budget/currency, location?

are you ok with building your own pc?
any parts you can reuse?
monitor, k/m, controller etc.


most oem prebuilds are way overpriced and use cheap components that will limit performance and/or restrict upgrades

this is a good watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKxBogvUe_c

Read some how-to guides - like this one:

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-pc-build-guide/

The article talks about the various components, and from there you can do some more research to figure out what you want. Then find an online (or real) shop that builds PCs to order, (some have a PC builder widget) and 'build' your PC.

Look at https://pcbuilder.net/ and play with their builder too. Or first.

Thanks for the video! I'll be in the US, and I have a Ubisoft controller and a nice keyboard. Other than that, no parts to reuse. Based on my current knowledge, a prebuilt desktop PC would be best (which I guess I'll have to be careful about based on the Youtube video), and I'm willing to save up to spend maybe $1,300 to $1,800 (excluding cost of monitor). The reason prebuilt is just because I probably won't have to time to research and learn about building. I know the budget is much lower than some really nice setups, but I only would (could) use it a couple of times a week for the next several years (I'll be entering a doctoral program). If that budget is not feasible for what I need, then I might wait and rethink how much time I'll actually be able to use it!

are you near a microcenter?
https://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/default.aspx
they have some good prebuilds in that range

Originally posted by _I_:

are you near a microcenter?
https://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/default.aspx
they have some good prebuilds in that range

The nearest one will be about 3 hours away, but I'll definitley keep that option in mind because I don't mind a drive.

What specs will cover a majority of games? Or what specs should I be looking for in a PC for a beginner?

they also have a custom build option, only about $100-200 more than building yourself

Originally posted by keeganbbeane:

What specs will cover a majority of games? Or what specs should I be looking for in a PC for a beginner?

Depends of your expectations.
Do you want a similar image quality in the newest games to ps5 or better?
Or maybe you want to play older games designed for ps4 like God of War?

Daniel Owens just made a new video giving some ideas on options and prices.

https://youtu.be/047msAwnWX0?si=H8xmHON6HYAFqs7u

YouTube > How to build a PC 2024 ~ Plenty of good helpful videos out there, along with in-depth write-ups. But it will be helpful to be shown various areas of the PC and what to look out for.

Look at suggestions in your budget range.

Originally posted by keeganbbeane:

What specs will cover a majority of games? Or what specs should I be looking for in a PC for a beginner?

the specs and build (all major brand components)of this pc are a pretty nice sweet spot
should play any game you want with decent fps and be able to keep up for a few years.
its a well balanced system and thats really what you want.not endorsing this pc
but it tics all the boxes you should be looking for.decent airflow,all components upgradable
and name brands not out dated,win 11 and this one comes with 2 year warranty..all important while your searching for a pc


https://starforgesystems.com/products/horizon-ii-elite

Originally posted by keeganbbeane:

Hello! I am new to gaming, and I have a PC that I currently use. However, it is not made for gaming, so it is limited in what it's able to run. I am looking into investing in an upgraded computer specifically for gaming. Since I am new to this and it is recreational, I don't need a top-notch setup, but I would like a PC capable of running bigger games. Any tips on what PC would be good to start with? Thanks!

Hello am also new and am wondering if this is best gaming set up Money can buy or if there's better way to optimize it or anything it's mostly for gaming and streaming (CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (16-core, Zen 5, unlocked)

CPU Cooler: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420mm AIO (best non-custom cooling)

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme (top-tier with max features)

RAM: 128GB G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6400 CL32 (4×32GB)

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ROG Strix OC (flagship performance, max cooling)

Primary SSD: 8TB Sabrent Rocket 5 Gen5 NVMe (fastest consumer SSD)

Secondary SSD: 8TB Samsung 990 Pro Gen4 NVMe

HDD: 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS HDD (for massive storage)

PSU: Corsair AX1600i Titanium 1600W Digital PSU (top-of-the-line, fully modular)

Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic EVO XL (maximum airflow, space, and style)

Case Fans: 9× Noctua NF-A14 Industrial PPC-3000 PWM (extreme airflow, quiet if needed)



---

🖥️ Monitor

ASUS ROG Swift PG49WCD – 49" Ultrawide 5120×1440, 144Hz, OLED Curved, G-Sync Ultimate
Max immersion, HDR1000, perfect for multitasking and games



---

🔊 Audio & Streaming Gear

Headphones: Focal Clear MG (audiophile open-back)

DAC/AMP: Schiit Jotunheim 2 with Multibit DAC

Microphone: Shure SM7B + GoXLR Mini Audio Interface

Speakers: KEF LSX II Wireless Hi-Fi Speakers

Webcam: Sony ZV-E10 with Elgato Cam Link 4K (DSLR webcam setup)



---

⌨️ Peripherals

Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL 2025 Edition (adjustable switches)

Mouse: Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 (wireless, ultra-lightweight)

Mousepad: Artisan Hien XL Soft (pro-grade tracking surface)

Stream Deck: Elgato Stream Deck XL (for macros, control, streaming)



---

🪑 Accessories

Chair: Secretlab Titan Evo 2024 XL – Full ergonomic, magnetic accessories

UPS: APC 1500VA Smart-UPS with Pure Sinewave Output

Router: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 (Wi-Fi 7, Quad-band, max speed)

Ethernet: Cat 8 Shielded Cable – 10Gbps+ rated

Anti-Static Mat & Cleaning Kit: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit + Mat

Lighting: Nanoleaf 4D + Lines RGB Wall Panels



---

💿 Operating System

Windows 11 Pro 64-bit)

get a 2 dimm ram kit, instead of 4
4 is more load on the cpus memory controller, may not hit higher speeds

49in 1440p monitor is huge if its arms length away
consider 4k (3840x2160) at that size
or 2x 1440p 27-32in displays

for network cable, anything beyond 6a is pointless for years to come
6a will work for 10g at upto 100m/330ft
5e patch cables <5ft can work at 2.5-10g

Just get a 2x 48GB DDR5 kit
Why would you need more then that?