Skip to main content

Test your PC building skills with the new PC Building Simulator

pc building simulator pcbuilder02
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Building a PC is something that becomes far easier with practice, but if you make mistakes they can be expensive ones. That’s why something like PC Building Simulator could be great for those who want to try their hand at it, or for old pros who want to test their skills without breaking open their prized PC.

Currently under development by independent programmer “Claudiu,” PC Building Simulator is undergoing pre-alpha testing, which is why he’s released a build of the game to the public. He hopes that the game will be useful for people wanting to learn about putting together a gaming PC, or those who simply want to try out different hardware configurations in a 3D, digital setting.

As it stands the game is in a pretty bare-bones state, with very limited components to choose from, a single, rather drab environment to do it in, and no advanced cooling options like water or phase change. However, the basics are there and for anyone who hasn’t built a PC before, seeing that everything slots in easily can go a long way to assuaging any concerns you may have.

It’s nice to see cabling included, too. One of the most daunting aspects for new PC builders can be installing power cables, due to the fear that should you use the wrong one, you could blow something up. While that isn’t as big of a scare as people might expect, the tutorial in PC Building Simulator shows a list of all of the most important cables and makes you pick the correct one before allowing you to continue.

In the future, Claudiu plans to add a career mode, which will let people pick their own hardware and let them practice budgeting for specific goals and try out lighting and cooling configurations. There’s even the potential for puzzle-like gameplay in the form of damaged components and PC repair (thanks RPS).

One important step that isn’t taken in this demo though is for users to ground themselves. While not strictly necessary, making sure that any static you have built up in your own body doesn’t short out components is an important step for new PC builders to take. If you’re planning on building a PC yourself, make sure to check out our handy guide, no experience required.

And if you’d like to try your hand at building a virtual gaming system, you can download PC Building Simulator using various links found on the official blog.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
This new GPU feature is ‘a whole new paradigm’ for PC gaming
RX 7900 XTX slotted into a test bench.

Microsoft has released its Agility SDK 1.613.0, which features some critical components that will be shown to developers at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco next week. The most interesting component is Work Graphs, which Microsoft describes as "a whole new paradigm" for graphics cards.

Work Graphs enable GPU-driven work. Normally when you're playing a PC game, there's a relationship between your GPU and CPU. Your CPU gets work ready and sends it to your GPU, and then your GPU executes that work. Work Graphs is an approach that allows your GPU to schedule and execute its own tasks, which has some massive implications for performance.

Read more
The ReSpec newsletter is here: your weekly breakdown of the tech behind PC gaming
Jacob Roach sitting behind a ReSpec logo.

The world of PC gaming moves fast. New titles are constantly being developed and discovered, game-changing hardware launches that could affect your next PC upgrade, and news breaks that can alter the stakes for some of the biggest PC companies in the world.

We're so invested in this corner of the tech industry that we're launching a newsletter, and it's called ReSpec. Once you sign up, you'll get your very own weekly breakdown of the tech behind PC gaming -- delivered right to your inbox each Friday morning.

Read more
Air cooling vs. liquid cooling: Which is best for your PC in 2024?
EK Fluid Conquest PC.

There are a wide range of cooling solutions for the average PC, from the mundane to the extremely exotic, but for most PC buyers, builders, and enthusiasts, the two main options to pick from are air cooling and water cooling. Although it's fair to say that air cooling is more straightforward and water requires a few additional considerations, it still might be worth going the extra mile to chill your components with liquid.

Let's take a look at how air cooling and liquid cooling compare, to see which is best for your next PC upgrade.
Advantages of air cooling
Air-cooled graphics cards are much more straightforward. Bill Roberson / Digital Trends

Read more