Which computer parts do you choose for your first gaming PC

The first thing you need to choose is the processor. This processes all tasks and determines the speed your PC works with. For a basic gaming setup, an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 is good enough. These processors will run older as well as next-gen games smoothly on your PC. Keep in mind that the chipset of your processor needs to match the socket of your motherboard. If these don't match, your PC won't work.

The processor you choose determines what chipset your motherboard should have. For a basic motherboard, you need to consider how future-proof it is. That's why we recommend a motherboard with DDR4 support. DDR4 support allows you to install faster RAM modules in the motherboard and you can easily place more in the future. Do you want RGB lighting in your setup? Choose a motherboard with built-in lighting. This way, you can match it with your other RGB components.

You don't need a powerful video card for a basic gaming setup. Because you probably game at Full HD, an RTX 2060, RTX 3060 (Ti), or Radeon RX 5500 GPU is good enough. These video cards allow you to run games smoothly in Full HD at a high number of frames per second. Want to game at a higher resolution? You can game in QHD at 60 fps if you choose a video card with a high clock speed.

In addition to a smoothly running gaming PC, it's important that you have enough storage capacity for your games. That's why we recommend a hard drive (HDD) to store your files and a 2.5-inch SSD to boot your gaming PC super fast. This HDD and SSD size fits any case and doesn't have any complex extras which you don't need for a basic gaming setup.

Your setup needs sufficient power to run. That's why we recommend a power supply unit of at least 650W. These PSUs are powerful enough to supply all your components with power without causing overvoltage. Do you need more power because you're buying a new component, for example? Choose a power supply of at least 750W.

With these parts, you have all the basics for your starter gaming setup. But maybe you want something extra, such as the following components:

• A processor cooler for proper CPU cooling.
• A case that fits your motherboard and video card.
• Case fans for a good airflow in your case.
• Thermal paste for good conductivity between your processor and processor cooler. Make sure to check if this is included with your processor.