PC Building Rules

1. Systems should be balanced.

   1. Don't match an [i|r]7 with an low end GPU and vice versa.

2. Parametric filters are amazing.

   1. Seriously!

3. Only CPU overclock(O.C.) once you have a T1 GPU ($600+ USD).

   1. Overclocking (Z### for intel) motherboards and aftermarket coolers are also required for this.
   2. Less of an argument with Zen.

4. Brand loyalty only hurts.

   1. Companies can have bad and good products even within the same product lines.
   2. Customer service varys from dat to day.

5. You don’t need more than 16GB of RAM.

   1. Intel sees minimal scaling above 2400Mhz.
   2. Zen sees better scaling than Intel due to the Core Cluster interconnect being directly tied to RAM clocks but this only normally manifests itself in CPU bound scenarios.
   3. You only buy 4GB DIMM’s (sticks) when you can afford 4GB MAX.

6. GPU is king.

   1. Performance today is the only thing that really matters.
   2. However for a given GPU you should only select the cheapest non-blower design.

7. PSU wattage only needs to be 100w over what pcpartpicker states.

   1. Good PSU’s tend to start at 500w+.
   2. You don’t need platinum or titanium efficiency (use Gold/Bronze depending on the budget).

8. PCI-e based SSD’s are not worth the cost over SATA SSD's.

   1. Expensive HDD’s (WD Black) provide nothing of real value over cheaper models.
   2. There is no valid data on HDD reliability.
   3. Every build should have a (SATA) SSD of some kind.

9. Cases are personal.

   1. mITX is a premium option and isn't recommended as a result.
   2. Windowless chassis allows you to have smart part choices and still have a nice looking build.

10. Select the cheapest motherboard that fits based off the features you need.

    1. This includes form factor, unless you have an explict reason for anything else mATX is the default option.
    2. B### are generally the go to chipsets.
    3. H1##/A### are generally too limiting to be used with anything but the lowest budgets.

11. Soundcard’s are redundant, buy external equipment if on-board audio is genuinely not good enough.

12. Futureproofing is not a thing, generational release cycles see to that.

    1. Seriously.
    2. No please stop mentioning it.

13. Dont forget your peripherals!

    1. Monitor's will last several builds (don't forget adaptive sync when considering your GPU).
    2. A good chair is critical for a pain free experience.

14. Pcparpticker is the best resouce for putting your system together.

    1. Don't forget to change your localisation if you live outside the U.S.A.