First Time PC Builder

Gman216

Hey guys,

I am looking for general advice on building a PC. I don't have the funds to create the best PC ever but I want mine to be above average. The main purpose will be gaming but I will also need it for work fairly regularly.

The information is overwhelming, especially for a first time builder. I find myself getting very indecisive over what I want or even need.

I want a PC that will run current games extremely well (the quality of graphics are important but I am willing to sacrifice a little on resolution if I can have zero lag) and still have the capabilities to play the games that will come out in the near future at a high level. I do not need to run the graphics on their ultimate highest level, but I definitely want an above average experience from my graphics.

So I guess here are my specific questions:

Will last year's graphics cards run today's games the way I want? Or do I absolutely have to have the newest card to get the look and feel I want?

What parts should I spend the most money on? What parts can I afford to save a little money on?

Do you have any recommendations on builds to roughly follow? Any parts that stick out among the competition?

Literally anything helps, I am very new to the PC world. Thanks!

JS_MC

Hello @Gman216

To be able to better answer your questions, I have a question for you. what kind of budget do you have in mind?

What I typically recommend is allotting as much of your budget as possible toward your GPU, then CPU.

The rest of the parts would take the rest of your budget.

I would recommend checking our article about selecting parts or checking out the recent video from Linus Tech Tips.

I'd be happy to offer more recommendations when we know more.

Gman216

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/comment/28096#Comment_28096

I am looking to spend between $1300 and $1700 at the absolute most. My main concern is reaching a point that I am overpaying for features that I will most likely not even notice. @LandShark

JS_MC

I'd recommend something about the $1500 price range, as I find it to be the best price to performance range. https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=6f02f1d8-8e74-43a3-9839-8497730b10e2

If I were building a new PC with this budget, this is what I'd build.

Let me know if you have questions!