Myths of Components

A quick one here, the title says it all:

P1: Processors must meet system requirements.

A: This one bugs me the most, so I'll clear it out the way first. No it doesn't. The processor is probably one of the least important parts of building a rig. Sure, you want a good one, but when it comes to gaming RAM and GFX are hugely more important.

P2: What's the most important component?

A: Not so much a myth, but a question I've heard a lot. The answer is simple: the power supply. Without a decent one, your rig will probably explode, throwing hundreds of pieces of shrapnel into your face, killing you. Well that may not be true, but the odds are it'll burn out a lot of your components, if not all. You need to remember what wattage your getting. For a decent rig running Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on full on a high res, you'll need at least 650W realistically.

P3: I have a sound card.

A: Pah, bollocks do you. People presume they have one when in most cases they don't. You're more likely to have an integrated sound chip on your motherboard. Don't believe me? Check your PCI slots. I DARE YOU!

P4: Cases are just for looks, they don't matter.

A: Actuallllllly, they do matter. A rig with poor air flow will cook up and eventually damage the components. Make sure when buying parts that you'll have enough room for the required cooling and for easy wire management.

P5: The bigger the Hard Drive you have, the quicker your rig will run.

A: Yes and no. It is true that the bigger it is, things can run marginally quicker, but it is by literally bugger all. If you want a faster rig, over-clock your processor and/or get more/quicker RAM.

P6: "Ohh, the Motherboard doesn't matter, I'll just get this one".

A: Wut? Just leave the room... now. Imagine this; you buy your components, you take them home, lay them out, and start building. You go and put the processor into its slot on the motherboard.... well at least you try, because some moron got a 775 board and a 1156 processor. You great big tit. They need to be compatible, any old board won't do. Also, if you're going to expand into SLI or CrossFireX then PCI-E slots are something you'll have to think about.

That'll do for now. I'm sure there's more, but I haven't slept.