How to Build a High End Gaming Desktop
To achieve high frame rates at maximum graphics settings in Ultra HD (4K) resolution, you need an incredibly powerful computer. Together with HYPERPC, a premium PC manufacturer, we'll guide you through the components in the configurator that should be part of a high-performance gaming system.
Best Gaming Processors
To get the best performance in games, you'll need a flagship-level central processor. These CPUs include:
- Intel Core i7-14700K
- Intel Core i9-14900K
These processors deliver maximum gaming performance and won’t bottleneck even the most high-end graphics cards.
Powerful processors generate a lot of heat. To manage this, high-efficiency liquid cooling systems are required. Tower coolers are not suitable as they cannot handle the heat output from such powerful CPUs.
Best Gaming Graphics Cards
To play in 4K resolution, you need top-tier graphics cards. The best options currently include:
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
The flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 provides the highest possible FPS, but it comes at a steep price. As an alternative, the RTX 4080 or 4080 Super offer great performance at a much lower cost, without falling too far behind the RTX 4090 in gaming performance.
Best RAM Modules
Although older DDR4 RAM still performs well in gaming, for maximum performance, DDR5 modules are the way to go. They are significantly faster and allow newer generation processors to fully unleash their potential.
While most games can run on 16GB of RAM, more demanding titles like Hogwarts Legacy require 32GB to avoid FPS drops and freezes during exploration. Installing 64GB doesn’t offer much benefit for gaming, as such a large amount of RAM won't increase FPS. Larger amounts of memory are more useful for professional work in heavy applications.
Best SSD Drives
Hard drives are too slow to keep up with modern games, which can lead to long loading times, freezes, and stuttering. To prevent these issues, a gaming PC must be equipped with an SSD.
In 2024, the best SSDs are those from Samsung. The 980 PRO and 990 PRO models deliver top speeds for loading game files. Additionally, they use the PCI-E 4.0 interface, enabling instant game loads for titles supporting Direct Storage technology.
Best Fans
High-performance components generate a lot of heat. To prolong their lifespan and prevent throttling, your PC needs multiple case fans.
While more fans increase noise levels, this can be mitigated by choosing fans with hydrodynamic or magnetic bearings, which run very quietly even at high speeds.
How to Build a High End Gaming PC: Conclusion
To achieve maximum performance in gaming, you'll need a very powerful PC built with:
- Flagship multi-core processors like the Intel Core i7-14700K or i9-14900K
- High-end graphics cards such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, 4080 Super, or 4090
- Quiet cooling systems with hydrodynamic or magnetic bearing fans
- DDR5 RAM modules with 32GB capacity
- Fast Samsung PCI-E 4.0 SSDs.