Constellation #926

The processor is the brain of your build. Processors can be from Intel or AMD, and come in a variety of models.

What should I know about Intel processors?

Intel's current generation of processors is the 14th generation, Intel Core series. We primarily use Intel Core i5, i7, and i9 processors in our systems.

Although the 14th generation processors are the latest, 13th and 12th gen processors are still plenty fast, and as a result are a popular option for lower priced systems as they offer a great performance to price ratio.

i9 processors are targeted towards enthusiasts, gamers who demand the highest performance, and professionals using resource-intensive applications like video editing, 3D rendering, and heavy multitasking.

i7 processor are targeted towards gamers, content creators, and power users who need strong performance but don’t require the absolute highest levels.

i5 processors are targeted towards mainstream users, gamers, and professionals who need good performance at a more affordable price.

What should I know about AMD processors?

AMD's current generation of processors is the Ryzen 9000 series.

Although the 9000 series processors are the latest, previous generation processors are still plenty fast, and as a result are a popular option for lower priced systems as they offer a great performance to price ratio.

Ryzen 9 processors are targeted towards enthusiasts, gamers who demand the highest performance, and professionals using resource-intensive applications like video editing, 3D rendering, and heavy multitasking.

Ryzen 7 processor are targeted towards gamers, content creators, and power users who need strong performance but don’t require the absolute highest levels.

Ryzen 5 processors are targeted towards mainstream users, gamers, and professionals who need good performance at a more affordable price.

What is an unlocked processor?

Unlocked processors allow for overclocking, which increases the frequency and clock speeds of your processor to boost performance. Intel processors denoted with a K (ex: 14700K) are unlocked. For AMD, processors denoted with an X (ex: 9950X) are unlocked.

Do I need integrated graphics on my processor?

Integrated graphics on processors are typically not needed for gaming systems with dedicated graphics cards.

Although there are some use cases for integrated graphics, systems with dedicated graphics cards leverage the graphics card for all graphics related tasks such as gaming.

The graphics card, sometimes referred to as a GPU, is responsible for the primary graphical processing in your system. The majority of your gaming performance is dictated by the graphics card in your system.

How do I know which graphics card is best for me?

The best way to pick the right graphics cards for your need is to research benchmarks for the games you play.

Your frames per second will differ based on several factors including the resolution you are gaming at, the drivers you are using, and to some extent the processor in your system.

Typically, the better your graphics card is, the higher performance you can expect in games across the board. Some games may see increased performance gains based on the specific model you have.

What is better, AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA?

AMD, Intel and NVIDIA all have their respective targets and pros and cons.

Currently, AMD and NVIDIA are the primary options, with Intel focusing on the entry to mid level market.

AMD has open-source driver support, and technologies such as FreeSync.

NVIDIA is known for their advanced technologies such as RTX ray tracing, DLSS (deep learning super sampling), and CUDA core technology, along with features like ShadowPlay.

Intel is newer to the dedicated graphics market, and is becoming a popular choice for entry level builds, featuring reliable and power-efficient graphics card options.

Ultimately, we recommend you choose whichever card offers the best performance for the price at the time of purchasing within your budget.

How much memory do I need on my graphics card?

At times, lower end graphics cards may have more onboard memory than higher end graphics cards, leading to a lot of confusion.

Generally speaking, higher end graphics cards (ex: RTX 4090) will be better than lower end graphics cards. Higher end graphics cards typically feature higher capacities of onboard memory, and faster memory technology (ex: GDDR6X).

Although the amount of onboard memory does have an impact on performance, it comes secondary to the graphics processing unit on your card.

For this reason, we generally advise not looking at "vRAM" for performance expectations and instead recommend purchasing the system with the best graphics card for your budget.

Memory, also known as RAM is responsible for allowing your computer to handle multitasking. Generally the more memory your system has, the snappier your system will feel when switching between multiple applications or windows. However having more RAM won't always result in better performance.

When considering memory, there are typically 2 things to consider. The first is the capacity of memory, and the second is the type of memory.

DDR5 vs DDR4, what should I know?

DDR5 is the current generation of memory DDR5 boasts higher frequencies and clock speeds, more dense memory layouts, and overall faster performance.

DDR5 typically ranges between 4800 to 6000 MHz.

DDR4 memory is the previous generation of memory, and although it is slower, it is cheaper and more compatible due to it being around for longer. Although DDR4 is the previous standard, it is still very fast and a popular choice due to its great performance to price ratio.

How much RAM do I really need?

RAM needs will differ based on the type of workload you are looking to handle. Generally, 16GB of RAM is currently enough for most use cases. If you are someone who multitasks a lot and typically have many programs and applications running simultaneously, you may want to consider 32GB.

When it comes to storage, there are primarily two things to keep in mind. There is the storage type, and the storage capacity.

What is the difference between an SSD and HDD?

Solid State Drives also known as SSDs are the current standard for primary storage. Solid state drives are smaller in size, have no moving parts, and are much faster overall.

Hard Disk Drives, also known as HDDs in comparison are an older technology, better for storing larger amounts of storage (up to 20TB for a single drive) and are typically preferred for mass storage, backups and archiving. Hard drives are much cheaper than solid state drives per gigabyte, but are much slower in comparison.

How much storage can I have?

The amount of drives your system can support is typically dictated by the amount of M.2 slots and SATA ports. Most motherboards support anywhere from 6 to 10+ slots for storage, with drives ranging from 120GB all the way up to 20TB+. In short, your system can be specced to pretty much any amount of storage you may reasonably need.

What is the difference between M.2, SATA, and PCI-E?

SATA is the older standard of the 3 for storage. SATA is slower in comparison to M.2 and PCI-E, but more common historically. SATA supports both hard drives and solid state drives.

M.2 is the current choice for most SSD's, and a faster standard. M.2 drives slot directly onto the motherboard, and do not require any cables for data or power.

PCI-E based drives are much less common, and typically not used in most builds. They require a free PCI-E slot on the motherboard, and are much more expensive. For this reason, many systems are not optioned with PCI-E based drives as M.2 based drives are extremely fast.

Our product photos are a combination of renderings from the case manufacturer, and photos taken by our team. The renders are generated by a program, and are for demonstration purposes.

Photos taken by our team may also have slightly different components such as the specific model of graphics card or motherboard.

If you order a system, expect to see the same case, and receive the exact specifications listed on the specification sheet.

We design each system to fit a specific price point and performance level. However, we know in some cases you may want to customize your system.

Simply reach out to us via chat and our team will customize your system to your desired specifications!

We'd be happy to answer all of your questions. Click the chat bubble on the bottom right of this page and we'll connect with you right away!