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Gaming Lab Setup 101

This article explains how to build an esports lab and outlines requirements for several types of labs, including single and multi-purpose labs. We will also provide a few suggestions for setup, furniture, and layout. This guide is intended to provide hardware suggestions and part lists for sourcing parts and/or deciding what parts you may want in pre-built systems.

In order to begin constructing your lab, you’ll need to determine what type of lab you want and find a space that supports it. The space you have available can determine if you choose to create a multi-use desktop computer lab, a console-based pure gaming lab, or a hybrid which can be the most versatile choice. 

PC Lab

For an exclusively PC-based lab, we recommend 6-18 systems. A medium-sized well-lit room is ideal, with spacing between desks and computer systems. Gaming desktops are powerful machines and need room for airflow and to stay clean so they don’t overheat. Keep at least 8 inches of space open on all sides of the machine. Monitors should be set up on desks or tables with enough room for students to sit back at least 2 or 3 feet from the monitor and have at least 1 square foot of movement space for the mouse. We recommend purchasing 24"-27" monitors.

  •  Pros: Fairly affordable, allows for STEAM learning, hardware can be upgraded, does not require online subscriptions
  • Cons: Inability to play console exclusive titles, PC hardware shortages, more maintenance than a console, more gaming knowledge required

 

Hybrid Lab (Console & PC)

For the hybrid lab setup, we recommend a minimum of six consoles and six PCs. In a hybrid lab, we recommend the Nintendo Switch™ system as nearly every HSEL/MSEL game that is playable on a PlayStation or Xbox is also available on PC; while there are a number of competition games that are exclusive to the Nintendo Switch™ system. In a hybrid lab, consoles and PCs can be set up as workstations with everything in one place and one display for the console and the PC, or separate stations for everything which will allow the maximum amount of students to use the lab at once.

  •  Pros: Extremely versatile, extremely suited to STEAM learning and game development, suited to anything gaming or STEAM learning based
  • Cons: Expensive, more maintenance, needs a larger space, may require online subscriptions for consoles

 

Recommended Hardware Specifications

Below is a list of recommended specifications for several tiers of PCs, and following that, tips that may allow you to upgrade your potentially existing hardware.

 

The recommended lowest hardware specifications are as follows...

These hardware specs will play games at a lower graphical quality to achieve higher frame rates. Lower quality for higher frame rates is in general a standard recommendation for all competitive play, regardless of hardware. These specifications will also be capable of light CAD (computer-aided design) and programming, as well as basic digital art and content creation.

  • Processor (CPU): Quad-Core Intel Core i5/Quad-Core AMD Ryzen 5
  • Motherboard: For a small form factor PC, Mini ITX, for a full tower Standard ATX size. Make sure the Motherboard you choose is compatible with your processor using a tool such as “PCpartpicker.com”
  • Memory (RAM): 16GB 
  • Graphics Card (GPU): Nvidia 3050 TI or 3060, AMD 5500XT 4GB or 8GB
  • Storage: 1TB NVME Solid State Drive (SSD) (Mechanical hard drives as a boot drive are strictly not recommended,  but as an alternative, a 128GB SSD and 1TB mechanical drive can be more economical in rare cases, and provide a much larger amount of storage at the cost of application and game speed.)
  • Power Supply (PSU): minimum 650-watt full-modular

An example of a build following this set of guidelines (including peripherals) is available here.

 

The recommended mid-range hardware specifications are as follows

These hardware specs will be able to play games at medium-high graphics, but we still recommend lowering some settings to maximize framerates, these will be perfect for teaching software development, graphic art, AutoCAD, and content creation.

  • CPU: Minimum 8 core Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7
  • Motherboard: Any compatible motherboard for the processor you choose
  • RAM: 16GB-32GB
  • GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060ti, Nvidia RTX 3070. AMD 5700XT or 6700XT
  • Storage: 1TB NVME SSD
  • PSU: Minimum 750-watt full-modular power supply

An example of a build following this set of guidelines (including peripherals) is available here.

 

The recommended extreme high-end hardware specifications are as follows:

These hardware specs will easily play any games at high graphics with high frame rates, however, lowering settings to maximize frame rate for esports is always recommended. These machines will be fantastic for engineering, programming, art, and content creation. 

  • CPU: Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9
  • Motherboard: A higher end compatible motherboard 
  • RAM: 32GB-64GB
  • GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080, 3090, 4080, 4090. AMD 6900XT, or newer.
  • Storage: 1TB-2TB NVME SSD 
  • PSU: Minimum 750 watt full-modular power supply (may need 1000 for some GPUs)

An example of a build following this set of guidelines (including peripherals) is available here.

 

Steps to Assemble PC/ESD Safety

If you’ve never assembled a PC, we recommend watching a few videos about how it’s done. This video shows a first-person perspective of PC assembly. When assembling a PC it is easiest to assemble the components on the motherboard outside of the case prior to installing components inside of the case. A good practice prior to putting the motherboard and all components in the case is to briefly plug the motherboard with all components assembled into power and connect it to a monitor to ensure it can “POST” which stands for “power-on self-test”. Once you’ve tested it, follow the instructions from your case manufacturer to properly install the components in the case, double-check everything is mounted properly, and power it on! For a great lesson on PC building, you can refer to Unit 4 Lesson 3 of Gaming Concepts!

 ESD stands for Electrostatic Discharge. Static electricity is an electrical charge that is at rest. This is mainly created by an imbalance of electrons that stay on a specific surface, or in the environmental air. The imbalance of electrons (in all cases, caused by the absence or surplus of electrons) causes an electrical field that is capable of interacting with other objects at a distance. Electrostatic Discharge can be defined as a transfer of electric charge between two different objects charged to different electric potentials. This happens when the two objects are brought nearly in contact with each other. Electrostatic Discharge can also happen when two objects with different electric potentials due to static induction are brought together either intentionally or unintentionally. Electrostatic Discharge can cause damage/defects to electronic products, electronic components mainly SMD components, and failure of PCB and equipment that can lead to further damage and accident. When assembling a PC it’s always a good idea to use an ESD-safe mat as well as a grounded wrist strap to protect the individual assembling the computer. 

 

Existing Hardware

If your school already has existing hardware it may meet minimum requirements or be easy to upgrade your existing hardware to meet those requirements. We’ve put the minimum system requirements for all of our titles in one handy place. If your existing systems meet these specs you’ll already be able to compete, if they come close it may be easy and cost-effective to upgrade. 

 

Gaming Lab Furniture

A good esports lab will have a mix of ergonomics and aesthetics. Comfortable ergonomic chairs are a must, as well as desks large enough for students to move around during intense games and matches. Ergonomic chairs from Autonomous and Herman Miller and gaming chairs from Mavix are always fantastic in any computer lab, and are much better for posture than a traditional “gaming chair”. When choosing desks you can choose something as simple as a basic computer desk from IKEA. Or, to enhance the “gamer aesthetic”, Gamdias is always a fantastic option.