Many people have a passion for video games, virtual worlds and the advancement of technology. With all the recent upgrades to preexisting forms of technology, you may find yourself lost in the shuffle.
Maybe you are overwhelmed by the different types of computer systems. You may wonder what type of system will ensure your games run smoothly or that you get your money’s worth. While many stress over all these aspects, some take it into their own hands and build their own gaming system.
Some of those individuals happen to be Warhawks who have built heir own personal gaming systems over the years. For those that end up designing their own systems, it can feel triumphant for the individual once the project is complete.
Andrew Ringle, a junior computer science major, said, “Building a computer has its benefits. Having a fast and reliable one for school is nice.”
Alyssa McMurray, a ULM graduate in computer science, has knowledge and experience on constructing a durable computer system. If you’re aiming for games with high-end graphics or are planning to create digital art, McMurray said she recommends focusing on graphics cards. For pure processing, you should focus on your CPU.
After realizing what you’re looking for in your computer, a personal budget should be considered. McMurray said she believes the more someone is willing to spend on parts for their system, the more feats it will be able to achieve.
Another main feature is the motherboard. This will determine the size of the computer. According to McMurray, the smaller a motherboard is, the harder it will be to fit components.
By choosing the right size for your system, one will note the motherboard’s form factor to receive the correct case size. Cases can be elaborate, including pre-installed fans, peripheral ports and extra USB ports.
Once these factors have been decided, the builder will check the socket type the motherboard takes, along with choosing the right CPU to fit. RAM also comes into play, which deals with graphics cards.
“Fancy graphics cards come with built in RAM. It’s more powerful, and is much faster,” McMurray said.
Some final factors are hard drives and power supply, which are used for storage and energy.
Noa Gonzalez, a sophomore psychology major, said “It gives me confidence. I know what’s going on, so if anything ever goes wrong, I’ll diagnose the issue and potentially solve it.”
Gonzalez said understanding your computer helps figure out possible issues.
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