Game development is a complex process, requiring a variety of operations for completion of different game components. This includes coding, graphics, animation, 3D modeling, etc., all of which are then followed by compilation to show the final result. While some of these tasks aren't very intensive, others can freeze or crash the application or even crash your computer if not met with the required resources.
Best Gaming Laptops for Game Development
Explore the finest laptops tailored for game development, balancing power and precision.
If you are a solo developer or a small game development team, working on a simple game or even on a complex and intensive title, there is nothing better than building a custom PC build to help you create better games in less time. Considering there are plenty of game development programs, each having its own hardware requirements, we have put together a few PC builds with carefully chosen parts, making sure every user can have a powerful system of their own without breaking the bank.
The Solo Developer's Build: Best Budget PC for Game Development
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Display card main info widgetIntel Core i3-14100F
$111 $140 Save $29Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Intel
- CPU Model
- Core i3 14100F
- CPU Socket
- LGA 1700
- Cores
- 4
- Threads
- 8
Intel Core i3-14100F is a refreshed version of the i3 13100F, now with higher clock speeds that go to as much as 4.7 GHz. Based on Intel's older Alder Lake architecture rebadged as a Raptor Lake Refresh offering, the CPU brings 4 performance cores and a total of 8 threads to get started with any small or medium-scale application. With its capable single-core performance, it holds its own versus most entry-level processors in gaming and productivity alike.
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Display card main info widgetASRock B760M Pro RS
Display card main info widget endASRock B760M Pro RS is affordable yet boasts a premium look and has plenty of passive cooling all over the PCB. Supporting the latest 13th and 14th gen Intel processors, it's a good choice for locked Core chips with support for up to 7200MHz DDR5 RAM and has all the slots, connectors, and headers for modern components.
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Display card main info widgetXFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 6600 CORE
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- XFX
- Cooling Method
- Air-cooled dual-fan
- GPU Speed
- 2044 Mhz
- Interface
- PCI-E 4.0 x8
- Memory
- 8GB GDDR6
- Power
- 160W
The XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Radeon RX 6600 CORE is an excellent value proposition as it trades significantly cheaper than the RTX 3050 while performing as much as 15% faster which makes it a no-brainer for Team Red users looking to upgrade this year.
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Display card main info widgetCrucial RAM 8GB DDR5
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- Crucial
- Size
- 8GB x 1
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 4800 MT/s
- Compatible Devices
- Intel and AMD Motherboards With DDR5 Support
- RGB
- N/A
Crucial 8GB DDR5 is an entry-level DDR5 RAM module that offers the standard 4800MHz speed with regular timings for budget gaming and productivity builds. It's a low-profile module with no heatsinks and doesn't introduce any clearance issues for the CPU coolers. It's Intel XMP 3.0 enabled but works with AMD platforms too.
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Display card main info widgetKingston NV2 500G M.2 2280 NVMe Internal SSD
$38 $54 Save $16Display card main info widget endThe Kingston NV2 500G SSD uses Gen 4x4 NVMe PCIe technology. This drive delivers read speeds up to 3,500 MB/s and write speeds up to 2,800 MB/s. It's designed for systems requiring fast performance, in both laptop and desktop builds. It is suitable for most applications thanks to the compact, single-sided M.2 2280 design. And the low power requirements mean that it produces minimal heat.
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Display card main info widgetMSI MAG A550BN Power Supply
Display card main info widget endThe MSI MAG A550BN comes with 80 PLUS BRONZE certification. This certification ensures higher efficiency and lower power consumption. It includes a 120 mm low-noise fan with a sleeve bearing. The power supply is designed to offer stable output.
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Display card main info widgetAntec NX200 M
Display card main info widget endAntec NX200 is a beautiful compact micro-ATX chassis that has a clear tempered glass side panel for full visibility of the interior. There is a fully ventilated front panel for good airflow and allows installing radiators and multiple fans. The cable management is on point, providing plenty of routing holes and a full-length PSU shroud to hide the PSU and extra cables.
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Keeping up with the incredibly high demands of game development apps like Unreal Engine 5 is difficult. With the software getting more complex and heavy over time, it's not possible for every game developer to run UE on their entry-level computer. However, if you are more into 2D game making or less intensive 3D games, this PC is going to provide you with the speed you need for a hassle-free workflow.
It's powered by the latest Raptor Lake Refresh Core i3 14100F processor, which boasts four cores and eight threads with incredibly high clock speeds. Hyperthreading will definitely distribute multiple operations evenly on all the threads, making game development a smooth process. For the GPU, we went with the RX 6600, which will be more than sufficient for game apps like Godot, Game Maker, or even Unity.
The Best Gaming PCs Under $1000 in 2024
These pre-built PCs are ready to tackle gaming in 2024, but they won't break the bank doing it.
This build keeps the overall cost as low as possible by going with the low-profile 8GB RAM module from Crucial and an AsRock B760M motherboard, which has all the ports and headers you need for your devices. As the Core i3 14100F isn't overclockable, it's best to opt for a cheap B760 motherboard like the AsRock one. For data storage, a 500GB fast NVMe SSD is all you need to quickly load your programs and games. It's best to not go below 500GB of storage space as, with time, you will quickly be out of storage space once you start to collect all sorts of game assets.
All of it will be powered by a reliable 80+ bronze-rated power supply from MSI, and the Antec NX200M will be its housing. The case is affordable, yet has plenty of room for further upgrades and ventilation for good airflow. This PC build is a good starting point for your game development journey if you are used to less intensive game apps. However, if you would like to run Unreal Engine, the next build will be more ideal for your requirements.
The Sweet-Spot Build: Best Mid-Range PC for Game Development
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Display card main info widgetIntel Core i5 14600K 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU
$306 $320 Save $14Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Intel
- CPU Model
- Core i5 14600K
- CPU Socket
- LGA 1700
- Cores
- 14 (6P + 8E Cores)
- Threads
- 20
The Intel Core i5 14600K 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU is a powerful mid-range CPU that replaces the last generation Intel Core i5 13600K with higher clocks on both its performance and efficiency cores. Like all its siblings, it does offer better performance out-of-the-box versus its predecessors but replaces them at the same price points they sold last year.
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Display card main info widgetMSI PRO Z790-S WIFI
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- MSI
- Graphics Card Interface
- PCI-E 5.0
- Memory Slots
- 4
- Memory Type
- DDR5
- Form Factor
- ATX
- Wi-Fi
- Wifi 6E
MSI PRO Z790-S WiFi is a wallet-friendly Z790 chipset board that provides sufficiently powerful VRM for mild to medium level of overclocking support and brings acceptable connectivity features. The board features DDR5 memory support, supports the latest Raptor Lake Refresh chips, and brings several PCI-E slots.
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Display card main info widgetGIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC
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- Gigabyte
- Cooling Method
- Triple fan air cooling
- GPU Speed
- 2475MHz
- Interface
- PCIE 4.0
- Memory
- 12GB GDDR6X
- Power
- 220W
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC brings a triple fan design with RGB lighting and has a DUAL BIOS. The card has a Windforce cooling system to deliver good thermal performance in addition to its appealing RGB aesthetics. The 4070 Super is an excellent replacement for the 4070 with significantly superior specs for just $50 more, and destroys modern titles at 1440p resolution.
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Display card main info widgetKingston FURY Beast 16GB
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- Kingston
- Size
- 16GB
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 6000 MT/s
- Compatible Devices
- Intel and AMD CPUs/motherboards
- RGB
- Yes
Kingston FURY Beast 16GB is a two-memory module set offering great speed and low latency for high performance. The memory modules come with RGB LEDs on top of the heat spreaders and are fully customizable. The RAM kit runs at a good 6000 MT/s and supports both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP.
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Display card main info widgetKingston NV2 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe Internal SSD
$61 $75 Save $14Display card main info widget end- Storage capacity
- 1TB
- Hardware Interface
- PCI Express 4.0 x 4
- Compatible Devices
- PC
- Brand
- Kingston
- Transfer rate
- 3,500/2,800MB/s Read/Write
This internal solid-state drive from Kingston has 1 TB of digital storage capacity. The NV2 series SSD is designed to be compatible with laptops. It operates on PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 technology, features an M.2 2280 form factor, and delivers read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s. It has lower power requirements, generating minimal heat, which makes it perfect for compact devices.
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Display card main info widgetCorsair RM750E
$100 $123 Save $23Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Corsair
- Output
- 750W
- Modular Cabling
- Fully
- 80 Plus Efficiency Rating
- 80 Plus Gold
- Protection Features
- OVP, OPP, OTP, SP, SCP, OCP, UVP, ICP, NLO, FFP
Corsair RM750e keeps its amazing history of flawless operation for providing excellent performance. This 2023 edition comes with a fully modular design to keep the cable clutter at bay and also provides PCI-E Gen 5.0 support. The PSU brings a 12VHPWR cable included and can power multiple components with its 750-wattage capacity.
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Display card main info widgetNZXT H5 Flow
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- NZXT
- Material
- SGCC Steel, Ultra-clear Tempered Glass, Dark Tinted Tempered Glass
- Motherboard Size (Max.)
- ATX
- Graphics Card Size (Max.)
- 365mm
- 3.5" Drive Slots
- 1
- Viewing Window
- Tempered Glass
The NZXT H5 Flow is a compact mid-tower ATX PC case ideal for those on a budget. Even though it is a budget-friendly case, it does something that no other case does, which is providing a dedicated fan at the bottom to keep the GPU cool. There is a second fan pre-installed at the rear of the case. The front panel of the H5 Flow is perforated for uninterrupted airflow. There are only one 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch drive bays inside the H5 Flow.
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Display card main info widgetARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 280
Display card main info widget endARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 280 is the successor to the popular Freezer II 280 cooler and now comes with an improved VRM fan for cooling performance. It comes with a contact frame for making excellent contact with the CPU for effective cooling and offers quiet operation. Both the pump and fans can be controlled using BIOS and offer a wide operating speed range for either quieter or higher cooling performance.
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Running Blender, executing big and complex codes, and making assets together is a laborious task. In no way will you be able to do all of that with a Core i3 processor unless you have a lot of time to let each operation get executed one by one. To solve this problem, we created this mid-range build, which is sufficient even for most enthusiast game developers. It gets most of its juice with its 14-core Core i5 14600K processor, which is the fastest Core i5 we have seen up to date.
The Best RTX 4070 SUPER GPUs To Get In 2024
The Nvidia RTX 4070 SUPER is an excellent GPU that takes over the RTX 4070's slot as Nvidia's mid-range option with many SKUs available for gamers.
With plenty of cores and threads, it's not going to max out in usage no matter how many windows you want your computer to keep open. Paired with the ultimate RTX 4070 Super GPU, you will be surprised to see how good it is at 3D rendering. Not only does the RTX 4070 Super offer excellent gaming performance, but it is also highly power-efficient. For Unreal Engine, it's one of the best components you can buy, since the game engine has a built-in Ray Tracing system called 'Lumen' for dynamic global illumination and reflection.
16GB RAM and a 1TB fast SSD storage will keep you on par with whatever you need to do with your development journey. Everything else, including the chassis, PSU, and CPU cooler are chosen with careful inspection to create a proper balance in the configuration.
The Juggernaut Build: Best High-End PC for Game Development
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Display card main info widgetIntel Core i9 14900K 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU
$535 $581 Save $46Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Intel
- CPU Model
- Core i9 14900K
- CPU Socket
- LGA 1700
- Cores
- 24 (8P + 16E)
- Threads
- 32
The Intel Core i9 14900K 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU is Intel's highest-end 14th generation CPU and offers the highest boost clocks for a consumer-grade CPU from Intel to date, clocking in at an impressive 6 GHz natively.
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It succeeds the limited-release Intel Core 13900KS as the first mainstream 6 GHz CPU, even as it brings a large power draw and thermal requirement to reach said clock speed. -
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Display card main info widgetMSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk MAX WiFi
Display card main info widget end- Brand
- MSI
- Graphics Card Interface
- PCI Express 5.0
- Memory Slots
- 4
- Memory Type
- DDR5, Up To 7800 MHz
- Form Factor
- ATX
- Wi-Fi
- WiFi 7
MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk MAX Wi-Fi is designed to take the CPU's potential to the next level without breaking the bank. With its 16+1+1 phase VRM design that is complemented by large heatsinks to control thermals, it can offer decent overclocking potential without pushing its price out of control.
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With Wi-Fi 7 support and plenty of I/O on offer, the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk MAX Wi-Fi is a great motherboard to pair with both the latest 14th-generation CPUs that it supports out of the box as well as older last-generation contenders. -
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Display card main info widgetGigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC
Display card main info widget endThe Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC edition brings a mesmerizing triple-fan edition with built-in RGB lighting. Its superior cooling helps it reach higher clock speeds and maintains stability throughout gaming and graphic-intensive workloads. The RTX 4090 is currently the fastest GPU on the planet, featuring a whopping 24GB GDDR6X memory.
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Display card main info widgetCORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6400MHz 32GB
$110 $130 Save $20Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Corsair
- Size
- 32GB
- Technology
- DDR5
- Speed
- 6400MHz
- Compatible Devices
- Intel and AMD DDR5 platforms
Corsair's Vengeance RGB DDR5 RAM kit features dual RAM modules, each having 16GB memory capacity. It has built-in XMP 3.0 profiles, offering a blend of a high-rated frequency, low latency, and a reasonable price tag in tow.
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For aesthetics, the RAM sticks look gorgeous as a result of the RGB LEDs on top of its dedicated aluminum heat spreaders. -
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Display card main info widgetWD BLACK 2TB SN850X
$174 $200 Save $26Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Western Digital
- Transfer rate
- 7300 MB/S Read, 6350 MB/S
- MTBF
- 1,750,000 Hours
- DRAM
- LPDDR4
- Warranty
- 5 Years
Being a veteran in making high-performance storage drives, Western Digital doesn't disappoint with its NVMe drives. This WD Black 2TB SN850X SSD is blazing fast with up to 7200MB/s Read speed and comes with an aluminum heatsink to keep its temperature low when at high usage. It has enough storage space to keep important data, OS, games, and media files and provides quick access to everything.
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Display card main info widgetSeasonic Vertex GX-1200 1200W PSU
$200 $250 Save $50Display card main info widget end- Brand
- Seasonic
- Output
- 1200W
- Modular Cabling
- Yes, Fully Modular
- 80 Plus Efficiency Rating
- 80+ Gold
- Protection Features
- OPP / OVP / UVP / SCP / OCP / OTP
The Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 is a 1200W PSU that is ATX 3.0 and PCI-E 5.0 compliant as it features the new 12VHPWR connector that powers the latest RTX 4000 series GPUs in addition to premium-grade flat cables and a fluid dynamic bearing fan for quiet operation even as it tightly regulates voltages across the 12v, 5v and 3.3v rails with a 10-year warranty in tow as a testament to how highly confident the Taiwan-based PSU manufacturer is about its product quality.
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Display card main info widgetLian Li O11 Vision
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- Lian Li
- Material
- Steel/Aluminum/Tempered Glass
- Motherboard Size (Max.)
- EATX/ATX/Micro-ATX/Mini-ITX
- Graphics Card Size (Max.)
- 455 mm
- 3.5" Drive Slots
- 2
- Viewing Window
- Yes
The most stunning-looking addition to the Lian Li O11 series of cases yet, the Vision mid-tower case features tempered glass on three sides of the enclosure. With a unique dual-chamber design, a PSU and cables are hidden behind a removable, adjustable motherboard tray. Because of the O11 Vision's modular nature, builders have plenty of cooling options, including support for up to two 360 mm liquid cooling radiators and 11 fans. To maintain constant airflow into and out of the case, the chassis is raised further off a surface with extensive venting on its bottom panel.
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Display card main info widgetArctic Liquid Freezer III 360
$117 $130 Save $13Display card main info widget endARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 is currently the best-performing and best-selling AIO cooler. Being able to cool flagship Intel and AMD CPUs without breaking a sweat is its specialty. While it can get a little noisier, it won't bother you once you put its fan at 50% speed. This 360mm edition has no RGB LEDs and is cheaper than the A-RGB version but has identical performance.
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The Core i9 14900K is the fastest mainstream desktop processor in shaders compilation. The latest Threadripper and Xeon chips indeed save a lot of time, but their sky-high prices make it an impossiblility for a large portion of game developers. Then the cost of the motherboard also results in a hefty price tag in the end. Therefore, the Core i9 14900K is going to be the ultimate choice for any game development program.
With our recommended configuration, you will have plenty of RAM and storage capacity to eliminate all bottlenecks and storage issues. We also used a big 1200W gold-rated PSU to have a good amount of room for easy upgrades, but at the moment, the RTX 4090 is going to be the best possible GPU you can use. It's the flagship Ada card from Nvidia, featuring 24GB of GDDR6X memory and over 16000 Cuda Cores for impressive numbers.
This computer is a powerhouse and suits those who prioritize their time over money. The cost of the total build will be over $3000, but every dollar spent here makes your build more future-proof, letting you use upcoming intensive versions of Unreal Engine without having to upgrade again and again. Of course, this build isn't just limited to game development or playing video games, but is going to crunch numbers quickly, saving you a lot of time on content creation and in productivity apps.
Things to Consider When Building a PC for Game Development
- Processing Power: Processing power is everything in game development. The CPU has to handle many complex operations in game dev apps, including coding, shaders compilation, and even rendering. While some of the load is carried by the GPU, multitasking needs a good number of cores, high clock speeds in some cases, and a big cache size for quick data access. If you are working with less intensive game dev programs like Godot, a four-core CPU will suffice for your needs, but Unity and Unreal Engine are much more demanding. Get a six-core CPU with hyperthreading enabled, at the minimum. Higher is better, particularly in Unreal Engine's latest version.
- RAM and Storage: For low-end game development needs, 8GB RAM will be decent. It's important to note that even though a game dev app might not consume 8GB by itself, a lot of times other apps that run in the background consume more than half the system memory. Therefore, if you have more work going on simultaneously, including making assets for your game, 3D modeling, animation, etc., it's best to have 16GB of system RAM.
- GPU: In game development, GPU's role is quite huge if you are considering making intensive graphical games with dynamic lighting and complex details, and want to include a lot of assets at different levels. Graphics cards help free a lot of CPU usage by taking on these processes and also allow you to test your game's performance. This also enables you to optimize your game further for lower-end systems.
- Display: While not a component of the main computer system, a good display is essential to get a better view of whatever is going on in your game dev program. Monitors with higher brightness levels, good contrast, wider color gamut, and bigger screens are highly beneficial. In some cases, ultrawide monitors are often looked at as the best solution if you want two or more windows open at the same time for better multitasking. Another alternative is to have a dual-monitor setup for accessing different programs or tools as quickly as possible.
Best Gaming Laptops for Game Development
Explore the finest laptops tailored for game development, balancing power and precision.
FAQ
Q: How much RAM is needed for game development?
8GB is the minimum RAM size you need for hassle-free game development. In bigger and more intensive game dev apps, it's best to go with 16GB RAM or higher if you also need to run multiple applications at the same time.
Q: Is AMD or Intel better for game development?
While both are flawless, assuming you are talking about the latest gen CPUs, Intel has a slight edge over AMD processors due to featuring more cores and threads.
Q: Is 16GB RAM good for Unreal Engine?
While Unreal Engine documentation states that it requires 8GB RAM at minimum, the software tends to consume a lot of RAM once you start to add more and more content to your game.