What you will require to build the ultimate and extreme gaming computer? First of all, you have to have enough cash to spend blindly.
The first thing to consider is definitely the CPU and choosing the best CPU for your gaming needs can be a tough decision. There are many different models of gaming CPU available in market with different features and speeds which make this decision very confusing indeed. Picking the latest and most expensive processor on the market will not help in building ultimate gaming computer.
There are few restrictions, the CPU you choose should be compatible with your motherboard in all aspect like CPU socket pins, FSB support, chipset support etc. Processors are designed to work with certain chipset based motherboards, so the CPU you select will bound the type of motherboard you can buy.
The latest addition in Intel CPU for gaming is the Intel Core i7 Extreme Processors. According to Intel, this latest processor has 8 MB of L3 cache and new Processor Interconnect and Turbo Boost technology.
Memory (RAM)
Like CPU, the memory also plays vital role in computer performance. You cannot suppose a great performance from an extreme powerful CPU without the support of the memory. The larger the memory size, the better, faster and steadier computer you can have.
This is the era of DDR3 RAMs and DDR3 means higher speed and much more powerful performance than DDR2 RAMs. The fastest DDR3 RAM speed is 1800MHz. Right now in the market there are not many motherboards that can support DDR3 RAM. Most motherboards come with 4 DIMM slots; but the motherboard I am going to recommend later has 6 DIMM slot. This means you can install total memory of 12 GB. But for an extreme gaming computer you need to install minimum 6 GB of RAM (3 x 2GB). 6 GB of RAM also means that you can bank your memory upgrade expenditure for the next few years.
If you are going to overclock your PC then you need to buy RAM which can handle extra heat of overclocking. A RAM with heat sink is recommended and CORSAIR RAM fits in this requirement.
Monitor
There is nothing to explain in this category. A 24” - 30” LCD monitor will do the best job. When it comes to brand of choice then Samsung, HP, AOC has got reputation in making some awesome LCD monitors for PC. I am a great fan of Samsung and HP for its color depth and screen quality. I have Samsung LCD and mobile phone and I bought this only for screen output.
For an ultimate gaming PC you can choose from Samsung 25” or 30” LCD and also of HP 20” widescreen LCD.
Sound Card
If you are building an extreme gaming PC and you have not included good sound card in your shopping will sound strange. I know motherboards boast 7.1 channels sound onboard but if you want best sound experience then you have to purchase a separate sound card. If you are going after the best sound possible, there are no alternatives other than the PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series.
Motherboard
Motherboard is very essential part of any PC which decides performance of a computer. You can see the list of recommended computer part and now we have to decide a best motherboard which handles the heat of our extreme gaming PC. For this I would recommend “EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1 X58 3-Way SLI Core i7 Motherboard with Tri-Channel DDR3 and Tuning Utility”. A very solid motherboard by EVGA, this motherboard has load of options to help you overclock. It supports DDR3 RAM, Triple SLI Ready (Nvidia or ATI) and accepts the new LGA1366 socket for i7 processors. It's made by EVGA so you can expect great customer support.
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
For our ultimate and extreme gaming PC we have added lots for powerful add on cards like sound card, graphics card, extra hard disk etc. to run them at their speed and perform well we need a high rating power supply. PCI-Express SLI graphics card requires a different power connector. This should be taken in account when buying PSU. CORSAIR 1000w HX Series is recommended power supply unit for this gaming rig.
Keyboard and Mouse
The keyboard and mouse are the only devices that you use to input command to the system. For best gaming effect, a programmable hot-key keyboard and a sensitive, accurate mouse are required. The best in the market now is the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard that allows you to program up to 18 hot-keys and Logitech G9 laser gaming mouse that allows the user to adjust the resolution to 2000dpi.
Hard Drive (HDD)
When building the ultimate gaming PC, it is not the size of the hard drive that matters, but its performance that really make the difference. A 300GB hard drive is more than enough for the storage of your games and applications. A hard drive speed and performance lies in its interface (SATA 2), RPM speed and Cache memory. The cache memory determines how much data can be stored for pre-fetch while the drive interface determines how fast the data can be transferred. The most suitable and recommend hard drive for an ultimate gaming computer is the “Western Digital VelociRaptor 300 GB, 16 MB Cache, 10,000 RPM SATA II WD3000GLFS”.
Speaker system.
You cannot expect great sound from a great sound card without great speaker systems. In order to go with the performance of the great sound card you bought, a 5.1-channel speaker system or higher is required. In addition, a hardware decoding system for Dolby Digital and DTS is also vital to produce the best sound effect. A recommended product is Logitech Z-5500 5.1 channel speaker system.
Miscellaneous
PC Case: Cooler Master Cosmos ATX Full Tower Case Silver is one of the sleekest PC cases ever designed with a plethora of options that makes assembling or upgrading your beast very easy. This PC Case is gigantic and you can install everything you ever dreamed of inside.
Optical Drive: If you want to play some high definition movies along with gaming on your PC, then Blu Ray reader is all you need. And LG has really good Blu Ray Disc reader.
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9700LED Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler is a very good CPU Cooler and highly recommended over the supply cooler fan if you want to overclock at all. This CPU cooler will lesser your PC temperatures considerably.
Thermal Compound: Don't go with supplied thermal compound. A good thermal compound is required, as supplied compound may not handle heat in the way it should. Buy the best thermal compound and keep your CPU cool. Remember that a CPU costs much more than thermal compound, so it is wise to buy a thermal compound.
Bottom-line:
More or less, I’ve covered the requirement to build best gaming computer. Building a high end gaming computers can cost thousands of dollars. And this gaming beast costs around $4700 (Added only recommended product). If you are restricted by budget then this configuration is not recommended for you. Then you should invest in good graphic card and RAM to enjoy gaming at budget.
