What components to choose for your computer. Assembling a computer with your own hands - step-by-step instructions. RAM support

In addition to the fact that there are countless computer stores themselves, in addition, in the stores themselves, the choice of both ready-made computers and individual components for them is simply incredible. For an uninitiated user, it will be unclear what is responsible for what and what to choose. Often, people focus on prices, the number of gigabytes, gigahertz, cores, or simply listen to what sales managers tell them.
I, in turn, in this field, as they say, “ate the dog” and know not only what goes together with what, but also about more serious and important details, without knowledge of which one can make gross mistakes. In this post, I will briefly try to talk about some of the details of choosing system components and will give 3 examples of the configuration of gaming computers that you can order and assemble, both independently and in a store.
The first thing to consider when choosing a gaming computer is that you should never buy them ready-made! Those people who are involved in the selection of components in no way want to select the appropriate components for a gaming computer; moreover, ready-made PCs themselves, as a rule, cost much more than the computer you chose yourself, or rather its components, for subsequent assembly, and even taking into account that some stores charge money for assembly, all the same, the kit you choose will be more powerful and cheaper than ready-made analogues. Therefore, we forget about ready-made solutions and move on to the selection of components.
When choosing components for a gaming PC, you need to consider the following factors:
1) And most importantly! The performance of a computer and its individual components cannot be measured by comparison with other models based on the amount of memory in gigabytes, or based on frequencies, number of cores, etc. Real performance is measured in terms of specific programs, in real tests that are carried out on popular, authoritative publications dedicated to computers and components. You can easily find information on individual components by typing a query into Google, such as “Intel i5-4590k review”, or for example "GTX980Ti review". In order to verify the veracity of the information, go to 3-4 different reviews at once and check the information; if it roughly matches everywhere, then everything is correct.
2) Intel processors almost always turn out to be more powerful than AMD processors in games, and it doesn’t matter at all that the same Intel i3 has only 2 physical cores, and the same AMD FX-8300 has as many as 8, and even more so frequency But the point is that Intel processors have dramatically higher performance per core and this performance gives them an advantage over AMD processors in games, because games are rather reluctant to optimize for multi-threading (multi-core). Therefore, when choosing a processor, you need to focus on real tests in real games, and not on synthetic tests such as SuperPi. The most optimal processor for games is almost any intel i5 with a frequency above 3.2 GHz, and if you need more performance, then pay attention to processors with the letter “K” at the end, such processors can be overclocked, which adds performance and sometimes very much ! Also, it is worth maintaining a balance between the processor and the video card, it is completely useless to install an intel i5 in combination with, say, a GTX750Ti, but also, it would be too illogical to install an i3 and a GTX980Ti, it will not be enough. It should be remembered that the processor should not cost more than the video card!
3) A video card is the main component of a gaming computer; a gaming computer needs to be built on the basis of this component, and the power of a video card is not measured in gigabytes, or simply in megahertz; in fact, there is no power measurement at all. There are individual indicators, such as the amount of memory, which is not so important if you have over 3 gigabytes on a video card from 15,000 rubles, or from 2 gigabytes on cheaper cards, or the frequency of the graphics processor, which may vary between different models, the same product (the same chip model, say GTX970, can be produced by a dozen companies and each video card will be different), etc. Also, it is worth considering that there are reference and non-reference designs, what does this mean? Reference design is the standard design provided by the manufacturer for this video card model; reference design video cards heat up and make more noise, so purchasing them is not recommended. Video cards of non-reference design heat up less and make less noise, since they have a better cooling system, with several large and quiet fans, and sometimes have a different component base, which allows them to be overclocked more efficiently, so I recommend purchasing video cards just not reference design.
4) Volume and frequency of RAM - in fact, the amount of RAM for games is only 8 gigabytes, in fact you don’t need more, and frequencies don’t play a special role, so the best choice is 2 memory sticks of 4 gigabytes each with a frequency of 1600 MHz, preferably Samsung Original, or HYNIX Original. Planks without the word "Original" are fakes on these chips and are of worse quality.

5) Hard drive and SSD - for most games you only need an acceptable hard drive, for example Western Digital Black, and there will be no positive reaction from installing an SSD in games, but installing the same SSD allows the system itself to work much faster and speeds up the loading of games .
6) Motherboards - the biggest misconception is that expensive, cool motherboards give an increase in performance. This, alas, is not so! The motherboard is the link between the processor, memory, video card and other system components; in fact, the motherboard is the wires between the system components. But it’s also worth considering that motherboards may have functions that are important to you and you should choose a motherboard based on your needs. When choosing a motherboard, in addition to the obvious things, such as choosing a socket (processor connector) and checking compatibility with the selected processor, you need to look at the number of connectors you need - SATA for hard drives and drives, USB 2.0 and 3.0, etc. However, look for the presence of functions such as SLI, Crossfire, which allow you to install several video cards at the same time, but if you don’t need such a function now, then it is better to refuse to buy such motherboards; you are overpaying huge sums for these functions. The best option is a motherboard costing 4-5 thousand rubles, ATX form factor with an 8-pin processor power connector and 4 connectors for memory modules, as well as 5-6 connectors for connecting audio devices.
7) Power Supplies - The biggest misconception about power supplies is that the more watts the better. Nothing like this! There will be no difference between a 65 and 1500 watt power supply for your system, if it is built on one processor and one video card. The power supply must be selected based on the system consumption. The most powerful video card cannot consume more than 350 watts, the processor, no more than 250 (rare copies, overclocked, without overclocking, powerful CPUs consume about 80-100 watts), everything else consumes about 70 watts. Therefore, for systems around 30,000 rubles, 500-550 watts is enough, for powerful PCs, with one video card, “for overclocking”, 650 watts, and for the rest, it depends on the number of video cards, but the rule is simple - +1 video card = +300 watts.
8) Do not forget about cooling systems; if the processor is overclocked, then you need to select a processor “cooler” based on tests, the most optimal option, for example Coolermaster S200. If the same processor does not race, then you can choose a simpler cooler, up to 500 rubles, based on reviews on the same Yandex market.

This is how the components are selected, and now I will give 3 examples of decent assemblies with a certain price category, these assemblies are intended only for games and do not meet certain requirements, but this does not mean that you cannot, say, do work on them, or rendering / audio processing. Also keep in mind that theoretically it is possible to select even more optimal components, but for this you need to look at the stores and the availability of certain components in them; these components were selected in one store, which delivers goods throughout Russia and has its representative offices in many cities. (prices are taken from one popular store, its name cannot be indicated according to the chip rules).

And so here are 3 configurations from me:
The configurations themselves with links to the store:
30.000R:
Processor (CPU) - AMD Athlon X4 860K Black Edition, OEM 4170r
CPU cooler - Cooler Master S200
Motherboard - ASUS A88XM-A 3340r
RAM - DIMM DDR3 1600Mhz 8GB Hynix Original 3750r

Video card - MSI R9 270 GAMING 2G, R9 270, 2048MB, GDDR5, Retail 9430r
Case - InWin IW-EAR007 500W4290r
Result - 30300 rub.
This configuration has a price of around 30,000 rubles and is intended to replace game consoles; on it you can play all modern and planned games at settings close to high. If you have the money, then it’s worth replacing the motherboard with an AM3+ with an AMD970 chipset, for example from MSI, and replacing the processor with an AMD FX-8300, it will cost about 3-3.5 thousand rubles, but it will be worth it.

55.000RUR, timecode on video 15:55:
Processor (CPU) - Intel Core i5-4590, OEM 13860r
CPU cooler - Cooler Master CP6-9HDSA-0L-GP 530r
Motherboard - ASUS B85M-G 3640r

Hard drive - 1TB, Seagate SV 35.5, ST1000VX000 RUR 3,750
Video card - Palit PA-GTX970 JetStream 4G, GTX 970, 4096MB, GDDR5, Retail 22170rub
Housing - InWin IW-EAR007 4290 RUR
Result - 52310 rub.
This system unit is designed for high and ultra settings in all modern games, like the previous system unit, it has exactly the same case, with a built-in 500-watt power supply, mATX motherboard, and the same 1TB hard drive. But this configuration is not intended for overclocking, at least the processor, and the power of the video card and processor allows you to play all games comfortably.

80.000R:
Processor (CPU) - Intel Core i5-4690K, OEM 16620r
CPU cooler - Cooler Master S200 940r
Motherboard - MSI Z97S SLI KRAIT EDITION 7520r
RAM - DIMM DDR3, 8GB (2x4GB), Kingston HyperX FURY blue, HX316C10FK2/8 3970rub
SSD - SSD 128GB, Plextor M6S, PX-128M6S 4500r
Hard drive - 1TB, Seagate SV 35.5, ST1000VX000 RUR 3,750
Video card - MSI GTX 980 GAMING 4G, GTX 980, 4096MB, GDDR5, Retail 33450rub
Case - Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01, CC-9011050-WW 3790r
Power supply - ATX Corsair CX 750, CP-9020015-EU, 750W 5930r
Result - 80470rub

This system unit is at the cutting edge of technology. A motherboard with SLI support, an overclockable processor, a power supply and a case are designed to accommodate two video cards, and the existing video card is pre-top and provides consistently high FPS in all games. This configuration is intended for a narrow circle of people who crave high FPS and juicy pictures.

Of course, not everything is selected ideally, but ideal selection can only be made for a specific person and his tasks.

That's all, I hope you found it interesting to read this ton of text and it will be useful to you. And remember - under no circumstances buy ready-made computers, they cost you more and work much worse. In the modern world, there are stores that will assemble and help you select components for the system!

A gaming computer is the ideal solution for real gamers. It is he who is able to provide a large number of frames and a beautiful picture. Such a system unit, of course, consists of advanced parts. How to choose the right components for a gaming computer? This article will provide a clear answer to this popular question.

The dominant role of any PC is the processor. Also worth noting are the RAM and hard drive (SSD). For a gaming computer, it is important to choose the appropriate motherboard, and a high-quality power supply will not allow a powerful system to fail. Naturally, the gaming graphics card will be a key point to consider before the assembly process.

Configurator for building a computer

Use this configurator to assemble a gaming computer; when assembling components, the configurator will automatically select the appropriate components for the gaming PC. Based on your budget, you can assemble a powerful and medium-sized one for gaming, and the configurator will help you choose the appropriate components for your computer.

Motherboard

The base platform for all PC components is the motherboard. What components are needed to assemble a gaming computer first? The motherboard will become the basis for your system unit. All other parts are connected to it. Before purchasing, you need to pay attention to the form factor (ATX or microATX), as well as a specific socket so that the board fits the processor. The chipset in the motherboard must be as new and fast as possible to unlock the full potential of the computer. The number of SATA connectors and memory slots plays an important role. The more there are, the better. If you plan to connect several video cards at the same time, then support for CrossFire X or SLI technology is required.

List of the best motherboards for 2016-2017:

• MSI Z270 GAMING PRO CARBON
• ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING
• MSI H110M PRO-VD
• ASUS ROG MAXIMUS IX FORMULA
• ASRock Z170 Extreme4

CPU

When choosing a processor, everything is relatively simple. There are two companies that produce chips - AMD and Intel. For a gaming PC, a processor from the Skylake or Kaby Lake line (i5 or i7) from Intel would be an excellent option. As for solutions from AMD, Ryzen chips seem to be a worthy alternative. It is necessary that a modern processor supports SSE2 technology, has 2-4 cores and a frequency of 2500-3000 MHz.

List of the best processors for 2016-2017:

• Intel Core i7 Kaby Lake
• Intel Core i7 Skylake
• AMD Ryzen
• AMD FX Vishera

RAM

A gaming computer needs a lot of RAM. The minimum amount of memory today is 8 GB. But it is highly advisable to install 16 GB sticks so as not to feel discomfort in demanding games. It is also worth choosing DDR4 RAM, as it is the most progressive and fastest. Built-in radiators for efficient cooling will also not be superfluous.

List of the best RAM for 2016-2017:

• Patriot Memory PV432G320C6K
• Corsair CMD32GX4M4C3200C16
• Crucial BLT2C4G4D30AETA

power unit

A powerful gaming system requires an appropriate power supply. It must have a massive fan, a sufficient number of cables and high maximum power. At the same time, a low noise level is very desirable so that the operation of the unit does not interfere with the game. Users should also pay attention to the efficiency of the device.

List of the best power supplies for 2016-2017:

• Cooler Master V1200 Platinum 1200W
• Sea Sonic Electronics Platinum 860
• Chieftec CTG-750C 750W
• AeroCool Kcas 700W
• Corsair HX750i 750W

Video card

The selection of components for a gaming computer should continue with the video card. This is a very important detail of any gaming PC, since not only the image quality, but also the frame rate depends on it. A modern video card must have a large amount of video memory (4-8 GB) in order to process huge open spaces and numerous small details of virtual worlds. A win-win option are graphics cards from NVIDIA, which have many proprietary technologies and optimized drivers. But solutions from AMD have a lower price, which can work in their favor if you have a very limited budget in your pocket.

List of the best video cards for 2016-2017:

• MSI GeForce GTX 1080
• GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070
• MSI Radeon RX 480
• ASUS GeForce GTX 1060
• MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

HDD

You need to store, download and install games on your hard drive. Moreover, it can be a regular or external HDD. The latter connects via a USB port and is also portable. But for the best results in terms of performance, you should choose SSD drives, which stand out for their mind-blowing information transfer speed. Loading games and Windows thanks to the SSD takes just seconds. Since modern games are quite large, the hard drive should have 250-500 GB of free space. Preferably 2-3 TB (for a rich library of games).

List of the best hard drives for 2016-2017:

• Samsung MZ-750250BW
• Toshiba Canvio Ready 1TB
• Western Digital WD Blue Desktop 1 TB

In this article we will look at what does the system unit consist of?.

Go!

So, all components of the computer system unit can be divided into two categories.

First of these, includes something without which the PC will not work at all:

• Frame.
• HDD.
• CPU.
• Power unit.
• Motherboard.
• Cooling system.
• RAM.

• Video card.
• Optical drive (CD, DVD, BluRay).
• Card reader.
• TV-map.
• Audio card.
• Satellite map.

The main components that make up the system unit

Frame. Designed for compact arrangement and fixation of all other PC components. Sometimes they are supplied immediately with a built-in power supply. Several standards (ATX) are issued that describe the permissible sizes of motherboards and power supplies that can be installed in these cases. May have built-in ports:

USB.
Audio (miniJack).
eSATA.
IEEE 1394.

HDD. This is a device with non-volatile memory for storing information. For PCs, hard drives of form factor 3.5 are almost always used? and rotation speed 7200 rpm. There are three types of hard drives:

• HDD. The noisiest, but the cheapest. In terms of writing/reading speed it ranks third. In case of failure, the data can be restored. They are afraid of shock loads. The resource is practically unlimited.
• SSD. Silent, not afraid of shocks and falls, the highest possible speed. If damaged, the data cannot be restored. The resource is limited. The most expensive.
• H-HDD. A less common type of hard drive. This is a hybrid of the two models described above. Main memory on HDD + 1.5-2% of the total volume on SSD.

You can install several hard drives in one system unit. Some motherboards allow you to create RAID arrays from them.

CPU. A set of integrated circuits located on a single module. All computing processes take place in it.
The speed of the PC depends on the speed of the processor. All modern processors are multi-core. Everyone has Cash. This is a kind of RAM of the processor. It is divided into three levels – L1, L2, L3.

Power unit. Selected taking into account the case, motherboard and power. It has a certain number of connectors for connecting components of the system unit.

Motherboard. A device for pairing all PC components. Its choice determines the type of processor and RAM. Almost all motherboards have integrated audio and video cards. Their capabilities are more than enough for watching movies, listening to music and even playing simple games. The motherboard configuration is characterized by:

USB3.0 and 2.0 port controllers
PCI Express ports and PSI ports.
Network Controller.
Channels for connecting devices with SATA interface.
Number of slots for RAM modules.

Cooling system. Cooler and radiator. The minimum quantity in one system unit is 2 pcs. One is mounted on the processor, the second on the power supply. 96% of system unit noise is produced by cooling system coolers. Some processors are sold immediately, with a cooler and radiator, in which case they have the prefix “BOX” in the name. There is a rarely used water cooling system. It is 3-3.5 times more expensive, but it works silently.

RAM. This is a set of chips that store the data necessary for the current operation of the PC. Installed in special sockets on the motherboard. On some boards you can install immediately up to 4 slats. It is very important that all modules are from the same batch. Clock frequency (speed of information exchange with the processor) and the amount of RAM directly affect the performance of the PC. When you turn off the system unit, all data from RAM is deleted.

Minor elements that make up the system unit

From the entire list of the second part, it is highly desirable to have a video card and drive in the system unit, and the rest are less important:

Video card, needed for gaming and working with complex video editing programs. It is installed on all productive computers, but for the average user, for whom social networks, Skype and the like are primarily important, it is generally not important. But without installing a video card, the main processor of the computer must have a built-in graphics core.

Optical drive. Of three types:

• CD drive. Outdated standard.
• DVD drive. The most common option.
• Blu-ray drive. More perfect look. But quite expensive.

The remaining components of the system unit do not play a significant role for the average user and have a narrow specialization. For example:

Card reader. A device that allows you to connect memory cards to the system unit.

Audio card, required to create 7.1 surround sound effect.

TV card(TV tuner), allows you to watch and record television programs.

Satellite map, processes the signal received by the satellite dish.

Now you fully know what the computer system unit consists of and can easily give exact definition for any of the components: video card, processor, hard drive, RAM, and so on.

Important! Computer assembly is free

The PC Configurator is an easy way to assemble a computer online while checking the physical compatibility of components.

Let's start assembling. We add the first element - the central processing unit (CPU). When selecting components, the appearance of the installed units is visualized. The price is calculated automatically online, consistently forming the cost of the finished PC. In a couple of clicks, the designer program helps you assemble and buy a system unit from scratch, assigns an assembly identification number, and saves a link. If necessary, prints the saved configuration. There is an option to find out the expert’s opinion using the feedback form.

Assembling a computer is a fascinating process. Available - top-end GEFORCE RTX video cards, latest generation Intel processors, RAM with passive radiator cooling and RGB backlighting, high-speed SSD drives, plus capacious HDD drives. Choose Asus Msi Gigabyte motherboards, spacious cases on aluminum chassis, Corsair, Thermaltake, Seasonic power supplies. Our designer knows how to solve difficult problems. Allows you to collect gaming computer, a productive graphics station, a machine for professional audio and video digitization.

When you have configured your PC, click the “place an order” button. Fill out the standard form, then you will receive an email with confirmation and contents of the order. Edelweiss store managers will contact you, answer your questions and agree on the time and conditions of delivery or pickup. The sales department will configure the selected PC, deploy licensed software (if you select an OS), and install the necessary drivers and utilities. The procedure for updating the BIOS to the latest available version is mandatory. PCs are tested with specialized software at full load for 4 hours.

Additional bonuses for clients

• using the code, discuss the benefits of assembly with an engineer
• the ability to quickly select a computer at a price online
• product customization
• information support, characteristics and descriptions of the units used
• free delivery in Moscow, fast delivery throughout Russia

If you encounter any difficulties during self-assembly, please contact our managers. Consultants of the Edelweiss online store are always in touch and will be happy to help.

Advanced online PC building service

Our experts suggest starting assembling a system unit by selecting a CPU (Processor). The configurator has an integrated module for checking the compatibility of components online. Therefore, having decided on a processor, you will be offered only components compatible with it. This will greatly simplify and speed up the assembly process.

The main requirement when developing a PC was the creation of a block architecture, so that in case of damage it would be necessary to repair not the entire system, but individual elements. It's designed just like that. Read about the main elements of a PC and assembly tips in the article.

Computer components

The motherboard is a single element that is responsible for the interaction of all other devices. All seats (sockets, connectors, slots) are located on it.

Central processing unit - a set of control circuits located on a chip. It is the brain of the computer, primarily designed to perform mathematical operations.

When describing the main components of a computer, one cannot ignore the RAM. RAM is a device that functions as All data necessary for programs and the OS is stored in it and is erased when the power is turned off.

A hard drive is a device necessary for long-term data storage.

A video card is a computer element that is responsible for outputting and processing graphic information to the monitor.

People who have at least superficially studied the computer market understand that it is irrational to buy a ready-made PC, it is much cheaper. At the same time, you can be confident in the quality of the assembly.

Very often, inexperienced users make gross mistakes that lead to a waste of money. For example, before purchasing a motherboard, you need to check what type of processor can be installed in it. Inexperienced users should definitely read the following tips.

Make sure that all computer components you select are compatible. Study all possible technical information. First, determine which processor is needed in your PC, then select the motherboard. Be sure to check that the motherboard socket fits the processor. This is very easy to do by checking the specifications on the official websites of device manufacturers. Usually, in addition to component parameters, entire compatibility tables can be found on such resources.

Once the processor and motherboard have been selected, proceed to selecting the remaining devices. The order in which you select RAM and video card does not matter.

Today, there are several generations of RAM on the market, and the motherboard usually supports only one type. To decide on what characteristics to choose RAM, you need to start from the parameters of the motherboard and processor. First determine which generation is supported by the system card. Then find out if the processor can run the RAM at its maximum frequency. At the last stage, select the required amount of memory. If you are choosing components for it, it is better to install RAM sticks with a larger capacity, since modern 3D applications are very demanding on PC resources.

Before you need to determine what the PC will be used for. If the assembly is for gaming, then you need to choose the most productive video card.

The power supply is an element that has little effect on performance, but still requires careful selection. The practice of service centers has repeatedly shown that the components of a computer assembled independently, in which they saved on the power supply, often fail precisely because of the low quality of this element. You shouldn't skimp on power supplies. It is better to purchase a product with more power than necessary. In addition, it is recommended to prefer devices from famous manufacturers.

How to assemble a computer yourself from components

After purchasing all the PC elements, the assembly procedure follows. At this stage, even inexperienced users rarely have problems. Usually the motherboard is accompanied by detailed instructions containing pictures, from which you can understand exactly how to assemble it.

It is important to ensure that the processor keys (special slots) match the slots on the motherboard socket. An error at this stage can lead to physical damage to components.

Items such as the video adapter and RAM require some force to install into the slots. But you need to be careful not to overdo it so as not to bend the motherboard too much.

Difficulty in building a gaming PC

When assembling, the compatibility of computer components should be considered from a different angle. In addition to the motherboard supporting all the necessary standards, it is necessary to resolve the issue of maximum performance. And this is impossible without a long study of forums and comparison of test results of different sets of devices installed on the same base. A computer for gaming will require larger financial investments than an office machine.