{"video_id":"fp_QSKo4HyMHB","title":"Balancing Your PC Build","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2024-09-25T19:41:00.026Z","duration_s":346,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":5.48,"text":"If you're building a new gaming PC, there's a good chance that you've heard this piece of advice.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":5.48,"end_s":9.76,"text":"Balance your build, which is an important rule to follow,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":9.76,"end_s":12.84,"text":"but balancing is kind of a vague term.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":12.84,"end_s":17.44,"text":"So we're gonna explain what balancing means and what it doesn't mean.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":17.44,"end_s":21.76,"text":"The basic idea behind it is to minimize the impact of bottlenecks.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":21.76,"end_s":27.28,"text":"A bottleneck occurs when a weaker component prevents a stronger one from performing its best,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":27.28,"end_s":31.8,"text":"lowering your overall system performance in the applications that you care about.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.8,"end_s":36.92,"text":"A common bottleneck is overspending on a top tier gaming CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":36.92,"end_s":42.12,"text":"and then underspending on your GPU. However, it's worth noting that this blade","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":42.12,"end_s":45.4,"text":"can cut both ways and a weak CPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":45.4,"end_s":48.44,"text":"can also result in lower than expected frame rates.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":48.44,"end_s":54.36,"text":"Making matters even trickier, the ideal CPU-GPU balance is going to differ","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":54.36,"end_s":57.4,"text":"depending on what kinds of games you play.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":57.4,"end_s":61.4,"text":"Say for example, you're the competitive type and you play eSports titles","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":61.4,"end_s":64.44,"text":"where you're chasing the highest possible frame rates","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":64.44,"end_s":69.84,"text":"instead of maximum visual fidelity. Well, for you, balancing your build","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":69.84,"end_s":75.0,"text":"would mean making sure that your CPU can pump out hundreds of frame rates per second,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":75.0,"end_s":80.32,"text":"reducing latency and giving you a competitive edge. And a good CPU might matter more than you think","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":80.32,"end_s":84.12,"text":"if you play simulation-type games like Cities Skylines.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":84.12,"end_s":87.08,"text":"Large cities can drag the game's simulation speed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":87.12,"end_s":90.56,"text":"to a crawl, literally slowing the in-game clock.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":90.56,"end_s":96.04,"text":"But on the flip side, if you like to enjoy beautiful AAA single-player experiences","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":96.04,"end_s":99.56,"text":"at the highest fidelity, you are almost certainly better off","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":99.56,"end_s":103.12,"text":"allocating all of your character sheet points to your GPU","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":103.12,"end_s":109.08,"text":"before you even begin to allocate anything elsewhere because modern techniques for rendering lighting and shadows","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":109.08,"end_s":113.12,"text":"are almost entirely dependent on having a strong GPU.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":113.12,"end_s":116.4,"text":"So your best bet in any case is to figure out your budget,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.4,"end_s":119.6,"text":"then read independent reviews for the games","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":119.6,"end_s":125.08,"text":"and the hardware that you're interested in to see how different CPU and GPU combinations","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":125.08,"end_s":129.04,"text":"play with each other. Remember, the GPU is often the bottleneck","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":129.04,"end_s":132.48,"text":"when trying to run at high resolutions and high quality settings,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":132.48,"end_s":137.96,"text":"but the CPU is often the bottleneck when trying to reach the highest possible frame rates.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.96,"end_s":141.92,"text":"As you go through this exercise though, remember that balancing your build","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":141.92,"end_s":145.04,"text":"does not mean buying the highest end component","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":145.04,"end_s":149.2,"text":"just because you splurged on a different component elsewhere in your system.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":149.2,"end_s":152.84,"text":"Don't be pressured into spending fistfuls of money on,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":152.84,"end_s":158.36,"text":"let's say a fancy liquid cooler if an inexpensive heatsink is good enough for your needs.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":158.36,"end_s":163.84,"text":"Another example is extra CPU cores. Well, those can be worth spending money on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":163.84,"end_s":168.94,"text":"if you're performing tasks that use them, like video encoding or 3D rendering.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.94,"end_s":172.56,"text":"But I pretty much guarantee you that most of the games you play","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":172.56,"end_s":176.8,"text":"only use a handful of cores and a mid-range chip is gonna do just fine.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":176.8,"end_s":180.28,"text":"Another core component to balance is your RAM.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":180.28,"end_s":185.24,"text":"Avoiding critical bottlenecks typically means having enough RAM to run all of the programs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":185.24,"end_s":190.84,"text":"you need at once without running out. And in modern games, that can be a lot these days","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":190.84,"end_s":195.4,"text":"with 32 gigabytes quickly becoming the recommended amount to reduce stutter","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":195.4,"end_s":199.12,"text":"and even shorten loading times as you move to new areas of the map.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.12,"end_s":202.12,"text":"But that doesn't mean that you should go overboard","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":202.12,"end_s":206.24,"text":"and over buy. In the old days, it could be worthwhile","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":206.24,"end_s":209.4,"text":"to load your system up with as much RAM as you could afford","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":209.4,"end_s":212.52,"text":"because newer programs might need more in the future","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":212.52,"end_s":216.56,"text":"and if you filled it up by accident, it could result in a full system crash.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.56,"end_s":219.96,"text":"But modern systems will use their drive as an overflow","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":219.96,"end_s":223.44,"text":"which will slow down performance but it won't lock up your system.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":223.44,"end_s":227.0,"text":"So you can just head to the store at your leisure for an upgrade.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.0,"end_s":230.6,"text":"And besides, if you have extra budget for your RAM today,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":230.6,"end_s":234.74,"text":"I'd consider putting it towards faster RAM rather than more of it.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":234.74,"end_s":238.88,"text":"Though there is a point of diminishing returns. So again, read reviews to figure out","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":238.88,"end_s":242.2,"text":"what speed of RAM to buy for your needs so you aren't buying something","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":242.2,"end_s":245.88,"text":"that's so fast you're wasting your money. Balance.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":245.88,"end_s":249.58,"text":"Outside of these core components, CPU, GPU and RAM,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":249.58,"end_s":254.72,"text":"there are some other considerations for balancing that may not affect your frame rates in your games","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":254.72,"end_s":259.74,"text":"as directly but can still save you money. For example, there isn't much point","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":259.74,"end_s":264.24,"text":"to getting some kind of gargantuan power supply that's rated far and excess","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":264.24,"end_s":269.36,"text":"of what your system actually draws under load. A good guiding star is to look for a quality unit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":269.36,"end_s":273.32,"text":"with 100 to 200 watts of headroom for future upgrades.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":273.32,"end_s":277.08,"text":"Cybernetics certifications on the box, never a bad sign.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":277.08,"end_s":281.8,"text":"And I could actually say something similar about components like your motherboard and your case.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":281.8,"end_s":285.64,"text":"For example, getting the motherboard with the right chipset is important","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.64,"end_s":290.08,"text":"so that your CPU will fit in it. And so you'll have enough PCI express lanes","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":290.08,"end_s":294.88,"text":"and other key features you might want. Like fast networking or USB ports.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":294.88,"end_s":298.88,"text":"But is there really a point in getting a super high-end motherboard","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":298.88,"end_s":302.04,"text":"with a ton of extra headers and overclocking tomfoolery","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":302.04,"end_s":305.72,"text":"you're never gonna use? In a different vein, do you really need","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":305.72,"end_s":309.76,"text":"a gigantic space hogging case if you're just rocking a mid-range graphics card","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.76,"end_s":314.88,"text":"and a single M.2 storage drive? We can't talk through every scenario like that.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":314.88,"end_s":319.76,"text":"There's a lot to consider to have a well-balanced system. But the underlying concept is simple.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":319.76,"end_s":323.96,"text":"Figure out how you're going to be using your computer and buy the components","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":323.96,"end_s":328.84,"text":"that fit your use case without overspending. And just because you spent a whole paycheck","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":328.84,"end_s":335.44,"text":"on an RTX 4090, that doesn't mean you have to spend two more paychecks on a 64-core CPU.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":335.44,"end_s":339.0,"text":"You're not gonna hurt your graphics card's feelings. I promise.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":339.0,"end_s":342.32,"text":"Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, check out our other video","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":342.32,"end_s":345.96,"text":"on PC components that are surprisingly overrated.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"If you're building a new gaming PC, there's a good chance that you've heard this piece of advice. Balance your build, which is an important rule to follow, but balancing is kind of a vague term. So we're gonna explain what balancing means and what it doesn't mean. The basic idea behind it is to minimize the impact of bottlenecks. A bottleneck occurs when a weaker component prevents a stronger one from performing its best, lowering your overall system performance in the applications that you care about. A common bottleneck is overspending on a top tier gaming CPU and then underspending on your GPU. However, it's worth noting that this blade can cut both ways and a weak CPU can also result in lower than expected frame rates. Making matters even trickier, the ideal CPU-GPU balance is going to differ depending on what kinds of games you play. Say for example, you're the competitive type and you play eSports titles where you're chasing the highest possible frame rates instead of maximum visual fidelity. Well, for you, balancing your build would mean making sure that your CPU can pump out hundreds of frame rates per second, reducing latency and giving you a competitive edge. And a good CPU might matter more than you think if you play simulation-type games like Cities Skylines. Large cities can drag the game's simulation speed to a crawl, literally slowing the in-game clock. But on the flip side, if you like to enjoy beautiful AAA single-player experiences at the highest fidelity, you are almost certainly better off allocating all of your character sheet points to your GPU before you even begin to allocate anything elsewhere because modern techniques for rendering lighting and shadows are almost entirely dependent on having a strong GPU. So your best bet in any case is to figure out your budget, then read independent reviews for the games and the hardware that you're interested in to see how different CPU and GPU combinations play with each other. Remember, the GPU is often the bottleneck when trying to run at high resolutions and high quality settings, but the CPU is often the bottleneck when trying to reach the highest possible frame rates. As you go through this exercise though, remember that balancing your build does not mean buying the highest end component just because you splurged on a different component elsewhere in your system. Don't be pressured into spending fistfuls of money on, let's say a fancy liquid cooler if an inexpensive heatsink is good enough for your needs. Another example is extra CPU cores. Well, those can be worth spending money on if you're performing tasks that use them, like video encoding or 3D rendering. But I pretty much guarantee you that most of the games you play only use a handful of cores and a mid-range chip is gonna do just fine. Another core component to balance is your RAM. Avoiding critical bottlenecks typically means having enough RAM to run all of the programs you need at once without running out. And in modern games, that can be a lot these days with 32 gigabytes quickly becoming the recommended amount to reduce stutter and even shorten loading times as you move to new areas of the map. But that doesn't mean that you should go overboard and over buy. In the old days, it could be worthwhile to load your system up with as much RAM as you could afford because newer programs might need more in the future and if you filled it up by accident, it could result in a full system crash. But modern systems will use their drive as an overflow which will slow down performance but it won't lock up your system. So you can just head to the store at your leisure for an upgrade. And besides, if you have extra budget for your RAM today, I'd consider putting it towards faster RAM rather than more of it. Though there is a point of diminishing returns. So again, read reviews to figure out what speed of RAM to buy for your needs so you aren't buying something that's so fast you're wasting your money. Balance. Outside of these core components, CPU, GPU and RAM, there are some other considerations for balancing that may not affect your frame rates in your games as directly but can still save you money. For example, there isn't much point to getting some kind of gargantuan power supply that's rated far and excess of what your system actually draws under load. A good guiding star is to look for a quality unit with 100 to 200 watts of headroom for future upgrades. Cybernetics certifications on the box, never a bad sign. And I could actually say something similar about components like your motherboard and your case. For example, getting the motherboard with the right chipset is important so that your CPU will fit in it. And so you'll have enough PCI express lanes and other key features you might want. Like fast networking or USB ports. But is there really a point in getting a super high-end motherboard with a ton of extra headers and overclocking tomfoolery you're never gonna use? In a different vein, do you really need a gigantic space hogging case if you're just rocking a mid-range graphics card and a single M.2 storage drive? We can't talk through every scenario like that. There's a lot to consider to have a well-balanced system. But the underlying concept is simple. Figure out how you're going to be using your computer and buy the components that fit your use case without overspending. And just because you spent a whole paycheck on an RTX 4090, that doesn't mean you have to spend two more paychecks on a 64-core CPU. You're not gonna hurt your graphics card's feelings. I promise. Thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, check out our other video on PC components that are surprisingly overrated."}