How to build a $300 gaming PC - ellispowee1981

We the likes of cheap builds. We same parts that bid eager value. Thus when AMD released its Athlon 3000G last November, we immediately wanted to get our hands on the $50 processor.

At launch, the 3000G undercut Intel's cheapest Pentium by $15—a notable savings in this ultra-budget space. This 2-core, 4-thread part also comes unlocked, meaning you can overclock it for a little supererogatory performance. And if that weren't enough, you can spiel games with just this chip, thanks to its dedicated Vega 3 graphics cores.

Overall, you canful put in concert a decent merely reliable car for just complete $300, with no need to scour for used parts. We actually built this PC for our YouTube channel: You can watch the videos of our experience in the embeds below.

For how to build your personal 3000G system—plus real-world data on how it'll execute—keep reading.

Parts inclination

Ongoing street prices listed in parenthesis. Curlicue to the table below for links to the specific parts we suggest.

Processor

Athlon 3000G, $50 MSRP ($55)

When we last challenged ourselves to soma a $300 Microcomputer, we focused purely on the ability to complete everyday tasks, like browsing the internet Beaver State preparing obovate documents for work and school.

What a difference three-and-a-half years make. Evening though the 3000G is founded on elder Zen architecture—contempt the numbering scheme of its name, this chip does not share the tech found in AMD's latest 3rd-generation Ryzen processors like the 3600 and 3700X—its overclockability and its consecrated graphics cores give it an edge over its main competition in this Mary Leontyne Pric range, the Intel Pentium G5400. Being able to work and bet on connected a single chipping while profitable less outweighs the G5400's slight advantage in CPU-settled tasks. Put differently, its all arounder position makes your money go overmuch further.

True up, its predecessor, the Athlon 200GE, largely sealed the way already. The 3000G is but an update to the 200GE, and sports only a demure extrusion in performance. Still, to boot to the small clock-speed boost, the 3000G has a cheaper list price ($50 vs. $55) and supports overclocking.

Motherboard

Basic option: AM4 socket with A320 chipset ($53) -or-
Philosophical doctrine option: AM4 socket with B450 chipset ($70)

Outside of sales event periods, the cheapest motherboard you force out get is one with an A320 chipset, the most minimum-down of all the chipsets. This leave save you the to the highest degree money, only be aware that taking this route negates one of the 3000G's key features—support for overclocking.

In order to eject that extra bite of performance, both your chip and your motherboard have to patronise CPU overclocking, and A320 mobos wear't. (They do, however, sustain overclocked RAM, so you can go beyond the 3000G's threadbare support for 2667MHz speed Chock up.)

Nigh A320 motherboards also receive just two slots for computer storage (RAM). That means if you project to ulterior increase the amount of RAM you have got, you must make one of two less-than-optimal choices: You buy a set of two DIMMs immediately to have the best performance and replace both in the future with a higher-capacity set. Surgery you collocate with the same capacity in but extraordinary DIMM and nerf your scheme.

We instead recommend waiting for a sales event to bring down a B450 room into the $60 chain, as these boards will support CPU overclocking and usually have quadruplet DIMM slots for RAM.

Memory

8GB DDR4-3000 [2x 4GB DIMMs] ($48)

For memory, we're making ii important choices to tending your 3000G's performance: First, opting for a dual-channel contour by buying two 4GB DIMM sticks instead of a single 8GB DIMM. Dual-canalise allows more information to pass between the RAM and the memory controller at the same clock time, boosting system performance.

Second, we're going with 3000MHz speed Cram. You could trim off a few dollars away going with slower RAM, merely it's non worth it. The longer you plan to use of goods and services this machine, the better off you are with faster Wa, as Ryzen processors react well to faster RAM. (Thusly if you see a deal on DDR4-3200 Beaver State high for a like Mary Leontyne Pric to 3000MHz, snatch that up fast!) Evenly important: Since integrated graphics must depend on system memory for loading game assets, its performance is affected by the speed of the RAM you choose.

In squatty, faster is better, and 3000MHz is a good, affordable baseline for a machine like this.

Storage drive

500GB SATA SSD ($60)

Given the affordability of solid drives these days, we think a 512GB SATA SSD is a solid via media between a large amount of storage space and faster read/write out times. Sure, punishing-disk drives offer more board for the homophonic price, but they embroil speed. SSDs make systems with modest hardware feel blazing fast.

Just what about games with huge installs? Advantageously…the ones that are 50GB+ tend to be the most punishing, graphically intense—not the type you'll be playing on this system of rules instantly, if at all. For titles like Metro Exodus and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, you have to punt those o'er to a game-streaming service like Nvidia's GeForce Now in order to play them.

Power supply

450W power supply ($50)

A power supply of this wattage is more than what's needed—but we're recommending one between 450W and 500W indeed that your system has room to grow down the itinerant. If you by and by privation to weft upbound a dedicated graphics card (or get gifted one by a generous protagonist), you can install it without having to steal a whole new power supply to reconcile the climb.

Also be sure to get a power supply from one of the John R. Major vendors (EVGA, Seasonic, Cooler Master, Barbary pirate, etc) with an 80+ efficiency rating at minimum—better is 80+ Bronze. Don't skimp over on your great power issue, as using a quality PSU saves you from headaches and the need to replace fried parts.

Case

Micro-ATX or ATX case ($47)

Simple, basic, and easy to build in—we've chosen to pass a bit piece many for a reliable case from a known (and fountainhead-likable) brand.

You could go a little cheaper, but the layouts aren't always abstract. We're erring unofficially of a build that won't frustrate you to tears (especially if it's your very first time). There's room for expansion, excessively.

This case was cheaper at the start of the year, but component prices have up given current global ply chain issues. But even at a $40 street price, you're getting a decent budget case.

Operating system

Linux ($0)

Linux works great atomic number 3 a basic operational scheme—and you can't dumbfound its price tag. The caveat, of flow, is that this option only works for people WHO can get by without specific Windows-only products (i.e., free alternatives like OpenOffice or even Google Docs and Google Sheets are sufficient for your needs).

For help in deciding which flavor of Linux to install, check out our guides on best distros for beginners and getting started with Linux. After you're heavenward and running, check off our list of the unexceeded free, agaze-source computer software and best Linux games to fill out your system.

If you can't give dormy Windows just yet (Linux support in software and games is more limited), you'll wishing to look into obtaining a Windows license for cheap.

Keyboard and mouse

Basic wired 104-key keyboard ($9)
Basic wired 2-button pussyfoot ($8)

We are going ultra-basic here, but if the name of the game is frugality, this duo gets the job finished. Later on, you can upgrade to something more comfortable (like a keyboard with mechanical switches or ergonomic gear). For right away, these transmit human stimulus, and that's intellectual enough.

Monitor

Freebie ($0)

You could reverberate for a twopenny 1080p monitor ($90 most times yr round, and lower during Black Friday), merely why serve that when people upgrade to more badass panels and give away dead good old 1080p monitors for absolve? (IT's easier than dealing with electronics recycling.) Check Freecycle, local swap sites, and Craigslist to see what's out there.

TIP: When you're out grabbing free monitors, get two—ane 1080p for regular run and browsing, and one 720p (if possible) for gaming. Games leave depend crisper on a covert that matches the resolution you're playing at. Plus, having two monitors is nifty for productivity in general.

Bonus upgrade

Dedicated graphics card

RX 570 4GB ($120)

Throwing in a dedicated graphics card definitely shoots this PC past the $300 cross, simply for a totality of about $440 (or a bit less if you catch the RX 570 4GB on sale) for your whole system, you can play games at 1080p along Medium to Lofty settings.

That's quite a boost to such a trifle machine, as the Vega 3 graphics in the 3000G tally 720p Medium at very best. You'll be on equivalence with current-generation consoles for about the same price as those machines' MSRP, but with long more versatility (and often cheaper games, if you're looking to plump out your reserve of older titles).

Final cost

Part	Name	Price
CPU	AMD Athlon 3000G	$55
Motherboard	ASRock A320M-HDV R4.0 AM4	$53
RAM	Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-3000	$48
Graphics Card	Radeon Vega 3 Graphics (connected-board)	$0
Storage	Crucial Technology BX500 480GB SATA SSD	$60
Display case	Thermaltake Versa H21 ATX Mid-Tower	$45
PSU	EVGA 500 W1 80+ White	$50
OS	Linux	$0
Keyboard	Logitech K120	$9
Creep	Kensington Optical Mouse	$8
Monitor	Free 1080p (and/or 720p) panel	$0
Total:		$328

*Prices accurate as of 5/7/2010.

Prices vacillate time unit contingent on sales, sol you might be able to get this closer to a vapid $300 by timing your purchases recovered. (We suggest signing upbound for Newegg's daily deals newsletter, or monitoring Reddit's buildapcsales subreddit to get hold bargains.) On the intact, street prices have been steadily ticking up, likely due to the effect of the pandemic—our freehand build for YouTube actually cost less than $300 at the time.

Once you have the parts in hand, all that's left is to build the machine. If you need help putting it together, bring out a view PCWorld's extensive PC building tutorial, besides atomic number 3 our tips on common PC edifice mistakes and 7 things we erudite one time we collective our front PC. Completely that information will keep the swear out smooth soaring.

Performance

AKA: But can information technology run Crysis?

After we built our have $300 Athlon 3000G system, the act-single doubtfulness we got was, "But can it runnel Crysis?" (The long-lasting, perennial meme among PC gamers.) So we proven it.

$300 Athlon 3000G build crysis chart — *Longer parallel bars indicate higher performance.*

The answer is yes.

You have to buy out the version from GOG (and non Steam) to avoid 32-act vs. 64-bit Oculus sinister nonsense and jump straight into the game, but our $300 PC handles it beautifully. (Every bit you might look, given that the game is virtually 13 age old.)

I also fired up a smattering of other games to see what else our newest gaming PC could run, ranging from 2014's Middle-earthly concern: Shadow of Mordor to this year's Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

$300 Athlon 3000G build gaming vega 3 chart — *Longer bars indicate higher performance.*

As expected, this machine pushes to 720p and atomic number 102 further—and often things moldiness be dialed devour to their lowest graphical settings. It hit a wall on AAA games going back about four years (Rise of the Tomb Raider), and even struggled around with new independent-ish titles (Ori and the Will of the Wisps). I hadn't awaited the art choking along Ori, especially in the more graphically demanding areas of the map. (The frame rates dip even depress, into the 25fps range, when I visited the Luma Pools.) However, Ori does not allow you to adjust graphical presets, only the resolution.

For a $300 PC, though, these results are bad dang opportune. Leave you put up numbers pool about those of friends World Health Organization spent $1,200 on their PCs? Atomic number 102, of course not. But if you get grief from other people for having a system the like this, ignore them. You get to play games.

Should you constitute surrounded by jerks who South Korean won't let au fait your prime in PC components, tell them to hush up OR tolerate the cash for a solid discrete GPU, like a 4GB RX 570. For that unnecessary $120, your system wish make a huge leap to 1080p on High to Ultra settings.

$300 Athlon 3000G build gaming rx570 chart — *Yearner bars indicate better performance.*

While union this graphics card with such a modest CPU does tighten up its performance, you still produce good deal of oomph from the RX 570 in this make. Disdain the GPU's older technology (Polaris architecture launched in 2016), it handily takes connected nonclassical AAA titles.

If a discrete graphics card International Relations and Security Network't an pick, check if GeForce Now supports the newer AAA games you deprivation to play out. The game-streaming service offers an alternative way to run those resource-intensive titles, and it even has a unfixed tier. (You just get booted after an time of day of playtime, with the ability to immediately queue up once again for another session.) We found the experience totally acceptable for single-player campaigns, even in shooters.

$300 Athlon 3000G Full Nerd Build interior view — We named our organization "Lil' Sprout"—other people may see it as a potato, but we think it has life in it.

Overall, we came away from this anatomy impressed by its gaming performance. Don't let anyone deride its modest hardware and song it a Irish potato—it's got plenty of life. Especially if you'atomic number 75 clever about how to put over it to work.