Shopping in person, let alone online, for a gaming rig is a daunting task for anyone. There is a lot of information you need to know before deciding to purchase a PC or laptop, and there are even more mistakes you can make along the way. With more than 20 years of industry experience, it’s safe to say that we know a thing or two about gaming PCs and how to choose the right one. In this article, we discuss the top 10 mistakes made when buying a gaming PC. With our help and by allowing yourself enough time to make an informed decision, you can hopefully avoid these faux pas.
- Because the PC looks cool: Don’t let a cool-looking case with flashy lighting fool you. Even the most stylishly outfitted gaming rigs can fall short when it comes to the components you need to achieve the best gaming experience. No matter what a PC looks like, it can easily outshine a high-end rig as long as it has the right hardware.
- Undervaluing storage space: Modern games are getting bigger, and some are exceeding as much as 30GB. When you shop for a new PC or a storage drive to add to your custom build, you must reserve enough space to hold all the games you play on a frequent basis. If you play games only once, you can get away with a small drive.
- Failure to future-proof the PC: We all know how quickly PC advancements tend to come and trends tend to go. Planning for the future is a crucial step in making the right PC investment. Keep extra ports and bays on hand to ensure additional storage. Splurge on a motherboard that’s compatible with the latest Intel or AMD processors.
- Skimping on the power supply: A bad power supply can spell trouble for your gaming PC, potentially resulting in poor performance, component failure, or even a fire. Plus, you may increase the cost of your electricity bill.
- Excess features create clutter: If you’ll be using your new PC for gaming and little else, you don’t want to shell out on features you don’t need. For example, you don’t need a Wi-Fi adapter if you’ll be using an ethernet cable.
- Misjudging the RAM amount: Don’t make the mistake of purchasing as much RAM as your PC can handle. You only need as much RAM as it takes to run the game you want to play. Get a graphics card with more VRAM!
- Forgetting about the budget: Never overspend on a high-end rig without saving anything aside for a compatible monitor or some other necessity. Keep the ultimate gaming setup in mind, so you can cover all the bases and learn what compromises you can handle along the way.
- Compromising due to price: Don’t let a small price difference be the determining factor between buying a better rig and settling for less than you need to run the games you like to play. You can always wait around for deals and upgrade as you go, but you get what you pay for when you’re shopping for a new PC or component.
- Buying extended warranties: Although warranties provide peace of mind at the time of purchase, PC components don’t often fail until long after the warranties are expired. The chances of needing repair are often relatively low. Some gaming enthusiasts believe that extended warranties are a big waste of time. The decision is up to you.
- Ignoring your hardware needs: Core components are important to consider while shopping, but you must also think about the extra bells and whistles you could use to improve the gaming experience overall.
There are certainly ways to remedy each of these 10 common mistakes made when buying a new gaming PC, but we hope that this article provides enough insight to start your shopping adventure with confidence.