How Long Does It Take To Build A Gaming PC? Exact Answer: 3-4 Hours
The gaming industry is becoming larger and the craze for gaming is on the rise with gaming demands. Every new day is introducing new gaming peripherals and devices along with new games. You may be confused about putting the various nuts and bolts together to build a gaming PC. Of course, the duration of the assembling approach would instinct your mind to know how long it would take.
Don’t get panic! Here is the deal! This guide would explain every question you may have in your mind on a gaming PC build.
On only one condition you can build a gaming PC in around three hours. It could help if you are a tech-savvy guy with recognition of hardware components and lots of technical expertise.
Yes, that level of mastery could build an advanced gaming PC comprised of graphics cards and a cooling system for exactly one hour. The slow learners would take 3-4 hours to get the job done.
Gaming is becoming significant for most of us after Covid-19. Most people consume time in front of their computers playing and streaming. Streaming gameplays and walkthroughs on twitch, YouTube, and other platforms became a profession. Some well-known gamers became millionaires and they love to assemble their PCs on their own.
That is the reason trend of self-built PCs for gaming is on rising. Also, the count of viewers is becoming larger. Statista Research data shows gaming video content worldwide got 1.2bn viewers with $9.3 bn revenue yearly. That positively indicates the wealth and worth of gaming activities online.
Such indications motivate streamers and gamers to assemble their PC on their own. So it’s essential to know the type of PC you build, the skills you have, and the size of the PC you are building to know the exact time it takes to complete the assembling process.
How Long Does It Take To Build A Gaming PC?
The list of components could exceed depending on your preferred level of gaming. However, the most significant hardware parts are the PC Case, Motherboard, CPU, Graphics card, RAM, Storage, and Power supply unit to build a gaming PC. Experts could wind up with the task in less time as compared to learners.
It’s up to your priority if you want to add cooling fans, a liquid cooling system, or ventilation to beat the heat of long gameplay sessions. Increasing the number of components means the longer it will take to assemble. Adding a cooling system might be a bit complicated for amateurs and would take 4 hours at max to complete the building procedure of an ultimate gaming rig.
Understanding the hardware parts and the technical aspects is significant for the calculation of how long it takes to build a PC. The first thing that could prolong the duration of installation in building PC is the cooling system. All the components take their part in consuming your energy and time according to the nature they have and the installation they require.
In gaming-specific PCs, gaming peripherals are intricacies inside the installation strategy. We would discuss the critical hardware component first as they are technically complex. A cooling system is one of them. They are different in kind and when a PC user chooses to add them to exhale the heat produced by the intensive long-session gaming. Liquid cooling system installation would take long as compared to cooling fans.
Now let us head over to the methods of building a gaming PC. Mainly two different techniques would lead you to make a PC. One approach is to construct all the parts by attaching them to the motherboard and then putting the assembled parts in the PC case. The second technique could be gathering hardware parts by installing them step-wise inside the PC case. Yes, without forming them outside the chassis.
The size of the PC build would make a significant difference to suppose long or short in assembling. Consider being an amateur building the extensive size of the motherboard. What would you expect how long does it take to build a gaming PC around the ample motherboard size? It would take less time compared to assembling a desktop computer on a congested-sized motherboard. Why? Because a packed motherboard has less space for working and you cannot move your hands freely. In the extensive one, you can easily see all the installation bays and put the hardware efficiently with your free hand.
Why Does It Take 3 Hours to Build the PC?
Most people who are not into tech are not willing to build a PC on their own. Why? Not because they could not complete the task. But, because they cannot get into the complexities and spend their time around building a PC. Also, they never experience the build ones with an edge level of experience. They don’t dream big to get a build and start streaming their gameplay.
Also, the amount of revenue they could generate is not an attraction due to a lack of awareness or simply because they don’t want to leave their comfort zone. Therefore they choose from the prebuilt family of PCs and enjoy their comfort zone. However, gamers and streamers know the fruits to build a PC. They don’t compromise their gaming by choosing a prebuilt gaming PC that would devalue the worth after some use.
In the gaming PC build process cooling system could be the crucial part that takes a long in assembling. Especially adding a liquid cooling system is more complex than the rest of the systems for heat exhaust. You might notice the time it takes to add to a gaming PC (shown in the table above). Even professionals would give their one hour for this particular addition only. The rest of the hardware like RAM, Processor, Power supply unit, storage, graphics card, and wifi would only take a few minutes. A screwdriver won’t take so long to tighten the screws to house these parts.
Understanding the liquid cooling system alone is a challenging task. In the liquid cooling system, the architecture of tubes for the flow of water or other liquid is no doubt demanding more attention during the making process. You would need to cover the PC Case walls and other areas where heat could accumulate and affect your gaming.
Taking care of the structure is essential with the awareness of waterproofing to prevent any leakages. Proper addition of the system would ensure the circulation of air through the case and a moderate level of temperature for smooth gaming. In addition to liquid cooling, the package of fans would also require time and a lookout. They are coming in groups and each group needs proper incorporation into the system.
Difference Between A Standard PC And A Gaming PC
I am pretty sure the slang itself is explanatory on the subject. But some of us don’t precisely possess any knowledge to describe the difference and we search for clarity. Let us discuss it in detail to know the main stuff that makes two different kinds of PC.
Knowing the foundation of both PCs could be a perfect way to understand them. CPU is the brain of the computer, and on gaming PCs, you would find this particular hardware comes with more power and speed.
CPU only is not enough to spark the heat to run any latest game title. Graphics Cards or GPUs are also in the count to enhance the gameplay. Not only that but with GPUs don’t forget to add larger capacity RAM and of course the storage and type of motherboard. Gaming PCs are offering advanced GPUs or video cards. The power they feature makes your gaming experience more pleasant and exciting.
Gaming PCs are built with the purpose of enhancing user experience. While on the other hand, a standard PC is built around common hardware components. They can run different tasks like Micro Soft Office for offices and businesses, video streaming for entertainment, surfing the internet and browsing, and a lot more along with normal gaming activities.
You don’t need to break the bank for building a standard PC as they are economical. But, for gaming PC if you are not much wealthy you may sell your kidney to set in this Rolls Royce of the industry. The introduction of the gaming PC was to make it separate in terms of powerful hardware. Why? Because gaming requires a strong hardware setup and specific system requirements to run. Here it makes sense and the difference could be figured out.
If the graphics-intensive games released nowadays were tested to run on a standard PC. I am pretty sure they won’t even complete the installation on PC. But, instead of a standard PC, a gaming-specific would run them smooth like butter.
Needs Of A Gaming PC Build
Only gamers would understand the needs and value of the hardware component you choose for building a PC. Before jumping to start building you should aware of the significant parts and understand them in-depth. Some of the parts that require your attention are explained here.
Budget
Building a gaming PC in terms of expenses is not easy today. Why? Because the hardware component like graphics cards, central processing units, mainboards, solid state drives, RAM, and PSUs are coming at high prices. Especially Graphics cards and processors are the most expensive components to arrange.
It all comes down to the spending budget you planned to put together your own gaming desktop. We explained the whole part of how much you need to spend on a rig in our guide on “How to build a gaming PC“. You will find the budget range along with the level of gaming PC.
Graphics Cards
The gaming performance and video quality with speed are slaves of the graphics cards. Selection of the exact hardware component could be a great deal of relief.
It is also dependent on the requirements of the games you play. The budget should not be ignored while purchasing this component. Why? As I explained the expensive nature of GPUs would hurt your finance. So make sure to choose the best matching hardware within your budget limits. I recommend NVIDIA GeForce GPUs and AMD GPUs to build a budget gaming PC.
Intel Or AMD CPU?
Intel and AMD both processors are both recommended for gaming PCs. Both of them are coming with their typical nature of lithography, advantages, and disadvantages.
Besides the difference in performance and uses, their prices are also different. AMD processor with high-end performance is cheaper than Intel processors.
However, the making nature of AMD’s efficient nature and construction structure make them cool. Intel processors are fast and their make-in size exceeds the former one.
It is the type of PC you planned to build. If you decided to build an intel-based gaming PC then you must select the Intel processor, but if you are going to pick the AMD-based PC then all the components should be picked based on compatibility.
Motherboard
Just like the CPU as we explained above, motherboards for gaming PCs are coming in two different types. This is the type of motherboard that configures the compatibility of your intel-based or AMD-based components.
Keep in mind your budget limits. Choose according to your preferred choice. Keep in mind that an Intel-based gaming PC would require a motherboard that is compatible with the Intel processor and AMD-base likewise has its own kind of motherboard.
RAM And Storage
Likewise, RAM and storage should be considered according to the level of gaming PC. For budget builds we recommend 16GB of RAM. While for building a high-end gaming PC the recommended RAM is 32GB. DDR4 and DDR5 RAMs are popular for gaming PCs. Now the choice is yours only to pick according to your mindset and gaming PC size and level.
Storage components are mainly coming in two kinds nowadays. The old-school traditional hard drive is known to everyone. Advanced tech introduced SSD (Solid State Drive) recently a couple of years ago. To have speed and efficient performance in gaming you should pick SSD PCIe NVM. They are starting from a capacity of 256GB and travel beyond 2TB. Storage capacity depends on your data files and again the budget.
PSU And PC Case
The power supply unit has its own character and importance in a PC. Computers are electronic devices and they cannot run without electric power. Here comes the PSU to power up your PC and its components to run programs. We recommend the EVGA power supply to get a 1080p gaming experience.
PC case would provide shelter to all the components you assemble. They could be described in terms of design, and size. From ATX mini through ATX Small to ATX large you would find different sizes. Keeping in mind your desk space and level of gaming PC you can pick anyone from the market. RGB lights provide more gaming glamour to some of the chassis. But, your choice of selection matters in this case as well.
Factors That Help Reduce The PC Build Time
Some factors can squeeze the duration of building a gaming PC or any other normal PC. It’s not essential to be a professional gamer could have a mastery of building a gaming PC. I am sharing some of the factors like this one to aware you of what could make a difference.
Expertise
If you are already into tech for a long time and building gaming PCs throughout the duration you are in the industry. That means your experience speaks at the next level. I am pretty sure the duration to build a gaming-specific PC would now be not more than an hour.
However, if you don’t have any know-how of building a PC and jumped into the build process. It’s quite obvious it would take 3-4 hours to complete the build process.
Research
Instead of straight away jumping into the build process you should do some research to know the steps you would require to initiate, proceed, and complete the build process. Knowing in-depth about the hardware parts and their installation methods could make you a pro if you even yet started.
Issue
A small mistake could lead you to re-engineer everything in the PC build process. To avoid such issues you should be prepared in advance. It happens sometimes even if you are an expert in the build process. Instead of leading to re-engineering, you should keep all the complex situations of the build process in mind to avoid issues. It will keep the installation duration short and get you the plug-and-play gaming PC.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gaming PC Cooling Systems
Though we already discussed the cooling system, its importance in a gaming PC, and the type of cooling system an advanced gaming PC should have. Here are some questions people search.
Why Is A Cooling System Important In A Gaming PC?
Straight to the point, a PC with gaming characteristics has a complex structure and advanced hardware sheltered in the casing. When you play graphics-intensive games, these components heat up in long gameplay sessions. To keep the temperature at a standard level to run it smoothly without affecting the performance and speed, the cooling system helps your PC. So, PCs without a cooling system couldn’t last long during gameplay.
Can A Gaming PC Be Used As A Regular PC?
It’s a one-word answer to the question, “YES”, you can expect any task from a gaming-specific PC.
PCs built for gaming can do other tasks efficiently without any hurdles. Consider it a combo device with multiple features. Editing videos, doing 3D modeling, working in CAD, browsing, freelancing, programming, and the list goes on, this combo won’t let you down on anything. Compared to a regular PC, a gaming PC would be a premium jackpot for office work and other tasks with unbelievably powerful performance. Gaming PCs are just like regular computers but the advanced and complex hardware makes them different from normal ones.
What Is The Difference Between Airflow And Liquid Cooling Systems
Airflow is mainly a set of fans installed on your PC to keep its temperature normal. While liquid cooling system consists of tubes where water or other cooling liquid travels through the PC inside the case to keep the temperature level normal.
Airflow is simple and easy to install, which means, it won’t take so long in the installation process. Comparatively, Liquid Cooling System is complicated and requires expert skills, and takes longer to install. To transfer heat from the CPU thermal paste is used in airflow cooling. Liquid Cooling is based on the pipes or tubes that transfer heat.
Conclusion
After a thorough read of this guide, you would know exactly how long it takes to build a gaming PC. The factors that could prolong the duration to keep in mind and the knowledge you required in the selection of components. Besides explaining the duration of building a PC, this guide shares more in-depth knowledge regarding gaming PC build. I hope you would find this helpful in your gaming PC build endeavor.
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