What Makes a Custom Gaming PC?

Most personal computers today run some version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Even today, Windows 7 has about a 40 to 50% market share, but this is changing as users upgrade to Windows 10. When computers run the same operating system, they can all run the same software and programs. What this means is that while all computers would be able to install a certain application, some will be able to run it better than others. Some low performance computers would even crash.

So you can run a computer game in many computers, but what separates a custom gaming PC from a normal computer? There are many things, but ultimately, there is no definite measure, as all computers fit on a spectrum – some are basic, and some are more powerful; some are used professionally, and some are used for gaming.

Graphics cards in a custom gaming PC

The most important distinguishing feature of a gaming computer is the graphics card. Some may argue that the most important part is actually the CPU, or processor, but since all computers have them, the processor is not a distinguishing feature. Discrete graphics cards, as opposed to integrated graphics, separate the tasks of rendering 3D scenes and creating visuals from the CPU and give it the GPU, or graphics processing unit. This give the CPU the ability to focus on working on the physics and the AI side of the game. This allows your computer to produce better looking graphics, on a higher resolution, and faster for a better frame rate.

Basic or office computers may have discrete graphics cards – perhaps the motherboard doesn’t have integrated graphics, or the user needed a specific video output, but these graphics cards will usually be on the lower end. Workstations used for 3D design, video editing, or engineering will have graphics cards too, but usually they would be the professional-grade ones, like the Nvidia Quadro and AMD FirePro. However, that is not to say that all computers that have graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce series are custom gaming computers. As I said, the line is blurred.

Motherboards and Processors in Gaming Computers

Custom gaming PCs will sometimes have specific motherboards and processors that are designed for gaming. For example, the two new Intel processors that use the Skylake architecture are designed for gaming. The Intel Core i7 6700K and the i5 6600K were the first processors to be released using the new Skylake architecture. The K at the end means that the processor is factory unlocked with a multiplier so it is easy to overclock. Who overclocks their computers? Gamers. That is not to say that all gamers will overclock their processors, as some don’t. Also many make do with non K versions of processors.

Motherboards can be geared for gaming too, and could have features like SLI or CrossFire for the use of multiple graphics cards. Who would need multiple graphics cards? You could probably guess. These motherboards also include features such as network adapters that optimize online gaming traffic. However, not all gamers can afford these top-of-the-line motherboards, and not all gamers need them. Another factor is size. Typical gaming PCs are large because they need lots of room for cooling air flow as well as future upgrades and large graphics cards. However some users love their mini gaming PC that they take to LAN parties.