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High-performance gaming computers not only give you a competitive edge, they also enhance the gaming experience, providing fuller immersion in the world of the game.

Whether you plan to build it or buy it, a gaming computer is a big investment. You can choose from a ready-made, top-of-the-line Alienware system or build your own high performance gaming computer from scratch. No matter which road you choose, there are a few key components to evaluate, including the video card, processor, memory and cooling.

Find the Right Video Card
Gamers argue endlessly over whether the video card or the processor is the most important part of gaming computers. The truth is that they both matter. Selecting the right video card is the core of building an effective gaming computer. Even the fastest Dual-Core chipset is little more than a word processor without the right video card to handle the graphics.

Your video card must be compatible with your motherboard, so look for video cards with the corresponding video slot. The most common video card slot types for gaming computers from slowest to fastest are: AGP, PCI Express, PCI Express x16, and PCI Express 2.0 x16. To ensure your gaming computer can handle even the most graphics-intensive games, buy the fastest gaming card that your computer and your budget support.

Buying a video card isn’t just about speed, though; chipset and memory are also important components. NVIDIA and ATI are the two graphics chipset companies to know, and supporters of each argue vigorously in favor of their chosen brand. The truth is that both companies continually switch positions with new video card generations, so choosing between NVIDIA and ATI is entirely a matter of personal preference and budget. Read reviews, look at benchmarks and then buy the one that makes you happy. Regardless of which chipset you choose, look for a video card with at least 256MB of onboard memory. Video cards borrow memory from your gaming computer’s RAM during graphically intensive operations. If your video card needs to borrow too much RAM, the performance of your CPU slows, dragging game speeds down with it. 256MB is the current mid-range standard for gaming video cards. It’s adequate for most gaming computers, but fans of high-speed shooters and racers may want some extra video RAM.