I’ve usually had a budget gaming computer. You don’t have to break the bank to get something that runs well enough. Getting a gaming PC under 1000 dollars is very doable. Or was, but these days with crypto mining and global shutdowns have caused strains in the supply of parts.
When it comes to a budget PC, you generally have two things to keep in mind. Focus most of your budget on the graphic card, that’s where most of your performance comes from. The other get an AMD CPU, you’ll get 15% more performance for double the cost with Intel. Now let’s find out where to get the parts.
If you want to just outright buy a PC and not build it, click here. We have you covered too.
If you want to go cheaper, you go with integrated graphics. AMD has respectable integrated graphics, saving a lot of money. However, here we’re just going to go with a dedicated card.
So graphics cards, what’s good?
Well, a major issue here is the video card market is going insane with prices. Currently, at the time of this writing, the prices are just climbing up. Still, shopping around can give you some better prices.
AMD graphic cards usually go for more value for your money, while Nvidia goes for speed. This translates that AMD is a better value until you get to the upper tier of cards, where Nvidia is a more obvious choice. A lot of people get a cheaper computer to get them there, then splurge for a GPU upgrade later. Then again, prices fluctuate a lot and AMD cards have been used heavily in crypto mining, not helping with the costs.
The best value is currently the GTX 1660. The price ranges anywhere from 400-800 depending on where you shop around at. This card originally sold for $230 on release. Yea, ouch.
CPU’s, what’s good?
We’re after a good budget PC, meaning we prefer to get the most bang for our buck. This current generation means getting a Ryzen processor from AMD if stocks were good. Right now things are really weird. A Ryxen 3300X would be a solid choice, but also check for the i3 10100F. If you can find either cheaper, that’s the option to go with.
Choosing your Motherboard and RAM
The two biggest decisions have been made, now you just have to get the parts to fit. That’s where the motherboard and RAM come into play. Make sure your CPU and RAM are supported, then get what you can. Be sure to go low if you can, we still have a case, power supply and SSD to get.
I recommend at least getting 8GB of RAM. If this is going to be your main computer, I recommend getting 16GB.
Storage Hard Drive Vs. Solid State
This depends on what you have leftover in your budget. HDDs are cheaper, and you can get a combo drive that will give some good performance. But if you want the best load times, go with an SSD. Motherboards generally come with an M.2 (2280) these days, and I recommend getting an SSD for it. You’ll enjoy the speed for very little space.
Power Supply Unit
This is where you shouldn’t skip out on. I recommend heading here. Link. This is a PSU calculator for your computer, showing you what you need.
Just put in your parts. You’ll see what’s recommended for your computer. Get the recommended not minimum wattage.
I just want to buy one.
Well, here’s a good bang for your buck:
