Is my pc good enough for unreal engine editor?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2vcbFs

By reading immediately visible specs on that link (CPU GHz, core count, GPU memory, storage size):
totally.

BUT:

That’s given that you have already checked for part compatibility, which I did not. It would be more useful to more people to list some of the things I check for when building a PC here. Others can link to it (it’s a frequently asked question) and add info where required:

  • PSU is powerfull enough to power the hardware?
  • PSU fits?
  • Does the CPU cooler height fit inside the case? some can be 16cm+ high.
  • Does the PSU offer cabling which fits all parts?
  • Enough cabling on the PSU?
  • Do you want modular cabling on PSU or fixed (your listed part says modular which is great)?
  • CPU cable length. You don’t want to end up buying extension cables. Can generate heat for various reasons (bad connection, loose, bad materials, thin materials, etc.).
  • GPU length fits inside case? How many slots does GPU take in width? Some GPUs are 30cm+ length.
  • Fans fit? proper airflow and fan positions?
  • Do the fans still fit when other hardware is inserted?
  • Maintenance desires (would you hate it if RAM and SATA ports are under a huge GPU)
  • If RAM is under GPU, will it only fit if RAM is of type “low profile”?
  • You have the proper slots and amount of slots on your motherboard?
  • Cabling fits?
  • Processor socket fits the processor?
  • Is there an NVME port on the mobo?
  • Does NVME disable SATA ports? (in case you want to use those)
  • Don’t forget cables and their lengths. Some cases offer routing cables through the back panel.
  • Properly bind cables with velcro (again, measure), so they don’t end up in a fan.
  • Can you reach all screws with your tools? (silly, but some spring / screw based CPU cooler sockets are barely reachable in mid towers). Say, a screwdriver around 16cm in length certainly helps.
  • Does your motherboard BIOS support the features you want on the OS ? (think of development, daily OS usage, but certainly security. Security is a f"ck up on all of them. I’d say, if you get a discount, google that mobo why.)

I did not check the parts individually, so perform those checks (and more if I missed any) yourself!

For example, usually when I see “micro atx” format motherboard, I don’t think much of it. Usually my parts don’t fit the slots / processor socket, space requirement, port count. Like isn’t the processor cooler usually almost the size of the entire board? If you get any of that wrong then your parts will simply not fit inside the PC. Those micros are expected inside thin client type of desktops for remote work, when the client has low specs.

Also noticed that micro atx motherboard is listed as wifi. Now personally I’m not a fan of anything with WIFI out of the box. Why? security. If it’s able of networking, I want to be able to pull out the cable and be sure it’s disconnected in case of a security incident. That’s only possible on the hardware level, not by clicking a button on the software level. Besides, when dealing with WIFI, you need compatible and modern security protocols on both PC and networking hardware to by anywhere near “safe” currently on that level. Most networking hardware lags behind (including ISP) just anywhere really. Network security is a topic way beyond this, but a proper and modern WIFI connection can not be ignored! Just like you wouldn’t make a phonecall on 3G or older right? I’d prefer it if manufacturers didn’t solder their parts stuck on the mobo (just like laptops have their RAM soldered these days… EWWW :face_vomiting: )

A PSU is expensive for what you get, and the cheaper ones like MSTech might work for a while properly and then literally go up in flames. I’ve had a new replacement part go up in smoke when connected to an also new motherboard. that was… 80 euros? for a 1000 watt likely. Well, even so, if it’s still under warranty and you’re 24/7 developing next to it that saves a little cash. 1000 watt is the minimum for me on a PSU. Basically even if your hardware doesn’t use all of the watts the PSU can provide, it’s said that this buffer increases the lifespan of the PSU. They’d have a shorter lifespan if pushed to their limit. + it’s pretty future proof to invest in one as long as they don’t go up in smoke out of warranty. Ports like CPU sockets and RAM sockets change all the time while as far as I know the PSU cabling has a pretty standard format.

Serious PCs are anywhere between mid tower and larger ones, certainly not something micro. Your GPU and CPU cooler wouldn’t even fit.

I already mentioned airflow above. Airflow means you get clean, preferrably dry and cold, dust free air sucked in on one side and pushed out on the other side with equal force. Equal force means fans don’t fight with eachother (too many on one side, wrong speeds etc.) It does not mean an open case, in which a computer can actually overheat. You want a steady flow of air from one end to another, usually front to back, and position the desktop in open space so that you don’t collect warm air in say, under a desk. Proper case also comes with proper air filters before its fan positions (usually at least front).

At times you’ll find case models with odd design decisions, like fans + filter at front for intake of air, then back / bottom for air output (adding a filter in one of both (why? air’s clean)), then adding extra fan positions at side or top for intake without a filter (aka stupid design).

Some cases also make a lot of noise. Depending on hardware, noise can be pretty bad. Some server type PCs I came across made the sound of an airplane on a runway just by spinning its fans. Who knows how the fans survived. The average PC makes a little noise on HDD (a prrrt noise every now and then) or the fans spinning. Some get what’s called “coil whine” which is a GPU hardware issue, a very annoying high pitched continuous squeal most present when running even low spec games on high framerates, or high spec games in general. This is present on any modern day GPU as far as I know. But back to the case for the pc: some cases resonate with the inner moving parts (fans, hdd etc.) rattling their loose inside parts. many cases have such loose parts, for example the plastic trays which hold HDD / SSD but don’t use screws to attach to the case. Those use locking mechanisms “a push and pull” system which is really never ever manufactured to fit perfectly, and start to bounce to the vibration of the system as a whole.

What you want to achieve is that your parts operate within their temperature limits. CPU without a fan goes up to 100 celsius + within seconds of booting without a heatsink. Different parts have different temperature operating levels. In case of your GPU, a part you might push to 100% at one point and barely 5 at other moments, temperature can shift a lot. That shifting causes its tiny inner parts to break down faster than when temperature would be steady. A good airflow can keep it somewhat more steady, saving costs. GPU being overpriced for years now, you don’t want one to die in 2 to 5 years.

Worst when you need to replace one dead part and “modernized ports / sockets” on the market cause the part you need to be no longer available anywhere. That’s mostly a RAM socket and CPU socket issue. I mean, try getting an 1150 socket motherboard these days. So keep in mind, even the shape of a port / socket you get now, you might not be able to get in a year.

Another thing I noticed is that you might not have much space with 1TB. It depends on what work you do. I’d prefer a 2GB or more. Space is not very expensive. HDD VS SSD can also be a question, but when software isn’t programmed that well (some of the tools you might use), you might even get a minimal speedup when using SSD over HDD. Some say a SSD is a requirement when building UE projects in VS for speed. Honestly if your PC is clean and not running other tasks of priority, HDD isn’t that bad. If you do, even SSD is going to keep you waiting 15 minutes for a build task to start (to finish other sh"t on the PC).

Stuff reserves space on the disk. For OS (what’s windows these days? 200GB with updates and dev tools?), then you also need space for UE versions, debug symbols (say 70GB a version), dev tools (Visual studio etc.). Then you need space for the individual projects and their version control (if kept offline). Well it counts up quickly. If you’re not a programmer but a designer of say models and textures you will notice how quickly that takes up space both on disk and version control. If you want to extend that space of the NVME, make sure that use of NVME does not take up a SATA port. Some motherboards literally disable some SATA ports to make the NVME work.

I think that so far I’ve listed the common FAQ of PC building but you should double check and perhaps call stores before buying to check if you missed something. After all, you need to check the compatibility of the whole.

You also might want to check if you want to use the latest developments in software, and if those features are supported by your hardware. (raytracing, DLSS, AI development etc.) Even the latest NVIDIA cards struggle with certain games and developer tech, especially when that software is simply not optimized. Unreal Engine, released games, often just seem not to care like “get a better GPU” when you’re already running the latest cr"p. Of course, if you’re not using the latest tech and want to use Unreal Engine for the average stylized game, that matters less. Still, even the engine is not optimized. Say, I’d rather not run it for a game on a phone or something (when even supported). At that point it would also be wise to think of your customers and their hardware. You might not need or want the latest tech if you can get something pre-built dirt cheap secondhand for say a 2 year or less dev project aimed at low spec customer hardware.

EPIC also lists official minimum specs for Unreal Engine by version (UE4, UE5).
For UE5 also make sure you are using a supported OS (WIN 64 bit (10, 11 etc.)).

1 Like

Hey there @Memegod528_the_m! Welcome to the community! Amazing writeup here by Roy, I agree with everything said, but I dropped by to link the documentation he referenced at the end:

4.27 Hardware requirements:

5.5 Hardware requirements: