# Building Custom PCs

> Update 2026-05-10: It’s been lees than a year since I
> wrote this and it feels like a relic from a bygone era.
> Staggering amounts of CapEx is fueling a frenzy of data
> center construction driven by wild market speculation
> about our supposed AI-fueled future. It was hard to get
> high-end consumer video cards during the crypto boom—now,
> it’s hard to get _everything_. The _[entire semiconductor
> supply chain is overtaxed][1]_. [RAM][2] prices [are
> spiraling out of control][3]. [NAND][4] [prices are
> nuts][5]. [Micron][6] has even [discontinued their Crucial
> consumer brand][7]. [Seagate][8]’s _entire 2026 production
> capacity_ has _already been purchased._ Enthusiast PC
> builds are now an indulgence—if you can even source the
> parts.

---

So, you want to build your first gaming PC? Great! This can
be fun—especially if you understand how to make appropriate
tradeoffs and avoid common pitfalls.

There is an endless supply of information about the minutia
of PC building and the benchmarks of the latest tech. It’s
easy to get lost in the details if you can’t evaluate this
information critically. The good news is that the
fundamentals aren’t _that_ complicated and have remained
largely unchanged since [3dfx][9] created the market for PC
gaming graphics cards in the late 90s.

Computer performance is a _balance_ between CPU, memory
(RAM), GPU, and disk (SSD). Over-power—or under-power—one or
two of these core components and you’ll be wasting money on
unrealized potential. These essential parts all communicate
with each other via different buses and connectors on the
motherboard—which is designed for a specific type of CPU.
Once assembled, everything must get enough power—from an
appropriately-sized power supply—and be able to get rid of
the heat that is generated under load; cool computers run
better. Oh, and you need to put all of this into some kind
of enclosure—like a case or, in a pinch, a cardboard box.

The key design constraints are budget, availability, and the
time you’re willing to spend on the endeavor.

- _Budget_: The amount of money you’re willing and able to spend _now_ determines the areas and degrees of investment you can make. Unless you have thousands of dollars to spend on a PC build, you will have to compromise on _something_.
	- Prioritize your spending on the things that are _most difficult to change later_. The CPU and motherboard are the _core_ of the machine—buying a good set _first_ gives you a foundation you can build on for 6 years—or, possibly, even longer.
	- If you can’t afford all the RAM you want _now_ consider spending a little extra to get a _single_ large DIMM—say 16GB—and adding a second (or more) later. That way you won’t end up with a pair of small DIMMs taking up your available RAM slots.
	- GPUs are the most expensive single component—and the fastest to get outdated. Don’t blow your budget on something that will diminish in value quickly.
- _Availability_: The crypto boom, COVID supply shocks, and the AI boom have turbocharged demand for GPUs. In this supply-constrained environment, scalpers have made high-end GPUs at MSRP essentially unobtainable on the open market. Someday—maybe—the GPU market will return to a more “normal” state for PC gamers but, until then, sourcing a GPU will remain a major constraint.
- _Time_: If you can devote a lot of time to researching specific components and tinkering with the results—overclocking etc.—you can achieve the best possible result for your money.
	- Focus on the core—CPU and motherboard—first then, work your way out.
		- For the CPU, find the price/performance cutoff point of the current offerings and decide if it’s worth it to you to go above that point, if not, select a solid CPU that offers a good value.
  		- Motherboards are a bit more complicated. The chipset features, memory configuration, voltage regulator design, and the number and speed of the peripheral busses of a motherboard play a crucial role in how capabable and expandable your machine will be during its functional life. Get a good quality one—but you probably don’t need an ultra-premium gaming-focused one to get the results you want. Don’t get one with integrated graphics for a gaming machine.
	- If you don’t have a lot of time, just buy a pre-made machine. At the low end, OEMs have economies of scale and supplier arrangements that you don’t have access to as an individual. At the high end, say [Falcon Northwest][10], you’ll get a more powerful, polished result than can be achieved by all but the most dedicated PC builder.

Other things to avoid:

- _Tempered glass case windows._ It’s common for inexperienced PC builders to push something a _little too hard_ and end up with a bunch of broken glass everywhere. It’s not worth it.
- _Pushing on_ anything _too hard._ Apply _just enough_ force to seat components with good electrical contact. More than that risks damaging or outright breaking something important.
- _Using too much—or too cheap—thermal compound._ You need _just enough_ thermal compound to ensure the physical and thermal coupling between components—like CPU and cooler. Any more thermal compound than _absolutely necessary_ to fill the surface imperfections of the materials will _decrease_ the thermal performance of the joint. Spending a small amount of money on a high-performance thermal compound is a sound investment. Prep the surfaces to remove any skin oils—isopropyl alcohol wipes are fine—and use a squeegee—like an old credit card—to ensure it is applied in a thin, consistent layer.
- _Liquid cooling._ Don’t start with this; get a good heatsink and add more case fans if necessary.
- _Tiny cases._ I’ve always been fond of small computers but it makes fitting everything together and getting the right airflow a lot harder. If you want a small, quiet computer buy a Mac mini or something.
- _Thinking this will save you money._ PC building is less of a money pit than some hobbies—like racing cars or owning a boat or whatever—but you’re not going to get the cheapest possible computing experience.

Go forth and be glorious!

[1]: https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/dylan-patel
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory
[3]: https://pcpartpicker.com/trends/price/memory/
[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory#NAND_flash
[5]: https://pcpartpicker.com/trends/price/internal-hard-drive/
[6]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micron_Technology
[7]: https://investors.micron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/micron-announces-exit-crucial-consumer-business
[8]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seagate_Technology
[9]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3dfx
[10]: https://www.falcon-nw.com/