Computer Repair

38. Building a Budget Gaming PC: What You Need to Know

February 20, 2024

Introduction

Building your own budget gaming PC can be an extremely rewarding experience. Not only do you end up with a powerful computer capable of playing the latest games, but you also learn a ton about computer components and how everything fits together in the process.

In this guide, I will walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to build your own budget gaming PC. I’ll go over optimal component selections, compatibility considerations, and provide helpful tips and tricks I’ve learned from building many PCs over the years. My goal is to empower you with the knowledge to successfully build an affordable gaming PC that meets your needs and budget.

Setting a Budget

The first step is deciding how much you want to spend on your new custom gaming PC. This will shape the performance capabilities of your build.

Here are some budget ranges to consider:

$500-$800 – This budget range can get you a very capable gaming PC able to play most modern titles at medium-high settings and 1080p resolution. Great bang for your buck performance.
$800-$1200 – A mid-range budget where your PC will handle maximum settings in most games at 1080p. This price point is the sweet spot between performance and value.
$1200-$2000 – High-end gaming PCs ideal for enthusiasts who want to play at 1440p or 4K resolution while taking advantage of features like ray tracing and high refresh rates. The performance headroom grows rapidly in this price range.

I recommend the $800-$1200 range if you want great 1080p gaming performance without overspending. Let’s use a $1000 budget cap for this build example.

Choosing the Right Components

Now for the fun part – selecting compatible components to include in your gaming PC build!

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The CPU is the brain of your computer responsible for performing general computations. For gaming, you’ll want at least a modern 6 core/12 thread CPU. Some good budget options are:

AMD Ryzen 5 5600 – $129 – Unlocked 6 core/12 thread CPU with great single core and multi-core performance. Provides smooth high FPS gameplay.
Intel Core i5-12400F – $149 – Intel’s budget gaming chip with 6 cores/12 threads. Slightly edges out the Ryzen 5 5600 in some games.

Both of these CPUs offer incredible performance per dollar and will avoid bottlenecking a powerful GPU. For our $1000 budget build, the Ryzen 5 5600 is a great match.

GPU (Graphics Card)

The graphics card is the most important component for gaming. The GPU handles rendering all the complex 3D graphics in games. For smooth 1080p gameplay, I recommend at least an NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT. Both can be found starting around $300-$400.

Some other great options that fit our budget are:

NVIDIA RTX 3060 – $329 – Reliable 60 FPS+ gaming at high settings in AAA games. Great value.
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT – $299 – AMD’s best bang-for-buck 1080p gaming card.

I would choose the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT to maximize performance per dollar. It’s an excellent 1080p gaming card at a reasonable price point.

Motherboard

The motherboard connects all the components together and allows everything to communicate. For gaming PCs, you’ll want a motherboard with compatibility for your CPU, good power delivery for overclocking, and features like M.2 SSD slots.

Good budget motherboard options for our AMD Ryzen 5 5600 CPU include:

MSI B550-A Pro – $139 – High quality B550 board with good VRMs and plenty of I/O like USB 3.2 ports.
Gigabyte B550M AORUS Pro – $149 – Micro ATX board with premium components and features. Great value.

The MSI B550-A Pro strikes a nice balance of price and quality at $139. It gets the job done without breaking the budget.

RAM

You’ll want at least 16GB of RAM in your modern gaming PC. This allows you to game, stream, and multitask without running out of memory.

Make sure to get a DDR4 3200MHz or higher RAM kit to match your CPU’s memory controller’s capabilities. For our AMD build, a good option is the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200MHz C16 which can be found for around $50-$60.

16GB is the sweet spot for both budget and performance right now.

Storage

Every gaming PC needs fast storage to reduce load times. I recommend pairing a small 250-500GB NVMe SSD with a 1-2TB traditional hard disk drive (HDD).

The SSD will act as your boot drive, storing critical programs and games that need fast loading. The HDD provides cheap bulk storage for other files and games.

Some good budget storage options include:

Western Digital Blue SN570 500GB NVMe SSD – $49 – Affordable PCIe 3.0 SSD with read speeds over 2,400MB/s.
Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM HDD – $46 – Standard hard drive for mass storage.

This SSD + HDD combo provides both speed and storage capacity at a low cost.

Power Supply

The power supply (PSU) converts outlet power and delivers stable, clean electricity to your gaming PC’s components. You’ll want a quality PSU from a reputable brand with at least 550-650W capacity. This gives room to upgrade later.

Some good options are:

EVGA Supernova 650 GT – $59 – 650W 80+ Gold rated PSU with a 10 year warranty from EVGA. Great value.
Corsair RM650 – $84 – Higher-end fully modular PSU for easier cable management. Whisper quiet operation.

For our mid-range build, the EVGA Supernova 650 GT provides reliable power delivery at the lowest cost.

Case

Finally, you need a PC case to mount all the components into. Cases are mostly personal preference, but you want good airflow from intake and exhaust fans. I recommend a mesh front panel case from trusted brands like Corsair, Lian Li, Phanteks, or Fractal Design.

Some good budget options with great airflow include:

Phanteks Eclipse P300A – $69 – Clean, mesh front panel case with RGB lighting options. Lots of cooling and features for the cost.
Corsair 4000D Airflow – $104 – Premium quality case focused on high airflow performance. Easy to build in.

I really like the Phanteks Eclipse P300A case for budget gaming builds. It has great thermals and nice aesthetics starting at only $69.

Building Your Gaming PC

Once you’ve purchased all your components, it’s time for the fun part – assembling them into a finished gaming PC!

Here are some quick tips and steps:

Build on a hard, open workspace – A table or desk provides a stable surface. Avoid carpets.
Use a magnetic philips head screwdriver – Makes screwing in components much easier.
Install the CPU, cooler, RAM in motherboard – Delicately place the CPU in the socket. Apply thermal paste before attaching the cooler.
Plug power supply cables into components – Connect the 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power cables to the motherboard. Use the PCIE power cables for the GPU.
Mount components in case – Screw in the motherboard, SSD, HDD, GPU, etc securely in the case. Keep good cable management.
Make all connections – Attach case headers like power buttons along with any RGB or fan controllers.
Boot up and install Windows – Plug your boot drive in first, then install Windows and drivers.
Stress test components – Use utilities like Prime95 and FurMark to ensure your PC is stable under load.

Take your time and don’t force anything. Refer to your component manuals if stuck. Have fun and enjoy the learning experience!

Conclusion

Building your own custom gaming PC is deeply rewarding and lets you maximize performance per dollar. This guide covered the basics from setting a budget to selecting compatible components to the physical build process.

The sample mid-range $1000 build with a Ryzen 5 5600 CPU and Radaon RX 6600 XT GPU will deliver an incredible 1080p gaming experience while learning tons about PCs.

Use this knowledge as a baseline to tweak a parts list for your own needs. The world of PC building awaits – now get out there and start planning your budget gaming build!