Budget PC build under $450

hiddenpilot4, do you happen to know which case you're running? Feel free to drop a photo if you can.

I’ve seen people on this forum upgrade their parts only to swap out a solid tower for some cheap piece of junk $33 instead—like trading in a heavy-duty Corsair chassis for something tiny. It’s basically a downgrade. These builds definitely need to be ATX format, though (which they probably are).

I'm out right now, but I'll snap some photos and send them over once I'm back.
The only issue is I seem to have misplaced a few screws I pulled out while swapping the GPU earlier.😁

Here’s a shot of the case

Honestly, you could totally hang onto that cm elita—it's still a solid case.

Just as I suspected, Ms. Carbon isn't any better than the rest

Alright everyone, I'm finally at the store picking up the parts I need to get this rig going. I’ve decided to hold onto the old R7 260 2GB DDR5, the aging 500GB hard drive, and the current monitor. Here is what I'm adding to the mix:

What do we think about this setup? Any thoughts on this combo?

It's decent, but you really ought to pick up an aftermarket cooler if you want this rig to perform properly (even something like a Spire Kepler or an LC-CC-95 from $33)

EDIT

1 x AMD FX X8 8300 (3.3GHz,16MB,95W,AM3+) box
1 x GIGABYTE GA-970A-DS3P, AM3+, 125W CPU
1 x CPU Cooler LC-CC-95, Intel/AMD, 90mm 4-pin

Total: $582

it futura

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120GB HyperX SSD, Hyper 500W (with a 5-year warranty), 8GB RAM = total $1003, and you end up with two extra cores plus that aftermarket cooler

If you're willing to stretch the budget, you could also go for the 240GB SSD (the OCZ Arc 100 240GB model for $240 before they're all gone)

That’s great. But honestly, would I be better off just grabbing an Intel processor instead?

That won't fit within a $3,100 budget, even including an SSD.

When you're building for gaming, the GPU is always going to be your primary bottleneck, but this setup leaves you plenty of breathing room for future upgrades.

EDIT

Or perhaps:

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-4460-processor/p/N89643627
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http://www.amazon.com/motherboard-asrock-h81/s?k=motherboard+asrock+h81

Actually, the math checks out. I ran the numbers through my spreadsheet and it comes to about $967.

That’s the plan, anyway. It doesn't make sense to sell or pick up a new GPU right now. This one isn't exactly garbage; it'll hold out for a while longer.

Look, that retailer doesn't even stock the FX 8300 or the DS3P motherboard (it's clearly listed in the top right corner), and Hyper hasn't offered a 5-year warranty like that in ages. That's why I put this build together using parts from several different shops instead.

I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention. Glad you caught that.

@hiddenpilot4/">@@hiddenpilot4

I think they used a laptop RAM stick in that first photo just to avoid any potential issues 😛

God, what a joke. 😛

I’m just sitting here realizing I can't even get everything I need at a single grocery store anymore, and honestly, it's driving me insane.

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So this is what it looks like now:

What am I supposed to do? Buy all my components using different currencies...

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hiddenpilot4 said:So this is how it looks now:

Great, so now I have to hunt down parts using five different currencies...

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Looks fine👍

Thanks for the help, guys 👍

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Hey there,

I'm looking to pick up a desktop for about $833 (+/- $67). It's mostly for my kid—stuff like streaming movies, browsing the web, and maybe some light gaming—nothing crazy demanding right now.

I stumbled upon these builds online and wanted to see if they're actually worth the cash:

I’d also grab a monitor for under $333, and this one looks decent to me—but I'm totally open to other suggestions!

Thanks!

The monitor works fine—solid value for the price. Just don't bother buying pre-built PCs.



Check out Micro Center; they offer free assembly and shipping if needed, plus there’s a chance for a 3% discount (which knocks about $27 off the total) click

Essentially, this build uses an APU paired with an 8GB dual-channel kit at 2400MHz (which is crucial since the integrated graphics rely heavily on that speed). Both options are priced incredibly well, but this one offers better gaming performance due to the extra RAM and a high-quality 400W power supply (80+ certified with proper protections), unlike those cheap 500W "no-name" units found in pre-builts (which usually pull closer to 250W). You also get a superior case with USB 3.0 ports and an aftermarket cooler. If he needs more graphical muscle later, he can just plug in a dedicated GPU in the range of an AMD Radeon RX 560 from $433

EDIT

I skipped the dedicated graphics card to stay within budget, but honestly, it isn't a necessity right now. You can install Windows via a USB drive and grab all the drivers online without any hassle.

👍 I couldn't agree more...