If you’re looking to build a gaming PC for the purpose of playing video games, there are a few things you’ll need in addition to your regular computer hardware. One of the most important pieces is a computer case. A good case will protect your computer from scratches and other damage, as well as provide plenty of ventilation and airflow to keep your components cool. Another important piece for any gaming PC is a power supply. A good one will provide enough power to allow your computer to run at its best, while also providing enough juice to keep all of your devices connected and working properly. Finally, you’ll need some form of storage device for all of your game files and other important files. A hard drive is the most common choice, but there are also SSDs and other types of storage available that can be very helpful when it comes time to play games on your PC.
Quick Breakdown
As you can see from the table above, the base total comes out to $432.84. With mail-in rebates to deduct, and several dollars or more for shipping, you’re looking at around $410 for your own DIY gaming PC. Not bad! ..
If you’re looking to buy computer parts online, there are many places to find them. Some of the best places to buy parts online are listed below. ..
CPU
AMD’s Ryzen 3 2200G or “Raven Ridge” is one of the few Ryzen chips to come with onboard graphics. Although performance would be much higher with certain GPUs, having the onboard graphics set drops the price significantly. ..
The Ryzen 3 2200G has the Vega GPU built in. This is not a comparable to their dedicated graphics cards, which compare to Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 10-series gaming graphics cards.
I compared the Intel and AMD processors for budget builds. I found that the AMD processor was a better option for this scenario because it has a much lower price point.
Motherboard
To make the best decision for your build, it’s important to understand what type of motherboard you need. There are three main types of motherboard: AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. AMD boards are great for those who want to build a gaming PC. They support many different chipsets and have a wide range of prices. Intel boards are good for those who want to build a business or home computer. They have a lot of compatibility with chipsets and can be found at a lower price point than AMD boards. Nvidia boards are the best choice for those who want to build a gaming laptop or an expensive graphics card. They support many different chipsets and have high prices but they offer the best performance for gaming laptops.
The MSI B50M is a great choice for a budget-friendly build. It’s reliable and easy to overclock, but be aware that overclocking can be risky without doing some research first. ..
The MSI B450M PRO-VDH AM4 Micro-ATX Motherboard is built on the AMD B450 chipset, supporting Ryzen processors with an AM4 socket. This board has the capacity to hold up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM running at up to 3466 MHz when overclocked. ..
The build we’re reviewing comes equipped with four SATA III ports and a single M.2 slot, which utilizes the PCIe 3.0 x4 interface for speeds of up to 32GB. While we’re not using a graphics card on this build, it does come with one PCIe 3.0X16 slot for a graphics card. This will come in handy in case on a later date you decide to upgrade to a dedicated graphics card.
Memory
A lot of people believe that more RAM will make their gaming experience better. However, the truth is that there is a “sweet spot” when it comes to the amount and speed of RAM needed for gaming. This is because games need a lot of memory to run at their best, and without enough RAM, your game may not run as smoothly or at all.
We used dual 4GB DDR4-2800 memory, which comes out to be 8 GB of RAM. Anything less the 8 GB might result in stuttering, induced lag, and sharp decreases in frame rate. Many will say 16 GB is becoming the new standard, but in our tests, it only showed a slight increase compared to 8 GB.
Storage
SSDs are becoming the norm for storage. They have less power consumption, faster boot up speeds, and up to 30% faster file read speeds. This makes them an easy choice over older mechanical hard drives. ..
To save money, we went with a 500GB hard drive. This means that we can’t fit as many games on it as we’d like, but some games are over 60 GB in size.
One way around this is to install only essential games, or, of course, to cough up a few more dollars and purchase a 1 TB HDD for $50 or so. The important thing is to have your operating systems and important files on the SSD for quicker access times.
Case
This microATX case is perfect for the cooling needs of your computer. It has a sleek design and comes with a number of features that make it an ideal choice for gaming or other activities that require high-end hardware.
This is a great value for the price - it has easy cable management, a spacious design, and even an adjustable handle on top. ..
Power
Supply
We recommend a 650W power supply for this build, as it is a bit overkill for the build at this point in time. However, if you decide to upgrade your graphics card later on, you may be glad to spend a few extra dollars on your power supply.
The SuperNOVA 650G3 by EVGA is a great choice for those who want the best performance out of their graphics card. It has a modular design, meaning that you can remove any unnecessary wires to make wire management easier.
The PSU is rated for at least 87% efficiency at 20% load, 90% at 50% load, and 87% at 100% load. ..
Conclusion
This PC isn’t meant to blow minds; it’s for the budget-friendly builder. Sure, if you’re willing to throw an extra hundred dollars, you can get a cheaper graphics card. If this is the case, we suggest the RX 580 for around $119, or the GTX 1050 for $125.
Building a PC is a complex and time-consuming process. If you’re new to the game, make sure to do your research on how to build a PC before starting. There are many great step-by-step guides on YouTube and other websites. ..
