Lesson 1Cooling solutions: air vs AIO liquid coolers, TDP matching, fan selection and placementCompare air coolers and AIO liquid coolers, match cooling capacity to CPU TDP and power limits, and choose appropriate fans. Learn optimal fan placement, curves, and noise control to maintain safe temperatures under sustained loads in hot climates.
Air coolers vs AIO liquid coolers pros and consMatching cooler capability to CPU TDPFan sizes, bearings and noise profilesIntake, exhaust and pressure optimisationFan curves, monitoring and maintenanceLesson 2Extras and connectivity: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth adapters, additional case fans, RGB and fan controllers, SATA/USB hubsPlan extra components that complete a modern build, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, additional case fans, RGB, and hub devices. Learn how to avoid USB and SATA shortages and keep cable management clean and serviceable for local setups.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cards or onboard optionsSelecting additional case fans and splittersRGB ecosystems, headers and controllersUSB hubs, front panel and rear expansionSATA expansion cards and cable planningLesson 3Graphics card selection: performance tiers for 1080p medium/high settings, VRAM, power draw, recommended modelsUnderstand how to select a GPU for 1080p gaming by reading benchmarks, performance tiers, and VRAM needs. Consider power draw, cooling, noise, and size, then match recommended models to your PSU, case, and target frame rates available in Nigeria.
Reading 1080p benchmark charts and tiersVRAM capacity needs for modern titlesPower draw, connectors and PSU pairingCard length, thickness and case clearanceBrand coolers, noise and coil whineLesson 4Case and airflow: form factor, airflow vs closed aesthetics, drive cages, dust filtration and serviceabilityLearn how to choose a case that fits your components, supports good airflow, and remains easy to build in and service. Compare airflow-focused vs closed designs, drive mounting, dust filtration, cable routing, and front I/O placement for dusty environments.
Form factors and component clearance checksAirflow vs closed front panel trade-offsFan and radiator mounting locationsDrive cages, brackets and cable routingDust filters, cleaning and long-term accessLesson 5Storage selection: NVMe vs SATA SSDs, capacity planning, scratch drives and long-term storage strategiesExplore storage planning for OS, applications, games, and media. Compare NVMe and SATA SSDs, design fast scratch disks for editing, and plan long-term storage with HDDs or NAS while balancing speed, capacity, cost, and reliability in local markets.
NVMe vs SATA SSD performance and use casesOS, apps and game drive capacity planningScratch disks for video and photo editingBulk storage with HDDs and archival optionsBackups, redundancy and basic data safetyLesson 6CPU selection: IPC, cores/threads, thermal design, recommended models for 1080p editing and gamingLearn how to choose a CPU for 1080p gaming and editing by comparing IPC, core and thread counts, boost behaviour, and thermal limits. Evaluate real workloads, platform longevity, and value in current and previous generations for Nigerian buyers.
IPC and single vs multi-threaded performanceCore and thread counts for gaming and editingTDP, power limits and realistic thermalsPlatform longevity, sockets and upgrade pathsComparing price to performance across tiersLesson 7Motherboard selection: socket, chipset features, VRM quality, expansion slots and form factorsLearn how to choose a motherboard by matching socket and chipset to your CPU, then evaluating VRM quality, memory support, storage and PCIe slots, rear I/O, and form factor. Balance features, reliability, and realistic upgrade needs locally.
Matching CPU socket and chipset featuresVRM quality, cooling and power deliveryMemory support, slots and QVL checkingM.2, SATA and PCIe slot layout planningRear I/O, internal headers and form factorLesson 8Power supply selection: wattage calculations, 80+ efficiency ratings, modular vs non-modular, safety and headroomUnderstand how to size and select a PSU by calculating system power draw, adding safe headroom, and interpreting 80 Plus ratings. Compare modular designs, protections, and build quality to ensure stable, quiet, and safe operation in varying power conditions.
Estimating system wattage and peak loadsChoosing safe headroom for future upgrades80 Plus efficiency ratings and real impactModular, semi-modular and fixed cablingProtections, build quality and PSU tiersLesson 9Memory selection: capacity, speed, latency, single vs dual/quad channel, XMP/EXPO considerationsUnderstand how to select RAM capacity and speed for gaming and editing, compare latency ratings, and configure single, dual or higher channel setups. Learn XMP or EXPO profiles, stability testing, and common compatibility pitfalls for local hardware.
Capacity needs for gaming and content workDDR generations, speeds and real gainsCAS latency, timings and tuning basicsSingle vs dual channel and population rulesEnabling XMP or EXPO and stability tests