When you buy a computer there are two possibilities: the purchase of the PC already assembled or the separate purchase of the various pieces to be assembled together. In the second case, when choosing which type of PC to buy, we must carefully observe the characteristics of the chosen components, to avoid creating a PC that is already slow or with obsolete components (ie they will be overtaken by new technologies within 2 years). Given that the expense for a new computer can be substantial, it is better to immediately choose the best components available at the moment, so as to have an adequate PC even after 2 years.In this guide we will show you then the best components we can buy to be able to assemble an ideal and high-level PC, spending the right and using only modern components.
READ ALSO: What appears to make a good 300 Euro desktop PC
How to buy PC components
Processor
The quality of a processor or CPU we measure time in GHz, that is the clock frequency (how many calculations it can do in a second). Obviously, the faster a CPU is, the faster the calculations are and the faster the system. However, in recent years, CPU performance is not determined only by the number of calculations it can do in a given period of time: today it’s better to focus on the number of cores: the more cores there are (even virtual ones), the faster the CPU will process the data.
Currently, the best processors we can use for a home PC are listed below.
Intel
- Intel Core i5-9400F (€ 164)
- Intel Core i5-9600K (€ 256)
- Intel Core i7-9700K (€ 396)
AMD
- AMD Ryzen 3 2200G (€ 88)
- AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (€ 188)
- AMD Ryzen 7 2700 (€ 220)
Among the various processors (in order of price), not only does the clock frequency change, but also the number of cores, the possibility of automatic or manual overclocking and other optimizations to achieve greater performance.
Depending on the manufacturer chosen we will have to choose a different motherboard, as Intel and AMD are incompatible with each other.
To learn more about the differences between the two producers, we invite you to read our guide to Differences between AMD and Intel processors and between i5 and i7 CPUs; if instead, we wanted to know other useful elements to choose the right processor, we can find them in our guide to how to Buy the computer’s processor or CPU; what you need to know.
Motherboard
The motherboard joins the various components together, circulating data between the CPU, RAM, disk and other connected peripherals. Without them, it makes no sense to buy the other components for the PC!
Depending on the processor chosen, we will have to choose a motherboard compatible with the Intel and AMD processors chosen above.
Intel motherboards
- Asus PRIME Z370-P II (€ 122)
- MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PLUS (€ 144)
- Asus ROG STRIX Z390-F (€ 209)
AMD motherboards
- ASUS PRIME B350-PLUS (€ 90)
- Gigabyte AB350-GAMING 3 (€ 91)
- Asus ROG STRIX X470-F (202 €)
Whichever motherboard we choose, it will be perfectly compatible with the chosen CPUs (I recommend Intel with Intel and AMD with AMD!) And with the components that we will show you below.
READ ALSO: How to choose the computer’s Motherboard and CPU
RAM
As for the RAM we will have to install a sufficient quantity to open all the applications and the operating system without slowing down, but we will also have to pay attention to the type of memory and the clock speed so that we can always have fast RAM in every situation. For a good desktop PC, we recommend that you take at least 16 GB of RAM, so you don’t have to change it after a few years (8 GB are now the minimum standard, better invest some extra money and have more memory).
The only advice: we choose always at least two banks of RAM, so as to take advantage of the Dual-Channel to increase performance; we, therefore, avoid using a single RAM bank, even if it is of the recommended capacity (2x8GB are fine, while a single 16GB module is to be avoided).
READ ALSO: How much RAM is needed for Windows 10 and the use of the PC
Currently, all RAM modules for desktop computers are in DDR4 formats, like the ones recommended below.
- HyperX DDR4 16 GB 2400 MHz Kit 2 x 8 GB (€ 82)
- Corsair Vengeance LPX XMP 2.0 memories 16 GB (2 X 8 GB), DDR4, 3000 MHz (88 €)
- G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16GB DDR4 16GB DDR4 3200MHz (€ 119)
If we need to check the compatibility of the RAM modules with CPU and motherboard, we advise you to read our article on Check Compatibility between CPU, RAM, and motherboard, if they work together in a PC.
Internal disk
Currently, the fastest disks are those solid state or SSD which have no moving mechanical parts: they are therefore more resistant and clearly faster. In addition to the SSDs, I M.2 SSD modules, very fast memory cards directly connected to the motherboard without any SATA cable. In any case, we advise you to focus on the capacity of 1 TB, which has reached a reasonable price and allows you to save data, programs and operating systems on a single disk.
Ignoring, therefore, the mechanical disks (now really too slow for modern programs and operating systems), here below we show you the best classic SSDs and the M.2 SSDs that we can use on the motherboards that we have reported to you a little while ago.
SSD
- Samsung Internal SSD 860 QVO, 1 TB (€ 109)
- SanDisk 1TB Ultra 3D SSD, SSD Drive (€ 114)
- Crucial MX500 Internal SSD, 1 TB (123 €)
READ ALSO: Best SSD discs to buy to make your PC run as fast as a tablet
SSD M.2
- Crucial MX500 Internal SSD, 1 TB, 3D NAND, SATA, M.2 (€ 128)
- Samsung MZ-N6E1T0BW SSD 860 EVO M.2, 1TB (€ 153)
- Samsung MZ-V7E1T0BW SSD 970 EVO, 1 TB, M.2 (€ 223)
In another guide we showed you the differences between the various components of the PC; the guide is available here Compare processors, video cards and SSDs.
power supply
The power supply supplies electricity to all the components seen so far, so it plays a very important role in choosing the components with which to assemble a new PC. We will have to choose one that is powerful enough to power the CPU, motherboard, RAM, and SSD plus the other components and peripherals that we will be connecting in the future (not forgetting the video card, which should be installed and consume a good slice of the electricity supplied by the power supply).
We choose if possible 500W or more power supplies with semi-modular cables (ie with some removable cables if not in use), so as to have a tidy case with good air circulation.
The power supplies we recommend to use are the following:
- Thermaltake ALIM. Smart SE 530W (€ 53)
- Cooler Master MasterWatt 550 EU (€ 59)
- Corsair CX550M PC Power Supply, Semi-Modular (€ 76)
READ ALSO: Which power supply to choose for the PC and how many Watts are required
Houses
The home of all the components chosen is obviously the case, the metal and plastic box in which we build the real PC. The choice of case can be dictated by personal tastes, the important thing is that it is compatible with the shape of the motherboard (ie it must support motherboards with an ATX form factor, the largest currently available). Here below we have collected some beautiful and functional houses that we can use for our computer.
- Noua Noob X7 White Case ATX for PC (€ 39)
- Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 Case for PC (48 €)
- Corsair Carbide 270R Gaming Case (€ 67)
- Cooler Master MasterBox 5 MSI Gaming Edition PC Case (€ 72)
Fundamental peripherals
Monitor, Keyboard, Printer, Mouse are all essential components to use the new computer.
For the keyboard and mouse we can choose one of the kits (wired and wireless) available below:
- Ewent EW3123 Keyboard and Mouse Kit, Italian Layout, QWERTY (€ 16)
- TOPELEK Wireless Italian Keyboard and Mouse, Wireless Mouse Keyboard Kit (€ 23)
- Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Kit, USB receiver (€ 24)
- HAVIT Keyboard and Gaming Mouse Wire Gaming Keyboard and Mouse (€ 34)
READ ALSO: Best PC keyboard to buy: wifi, ergonomic and backlit
As for the monitors, we can read the guide to buying an LCD monitor.
If instead, we are undecided about which printer to buy, we can read ours guide to buying a new printer whereas if you are not printing photos, it is convenient to spend more on a laser printer than on an economical inkjet printer that requires very frequent cartridge changes.
Other peripherals
Although not strictly necessary to start the computer and for the first uses, we can buy these devices if we need to chat, to connect the computer away from the modem and if we have to play:
- Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam (€ 69)
- TP-Link Archer T2U Wireless USB Adapter (€ 18)
- Logitech Z200 speakers (€ 27)
- Maxtor Seagate 2TB External USB Hard Drive (€ 62)
- Powerline TP-Link TL-PA4010 AV600 (€ 34)
If instead, we want to play with the newly assembled PC, we advise you to add one of the recommended video cards in our guide to Best PC video cards
Conclusions
Following the instructions in this guide, without too much effort and without being an IT or electronics expert, you can always find the best purchase without being influenced by advertisements, crafty labels, and sellers. If we want to find other components for our PC, we suggest you visit the PCPartkeeper site, where you can choose the computer components one by one, choosing the price range that we are willing to spend on our computer.
The guides that we recommend to read in order to learn more about the PC components and how they compare with the PCs already assembled are: How to choose the parts of the new computer to be assembled, Better a custom PC or a pre-assembled computer (OEM)? and finally, Things to know before buying a new computer.
In another article, we can see some proposals to buy complete computer parts online at Amazon.