Building a PC can be a daunting task even for the veterans in the industry, let alone people trying to build their very first PC. Over time the market is flooded with different options for your component needs. Which is why we have created this guide to help you select the best components for you specific needs.
To understand how to select components for your pc, you need to understand the basic components needed to complete your build. The components are: Motherboard, Processor, RAM(memory), Cooling solution for your processor, Graphics card, Storage, power supply and the cabinet. Below we have selected all the components and explained the details about each component so you can make an informed decision while building your own PC
The Processor – Intel 12th and 13th Generation
Intel’s 12th and 13th Gen non-K CPUs offer an excellent experience even when shopping under the $300 mark. They seem to offer great value, so would make the most sense for budget-conscious builds. In the parts below, we have gone with powerful (up to) 14-core processors that can run circles around even the most demanding tasks and modern games to deliver an impeccable computing experience while only sipping power.
The ULTIMATE Config: (the B760 chipset)
- CPU: Intel i5 13500
- VGA: GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X
- MB: MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI
- RAM: Crucial 8GBx 2 DDR5
- LC: MAG CORELIQUID C240
- PSU: MAG A650BN
- SSD: SPATIUM M461 1TB Gen4
- PCC: MAG VAMPIRIC 300R Black / Midnight Green / Pacific Blue
Intel’s 13th Generation Core i5 parts offer an incredible balance between performance and value. The Core i5 13500 CPU is a 14-core (6 P-cores, and 8 E-cores), 20-thread processor that runs at a base clock of 1.8GHz (E-cores) and boosts all the way up to 4.80GHz! It’s an ideal choice for both core-heavy and single-core workloads, including rendering and gaming.
To get the best out of the Core i5 13500, we have paired it with the MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard. The TOMAHAWK line-up from MSI has become synonymous with unmatched value for money. It can easily handle the Core i5 13500 processor while offering a range of other features and support options. It boasts an Enhanced Power Design with 12+1+1 Duet Rail Power System and 75A DrMOS to support and extract the best performance from even the most powerful 13th Gen Intel CPUs if you plan on upgrading your system down the line. It boosts 16USB ports including the back and the front I/O and supports up to 3 M.2 storage devices.
To let you play the latest games and work around the most demanding workloads, we have added the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X to the build. You can get incredible performance with the enhanced Ray Tracing cores and Tensor cores, new streaming multiprocessors and 8 GB GDDR6 memory. With MSI’s Twin Frozr 8 design, the graphics card can dissipate heat much more effectively and able to take performance to the max.
We picked the MAG CORELIQUID C240 AIO Liquid Cooler with its 240mm radiator. The gorgeous ARGB lighting is just a bonus! It will deliver excellent cooling at low noise levels – perfect for PCs that sit near you. The MAG CORELIQUID C240 also boasts extensive out-of-the-box socket support for a range of both Intel and AMD processors. You’ll find excellent build quality here, with three layers of tubing and a reinforced mesh exterior to minimize evaporation from the loop.
This is combined with 16GB DDR5 RAM running at 4800Mhz, SPATIUM M461 1TB SSD to make sure you are not limiting the performance of your pc wating to get the data from older and traditional hard drives and older generation SSDs. The SPATIUM M461 is a PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 SSD. It boosts a read/write speeds of 5000/3200 MB/s ensuring you don’t waste your time at loading screens.
The 650 watt Bronze rated power supply, MAG A650BN from MSI is more than capable to handle the components added to the build. It has industrial level protection with OVP, OCP, OPP, OTP and SCP. The MAG A650BN will be one of the best choices for players who are just getting started with looking into DIY computers.
All these components brought together in the MAG VAMPIRIC 300R cabinet. This cabinet is available in 3 different colors, Black, Pacific Blue, and midnight Green. It has an excellent build quality and can fit even the beefiest Graphics Card in the market. It contains RGB lighting on the front panel and a side tempered glass to show off your system. The front I/O panel consists of USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 2 / USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C x 1 / Audio x 1 / Mic x 1, the power and reset buttons and the insta-light loop button for when you want to change the RGB colors of your pc with the push of a button. Vampiric 300R also includes a sturdy GPU support bracket to protect your card.
The ADVANCED Config: (the B760 chipset)
- CPU: Intel i5 13500
- VGA: GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2x
- MB: MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI
- RAM: Crucial 8GB x 2 DDR5
- LC: MAG CORELIQUID C240
- PSU: MAG A550BN
- SSD: SPATIUM M461 1TB Gen4
- PCC: MAG FORGE 112R
Out next build uses the Micro-ATX offering from MSI, the MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI with its silver-white and black aesthetic look. It would blend blend perfectly with our RGB build and hosts a lot of features inbuilt. The motherboard has a total of 3 RGB headers (2 ARGB and 1 RGB) and features a robust 12+1+1 Duet Rail Power System with 75A DrMOS, dual 8-pin connectors, and a 6-layer server-grade PCB with 2oz copper traces for remarkable stability and performance.
Though the motherboard is smaller than its ATX counterparts, it still has 2 high speed M.2 slots (up to PCIe Gen 4 speeds) and 8 USB ports on the rear I/O. For networking, the motherboard has 2.5Gigabit LAN and Wi-Fi 6E so you are ready for next generation networking speeds.
With 16GB DDR5 memory, the pc is ready for when you plan to switch between work and your games without affecting either application running in the background. The storage needs are met by the SPATIUM M461 1TB Gen 4 SSD like our previous configuration.
The GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X in the configuration helps with the gaming needs of the user with 12GB GDDR6 memory for memory intensive applications. The VENTUS line-up brings a performance-focused design that maintains the essentials to accomplish any task at hand. It rocks the trusted dual fan arrangement laid out into rigid industrial design that’s lets this sharp looking graphics card fit into any cabinet.
Powering the build is the MAG A550BN Bronze rated power supply from MSI. It is more than capable to handle the components added to the build. Like the 650-watt power supply from MSI, this also has industrial level protection with OVP, OCP, OPP, OTP, and SCP. The MAG A550BN will be one of the best choices for players who are just getting started with looking into DIY computers.
We are fitting all these components into the MAG Forge 112R cabinet from MSI. It is a mid-tower offering and has 3 ARGB fans in the front and 1 ARGB fan in the back to take care of your cooling needs and adds to the aesthetic of the build with vivid RGB colours. The front panel has 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A / 1 x Audio / 1 x Mic apart from the power and the reset buttons.
The ESSENTIAL Config: (the B760 chipset)
- CPU: Intel i5 12400F / 12400
- MB: MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI
- RAM: Crucial 8GB x 2 DDR5
- LC: MAG CORELIQUID B240
- PSU: MAG A550BN
- SSD: SPATIUM M461 500GB Gen4
- PCC: MAG FORGE M100R
For the budget conscious users amongst you, the 12th Generation Intel i5 processor 12400 is combined with the RTX 3050 series from team Green or the RX 6600XT from team Red.
The Intel Core i5 12400 and 12400F are 6-core, 12-thread CPUs that offer incredible performance at an affordable price point. Unlike their pricier counterparts, these SKUs don’t feature any efficiency cores and have a base and boost clock of 2.50GHz and 4.40GHz, respectively. Pick the Core i5 12400F if you have no need for an integrated GPU and want to save some money. Other than that, both the Core i5 12400 and 12400F are identical.
The GeForce RTX 3050 GAMING X from MSI is built with the powerful graphics performance of the NVIDIA Ampere architecture. It offers dedicated 2nd gen RT Cores and 3rd gen Tensor Cores, new streaming multiprocessors, and high-speed G6 memory to tackle the latest games. Step up to GeForce RTX. Combined with the Twin Frozr 8, the Graphics card is able to dissipate heat much more efficiently from the core to achieve maximum performance. The Radeon RX 6600 XT features the breakthrough AMD RDNA™ 2 and also integrates the Twin Forzr 8 into its body to effectively dissipate heat for maximum performance. Both the Graphics card has 8GB GDDR6 memory.
Powering the build is the MAG A550BN Bronze rated power supply from MSI like in the previous configuration.
Combined on the Micro-ATX mortar series motherboard is the SPATIUM M461 500GB SSD to take care of your storage needs. The motherboard, MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI, even though it’s Micro-ATX, utilizes the 12th Gen Intel processors to feature 2 of the latest Lightning Gen 4 M.2. It has 2.5G LAN and Intel Wi-Fi 6E Solution: Upgraded network solution for professional and multimedia use.
The MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI motherboard has 12 + 1 +1 DUET RAIL POWER SYSTEM to unleash and sustain maximum performance with an aggressive VRM design built with digital CPU power system. Combining 8 + 8-pin power connectors and exclusive Core Boost technology, MAG series motherboard is ready to sustain heavy gaming loadings.
Cooling the CPU is the MAG CORELIQUID B240 liquid cooler. It takes everything back to simplicity. Its anti-rotate blockhead makes installation all the easier while its Auto-RGB lighting is sure to brighten your build. It boosts latest socket compatibility and has the radiator pump design. It also has the evaporation proof tubing.
This small form factor build is then assembled in the MAG FORGE M100R cabinet from MSI. This Micro ATX tower has Power Button, Reset Button, Mic in / Audio out, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, LED Switch Button on the front I/O and comes pre-installed with 3 ARGB fans in the front and 1 ARGB fan in the back for proper airflow inside the cabinet. The cabinet has tempered glass panel on the side to appreciate your build and a 1 to 6 ARGB splitter in the back.
