What components of a gaming PC are most important for modding games?

[taintedfire12]

I’ve never built a PC before but have seen a lot of YouTube videos about amazing mods for a lot of Bethesda games.
As a first time builder, which parts should take priority for modding games?
Also any general tips for feeling a bit…overwhelmed by the process of PC building?
I know a lot of people do it…but still.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Colif]

I guess the most important part for modding would be the CPU as you need one that is powerful enough to process the game + mods + windows at same time.
Next probably GPU but thats always top on a gaming list.
Apart from that, make sure you have enough storage.
And ram
And a Good Power Supply

If you tell us budget and where you are, someone probably suggest a build for you, if you want. filling out these questions would help (just copy/paste from top post) - https://forums.pcgamer.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-new-build-or-upgrade-advice.2745/

 

[taintedfire12]

Wow thanks! Um…for a budget I guess somewhere between $2500-$3000 maximum? (I recently came into a bonus at work, but still don’t really know what I’m doing when it comes to computers…)

I’m also in the Sunnyvale area in the Bay Area.

 

[Colif]

most of below may not apply but fill in spots that do.

In order to make things even easier, copy and paste the following template into your post and edit the italicized examples to suit your needs:

Why Are You Upgrading: (e.g. I'm having trouble running game X or my PSU broke)

Budget: (e.g.: 300-400) Before / After Rebates; Before / After Shipping

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: this week (the closer the better)

Use Case: What will your machine be used for? (e.g.: gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)

Parts to Upgrade: (e.g.: CPU, mobo, RAM) **Include Power Supply Make & Model If Re-using**

Are you buying a monitor: Yes / No

Your Monitor Resolution and desired frame rate: (e.g.: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200 or if you're upgrading please state what you'd want to get)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts? (Newegg, Amazon, or somewhere else)

Parts Preferences: by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to upgrade to Intel CPU)

Overclocking: Yes / No / Maybe

Additional Comments: (e.g.: Need to have a window and lots of bling, I would like a quiet PC.

someone will help you out and offer tips about building it

 

[Why_Me]

Wow thanks! Um…for a budget I guess somewhere between $2500-$3000 maximum? (I recently came into a bonus at work, but still don’t really know what I’m doing when it comes to computers…)

I’m also in the Sunnyvale area in the Bay Area.

https://www.newegg.com/black-lian-li-lancool-ii-performance-atx-mid-tower/p/2AM-000Z-00086
LIAN LI LANCOOL II MESH C PERFORMANCE BLACK Tempered Glass ATX Case $124.99

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-RM850x-Fully-Modular-Supply/dp/B08R5JPTMZ/

CORSAIR RMx Series (2021) RM850x 850W 80+GOLD Modular Power Supply $139.99

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Z690-Gaming-DDR4-Motherboard/dp/B09J5TC4F8/

GIGABYTE Z690 GAMING X $209.99

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-12700F-2-1GHz-6xxChipset-BX8071512700F/dp/B09NPJDPVG/
Intel Core i7-12700F $312.96

https://www.amazon.com/DeepCool-AK620-High-Performance-Dual-Tower-Dissipation/dp/B09CSXS3X4
DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler $64.99

https://www.amazon.com/CORSAIR-Vengeance-2x16GB-PC5-41600-1-25V/dp/B09NCPTVX5/

CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 5200 32GB (2x16GB) CL36 $184.99

O/S (Windows) SSD

https://www.amazon.com/CS3030-500GB-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B07MW3NQKW/

PNY XLR8 CS3030 500GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $49.99

Storage SSD

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS3030-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B07QM2HD7B/
PNY XLR8 CS3030 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $168.95

https://www.antonline.com/Evga/Computers/Video_Cards/Graphic_Cards/1429478
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 12GB Graphics Card $974.99

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-11-USB/dp/B09V6R9QZZ
Microsoft Windows 11 Home - USB Flash Drive $139.00

Total: $2375.84

A better look at those components.

https://lian-li.com/product/lancool-ii-mesh/

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-GAMING-X-DDR4-rev-10/sp#sp

https://global.deepcool.com/product...-High-Performance-CPU-Cooler/2021/13067.shtml

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-ak620-review

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2700f-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16824012015
GIGABYTE G27Q 27" 144Hz 1440P Gaming Monitor, 2560 x 1440 IPS Display, 1ms (MPRT) Response Time, 92% DCI-P3, VESA Display HDR400, FreeSync Premium, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, Height Adjustable $249.99

https://www.gigabyte.com/Monitor/G27Q#kf

https://www.pcgamer.com/gigabyte-g27q-gaming-monitor-review/
G-SYNC Compatible

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/technologies/dlss/

Spiele auf Grafikkarten der GeForce RTX 40-Serie

Frames Win Games. Sichere dir einen Wettbewerbsvorteil mit über 144 FPS.

www.nvidia.com

 

[taintedfire12]

Why are you upgrading: Consoles don’t have very many mods.

Budget: $2500-$3000 tops (Hopefully that’ll allow for my Skyrim to look really nice)

Approximate purchase date: As soon as possible?

Use case: Games and Modding them!

Are you buying a monitor: Yes.

Monitor Resolution and desired frame rate: 1024x768 or 1280x1024 and I dunno much about frame rates, so I’m gonna say…smooth peanut butter.

Preferred websites for parts: I have an Amazon account…

Parts preference: Ones that work.

Overclocking: …Maybe?

Comments: I think I’m drowning..

 

[Why_Me]

Why are you upgrading: Consoles don’t have very many mods.

Budget: $2500-$3000 tops (Hopefully that’ll allow for my Skyrim to look really nice)

Approximate purchase date: As soon as possible?

Use case: Games and Modding them!

Are you buying a monitor: Yes.

Monitor Resolution and desired frame rate: 1024x768 or 1280x1024 and I dunno much about frame rates, so I’m gonna say…smooth peanut butter.

Preferred websites for parts: I have an Amazon account…

Parts preference: Ones that work.

Overclocking: …Maybe?

Comments: I think I’m drowning..

Building a PC these days is easy peasy. It's similar to putting together legos ... especially with all the youtube vids out there today.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npGL2-pRXlU

 

[Brian Boru]

Parts preference: Ones that work.

Welcome to the forum, and good choice

You'll get a great PC for that budget.

I have an Amazon account

Don't limit yourself to just Amz. I've had great experiences with Amz and others—mostly Newegg, occasionally B & H Foto & Electronics, but there are plenty more good suppliers.

I think I’m drowning

Yeah, I remember my first build 23 years ago—I made sure to wade near the bank and swim only parallel to the beach, while wearing an inner tube Should've won a Michelin * for that build…

One thing you must do is create an account at PCPartPicker and as you decide on parts to use, add them to your list there. That'll make it a lot easier for us to help you.

general tips for feeling a bit…overwhelmed by the process of PC building

How do you prefer to learn stuff—read or video?

Don't be in any rush for your first build. Take time selecting your parts, then build slowly in stages, testing as early as you can—you must discover any problems as early as possible, not when the whole thing is put together.

Ask for help at each stage, we'll do our best

 

[taintedfire12]

Thanks for the help so far guys.

So Mr. Why_Me,

I’ve been looking at the build you recommended and I like what I see.

However, I don’t necessarily think I should go with the first thing I see (even though the little kid in me desperately wants a new toy to play with).

That being said, would a setup like that reasonably allow me to load many mods onto a game like Skyrim or maybe multiple games?

I’ve seen people with load/mod orders that seem to almost completely redesign the game. And it just looks like something I’d really want to do- curtail my own very immersive experience and make an older game look next-gen.

 

[taintedfire12]

Also thanks to you too Mr. Boru!

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

You dont need any special hardware for modding anything. Its all done in software, mods of games are still just games.

Also your monitors are pretty ancient. If you want your games to look modern you'll need to pick up a 1080p or higher monitor. 2560x1440 is normal these days, and with your budget you can easily fit in both a new monitor and a powerful rig.

@Why_Me s build is good. Watch a couple of build videos on Youtube and you'll be grand.

 

[taintedfire12]

So I’ve decided on an Rtx 3080ti for my graphics card.
next step would be choosing a cpu, yeah?

 

[taintedfire12]

Ok so someone was kind enough to suggest this build from pcpartpicker.

My only Remaining questions are: what kind of monitor would best go with a build like this and…what are your thoughts as far as modding goes?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/W6mpQ6

 

[Why_Me]

Ok so someone was kind enough to suggest this build from pcpartpicker.

My only Remaining questions are: what kind of monitor would best go with a build like this and…what are your thoughts as far as modding goes?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/W6mpQ6

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16824012015
GIGABYTE G27Q 27" 144Hz 1440P Gaming Monitor, 2560 x 1440 IPS Display, 1ms (MPRT) Response Time, 92% DCI-P3, VESA Display HDR400, FreeSync Premium, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, Height Adjustable $249.99 Save: $50.00 (16%) Free Shipping

https://www.gigabyte.com/Monitor/G27Q#kf

https://www.displayninja.com/gigabyte-g27q-review/
G-SYNC Compatible

 

[Why_Me]

Your build is fine. I'm just posting this to show you other options.

https://www.newegg.com/black-lian-li-lancool-ii-performance-atx-mid-tower/p/2AM-000Z-00086
LIAN LI LANCOOL II MESH C PERFORMANCE BLACK Tempered Glass ATX Case $119.99
+ $10 off w/ promo code W3BBV284, limited offer Free Shipping

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Supernova-Modular-Warranty-220-G6-0850-X1/dp/B099821FWG
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G6 850W 80+ GOLD Modular Power Supply $104.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PXL3ZZB
MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 $189.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NPJDPVG
Intel Core i7-12700F $312.96

https://www.amazon.com/DeepCool-AK620-High-Performance-Dual-Tower-Dissipation/dp/B09CSXS3X4
DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler $64.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPLM1R1
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3600 32GB (2x16GB) CL18 $102.99

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS2130-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B0869C35V2/
PNY CS2130 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $139.99

Total: $1025.90

A better look at those components.

https://lian-li.com/product/lancool-ii-mesh/

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660-TOMAHAWK-WIFI-DDR4

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-ak620-review

https://global.deepcool.com/product...-High-Performance-CPU-Cooler/2021/13067.shtml

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2700f-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

 

[taintedfire12]

Alright.
I’ve been looking at some videos about what to do *after* you’ve built your gaming pc- setting up windows, drivers etc.
So far in all of them they’ve said you would have to take the drivers from another pc device via usb drive to put drivers on your *new* freshly built pc…

the only other computer I have in my house is an old apple computer…

does this mean I’d have to purchase *another* pc computer just to get the internet on my new gaming pc??

 

[Alm]

I don't know if you could use the storage on your phone: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/use-android-phone-as-usb-drive,news-21246.html#:~:text=Connect your Android phone to,an AutoPlay box should appear.

Do you have ethernet port working? You could plug it directly into the router. Edit: Long enough to download the wifi driver.

 

[taintedfire12]

I don't know if you could use the storage on your phone: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/use-android-phone-as-usb-drive,news-21246.html#:~:text=Connect your Android phone to,an AutoPlay box should appear.

Do you have ethernet port working? You could plug it directly into the router. Edit: Long enough to download the wifi driver.

I have an I-phone with a broken port…I have to use a flat back charger to charge it. ^^;

…Maybe this would be a good excuse to get a gaming laptop as well? Lol

 

[Alm]

Ok so I'm just googling as I've never owned a mac but would something like this help?

Q&A: Can you use the same USB thumb drive with both Windows PCs and Macs?

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Question from Kerrie: I have a MacBook Pro and don't own a Windows computer. If I copy files from my MacBook Pro onto a thumb drive will my

www.ricksdailytips.com

.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

As far as I know the only thing you'd 100% need another PC for is the USB installer for Windows ?

IF youre buying Windows you should be able to order the media on USB from Amazon or whatever with it already on.

Windows will install all essential drivers needed for loading up itself, and you can update those like the GPU and motherboard chipset that need it once you get Windows running.

 

[taintedfire12]

So what order would one have to install these drivers to have a fully functioning gaming pc?

in the youtube videos I’ve seen so far they all show the computer turning on and the screen looking blurry.
Then they usually install windows, followed by…internet drivers? I guess?
Then they go to the respective websites for their CPU’s and gpu’s and download the drivers from there.
Then the screen looks better…i guess? ^_^;

 

[Brian Boru]

what order would one have to install these drivers

What Kaamos said is correct:

Windows will install all essential drivers needed for loading up itself

This includes drivers for all hardware—just maybe not the very latest ones.

It doesn't matter what order you install in, but if you want screen to look 'better' asap, then get the GPU driver first.

I may have missed it, but:
Is your PC connected to the internet?
If not:
Do you have a router? If yes, is it for wired or Wi-Fi or both?
Is there a Wi-Fi chip or card in your PC? Or do you have an ethernet cable?

 

[taintedfire12]

What Kaamos said is correct:


This includes drivers for all hardware—just maybe not the very latest ones.

It doesn't matter what order you install in, but if you want screen to look 'better' asap, then get the GPU driver first.

I may have missed it, but:
Is your PC connected to the internet?
If not:
Do you have a router? If yes, is it for wired or Wi-Fi or both?
Is there a Wi-Fi chip or card in your PC? Or do you have an ethernet cable?

Well My Pc is still in pieces in the mail so…not yet connected to the internet.
I just don’t want to get so wrapped up in the setup of the computer that I don’t have any idea what to do once it’s built.

As far as routers go, we have two in the house and both are for wi-fi…though I’m toying with the idea of getting my own.

If by Ethernet cable you mean a cable that would be physically capable of reaching/plugging into my computer (once built) from where the routers are in my house…no.
Though I’m curious as to the pros and cons.

 

[taintedfire12]

Ok so I tried to go with this build suggested from someone on here through pc part picket.com

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/W6mpQ6

and despite everyone saying everything checks out…the cpu doesn’t seem to fit…

I turn it over and…just one of the little golden prong thingies seems to be bent…what’s more the four small “blank” squares on the under side of the cpu don’t seem to match up with the four “filled” squares on the area where the cpu is to be inserted…

does anyone know if I’m going to have to buy a new motherboard or cpu?