Build a Cheap Gaming Computer
Tired of lag and delays on your old computer while playing games? Try these steps to build a cheap and budget gaming computer.
Contents
Steps
- Pick a fast and cheap processor (CPU). The Intel E8000 series is a good choice (E8400 or higher). If you're feeling enthusiastic, go for a Core i5.
- Pick a good video/graphics card. You'll want a good video card It is needed for newer games to operate well. For Nvidia, go for a GTX 700 series.
- Pick a budget case. You'll want to save as much as you can on the case. Just make sure that the case has enough room for air-ventilation to prevent overheating.
- Pick a good and fast hard disk drive. Western Digital, Seagate and Samsung hard drives are the most widely-used ones. Depending on your needs, 1TB with 7200RPM should be enough for an average gamer considering most games range from 5-30 GB of storage.
- Pick a compatible motherboard. ASUS, Gigabyte, EVGA, XFX and plenty more are out there. Just make sure it is fully compatible with your CPU and video card. To prevent bottle-necking, ATI video cards should go for CrossFireX-ready motherboards, not for SLI-ready motherboards. The opposite applies to Nvidia video cards, Nvidia users go for SLI-ready motherboards.
- Pick fast RAM. 2GB or 4GB of DDR2, 800MHz or higher is good. Make sure it's compatible with your motherboard. However keep in mind most games need 2GB of ram is needed so get 4-8 GB of ram. With 4 you can probably play minecraft or League of Legends, but won't be able to play games like Battlefield 3 or Skyrim.
- Unless you are in need of a 7.1 Surround Sound system, go for a budget speaker. 2.1, 2 satellite speakers with one sub-woofer will give you good sounds.
- Unless you are in need of a 72" LCD monitor, go for a small or not-so-big monitor. Go for a LCD from Samsung, since they offer great quality for little cash. You won't notice any difference between 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 20000:1 contrast ratio unless you are playing in the dark, where there is absolutely no light.
- Unless you are in need of super-high-end Razer gaming inputs, go for a budget mouse and keyboard. Go for a reliable brand. Wired inputs are better for gaming since they send information much faster compared to wireless.
- Make sure you get a power supply that corresponds with your electrical output. Without power, all this work would have been for nothing. For the majority of PC builds a 400W power supply should do.
Tips
- Having a friend that knows his/her way around computers will be really helpful.
- You can ask tips from local computer shops.
- You can ask tips from computer forums in the internet.
- Go for a really budget monitor, speakers, mouse and keyboard.
Warnings
- When putting your system together, always ground yourself to prevent electrostatic charges from reaching the components or it will damage the parts (or you).
- You can use an electrostatic wristband.
