Gaming PC's

Processor

The processor is a core component within a PC. The processor (also known as the CPU - Central Processing Unit), provides the instructions and processing power that your computer needs to function properly.

When it comes to processors, the general rule of thumb is the more powerful and up-to-date your processor is, the faster your computer can operate and complete tasks.

Motherboard

The motherboard is your PC’s central hub. It is a printed circuit board that contains all of the principal components of a computer system, with connectors for other circuit boards to be slotted into.

When selecting a motherboard for your Gaming PC, it’s really important that you select the right one. Pick the wrong motherboard and you’ll severely limit the features and upgrades you’ll be able to add to your computer in the future.

Graphics Card

The graphics card is perhaps the most exciting part of your average Gaming PC. It’s certainly the component that gets the most attention from gamers, with people eagerly awaiting the next drop from NVIDIA or AMD.

GPU

The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), is the main silicon chip which sits at the heart of the graphics card. It’s the GPU which provides the computational power of the graphics cards and helps produce those stunning visuals that today’s gamers have come to expect.

Cooler

Modern graphics cards feature in-built coolers such as fans, heatsinks and/or heatpipes. Graphics cards will often (but not always) generate the most heat of all the components in a PC, so the cooling function is particularly important.

The coolers on graphics cards can take the form of ‘blower’ style fans that simply expel hot air out of the case into the open, or ‘open-air’ style fans which circulate air within the computer case to cool graphics card components. Increasingly, graphics cards are appearing on the market that feature liquid cooling.

Memory

When many people want to speed up their computer, they decide they need more memory (usually in the form of RAM). But what exactly is it? And what’s the technical terminology you need to understand it better? Find out below.

DDR

Double Data Rate (DDR) is the most common form of RAM in use today. DDR RAM works by transferring data twice per clock, which means that much more data can be transferred than with old RAM tech. DDR RAM is available in various formats such as DDR4, DDR3 etc.

DDR4 is the most common form of DDR RAM in computers at present and it offers higher frequencies, greater bandwidth and lower power consumption than DDR3 or other older forms of RAM.

Capacity

Memory capacity is measured in Gigabytes (GB). Today’s Gaming PCs typically have between 8 and 16GB of DDR RAM so that they can handle memory intensive games and applications.

Storage

With the memory sorted on your computer, you’ll need to think about storage. What’s the difference between memory and storage we hear you ask?

Well, your computer’s memory is the RAM. This memory is used as a store of the most common and most accessed data. For example, when you double click on an app, or open a document, RAM is used to store this data while the computer is working on it.

Memory is a bit like those papers or notes you keep handy on your desk. You refer to them throughout the day as they help you do your taks, so you want them close at hand. But when you’ve finished the working day, you bin them.

Storage on the other hand is where data is recorded and can stay indefinitely. When we talk about storage (rather than RAM), we are referring to hard disk drives or solid state drives.

This’ll be data that is not accessed on a regular basis. The kinds of data that’ll be stored in the hard drive or solid state drive could be word documents, photographs etc.

Think of storage as being like that filing cabinet you have at home which contains documents that you refer to only occasionally (such as insurance policies or birth certificates).

RAM is volatile - the information stored in your RAM memory disappears when the computer is turned off. Storage is the opposite. Whatever you’ve saved on your storage will remain there until you decide to delete it.

So, what are the key terms you should know when it comes to storage? Let’s take a look.

HDD

Hard Disk Drives (HDD) were for many years the traditional storage medium used in PCs. They hold a spinning disc which stores data. The discs are read by a ‘read arm’ which scans the disc to extract the information stored on it.

SSD

Today, however, HDDs have been largely usurped by Solid State Drives. In technical terms, Solid State Drives use non-volatile flash memory to store data.

In other words, SSDs store data without using moving parts such as a disc. This has several advantages. Firstly, SSDs are much more robust and are less likely to break. However, thanks to no moving parts, they also offer much higher read and write speeds than HDDs.

The only downside of SSDs is that they are currently more expensive than HDDs.

Capacity

Capacity refers to the amount of data that can be stored on a drive. Capacity is normally measured in megabytes or gigabytes.

Power Supplies

Getting the right power supply for your Gaming PC is more important than people realise. Yes, power supplies are often overlooked for more ‘sexy’ components such as graphics cards or peripherals, but they are really important in providing you with a great gaming experience.

But, getting the right power supply isn’t just about improving your gaming experience. It’s also about protecting all of those components that you may have just spent a small fortune on. A good power supply unit will protect your computer’s components from unexpected (and unwanted) power surges. Not only that, but a decent power supply unit will also be more efficient and help you save on your energy bills.

PSU

The Power Supply Unit is the central part of your computer’s power system. The name of this component is slightly misleading however. Power supply units don’t supply power to your computer, but convert it.

A PSU will convert the alternating high voltage current (AC) from your mains electricity supply (about 230v here in the UK), into direct current (DC) for use by your computer components. The PSU not only converts power, but regulates it to the fine tolerances required by modern components.