Gaming PC Build Calculator

Plan your perfect gaming PC build with our interactive calculator. Whether you're building for competitive CS2, streaming on Twitch, or AAA gaming, this tool helps you estimate costs, compare components, and optimize your build within your budget. Designed with Taiwan's gaming community in mind, featuring multi-currency support including TWD pricing.

Understanding Gaming PC Components

Building a gaming PC can seem daunting, but understanding what each component does helps you make informed decisions. According to Tom's Hardware's GPU hierarchy, the graphics card typically has the biggest impact on gaming performance, but a balanced build is essential for optimal results.

CPU: The Brain of Your Build

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) handles game logic, physics calculations, and coordinates all system tasks. For esports titles like CS2 and Valorant, CPU performance is particularly important as these games are often CPU-bound. The Intel Gaming Resource Center provides excellent guidance on choosing processors for different gaming scenarios.

For Taiwan's esports-focused gamers, we recommend at least a mid-range CPU like the Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 series. These processors offer excellent single-thread performance crucial for competitive gaming while providing enough cores for streaming. Our gaming and esports news section regularly covers hardware requirements for major esports titles.

GPU: The Most Critical Gaming Component

Your graphics card determines visual quality and frame rates. According to NVIDIA's research on competitive gaming, higher frame rates directly correlate with improved performance in competitive shooters. For esports, prioritize high FPS over visual fidelity; for AAA gaming, balance both.

RAM: System Memory

16GB of DDR4 or DDR5 RAM is the sweet spot for gaming in 2026. More RAM helps with multitasking (streaming, Discord, browser tabs) but doesn't directly improve gaming FPS. Speed matters more than capacity beyond 16GB—DDR5-5600 or DDR4-3600 are optimal for most builds.

Storage: NVMe SSDs Are Essential

Modern games benefit significantly from NVMe SSDs. Load times, texture streaming, and overall system responsiveness improve dramatically. The AnandTech SSD benchmarks demonstrate real-world performance differences between drive types.

Power Supply: Don't Underestimate This

A quality PSU protects your investment and ensures stable power delivery. Modern GPUs can have significant power spikes—RTX 40 series cards, for instance, can have transient spikes well above their rated TDP. We recommend buying at least 150-200W above your estimated system draw, and choosing 80+ Gold or better efficiency ratings.

Building for Specific Use Cases

Esports Gaming (CS2, Valorant, League of Legends)

Esports builds prioritize consistent high frame rates over visual fidelity. Key considerations:

• CPU Priority: Strong single-thread performance matters most
• GPU: Mid-range cards are often sufficient; GTX 4060 / RX 7600 handle esports at 200+ FPS
• Monitor Pairing: Consider 240Hz or 360Hz displays for competitive advantage
• Low Latency: Fast RAM and NVMe storage reduce input lag

Taiwan's competitive gaming scene, covered in our esports organizations guide, typically uses high-refresh setups. Understanding what the pros use helps inform build decisions.

Streaming Builds

Streaming while gaming requires additional resources for encoding. Options include:

• NVENC (NVIDIA GPUs): Hardware encoding with minimal performance impact—ideal for single-PC streaming
• More CPU Cores: AMD Ryzen 7 or Intel Core i7 for x264 encoding or heavy multitasking
• 32GB RAM: Recommended for streaming setups to handle OBS, game, and browser simultaneously

Our Stream Revenue Calculator and Stream Engagement Calculator can help you estimate the ROI on your streaming hardware investment.

Taiwan PC Building Resources

For Taiwan-based gamers, several resources can help with sourcing components:

• PChome 24h: Taiwan's largest online retailer with extensive PC component selection
• MOMO: Competitive pricing and regular promotions
• Guanghua Digital Plaza (Taipei): Physical shopping for hands-on comparison
• Local Discord Communities: Our Taiwan Discord guide covers gaming communities where you can get build advice

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