Why should you build your own gaming PC? Well, if you want to play the latest games at their highest settings, it’s not possible to buy the pre-built gaming PCs that will get you there without breaking the bank. Fortunately, building your own PC isn’t as complicated as it sounds – this step-by-step guide will walk you through how to build a gaming PC at home in 7 steps! The best part is, once you have your new gaming rig, it’ll be able to play all the games you throw at it for years to come!
Step 1: Decide which parts you need
Your first step is to decide which parts you need. At minimum, you’ll need a CPU, RAM, storage drive (preferably an SSD), and power supply unit. For most games out there right now, that’s all you need. However, if you plan on playing games like Battlefield V or Call of Duty: Warzone or want to future-proof your rig as much as possible, it might be worth considering more advanced options. If so, check out our guide for how to build a budget gaming PC for some help.
Step 2: Buy the parts
You don’t need me to tell you what parts are good. But be sure you buy from stores with good return policies so that if something goes wrong, you can exchange it without hassle. What I will recommend is waiting for sales—particularly Black Friday and Cyber Monday—to get components for your system.
Step 3: Install the motherboard and CPU
Insert both ends of your motherboard into a vertical slot on your case and make sure it’s fully seated. The ports and sockets will be facing down. Push down on it from above until you hear it click, as if you were inserting a thumb drive. Next, insert your CPU by lining up its notches with those on your motherboard. It should fit snugly; don’t force it or else you could damage something. Once it clicks into place, flip over your computer so that all its ports are facing up and screw in four screws to hold everything together.
Step 4: Install RAM, GPU, and Storage, PSU
Installing RAM, GPU, and storage is simple. Open your computer case, pop out each component with a screwdriver, and use another screwdriver to carefully slip them into their proper places on your motherboard. Consult your motherboard’s manual for specific instructions. You can usually find it online if you can’t find it otherwise. Finally, connect your power supply unit (PSU) to your motherboard using several cables. Again, consult your motherboard’s manual for specifics here. Then close up your case and plug everything in! Once you have all of your components installed, close up your computer case. If something doesn’t fit right or feels loose, double check that everything is installed correctly before continuing.
Step 5: Connect everything together
You’ve assembled your new gaming rig, so it’s time to connect all of your hardware together. The best way to do that is by using an internal Wi-Fi connection: it’s cheaper and less messy than using Ethernet cables, and you can even extend your Wi-Fi network throughout your house with Powerline adapters. Finally make sure which port are in your GPU have, most modern GPU's have HDMI,Display port or DVI connections instead.
Step 6: Install Windows 10 or 11
Upgrading to Windows 10 or 11 (if you’re using Windows 7 or 8) is easy. First, download it from Microsoft here and create a bootable USB drive . Boot your computer into its BIOS settings by pressing Delete on your keyboard immediately when you power on your computer. Navigate to your boot options with arrow keys and change them so that they point to your flash drive instead of your hard drive. This will make sure that you can start up from your flash drive . Once you’ve made these changes, save them and restart your computer—it should start up from your flash drive automatically. If not, go back into BIOS settings and try again until it does.
Note: if you don't know how to manage BIOS, don't do this alone.
Step 7. Done! Here's your new computer!
If you’ve followed all of these steps, you’re now finished with your first gaming PC build. You should have everything you need, including mouse, keyboard, monitor and speakers. You may have some leftover parts—including those screws—but not much else if you’ve carefully adhered to our advice above. Don’t throw anything away! The packaging for your new components is also perfect for storing them until it’s time to upgrade again. Enjoy playing games on your new computer!
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