Resources
Build with a plan, not a parts-picker panic. These are the guides and tools we reach for when a budget has to survive contact with real prices, real games, and a future upgrade.
Start with the build plan
- Build Budget Planner — Set the budget and component targets before you fall in love with a GPU.
- Budget Gaming PC Guide — The practical baseline for spending where frames actually come from.
Tune performance and value
- GPU Comparison Tool — Put cards side by side and judge the cost of the frames you can use.
- Cost-Per-Frame Calculator — Turn a launch-price argument into a number that respects the whole build budget.
- GPU Buying Guide — Match the card to your resolution, refresh target, and power budget.
- CPU Bottleneck Guide — Know when the processor is actually holding the graphics card back.
Keep the platform healthy
- PSU Calculator — Size the power supply for sustained load and sensible upgrade headroom.
- Power Supply Guide — Learn the difference between enough watts and a unit worth trusting.
- PC Cooling Guide — Spend on airflow before chasing exotic hardware.
Workshop glossary
- Cost per frame
- A graphics card's price divided by its tested average frame rate. Lower is generally better, but only after the card clears your resolution and smoothness target.
- OC (overclock)
- Running a CPU, GPU, or memory above its rated settings. It can add performance, but it also adds heat, power draw, and time spent proving the system is stable.
- Undervolt
- Reducing operating voltage while holding performance as close as possible to stock. Done carefully, it can cut heat and noise without buying new hardware.
- Frame-time
- The time taken to produce each frame. Average FPS tells part of the story; consistent frame-times are what keep a game feeling smooth.
How we stay accountable
- About RigTuner — Who writes the guidance and why we judge parts by the whole build, not the loudest benchmark.
- Contact RigTuner — Send a correction, a question, or a result worth retesting.