, we need to know 2 things:
- Processor socket - i.e. the name of the socket ("socket") in which the processor is installed. For example, Socket 1151 for modern Intel processors or AM4 for AMD Ryzen processors. Choose a cooler that fits your CPU socket or a universal one (denoted "Socket-All".
- Processor thermal power (TDP, "thermal package") is the power in Watts that the processor delivers. It's important to choose a cooler that dissipates power equal to or more than what the processor puts out. If you plan to overclock the processor, it is better that the cooler has a headroom of at least 30%. (i.e. with a processor TDP of 100W, the cooler should have a TDP of 130W)
Inexpensive CPU coolers have an aluminum heatsink. More expensive models have a copper core, they dissipate heat from the processor more efficiently. Coolers with copper heat pipes are even better: as a rule, they have a tower-type design - they direct the air flow towards the back of the computer, and not towards the motherboard.
Remember: the main thing when choosing a cooler is to pay attention to socket compatibility, TDP and noise level produced by the cooler. It's great if the noise level is below 21 dB - in this case, you simply won't notice it.
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