How to choose a gaming PC: budget, graphics, processor and where not to save

Budget first, then resolution

A gaming PC is not chosen by processor or by case brand. It is chosen by the resolution and refresh rate of the monitor you will play on and by the budget you have. Those two decide the graphics card, and the card decides the rest.

• Full HD (1920×1080), 60–144 Hz – the most common choice. A mid-range card is enough; budget around CZK 35–45,000 for the whole computer.
• 1440p (2560×1440), 144 Hz and above – an upper-mid-range card, more memory, CZK 52–70,000.
• 4K or high refresh rates at 1440p – the top class of cards; the price has no natural ceiling.

Where the money goes: graphics first

In a gaming PC the graphics card decides 60–70 % of the frame rate, so in our proposals it takes 40–50 % of the budget. The processor gets roughly 20 %; memory, drive, power supply, case and cooling share the rest.

The common mistake is the opposite: a strong processor "for years ahead" and whatever card was left over. In games the processor then waits for the card and the extra power is never used. The processor only has to not hold the card back – for mid-range cards that is a six-core of the current or previous generation.

Memory and drive: simple rules

• 16 GB RAM is the minimum for Full HD gaming today, and it is enough. 32 GB makes sense for 1440p, streaming and creative work, where the game runs beside other programs.
• Buy memory as a pair of modules (2×8, 2×16 GB) so it runs in dual channel. One large module is slower and harder to extend.
• NVMe SSD of at least 1 TB. Today's games commonly take 100–150 GB, the system and programs another 100 GB. The difference between a SATA SSD and NVMe in games is small; the difference between an SSD and a hard disk is huge – an HDD belongs in backups only. More in the guide SSD or HDD.

Where never to save: the power supply

The power supply is the part that takes the others with it when it fails. We choose it above the card maker's recommended wattage (listed with every card in our catalogue) and with at least 80 Plus Bronze, preferably Gold. For mid-range cards that means 650 W, for higher classes 850 W, for the top 1,000 W and more. In our proposals the power supply always has headroom above the card maker's recommendation. More in Which power supply for a PC.

Case and cooling

The case needs front-to-back airflow (a mesh front panel) and room for the card's length – our configurator checks that automatically. The CPU cooler is chosen by the processor's power draw; the boxed cooler is fine for frugal processors, for hotter six- and eight-cores a tower cooler for a few hundred crowns is better. Liquid cooling is a choice for looks and quiet, not a necessity.

Three ready proposals from parts in stock

You need not start from an empty desk. For every class we have a page with today's proposal from parts we have in stock, with a live price and the performance gauge:

• Gaming PC under CZK 45,000 – Full HD at high detail
• Pro gaming PC under CZK 70,000 – 1440p, streaming, creation
• The most powerful PC – 4K without compromise

Open any proposal in the configurator and change what you like; compatibility and price are recalculated at once. We assemble, install and test the computer in Písek.