How to Build a Budget Gaming PC

Gaming computers have become hugely popular these days and many consumers are beginning to opt for these PCs instead of readymade consoles like Playstation and Xbox. This is mostly because one can choose the machine according to one's budget and also most processors are now superfast and can give you a great gaming experience.

A lot of people are also using gaming PCs as a part of their overall home entertainment system. So you now have a gaming computer attached to your TV where you play your games and access streaming entertainment apps like these. This also gives the consumer the power to upgrade the machine as and when required. Processors and memory cards can be upgraded as easily as turning a few screws around. All you need to do is work out a budget and then shop for the best configuration of graphics card or GPU, processor or CPU, motherboard, RAM and casing.  If you have always thought of building a gaming PC but wanted to know more, then this article is for you.

Processor or CPU

The Central Processing Unit is really the brains of the computer so you have to be very careful about which one you invest in and also keep aside a chunk of your budget for this. Traditionally a good processor can be decided upon by the clock speed and the number of cores and threads it has. The more the better. And the two companies that you'll probably end up deciding upon is Intel and AMD. For a budget gaming computer, you should consider something like AMD Ryzen 5 3700 or an Intel core i7. If you have enough money to spare then go for the i9 which is top of the line and you can read more about it here. These should be perfect for your machine but remember to not go overboard with the processor as what really matters with flawless gaming is your graphics card.

Graphics Card or GPU

The graphics card is probably the most important component of your gaming machine as this will decide how fast your gameplay is. This renders your on screen graphics so it is completely responsible for your experience. This should also be about 25 to 40 per cent of your total budget. There are many graphics cards out there but you should consider factors like speed, memory and cooling effect. You also have a choice between AMD and NVIDIA although the latter is more popular for graphics. A good budget choice would be NVIDIA GTX 1650 or AMD RX 580-8GB.

Memory or RAM

It's always advisable to have a lot of RAM so that you get faster gameplay. It also helps if you plan to use the PC for other work which you most likely will. Opt for at least 16 GB RAM of 3000 MHZ with two 8 GB sticks and try to get brands like Corsair or G.Skill that focus mainly on gaming.

Other Peripherals

You also need a decent power supply unit for your computer and a Corsair 650 W supply would be ideal though you could even get away with a 500W supply in case you are tight on a budget. Corsair also makes great cases which have inbuilt fans so you could also save on the coolers. A lot of good GPUs also have inbuilt coolers so that also helps.

In the end apart from your budget what also matters is what exactly you intend to play and do with your computer. The configuration of your CPU and GPU will have to be decided according to whether you are going to game, edit videos or use it for deep learning.