The purpose of this guide is to help you make a purchase that better aligns with your real needs, while avoiding the manufacturer's marketing tactics that may result in unnecessary spending.
When picking a motherboard, your first priority is to make sure it has the right socket to match the CPU. Intel has the LGA1151, LGA1200 and LGA1700 sockets. AMD sockets are: AM4 and AM5 (for Ryzen CPUs), TR4 / TRX40 / sWRX8 / sTR5 socket (for Threadripper CPUs).
The second priority is the motherboard chipset. For Intel, the high-end chipset is the Z790 (socket LGA 1700 for Intel Raptor Lake 14th Gen CPUs) is the ultimate choice but comes at a premium price point due to its support for DDR5 memory and PCI-Express 5.0. It is recommended only to those who overclocks or is interested in having a top tier hardware.
Moreover, unlike in the past, you do not need high-end motherboards to have good results in overclocking, so our suggestion remains a midrange Z690 model. It is worth to choose the top models only if you require the features they offer. Cheaper alternatives are the H670 and B660 (socket LGA 1700, Intel Alder Lake 12th Gen CPUs) – these chipsets are the best choice for the average user.
For AMD, AM4 socket supports A520, B550 and X570 chipsets: the main differences concern the number of SATA and USB 3.2 ports, PCI-e 4.0 lanes, with X570 having the best multi-GPU, overclock and PCI Express 4.0 support. As already said about Intel, for the average user a good B550 is enough, while you can bet on an X570 if you require the extra features it offers.
AM5 only supports DDR5 memory and B650E / X670E chipsets feature PCIe 5.0 support and AMD EXPO technology (Extended Profiles for Overclocking, similar to Intel XMP).
Ryzen 5600G / 5700G are good models of CPUs with integrated GPU for limited budgets and for people who don’t want to invest a lot of money on a dedicated graphic card. They are optimal choices for HTPCs or in general for whom is using the PC mainly to watch movies, browse the internet and using Microsoft Office. With their integrated RX Vega GPU they are also suitable for playing video games, but do not expect very good frame rates compared to dedicated graphics cards, even at lower resolutions.
For people who desire more performance, our recommendation is a 14th generation (Raptor Lake) Intel i5 or 7th generation AMD Ryzen 5 (Raphael). These CPUs are the best choice for a mid/high-end PC, being able to take advantage of any graphic card full potential, while keeping an acceptable price. Intel's K series CPUs are suggested only for users that like to overclock their processors, if you do not have any intentions to overclock your processor, you should save some money by picking the normal version of the CPU.
If you intend to make intensive use of multithreaded applications, then the best choice would be a processor from the 14th generation (Raptor Lake) Intel i7 or 7th generation AMD Ryzen 7 (Raphael). These CPUs can fully take advantage of the higher number of core/threads and offer superior performance and efficiency.
Unlike the past, RAM speed and timings have a marginal impact on real performance. Our pick falls on DDR4-3200 and DDR5-6000 models, offering the best balance between performance and price. Intel's LGA 1700 platform supports DDR5 memory, but it doesn't currently offer any significant performance gains over its DDR4 counterpart. AM5 platform from AMD supports DDR5 only.
Dual channel further improves performance, so using two modules instead of one is the best choice. If you are looking to upgrade in the future, it is recommended to buy just one module. Otherwise, a memory kit consisting of multiple modules remains the best choice.
The recommended minimum RAM quantity is currently 8 GB for low-end systems. Some video games or applications might be more RAM intensive, so 16 GB is the recommended value for most systems (32 GB for DDR5). Any higher amount might be really expensive and not necessary unless it is required for specific applications that demand a lot of memory, but it can still be a good investment. There are no recommended brands or models, just make sure the above criteria matches to what you are actually looking for (quantity, speed, and voltage).
Picking a graphic card is relatively easy, if you look to benchmarks and determine your price range.
We recommend the RTX 3060 or the RX 6600 XT for a good compromise of details and FPS with the most recent video games. Not above a RTX 4060 Ti or RX 6700 XT if you are using only a single monitor with full HD (1080p or 2K) resolution. Spending more money is only logical when using higher resolutions / refresh rates or multi monitor configurations.
Top tier VGAs are AMD 7900 XTX and NVIDIA RTX 4090, delivering ultra-high frame rates and serious levels of 4K resolution gaming. Software technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution allow increasing the performance of the video card at high resolutions through upscaling algorithms, obtaining big improvements in terms of FPS and at the expense of a minimum image quality loss. While DLSS is for the exclusive use of NVIDIA RTX video cards, the AMD counterpart is supported by more cards from both manufacturers.
Once you have picked your GPU, you have to decide the specific model. Some models are equal to the producer reference board (AMD or NVIDIA) and in that case there isn't really a good reason to choose one over the other. Sometimes manufacturers decide to personalize card layout, components, heat sinks and running frequencies. When is a specific manufacturer’s card worth it? That really depends.
It is not convenient to spend more to pick only slightly overclocked models, or in some cases where the custom heatsink does not bring any significant advantage compared to the reference one.
Should I buy 2 slower cards instead of a single more powerful one at the same price? The answer is no. Within the current market, it is always more convenient to pick a single card. Also, SLI/Crossfire support is going to be discontinued.
The power supply is one of the most important and underrated components for users with little experience. As opposed to what the manufacturers want us to believe, nowadays, computers consume a lot less energy than in the past. Therefore, it's not needed to pick a power supply with exorbitant Watts.
Power supply calculators are often unreliable, suggesting power supplies with more watts than you would actually need. The fundamental factor is build quality: a good 500 watt power supply can be better than an economic 700 watt one. Unfortunately, the quality varies significantly, and even power supplies from the same brand can exhibit substantial differences. The sole recommendation is to seek information on specialized websites.
Picking the right wattage requires evaluating CPU and graphic card consumption first. Every computer with an APU o low-end graphic card will consume very little, so power supplies like the Corsair CX are a best-buy. A good cheap alternative is the EVGA. For a mid/high-end computer, a good quality 650W power supply is more than enough, 750W if you choose video cards that consume a lot, and you don't want to take risks.
Models like the SeaSonic Gold and Corsair RM offer great quality and Gold efficiency certification. To save some money, Bronze certified power supplies are a good alternative.
If you don't feel safe and want some more watts, then we recommend the EVGA superNOVA, the Corsair RMi or the top quality SeaSonic Prime with Platinum certification.
Above 750W is a sensible choice only for those who have a top GPU configuration. An excellent model with 80 PLUS Platinum certification is the Corsair HX. For the highest build quality, there is the Corsair AX.
Remember: NEVER buy cheap power supplies, as they can cause irreversible damage to other components.
We will not judge the aesthetic factor, as purely subjective. Important features when picking a case that should be considered are:
The build quality is also very important, and it is better to still prefer aluminum to plastic cases. Unfortunately it is not easy to evaluate and in many cases you just have to trust the reviews.
Among our favorites there are the Corsair 4000 and 5000 series and the Fractal Design Torrent series, with various models covered in all price ranges. Good alternatives in high-end mid-tower are the be quiet! or the Cooler Master. If you have enough space, you can opt for a full tower.
A solid state drive is a highly recommended purchase as it ensures a great performance boost of the system in terms of speed and responsiveness compared to HDD. An SSD of 240/256 GB capacity should be more than enough to install the operating system and most used applications, 512 GB / 1 TB are required for installing the most recent triple A video games.
NVME M.2 PCI-E drives as the Samsung 970, Sabrent or Crucial P5 are excellent choices whose performance goes beyond the limit of SATA 3. They are the best that the market has to offer for those who have no restrictions in their budget. PCI-Express 4.0 drives are currently supported only by most recent AMD and Intel chipsets.
We also have created a SSD performance chart where you can find, filter and sort the best solid state drives the market has to offer.
The most important feature of an HDD is definitely the reliability, which unfortunately is not easy to measure. Most of the tests indicates that Western Digital are the most reliable over time, and so they are our first choice. The performance difference between Black and Blue series is difficult to perceive in everyday use, therefore we recommend the latter as it's cheaper. The Seagate Barracuda are less reliable (but still good) and have better performance than WD, so they are a compelling alternative.
We also have created a HDD performance chart where you can find, filter and sort the best drives the market has to offer.
Do we still need a dedicated sound card? For most users, the answer is no. The integrated audio quality has improved a lot and there are some chips, like the Realtek ALC1150, that have no disadvantages compared to dedicated sound cards. Users very critical on having the best sound possible can still satisfy their needs by picking up the various models of ASUS Xonar.
We do not recommend the Creative X-Fi due to the many problems with drivers experienced by a significant amount of users.
Monitors are one of the most difficult components to choose, as you have to find a good compromise between its pros and cons. The first general advice is to ignore all the manufacturers' specifications because very often do not correspond to reality. Most of the time the actual values of contrast, brightness, response time, viewing angles, etc. do not come anywhere close to those indicated. The only way to know the true quality of a monitor is to rely on the reviews. The important information to take into account is:
The perfect monitor does not exist. So what should you purchase? If you have a limited budget, you do not have many choices. You will have to necessarily settle for a 60Hz TN.
For those who want to enjoy the most out of the video games, especially the fast-paced ones like FPS or sports games, you should opt for a 144Hz or higher monitor.
Our top picks for every panel type are the SAMSUNG Odyssey G7 (VA), HP Omen X 27 (TN), LG 27GP850-B (IPS) and ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM (OLED).
Mechanical keyboards, or keyboards with a single individual mechanical switch below every key, have had an explosion of popularity lately, although in reality the underlying technology is the same that belonged to the first historical keyboards. So what are the advantages of mechanical compared to the classic membrane keyboards to which we are accustomed to?
Most of mechanical keyboards in commerce use Cherry MX switches. Here's a quick rundown of the most popular kind of switches, and some popular keyboard models that include each one of them:
The choice of which mouse is rather subjective. However, there are some important guidelines that you can follow that allows making a more accurate selection of which mouse you are going to buy. It is important to consider:
In case you were wondering about wireless mice. Our advice is the following: if you're looking for a gaming mouse, wireless mice should be absolutely avoided. Their performances are not at all comparable, even to a mediocre wired mouse.
The best mice we tested and which we would recommend to purchase are the Glorious Model O, the Logitech G PRO Hero and the Razer DeathAdder V3.