How to Choose the Best Gaming PC For You

There is a PC for everyone, regardless of configuration or price. Marginalized performance over a wide range of computer components is achievable at almost every price point, around $1,000. With prices of components returning to more stable levels, looking into getting a PC for most upcoming games has never been better.

Games that perform better on specific system requirements are the best place to start searching for the right system for you. PCs can gain additional performance the more modern PC parts. Here are the minimum recommended parts for games over the past dedicated and the significant jump required for most triple-A games in 2022.

CPU: Ryzen 5600

GPU: GTX 1660 super

RAM: 16GB of 3600 speed 

Storage:250GB+ of SSD Storage

PSU: 450/500W PSU

This article goes over a wider adoption of PC hardware, what Apex recommends for specific circumstances where the price is no option, and how to choose the best gaming PC for you.

Recommended Specs for a Majority of Steam Games

Of course, determining what gaming PC is right for you starts with what you need in a system. If you’re on a budget, you should still aim for the bare minimum recommended specs so you can play most games even if they’re on lower settings. Likewise, if you enjoy a specific genre, your needs may differ like how competitive online shooters require a higher frame rate while real-time strategy games need a stronger processing unit.

Hardware Reports and the most popular GPUs

Every month, Steam releases its hardware report of gamers' current hardware on steam. In the latest May report, the top contender for GPUs is the GTX 1650, and its contention with the GTX 1060 despite being 20-30% less performant at 10-20$. 

CPUs

For modern CPUs, four cores are enough to keep up with the most intensive games when paired with a modern GPU. A popular option for the most recent CPU releases is the 12100F or the 12400F for 4 to 6-core performance at a marginally lower price than the last generation Ryzen CPUs.  

Motherboards and RAM

Motherboard and RAM are extremely important if you prefer going with DDR4 vs. DDR5 and if you want to overclock the CPU. Motherboards are divided by their chipset and onboard capabilities depending on the CPU. While these features are more abundant at higher chipsets, they do not affect stock performance from the hardware.

For more information, check out our blog on what affects performance on a motherboard. 

PSUs

Power supplies depending on your components can range from 450 Watts to 2050 Watts and how many components are drawing an amount of power. From a practical standpoint, it is often best to have double the amount that the system draws due to the efficiency curve of a PSU. Feel free to look at our examples of what makes a PSU important to a system.

Figuring Out What You Want in Your Gaming PC

What you want in a gaming PC depends entirely on your setup. Ask yourself important questions like “how many and what type of monitor will I have” and “how long do I intend to play games?” Factors like a CPU cooling solution and the settings you intend to run all factor into your system performance.

Additional factors like airflow, overclocking, and component quality contributes when putting together a custom system. Apex has a list of manufacturers we trust to bring out the best performance in all the PCs we assemble with:

• ASUS
• Team group
• Gigabyte 
• EVGA
• Mushkin
• Apevia
• Phantecks
• Corsair
• CoolerMaster
• Lianli 
• NZXT
• ThermalTake

While this may not be a full list, this covers a majority of all the quality products that Apex Gaming PCs uses.

What Kind of Games Do You Want to Play?

Depending on the age and demand of the game, different types and generations of hardware will perform differently. 

For first-person shooters, a high refresh rate required by the GPU is more important than landscape details. The only graphical importance is other players' render distance and clarity from farther distances.   

Real-time strategy games require better CPUs due to their reliance on AI movement and damage calculations happening multiple times a second, depending on what is happening on screen.

Modern triple-A games like open worlds, story-driven narratives, and graphically intensive games will need a combination of a good GPU and CPU working together to have a cohesive experience for the user.    

Knowing what games you typically enjoy helps you decide what you want from a gaming PC. Even if you play a variety of genres, that still helps you find a robust system that can handle anything.

What’s Your Budget?

Budget is essential to some as a gaming PC is a worthwhile investment that has the potential to last 8-10 years in most use cases.  

For those getting into PC gaming who are still deciding whether to upgrade within the next 4-5 years, a budget of $1,500 to $2,000 will ensure hardware from the current generation of components. 

Those looking for an average to higher-end gaming experience with added luxuries like 1440p and 4K gaming have a higher budget of $3,000 to $4,000 for a more performant experience.

Configurations For Upcoming And Popular Games 

Apex Gaming PCs have your back when preparing for the latest video game releases. Here is a list of the best computers for performance over price.

The Best “Can it run ____?” PC Configuration

Overall, most gaming PCs withstand most games played on them, and some preferences contribute to the performance over extended periods. The Apex Platinum is the most modern platform for mid-tier computers in 2022 for a modest sum. With its 12th gen Intel CPUs and access to the RTX 3060ti for under two grand, you can't beat this configuration. 

• CPU: Intel i9- 12600KF
• COOLER: Apex 120MM Cooler
• MOTHERBOARD: AsRock B660M-HDV
• RAM: 16GB DDR4-3600 (Non-RGB)
• GPU:  RTX 3060Ti
• STORAGE: 512GB NVME
• PSU:750W Power Supply

The Best “PC for a Son/Daughter/Grandchild” configuration

Here is the build for entry-level PCs ready to game with no configuration. The Apex Gold and its 12100F and GTX 1650 prepared to play most games over 60FPS. This is an excellent PC for kids looking to get into gaming and requires no additional configuration before adding to the cart.   

• CPU: Intel 12100F- 4 Core
• COOLER: Apex 120MM AIO
• MOTHERBOARD: AsRock B660M-HDV
• RAM: 16GB of 3600 (Non-RGB)
• GPU: GTX 1650
• SSD: 512GB NVMe
• PSU: 450/500W Power Supply
  

The Best “Bells and Whistles for a Superior Gaming Experience” PC Configuration

For those who look at the best objective in PC gaming, look no further than our Apex Xtreme with the component for a gaming experience. The Extreme is one of our longest-standing PCs on our mainline and has gone through countless design iterations, with its latest support for 12900KFs from Intel and RTX 3090ti from Nvidia. 

• CPU: Intel i9-13900KF
• COOLER: Apex 360MM AIO
• MOTHERBOARD: ASUS ROG Maximus Hero Z790 
• RAM:  64GB of 6400 DDR5 
• GPU:  RTX 4090
• SSD:  2TB NVME
• PSU:  1200W PSU
  
  

Monitors, Keyboards, and other Peripherals

In addition to PCs, Apex has bundled peripherals ranging from monitors to desk pads with everything in between. Monitors are available from 24 to 34 inches in 1080p,1440p, and 4k capable of being mounted on monitor arms.

We also have 36-inch mousepads with 60 or 100% keyboard hosting and lightweight mice for dragging ease.

Conclusion for Finding the Best PC for You

No matter what you want in a custom gaming PC, there will always be a configuration for your needs. Apex dedicates time to giving you great designs for most gaming needs. Feel free to browse our additional packages in the customizer on our products.

Still, trying to find what you are looking for? Go to our custom build section to pick everything from the CPU to the case to make your build the way you want it at Apex!  

Written by William Wilson

Photo Credit Dylan Lam & Macron Leiper

Edited: 4/3/2023