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I’ve been laying aside constructing my first PC for years. Despite having grown up surrounded by residence servers, customized builds, and extra cable ties than any sane particular person might ever use, it has been a bucket checklist entry I’ve discovered so intimidating that I’ve fortunately procrastinated even making the primary steps of researching how the entire items come collectively.
So after I was given the possibility to construct my very own rig for our latest season of AI Planned It, I leapt on the probability, however the jury’s nonetheless out on whether or not that was the most effective or worst alternative I’ve made in my profession to date. Three weeks, two chatbots and two 20-minute movies to provide; what might presumably go mistaken.
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How do you resolve an issue like a RAM disaster?
In case you missed it, PC constructing hasn’t been a very enjoyable pastime for just a few years now, particularly in the event you’re budget-conscious. Between chip shortages, RAM shortages and near-endless supply-demand points, there are way more hurdles earlier than you attain the promised land of lag-free AAA gaming.
If you are a first-timer like me, that may make the already-daunting job of studying what a PCIe slot is or which of the 5 million fan connectors your cooler must be related to so a lot worse. Enter AI.
For this challenge, I turned to 2 of the most well-liked general-use LLMs, ChatGPT and Gemini, to learn the way confidently I might use the instruments to assist my construct my first PC. The first step was to set the scene with each chatbots, explaining their function in serving to me improve my rig:
Click right here to disclose the complete immediate
The immediate: Simply copy and paste the complete block of textual content into ChatGPT or Gemini, after which reply to the queries every asks you. Your responses will naturally range from mine, so scroll down to seek out the questionaire’s I personally answered for every chatbot below.
You will be acting as an experienced computer technician to help first-time PC builders pick parts and build their own desktop gaming computer, using a combination of real-time market insight, cost vs. value, performance, compatibility and other general pros and cons. You will tailor your recommendations based around specific needs and use cases, asking follow-up questions if there is any ambiguity or in situations where several options present similar issues or benefits.
Here is a suggested workflow:
Begin by surveying user needs. This should include questions around practical considerations like budget and compatibility but also personal preferences; what kinds of games they enjoy and their expected benchmarks for those games, aesthetics and the like. Ask follow-up questions on areas that may lead to ambiguity in your reasoning, if necessary.
Provide three build options (the same components can appear in multiple configurations) including all of the key components (Motherboard, RAM, storage, CPU, GPU, cooling, power supply, case etc.) as well as a short justification behind your decisions.
These parts must all be compatible with others in the same build option
Factor in the lifespan of components and flag where a part may need replacing sooner than others.
Apply thorough reasoning to the cost and value of components – if a part is outdated or overpriced, it isn’t always the best option.
Where there’s a trade-off or a concession on a part to ensure balance between cost and benefits, explain that trade-off thoroughly.
Only suggest products that you can find in stock at reputable retailers.
Help the user choose a final option, and then discuss refinements where relevant.
Once the customer has received their parts you will give specific build instructions based on the components they are using.
Refine your search
In my personal experience, ChatGPT was the most effective at considering my needs from the get-go, and while its questionnaire included a couple more technical terms than I’d like to unpack as a first-timer, I found it covered most bases pretty well.
Gemini, on the other hand, asked me fewer questions but kept them more beginner-friendly; I’d be interested to know in the comments below if any readers found the same patterns between the two!
Below, I’ve shared the two questionnaires provided by the LLMs if you’d rather lift these for your own usage than get a fresh set.
Click here to reveal the full ChatGPT questionnaire
ChatGPT PC building questionnaire: Simply copy and paste the full block of text, and then respond to the queries each asks you.
1. Your total budget – Please include your country too, since prices and stock vary a lot by region.
2. What’s included in that budget – Do you need just the tower, or also monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, Windows license, etc.?
3. What games do you play most – Examples: Warzone, Fortnite, Cyberpunk 2077, Minecraft with shaders, Valorant, Elden Ring, Cities: Skylines II, modded Skyrim, etc.
4. Your target resolution and performance
- For example:
- 1080p high refresh
- 1440p high/ultra
- 4K
- target FPS like 60 / 120 / 144 / 240
5. Do you care about ray tracing, DLSS, FSR, or frame generation. This matters a lot for GPU choice.
6. Any non-gaming uses – Streaming, video editing, music production, coding, 3D work, AI workloads, school/work multitasking, etc.
7. Size and aesthetics preferences
- Examples:
- black or white
- RGB or no RGB
- compact, mid-tower, or no size preference
- quiet build vs max airflow
- glass side panel or plain case
8. Connectivity needs – Do you need Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, lots of USB ports, front USB-C, specific audio needs, multiple SSD slots, etc.?
9. Upgrade philosophy – Would you rather maximize performance right now, even if upgrade path is weaker, keep a stronger platform for future CPU/GPU upgrades or split the difference
10. Any brands or parts you want or want to avoid – For example AMD vs Intel, NVIDIA vs AMD, air cooling vs liquid cooling.
11. Are you buying new only, or open to used/refurbished for some parts (Especially GPU, where used can change value a lot.)
Click here to reveal the full Gemini questionnaire
Gemini PC building questionnaire: Simply copy and paste the full block of text, and then respond to the queries each asks you.
1. The Budget –What is your total budget for the tower itself? (Excluding monitor, keyboard, and mouse). Do you also need recommendations for peripherals? If so, let me know if those have a separate budget.
2. Performance Goals & Resolution – what resolution are you planning to play at? (1080p, 1440p, or 4K?), what is your target refresh rate? (e.g., “I want a steady 60 FPS in cinematic games” or “I need 240+ FPS for competitive shooters.”)
3. Your “Gaming Library” – Which games do you play most? (e.g., Heavy AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or GTA VI; competitive titles like Valorant or Apex Legends; or simulation games like Microsoft Flight Simulator?)
4. Aesthetics & Form Factor – What do you want the PC to look like? (e.g., “All-black stealth,” “Total RGB light show,” or “Clean white build.”). Size constraints? Do you want a standard Mid-Tower, or are you looking for something small (ITX) to fit on a cramped desk?
5. Beyond Gaming – Will you be using this for anything else? (e.g., Streaming on Twitch, 4K video editing, 3D rendering, or AI development?)
6. Location – What country are you shopping in? (Pricing and availability in the US vary significantly from the UK, EU, or Australia.)
Refine your search
If you’re curious to know how Gemini and ChatGPT landed on their respective recommendations (which you can check out here), you can find below the answers I gave to ChatGPT. I sent both chatbots the same general responses, though I removed details that Gemini didn’t ask me for in the name of science:
Click here to reveal my answers
My responses: If you like the look of my new PC, here’s what I told ChatGPT to get those top recommendations.
1. Total budget – £1500, shopping in the UK. I have some budget flexibility (+/- £200) but £1500 is my ideal.
2. What’s included in that budget – no need to budget for peripherals or software.
3. What games do you play most – I mostly play AAA titles, with games like Baldur’s Gate, Cyberpunk 2077 and Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 in current rotation. I’d like some degree of future-proofing for this class of games.
4. Target resolution and performance – ideally 4K but definitely 1440p with steady 60fps refresh rate.
5. Ray tracing / DLSS / FSR / Frame generation – I’d love these, but it’s not an absolute deal-breaker due to budget constrictions.
6. Non-gaming use – I’d like to be able to use it for some creative tasks like video and photo editing but I don’t often have heavy loads here.
7. Size and aesthetics preferences: My home aesthetic is industrial loft-style so something that has minimalism but also that svelte design language. I like the idea of having some lighting, but not overbearing. Smaller build would be preferable but is not a deal-breaker, I’d be happy with a standard mid-tower.
8. Connectivity needs – A good number of ports for peripherals (and a mix of USB-C and USB) and Wi-Fi. I will take your lead on if I need (and can afford…) multiple SSD slots.
9. Upgrade philosophy – split the difference
10. Any brands or parts you want or want to avoid – nope, just whatever works best for my budget and compatibility
11. Are you buying new only, or open to used/refurbished for some parts Especially GPU, where used can change value a lot. – I’m open to used/refurbished
Can ChatGPT and Gemini build a good PC?
OK, so you know now what ChatGPT, Gemini and I discussed, but what about the results?
You’ll have to watch the full AI Planned It series to know the ins and outs of our experiment, but to cut to the chase; yes, AI can help you build a PC… but it can’t do it all for you, and the journey to get there is riddled with so much anxiety that you may well decide to can it altogether; I nearly did!
I worked with TechRadar’s resident computing expert, Matt Hanson, to fact-check and sanity-test both ChatGPT and Gemini’s instructions, and while we were pleased and impressed to see that all of the components selected were compatible with one another, the experience was marred by sycophantic shopping and terrible market knowledge.
It’s fair to say I’m no AI evangelist; I believe in its usefulness in industries like tech and science to tackle complex research and analysis as well as to fill in some gaps in critical infrastructures. Its use cases at scale to improve our quality of life, health and wellbeing are phenomenal; but I’m still really uncomfortable with its environmental impact how its prosumer rollout leads to job losses, and perhaps most crucially, its impact on critical thinking.
Watch the full episode of TechRadar’s AI Planned It below!
Besides all that, I feel there are a lot of duties the place human interplay is much extra precious, and for me, that features pursuits like PC constructing that are extra tactile in nature. The cracks actually started to point out after I requested each chatbots to seek out dwell hyperlinks and pricing estimation, and that is the place I’d counsel you cease following my instance. ChatGPT fared a lot better than Gemini (which linked me to a toupee?) however even then, neither LLM was able to scraping the web to seek out the absolute-best, dwell pricing.
Both struggled to remain on-task, and having realised they could not meet the initially quoted construct worth saved tweaking their responses with out providing me the plentiful readability I might anticipate as a shopper, so I ended up having to do numerous mannequin identify checking and looking of my very own.
Perhaps that is no unhealthy factor; I do not love the concept of a machine deciding the place I spend my cash, and it was exhausting sufficient to concede to ChatGPT and Gemini on what I ought to spend it on. That being stated, I’m comforted, considerably, by the truth that finally, I leaned way more on my pal and colleague for recommendation than AI, with a complete lot of legwork minimize out by utilizing it as a analysis software.
You can take a look at the highest really helpful builds for each ChatGPT and Gemini, and in the event you subscribe to our YouTube channel you will additionally discover out within the subsequent episode how nicely ChatGPT instructed us on constructing the PC itself.
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