If you wish to have absolute control over your machine, building your own PC is the way to go. Whether you're building a gaming PC that maximizes value for the money, or a productivity PC with the fastest high-end components, going custom sets you free from the limitations of pre-built PCs.

Where should you begin, though, if you want a 2-in-1, master of all trades device — an ultimate work-and-play PC that can do it all? Typically, your use case inevitably will dictate a few hard choices when picking your PC components and other parts & accessories. Is it for gaming or productivity? Therein lies your path. However, maybe you don't have to decide between them. You can actually create a balanced PC build that doesn't sacrifice one for the other. This requires careful consideration of a few core PC components, peripherals, accessories, and other elements of your overall setup.

Here are the most important things to keep in mind when selecting components for a dual-purpose machine.

7 Get a large desk

The bigger the better

I'm sure not many people like a humongous desk hijacking half the room, but you should still buy a larger desk than you think you need. The reason is that, as a professional, you might only need a compact desk for a laptop or small form factor PC, monitor, and some peripherals. However, seeing that we're creating a do-it-all kind of PC here, you'll need more space to accommodate a bigger PC case, maybe a larger gaming monitor, and even a dedicated streaming microphone.

You'll need more space to accommodate a bigger PC case, maybe a larger gaming monitor, and even a dedicated streaming microphone.

Replacing your desk isn't something you often do, so it's sensible to get a spacious one in the first place. Whether you're investing in a single, ultrawide gaming monitor, or a dual-monitor setup for your work, you'll thank yourself for buying a desk that doesn't get overwhelmed easily. Another benefit of a large desk is extra room for tidying cables, USB hubs & chargers, and other accessories.

6 Choose your PC case wisely

Get one you can live with every day

Your PC case might be compatible with your components, ideal for airflow & cable management, and allow for future upgrades, but its size and looks are crucial too, especially in the case of a dual-purpose, gaming-and-workstation setup. Choosing the right case, in this scenario, comes down to a subjective balance between form and function.

A professional who plays games in their free time might not be comfortable with a flashy, no-holds-barred chassis.

You might think that even large fish tank cases can look jaw-dropping, but a professional who plays games in their free time might not be comfortable with a flashy, no-holds-barred chassis. Similarly, a gamer who uses their system for work might scoff at the idea of picking a slim cabinet with a minimalist aesthetic. Browse the best PC cases, see what you like, and more importantly, what you'll be happy looking at all day every day.

If you ask me, I like mid-towers with subtle RGB as much as a modern case with wooden inserts or a console-like form factor. For a dual-purpose rig, I'll probably choose a spacious case that fits in with my room's furniture and overall understated vibe. However, you need to make your own choices, as design preferences are highly subjective.

5 Buy the right monitor

Get the best of both worlds (if you can)

The monitor is a crucial component of any PC setup. As a gamer, you'll probably want a high refresh rate (at least 144Hz), excellent brightness and contrast, the lowest pixel response time, a large immersive panel, and a high resolution. For a great productivity monitor, however, you might prioritize high color accuracy, an ultrawide panel, a high resolution, solid port selection, built-in speakers, and enviable ergonomics.

Often, you need to let go of some useful features when choosing a monitor, so picking the best one for a dual-purpose setup is tricky. However, you can still find options that strike that sweet spot — a curved ultrawide display (34"-38"), a high enough resolution (WQHD+), a color-accurate IPS panel, 144Hz refresh rate, high brightness & contrast, variable refresh rate, and a decent port selection.

Figure out which specifications you can't live without, and use that to narrow down your options.

If such a curved ultrawide monitor doesn't work for you, a dual-monitor setup might be better. Figure out which specifications you can't live without, and use that to narrow down your options. Buying an expensive model now can last you for years without needing an upgrade, as long as it satisfies your productivity needs and gaming must-haves.

4 Don't ignore the accessories

The little things aren't so little

Having the right accessories can make or break your PC setup. For a gaming-only PC, you'll probably only need a decent desk mat, speakers, and a comfortable chair. For a PC that's also your work machine, you might have to invest in a monitor arm (especially for dual monitors), high-resolution webcam, monitor light bar, USB hub, charging dock, cable management tray, and surge protector.

Granted, some of those things are needed for both kinds of setups, but the point is that you need to think from a dual perspective. That way, you'll be able to accurately assess what you need and don't need in your setup. I'll talk about peripherals separately, but besides that, you can also consider an external drive, a compact soundbar, a headphone stand, a wrist rest, and even a yoga mat where you can stretch out during breaks.

3 Make careful decisions about peripherals

It's all about balance

Your ultimate setup isn't complete without a killer keyboard, high-quality headphones, and a productive mouse. You might not think much about your keyboard choice, but things like the typing sound & feel, form factor, software customization, polling rate, and connectivity options are quite important.

A full-sized keyboard is great for productivity, but a compact form factor has its benefits too. Polling rate, wireless connectivity, and hot-swappability might sound like extras for a work setup, but are essential for a gaming one. Similarly, you might not want to buy a mouse that's barebones and just enough for your work needs; a gaming mouse with additional buttons, a high polling rate, and wireless connectivity might be useful for your gaming sessions.

Picking a model that combines the gaming features you want with a subtle, understated design might be the way to go.

As for your headphones, low latency, an excellent microphone, and wireless connectivity are great for gaming, but most gaming headsets have a "gamery" design that you might not want to flash on your Zoom calls. Hence, picking a model that combines the gaming features you want with a subtle, understated design might be the way to go.

2 Maybe shell out for that Gen5 SSD

PCIe 5.0 SSDs have their moments

For most users, a PCIe 5.0 SSD is essentially useless and a waste of money. They don't really improve gaming performance or boot times, and are mostly identical to Gen4 SSDs for most non-gaming uses as well. However, if your work requires frequent large file transfers — maybe you're a creative professional dealing with multiple 4K videos — a Gen5 SSD might be worth the premium.

If your Gen5 SSD manages to significantly save you time, that alone can make the added cost worthwhile.

What Gen5 SSDs do exceptionally well is sequential read and write, which comes in handy when moving many large files from one location to the other. If your Gen5 SSD manages to significantly save you time, that alone can make the added cost worthwhile. PCIe 5.0 SSDs with large capacities are still quite pricey, but if your work demands it, there's virtually no competition here.

1 Focus on the CPU too

This one's for the gamers

When building a gaming PC, you might be content with a budget 6-core CPU, spending all the money saved on the best GPU you can afford. And that's often the best strategy, as most games don't need too many cores. However, when considering a dual-purpose setup, you need to focus a bit more on your processor. Depending on your workload, shelling out for that 8-core or 12-core CPU might be worth it.

You might want to spread your budget around by picking, say, an 8-core CPU and a mid-range to high-end GPU.

Multi-threaded applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, AutoCAD, Blender, and DaVinci Resolve can easily make use of powerful processors that are simply overkill for gaming. So, if you want a machine that can excel at gaming as well as intensive productivity workloads, you might want to spread your budget around by picking, say, an 8-core CPU and a mid-range to high-end GPU.

Building the elusive best-of-both-worlds PC

These tips might help you move closer to the ultimate gaming-and-workstation PC, but it'll still remain a difficult nut to track. Assuming you don't have an endless budget, you'll have to compromise somewhere. Maybe you'll have to let go of that 90W Thunderbolt charging port on your monitor, or buy a lower-tier GPU than the one you really want.

This is why you shouldn't rush into the process. Take as much time as you need to come to terms with your choices, and only then initiate the purchase. This will help you avoid post-purchase dissonance, and derive the most satisfaction possible from your PC.