How you can build a mid-range gaming desktop

If you love gaming, here's our quick guide to build a gaming PC that can tackle most anything you throw at it.

This is the second of a four-part series on building gaming-capable PCs for various budgets and uses. This part focuses on people who use their desktops mainly for everyday gaming. The first part can be read here.

So you're entering the world of gaming, looking to traverse untold worlds, follow incredible stories unfold or just have some good old-fashioned fun with your friends. But one can get confused as to what you want in a computer.

Here, we present you a guide on building a gaming desktop for everyday gaming which will let you tackle most anything from eSports games like Counter-Strike to PUBG (though you'd probably want to dial the settings down for this one) and grand creations from the biggest studios and intricate character-driven tales.

As with our previous guide, we are presenting four potential avenues to pick from when it comes to the CPU and GPU: an AMD/ AMD combination, an Intel/ AMD combination, an AMD/ Nvidia combination and an Intel/ Nvidia combination. The target cost is Rs 70,000 for the parts with a variation of Rs 10,000 to ensure a viable budget.

The first is the AMD CPU/ AMD GPU combination: For the purposes of this build, we are using AMD's 2nd generation Ryzen 5 2600. The 2600 is AMD's 6-core, 12-thread CPU built with the 12-nanometer process. This Ryzen CPU does not come equipped with a GPU on-die. For the GPU, we are going for the RX 580 with 8 GB of video memory from PowerColor. The 580 is essentially just a refresh of the RX 480 but is roughly 10 percent faster in games.

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	₹17903.00
Motherboard	MSI - B450M GAMING PLUS Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	₹9299.00
Memory	Kingston - FURY 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	₹6238.63
Storage	Seagate - FireCuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive	₹8490.00
Video Card	PowerColor - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Red Devil Video Card	₹22510.38
Case	Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case	₹5600.00
Power Supply	Corsair - Builder 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	₹6848.00
	Total	₹76889.01

The AMD CPU/ Nvidia GPU combination: For the purposes of this build, we are once again using AMD's 2nd generation Ryzen 5 2600, but this is paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. The 1060 is a mainstream-class card from Nvidia featuring 6 GB of video memory and is perfect for full HD resolution gaming with its reliable architecture and low power draw.

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor	₹17903.00
Motherboard	MSI - B450M GAMING PLUS Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard	₹9299.00
Memory	Kingston - FURY 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	₹6238.63
Storage	Seagate - FireCuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive	₹8490.00
Video Card	Zotac - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB Mini Video Card	₹23500.00
Case	Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case	₹5600.00
Power Supply	Corsair - Builder 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	₹6848.00
	Total	₹77878.63

The Intel CPU/ AMD GPU combination: For this build, we are suggesting Intel's 8th generation Core processors. The reason is that the 9th generation brings little to the table to merit the extra cost. The CPU is an i5-8600, which is non-overclockable. It is paired with a Radeon RX 580 like the AMD/AMD build and should more than suffice for high-speed full HD gaming.

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-Core Processor	₹23170.00
Motherboard	Asus - TUF H370-Pro Gaming (WI-FI) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	₹13557.48
Memory	Kingston - FURY 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	₹6238.63
Storage	Seagate - FireCuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive	₹8490.00
Video Card	PowerColor - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Red Devil Video Card	₹22510.38
Case	Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case	₹5600.00
Power Supply	Corsair - Builder 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	₹6848.00
	Total	₹86414.49

The Intel CPU/ AMD GPU combination: Like the previous build, we are suggesting Intel's 8th generation Core processors. The CPU is once again an i5-8600, which is non-overclockable. It is paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, which has 6 GB of video memory and is perfect for high-speed full HD gaming.

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-Core Processor	₹23170.00
Motherboard	Asus - TUF H370-Pro Gaming (WI-FI) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	₹13557.48
Memory	Kingston - FURY 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory	₹6238.63
Storage	Seagate - FireCuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive	₹8490.00
Video Card	Zotac - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB Mini Video Card	₹23500.00
Case	Corsair - SPEC-02 ATX Mid Tower Case	₹5600.00
Power Supply	Corsair - Builder 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply	₹6848.00
	Total	₹87404.11

Note: This is meant to be used as a general guideline about what to buy when building a gaming PC for everyday use as well. When possible, go to your local retailer; you could potentially get better prices than you would on online markets. Windows licences in India can cost upwards of Rs 10,000 and we have not included it in the part lists. We recommend scanning local parts retailers and online marketplaces for the best deals on them.

For a build of this class, we recommend purchasing a monitor with a resolution of 1920x1080 and a refresh rate between 60 Hertz and 90 Hertz. We also recommend that you never skimp on the power supply. It might be cheaper to begin with. However, a cheap 'local' power supply may not be reliable and could fail anytime. Moreover, if the power regulation is not good, the computer parts might get damaged.