Part 3: Choosing a case, memory (RAM) and cooler

In this series of articles, I will be giving my opinions on the best ways to get started in building your own computer. I’m going to go into detail about how you can select the right components for you.

We’ve already looked at why you might build your own computer and what all the parts actually do, as well as chosen the CPU and motherboard. Now let’s continue the process of choosing the parts.

1. Introduction to PC building
2. Choosing a processor (CPU) and motherboard
3. Choosing a case, memory (RAM) and cooler
4. Choosing a graphics card (GPU)
5. Choosing storage and operating system
6. Choosing a power supply (PSU) and case cooling
7. Tips for actually assembling your computer
8. Example build – The “cheapest (good)” build your own PC in Spring 2022
9. Example build – The “making your money go furthest” build your own PC in Spring 2022
10. Example build – The best “high-end enthusiast” build your own PC in Spring 2022

What would I choose next? The case.

A lot of people would continue with the internal components for now, but I think choosing your case next is really important. For some people, the case is just a functional box that only serves to hold all the components. Other people may have very specific aesthetic ideas and want a computer that will look a specific way, perhaps to fit in with the rest of a room or an ideal they have. By choosing your case now – and being prepared to be flexible and change this choice later down the line – you are more likely to match your parts to exactly what you want your computer to be. In short, I find that this method make the computer more personal to you.

In all honesty, there are few rights and wrongs about choosing a case, but here are my top tips to consider:

• Always choose a case that can fit your motherboard. If it says mATX only, don’t try to fit an ATX board in.
• You will need to choose other components that will fit too. If you know you are going to need a big graphics card, get a case that will fit it.
• Think about how you’re going to keep things cool in there. The more space (and therefore airflow) inside, the cooler your computer will run and the better its performance will be.
• Cheap cases often use cheap materials. This can include poor design choices, poor airflow and sharp metal edges.
• Glass looks great on the side of a case, but it doesn’t let fresh, cool air in easily. Bear this in mind when you are choosing a case.
• Similarly, if you want the components inside to light up while you are using them, having no glass panels means you won’t be able to see any RGB lighting.
• Most cases these days do not have any space for DVD drives, card readers or even hard drives in some cases. In my opinion, if you need one of these, I would be looking at adding external peripherals later rather than compromising your build by narrowing down the range of cases you can choose from.
• Case fans – you will need some of these. Does the case come with them and if so, are they any good? Generally speaking, the smaller the fan, the noisier it will be.
• Check the case manufacturer’s website before you buy to see the maximum motherboard, CPU cooler and graphics card size that the case will accept. This will affect choices later on.
• Check that the motherboard supports all the features you want to be built into your computer – e.g. you might want USB 3.1 ports, USB-C ports, WiFi, Bluetooth, m.2 sockets, 2.5Gb Ethernet, PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 compatibility, RGB lighting etc.

Memory (RAM)

Memory (RAM) is vital to your computer’s smooth operation. The most important consideration is capacity (often referred to as size). The more memory your computer has, the more it will be able to do at once. You might think you only use your computer for one thing at a time, but your computer is always doing more in the background – be aware of this.

I recommend 16GB of RAM as the sweet spot. It should be plenty for average users. 8GB is the absolute minimum, but although you can always add more memory later, having different types or even brands of memory in your computer can often lead to compatibility problems. If you are a power user, you may want to stretch to 32GB but for most users, you will not need this at the time of writing (January 2022).

You will need to get the right type of memory for your computer, although your motherboard manufacturer’s page will clearly say what type of RAM is required. DDR4 and DDR5 are the current standards – DDR4 is the older specification and is slower (but cheaper), DDR5 is much newer but more expensive at the time of writing.

Other things to consider:

Memory speed (e.g. 3000 MHz) will have a fairly small impact on performance, but faster is generally better. Make sure your motherboard is compatible with the memory speed you are choosing. For faster memory, (above 2400 MHz) you will need to enable XMP in your BIOS after you have built your computer, otherwise your memory will be stuck at a slower speed.

Two sticks of memory (e.g. 2 x 8GB RAM) are better than one (e.g. 1 x 16GB RAM). This is because the computer can access both sticks at the same time – if they are installed in the right sockets for dual channel mode. Just make sure if there are four memory slots, you leave a one-slot gap between them.

RAM can come with RGB lighting, usually at an increased cost. If you don’t need it, don’t pay extra for it. If you want it, make sure you get it.

CPU Cooler

The CPU cooler attaches directly onto the CPU to take the heat it generates away. Many CPUs come with their own cooler included but do check this, as some high end CPUs expect enthusiasts to want to use their own cooler and so keep costs down by not including one. The stock cooler (the one that comes with a CPU) is usually fine for most users who are not interested in overclocking their computer – if this is you, you can skip this section. However, if you want/need a better cooler, this section is just for you.

There are two main types of CPU cooling. Air cooling is the cheapest method of cooling a CPU – a metal block with fins attached conducts heat and a fan blows through the fins, cooling the block and enabling further heat to be transferred away from the CPU. Air cooling is very effective and very cost effective. The main disadvantage of air cooling is that it usually requires a large air cooler to be attached directly on top of the CPU.

The second type is liquid cooling. The easiest way to get liquid cooling into your computer is by buying an All-In-One (AIO) cooler. This means it comes to you with pump, pipes and radiator already connected and filled, you just attach it and connect it to your motherboard. The advantage is usually size (usually much lower profile on the CPU than air coolers) and performance (liquid coolers tend to perform better than air coolers, although this has become a very contentious issue in some circles).

If you go down the air cooling route, it’s a great idea to go with a recognised brand like Noctua, who are very highly regarded for their excellent cooling performance. You should also check the cooler height and compare with the maximum CPU cooler height your case will allow. For AIO liquid cooling, the radiator size will have a big effect on performance and I’d recommend no smaller than 240mm. Again, a high performing brand (such as the Arctic Freezer 2 line) is recommended and again, check your case manufacturer’s website for the maximum size radiator it will accept.

Finally, you will need some thermal paste to sit between the cooler and the CPU. This is a compound that is good at transferring heat from one surface (CPU) to another (cooler), ensuring that the two surfaces have no air gaps at all from slight imperfections in the manufacturing process. Most coolers will come with this pre-applied or in a little sachet, but it’s worth checking reviews to ensure that this is the case – if not, you’ll have to buy some for about a fiver.

Let’s continue – 4: Choosing a graphics card (GPU)