If you're just diving into the art that is PC building, you're probably equal parts excited and confused. There is so much information out there, and it's hard to figure out what's best, what's cheapest, what's useful, and what's just unnecessary. Most importantly, however, is why build a gaming PC in the first place?    

Building or Buying Your Dream Computer  

An incredibly hot debate within the PC community is whether to buy a prebuilt gaming desktop or build your own. Contrary to what you'll hear from some PC elitists, buying a prebuilt gaming desktop isn't all too bad. You'll be able to get a good quality prebuilt PC, so why build? While you can buy a good enough PC, there are numerous benefits to building your own. The top advantage of building your computer is that it allows you to handpick each of your components individually. Because of this, you can tailor your machine to your needs. Do you need a high power desktop to handle the newest AAA titles? Or do you need a PC to play some classics and cloud-based games?  

Building your PC allows you to account for specific things to you. This is something that a prebuilt PC is incapable of. If you're looking for some reliable prebuilt computer options at various price points, look at PCMag's list of best prebuilt gaming desktops. However, if you are still committed to building your own PC, read on!    

Construction: Assembling Your Pieces  

Now that you're committed to building your new PC, let's talk about the parts. One by one, we'll take a look at various components and different price points so you can pick what's best for you!      

The CPU    

If you're looking for some next-gen CPU technology at a more than reasonable price point, look no further than the AMD Ryzen 3 3300x. With the Ryzen, you're getting great performance at a processor speed of 3.9 GHz and even better value. Going for just under $200, you'll be getting the quality of any other more expensive CPU on the market.    

The GPU    

We went budget for the CPU, so we will go ahead and kick it up a notch for the graphics card. We're recommending the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. Without a doubt, this is the best graphics card on the market for PC gaming right now. This graphics card will run you about $700, but it doesn't just match, but also outperforms graphics cards over $1,200!   

If you're looking for a little cheaper option, we're going to recommend the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT. This is widely agreed to be the best 1080p graphics card. Going for just over $430, you're getting an incredible value and something that will last you more than long enough!      

The Motherboard    

If you're looking for a budget motherboard, look no further than the Asrock B550M-HDV. This motherboard is the definition of value at just $80! There isn't much more to say other than this piece of machinery works, and it works well. While some of the more expensive motherboards will allow you to reach absurd overclocks or connect to your networks and peripherals in crazy ways, Asrock is the way to go if you're looking at value and effectiveness. If you're looking for one of the high-end motherboards, the MSI MEG Z490 Godlike is undoubtedly the way to go, but it will cost you about $800.       

Memory    

In terms of memory, we recommend the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4-3200. More than efficient and having enough memory for most games, this kit will only set you back around $70. While the Corsair doesn't offer the absolute fastest RAM and is not as flashy as some of the RGB kits, it's efficient and more than enough for a decent gaming rig.    

What About the SSD, Power Supply, and Case?  

For the components here, check out PC Gamer's budget PC build. They do a great job showing the best budget pieces and coincide with our recommendations. At the end of the day, get what works for you! That's the joy of building a computer by yourself. Don't let other's tell you that your build is bad or how theirs is better. As long as you're satisfied, that's the joy of PC building! Whether you're using your desktop to play the occasional game of chance on https://goodluckmate.com or if you're grinding on CS:GO, we hope we've given you some of the best resources to start your journey!