What happens when you ask a complete idiot to build a modern gaming PC from scratch? In theory, they end up with a nice, working PC, because right now in 2024 it’s never been easier to assemble a computer. But, to paraphrase an old saying, whenever they make PC assembly idiot-proof, someone goes and comes up with a better idiot.
So when NVIDIA and www.PCSpecialist.co.uk approached us to test the theory that even an idiot can secure themselves a nice 4070 Super based gaming rig these days, whether via the DIY route or by ordering an expertly built machine through the PC Specialist online configuration tool, we jumped at the chance to prove them wrong by sending our best and dimmest: video producer Jim Trinca, and roving reporter Connor Makar. Neither of them have ever built or specced a PC before. Neither of them has ever mounted a CPU cooler. Heck, neither of them owns a screwdriver.
And neither of them can properly explain the benefits of DLSS 3, NVIDIA’s latest performance-multiplying tech as found on 40-series GPUs which offers blistering frame rates even in demanding, ray tracing enabled games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hitman: World of Assassination. Which is why their efforts will be overseen by VG247’s long-suffering tech expert Alex Donaldson, who provides commentary on the quality and speed of the build in the short bits of the video where he isn’t cradling his head in his hands utter disbelief.
One of our idiots will be assembling a 4070 Super based PC from a range of boxed parts, while the other will configure theirs on PC Specialist’s website. Then, each PC will be compared in terms of benchmarked performance, build quality, and aesthetic appeal. The benchmarks consist of 3DMark’s DLSS feature test and Cyberpunk 2077’s in-built test sequence. We also played a lot of DLSS 3 enabled games such as The Witcher 3, Starfield, A Plague Tale: Requiem, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns.
So, who will win this most techy of challenges? Does the pride of a self-built machine make up for the fact that you forgot to fit the blanking plate? And which one of them set the bloody fire alarm off? All these questions answered and less in Two Idiots Build a PC, sponsored by NVIDIA and PC Specialist!
