Video gaming is supposed to be a fun hobby, but it can sometimes be a little too fun, and gaming companies like to take advantage of that. They sell so many “gaming” products that look the same as non-gaming products that it can be hard to tell the difference between something marked up and what you actually need. So, do you really need to buy a fancy gaming PC for an enjoyable gaming experience?
A gaming PC isn’t needed to play games. However, the gaming experience is enhanced with gaming PCs. They make gameplay smoother with less lag. Gaming PCs are useful for playing games that need a high-quality video card and processor, which don’t work well on a lower-quality PC or laptop.
But where is the line between regular PC and gaming PC? Keep reading, and we’ll spell out the differences so you can decide which kind of PC you should get for your gaming.
Regular V. Gaming
Each computer runs on four main parts. There are way more than four components to a computer, obviously, but for our purposes, we’re only going to look at four of them because they are used heavily by computers while gaming:
- Processing
- Storage
- RAM
- Graphics
Processing is how quickly the computer processes and relays information. CPUs (central processing units) are processors, and every computer has a CPU to run the computer. You can tell the speed of your computer by doing a quick Google search. If you google something, and press enter, a fast processor will display the answer within milliseconds. A slow processor will take ten seconds (or longer) to load the information.
Storage is simple. You already know how this works: the more space on your hard drive, the more stuff you can save on your computer. The speed of your storage device can also play a big role in the performance of your games. No one likes waiting 4 minutes on a loading screen because your hard disk drive is older than you are.
Graphics are also simple–the GPU (graphics processing unit) runs all video and visuals on your screen, so you can see things. The better the graphics, the higher settings you can run things at with higher framerates.
RAM stands for Random-Access Memory. It’s where the processor stores information so it will be readily available for the current task. RAM is basically how much stuff your computer can do at once. More RAM helps your computer multi-task because it has more space to store short-term information at one time.
The quality of these functions changes for regular and gaming PCS. There is no hard and fast line between “regular” and “gaming” PCs; it’s more of a gradient. Higher quality PCs might be able to run laggy games (like “Hollow Knight“) perfectly fine, but they might not be sold as official “gaming” PCs. The best way to know if a PC will work for gaming is by looking at each of these four parts.
A gaming PC should have an extremely fast CPU. This should go without saying–slow CPUs are frustrating for people who aren’t gaming, but gaming with a slow processor can kill the fun. Everything takes ten times longer. Check out this list to see the best gaming CPUs on the market for 2021.
You should also look for PCs with a lot of storage. You can’t play the game if it’s not stored on your computer, so you’ll need to have space for games. Many games these days are over 100 GBs. 1 TB (terabyte) of storage is the minimum recommended storage for regular gamers. You can find 1TB SSDs (solid-state drives) online for sale for around a hundred dollars.
Even if you have a Steam account and you can uninstall and reinstall your games as many times as you want, it can get annoying to do that all the time. More storage means less hassle and a better experience overall. And you won’t have to wait thirty minutes to 10 hours for your games to redownload every time you sit down to play.
Most computers have integrated GPUs to run graphics, but gaming computers have dedicated GPUs. Regular integrated GPUs are built into the CPU, and they run on the system CPU and RAM. But dedicated GPUs don’t run on the system’s resources. Dedicated GPUs have their own RAM and CPU that they use, which allows for the graphics to be ten times better. Not only that, but since it’s using its own RAM and CPU, it will help the main system run better as well.
A lot of RAM is a must when it comes to gaming. Every video game has to run video, audio, and much more. Computers have to process the information you’re giving them when you press buttons and move your character, they have to process the game programming, and they have to keep it all up at the same time in a massive juggling act, sometimes for hours. The minimum amount of RAM required for a gaming computer is 8 GB, but 16 GB is enough to make sure every game you download will run smoothly (even ones as laggy as “A Hat in Time“).
There are other benefits to buying a gaming PC. Maybe a regular PC can run some games, but it will lag really bad if you try to stream with it. Or maybe, your PC works really well, but the audio sounds really compressed and makes it hard to concentrate on the game. Gaming PCs have a million benefits, all aiding the gaming experience in different ways.
And even if your dream computer has some flaws, you can still make it better. Let’s say you buy a PC and don’t realize until too late that it has a crappy CPU. That’s alright because you can buy a new CPU and replace your old one. Even if you have no experience with that kind of thing, you can look up a YouTube tutorial. Or you can even take it to your local tech store and see how much it would cost for them to replace it for you.
That is a lot of information to keep track of, and if you’re not planning on building your computer from scratch as this guy did, then you don’t have to track down individual parts. Keep reading and we’ll show you the best gaming pc options, as long as what you can do if you do want to build one from scratch.
Best Gaming PCs
While you don’t have to get one of these to play video games, they’re made for gaming and will be a much better option for you if you spend a lot of time playing video games. Video games are fun–and you might as well get the product that is made to make your gaming experience as fun as possible.
Here are some of the best gaming PCs available on the market today:
This gaming PC is highly praised for high-quality AMD processors that make gaming a wonderful experience, whether you pick the AMD Ryzden 5, 7, or 9. The main problems are how loud it is when it cools down and how heavy it is, but for such a low price, those are more like minor inconveniences than anything else.
The Alienware Aurora is at the top of the list due to its affordability. This gaming PC costs around one thousand to two thousand dollars, and the price fluctuates based on choices you make on Dell’s website. If you want to spend more money, you can feel free to buy a more expensive hard drive, memory, and processor. But if not, you can choose whatever will fit your needs.
This PC is completely gorgeous with customizable glowing lights, and while it’s not exactly small, that one “flaw” pales in comparison to the rest of its virtues. It’s fast, got great visuals, amazing graphics, practically an endless amount of storage on HDD and SSD, immediate boot times, and doesn’t scream while it runs games.
It’s only one thousand five hundred dollars, which is a steal for a gaming PC of this quality. The only problem is that it doesn’t have a USB Type-C port, but it does have two 3.0 USB ports and an HDMI to connect to the screen. It also is made for VR gameplay, which can take your gaming to the next level.
The HP Omen 30L isn’t as loud as a jet turbine, like the Alienware Aurora. In fact, this is praised for being the quietest gaming PC out there. It’s amazing at running games, but unlike the other options, the internal hardware is visible. This design choice makes the PC look elegant and classy. The inside lights up based on an RGB color scale, and you can choose different color schemes to match whatever game you’re playing.
This gaming PC has multiple selling options based on your preferences. You can buy a desktop for just over one thousand dollars with only 8 GB of memory, or you can bump the cost up to two thousand if you want 16 GB. Two thousand is the higher cost, but it’s incredibly cheap in the gaming PC market.
If you already have other gaming consoles all in one area and you don’t have a lot of room for a gaming PC, this is the option for you. The MSI Trident 3 10th is the best small-form-factor gaming PC out there today. It runs just as well as a larger PC and it has a bunch of front-facing ports to make usability quick and easy.
This option is around one thousand five hundred dollars (depending on what retailer you pick it up from), and while it does have a bunch of benefits, the only problem with this PC is the poor customer service. Customers who have had problems with their MSI Trident working properly found it nearly impossible to get in contact with the company, and once they finally reached them, MSI didn’t seem to really care about fixing the problem.
And while it works great with any game, its hard drive doesn’t store as much as your average SSD, so just be aware that you might not be able to download every single game from your Steam library onto your PC.
This is a sleek, beautiful gaming PC that lights up with whatever colors you choose. It doesn’t just light up through the glass in the side; the front is also transparent, making for a very visually appealing gaming PC that can juggle even the most strenuous games on the market without breaking a sweat.
The i4200 model is the most popular, and while it works wonderfully, it doesn’t have great storage options. It only costs around two thousand and five hundred dollars, but you might want to spend a little bit more cash to get an external SSD, just so you don’t have to deal with the inconvenience of low storage.
Do-It-Yourself PCs
Searching through all of these options can be overwhelming. Some might look good, but there are so many pros and cons to each, that it can be hard to commit to just one. In that case, you can always go to pcpartpicker.com.
This site is for expert gamers and gaming novices alike. Building a PC from scratch isn’t as hard as it seems. People who have built a PC on their own upload their designs, parts, where they bought the parts, and how much all the parts cost on this site so that other people can know what parts work together.
People all over the world upload designs and chat with each other to help one another figure out how to build it or what to do if it doesn’t work out right away. Options are ranging from one thousand to five thousand dollars, so you can pick exactly what you want out of a PC, right down to the parts. You can pick a design you like but change a few parts here and there to fit your exact needs.