Building a PC has changed. In 2026, it's not just about raw FPS; it's about NPU performance for local AI, power efficiency, and future-proofing for the next generation of mixed reality.
The Core Components
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1
CPU & NPU
Don't just look at clock speeds. For 2026, ensure your CPU has a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with at least 50 TOPS to run local copilots efficiently.
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2
GPU: The AI Engine
VRAM is king. With modern textures and local LLMs, 16GB is the absolute minimum recommendation for a mid-range build.
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3
Storage: PCIe 6.0
DirectStorage is now standard in most games. A Gen 5 or Gen 6 NVMe SSD ensures zero load times.