Computers are ubiquitous these days, with most people owning at least a smartphone. Many use a PC or Laptop for work. However experienced, PC Gaming is its own thing. Though PCs can easily produce the most and vivid gaming experience, many consumers opt for consoles, simply because gaming PC rigs can be expensive. Add to that the fact that computers seem to be continually advancing, and you’ll be forgiven for looking for quicker options. However, nothing can beat a good gaming PC, and the cheapest option is to build one yourself. For most people, it means doing some research, and this is where the Haynes Build Your Own Gaming PC guide comes in. Haynes produces many books that appeal to those interested in technical things, but their ‘how to’ and ‘repair’ books have a legendary reputation for being concise, accurate and extremely useful. Their latest guide to making your own gaming PC is no different.
This is 170-odd pages of well researched, illustrated and clearly explained reference material. It goes from the basics (the structure of personal computer) to the finer details such as the difference between RAM and what a GPU is for. It also breaks the information down into different types of gaming builds and explains the considerations required for each component. Though written with the beginner in mind, everything is explained in such a way that more experienced types will find some use for this. This is especially true for older gamers; if at some point you lost track of processor developments or changes to modern components, don’t worry, this is the book that will set you straight and get you back into tinkering with your computer.
The chapter on accessories is a little short, but that’s mainly because the focus of this book is gaming. As such microphones, webcams and so on are covered simply for anyone who fancies streaming their own gameplay. Benchmarking, maintenance, and upgrading are also included here (it wouldn’t be a Haynes book without maintenance being involved, after all). These are all covered well and intelligently.
Though all of this information is available elsewhere, Haynes Build Your Own Gaming PC puts it all in one place in an easy to read way. Essential for the budding gamer, or older types who have lost touch with the hobby.
