PC Builders: Do you start with the CPU or GPU?

MicroCenterOfficial

Every build starts somewhere, and I don't think anyone is starting with RAM. So where do you start your build? Do you pick out the graphics card first and work backwards from there, or start with the CPU and build out?

MicroCenterOfficial

I started mine with the CPU, but that was mostly because I was a broke college kid when I built it and the CPU was the cheapest part at the time.

JS_MC

I start mine with my CPU and motherboard, but I try to put as much of my budget as I can toward my GPU. Generally, my goal is to get the most GPU performance as I can while ensuring that I don't get any bottleneck from the rest of my parts. All about them frames 😁

pdegan2814

When I'm building, I usually start with the cpu. Worst case, I can carry over the video card from the machine it's replacing until I can afford a new one(particularly these days with gpu prices being so insane).

LB3

Always the CPU and motherboard since these parts are more likely to survive a couple generations, or upgrades, of GPUs. There's nothing worse than upgrading your GPU and realizing your CPU is gummin' up the whole works.

Ian

The CPU/mobo for me.

SimiusV

I start with the GPU on builds that focus on gaming, since that'll likely be your bottleneck. For server stuff, I start with a CPU generation, and get a motherboard first.

termin

Start with the CPU