PC Build under $300

Roger Gray8 said:Look no further, you won't find anything better than $681... ☕

Where can I actually pick this up? Is everything available at one single retailer, or what?

Future IT is replying to you in Larry Ortiz5's post.

You could always just print out a list or save everything to a USB drive and show them exactly which components you're looking for when you head into the store. If you aren't feeling confident about building the rig yourself—don't worry, I get it—I think they offer free assembly services at locations like $667, so you can just let the pros handle the heavy lifting 😉

I was also wondering if anyone might be able to suggest a solid configuration within a budget of $667. I don't have any specific performance requirements since the price point is somewhat modest, though my goal is simply to ensure I get the absolute best value for my money. If there happens to be an option where they could assemble the build for me and include shipping, that would be wonderful, though certainly not a necessity. I wouldn't mind stretching the budget by an extra $100 or $200 if it truly meant a significant leap in quality or power. Thank you all so much for your help

silversurfer30 said:I could also use some build advice for under $667. I don't have any crazy requirements since the budget is what it is. Just looking for the best bang for my buck at that price point. If they can assemble it and ship it, great—if not, no big deal. I wouldn't mind bumping it up by $100-$200 if it actually makes a massive difference in performance. Thanks in advance.

1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x Processor AMD Trinity A8-Series x4 5600 3.60GHz 4cores, FM2
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x Case MS HERCULES Midi tower, ATX, mATX
1 x Power Supply Fortron 300 W, active PFC, 12 cm fan, bulk !
1 x DVD burner LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R

$688
Best Buy

Robert Rodriguez2

Man, you just don't get that the stock cooler isn't gonna cut it for an APU like that. 🙂

silversurfer30

If you're looking at the absolute max you could pull for this setup, it’d look something like this:

X4 600E
ASUS M5A78L-M LX3
PATRIOT 4GB 1600 MHZ
MSI R7 260 1GB DDR5 OC
TOSHIBA 3.5" 500 GB SATA 3
EVGA 500W
Cooler Master Midi ATX

= $740 including shipping and assembly.

Even though we're talking about a budget power supply here, the whole build is super low-draw—so honestly, given the price point, there isn't really a better way to go. I've run setups just like this with a 250, 260, 260X, or even a GTX 750 Ti, and they handle builds in this range without breaking a sweat—so you should be totally fine.

graniteharbor85 said:Robert Rodriguez2

You just don't get that the stock cooler isn't going to cut it for an APU like that.🙂

silversurfer30

The absolute max you'd get for this setup would look like this:

X4 600E
ASUS M5A78L-M LX3
PATRIOT 4GB 1600 MHZ
MSI R7 260 1GB DDR5 OC
TOSHIBA 3.5" 500 GB SATA 3
EVGA 500W
EVGA MIDI ATX

= $740 including shipping and assembly.

It's a budget power supply, sure, but this build pulls almost nothing. Given the tight budget, there isn't a better move. I've run these types of rigs with a 250, 260, 260X, or a GTX 750 Ti, and they hold steady at 100 watts without breaking a sweat. It'll be fine.

I know it isn't, but I didn't want to blow past my budget.

Then maybe suggest something else instead of telling him he has to deal with that "jet engine" noise at home—plus those CPU/iGPU temps hitting 70/90°C are way too hot for his liking 😉

Crucial DDR3 4GB 1333MHz, AD3U1333B2G9-R
MS CASTOR
Toshiba DT01ACA050 500GB 3.5''
Intel Celeron G1820
ASRock H81M-VG4, 1150
MSI Radeon R7 260 OC, 1GB GDDR5, VGA, DVI, HDMI
EVGA 400 W, 80+,active,12 cm

Total: $216.76

Maybe grab a beefier processor and a more reliable power supply if you're actually planning on gaming...

It’s not even about having a "stronger" processor—it’s just faster because the single-thread performance is better and there's more cache. But you're forgetting one thing—you're down two cores here, and the absolute limit for this setup is an R7 250 DDR5. Anything beyond that and you're stuck with a tiny Pentium BN, which is going to be super noticeable. If he wants to actually play stuff, he really needs at least a G3258, especially if he's pairing it with an R7 260 via overclocking.

The $600 price point is also hitting that BN paired with a 260, but it won't hold up nearly as well as a Pentium—especially once he runs into a game that actually benefits from those extra cores. Honestly, if he's feeling adventurous, he could easily bump that Athlon up to 3GHz without much trouble, regardless of using the stock cooler or that Srotex case, since it pulls almost no power and doesn't need high voltage.😉

Rather than cluttering up the forums with a brand-new thread, I figured I would just jump right in here since I am leaning toward a more "budget-friendly" approach.
I currently have an old computer sitting in a relatively new case, and honestly, it’s still functional enough to serve as a basic workstation. If my understanding of hardware is correct, I really just need to pick up a processor, a motherboard, some RAM, and an HDD to get things moving. I plan on hanging onto my existing 160 GB hard drive to save a bit extra.
This machine is primarily going to be used for web browsing and light everyday tasks—think Microsoft Office, streaming music, and watching movies. My main priority is to keep the total cost as low as humanly possible. 🙂

My other thought is to just go out and grab a laptop instead, though I’m genuinely torn on which route actually makes more sense for me.

So, what are you working with right now, and what’s the total budget looking like?

So, I’ve been working with my current studio setup for about 8 to 10 years now. Aside from the case and the power supply—which aren't exactly brand new, but they're maybe a year or two old and doing just fine—everything else is pretty ancient. I really don't see the need to replace them if they aren't broken.
My budget isn't strictly set in stone, but I have no intention of overspending; I want to stick to what is absolutely necessary to cover my basic workflow needs. Honestly, I think something in the ballpark of $433 should be more than enough. I'm even questioning whether I actually need to shell out money for a new HDD right now.
If we find that the total cost starts creeping up toward $667, then I’d honestly rather just put that money toward a laptop instead. I don't typically go for laptops since I already have a work issued one, but at that price point, the value proposition changes.

Intel Celeron G1820 (roughly $25-$100)
h81 mbo (like an ASRock H81M-VG4) - about $30-$120
1T disk (WD Blue or Seagate Barracuda) - maybe $60+
4gb Crucial DDR3 4 (around $15-$100)

Thanks so much! 🙂
While I don't strictly require a drive with that much capacity, I suspect the price gap between this one and a 500GB model isn't actually that significant.

AMD desktop Athlon x4 5150 AM1
Gigabyte GA-AM1M-S2P, AM1 motherboard
Crucial DDR3 4GB 1600MHz memory
WD Caviar Blue 1TB SATA 3 hard drive

$442 Best Buy

Suggested because of the low power draw...

crimsonorca172 said:Thanks! 🙂
In theory, I don't really need a drive that massive, but the price jump from a 500GB model is probably negligible anyway.

the difference is usually only about $27 - you're essentially doubling your capacity for a small premium since the extra storage space itself isn't the main driver of the cost, it's just the mechanism inside.

My thanks to dustyskipper77 as well!
When it comes down to it, should I be looking at AMD or Intel? Isn't AMD generally the more budget-friendly route if you're chasing the same level of performance? To put it plainly, since my requirements fall strictly within the low-end category, would AMD be the more cost-effective way to go?

Not in this particular case; that Celeron from $80 is an absolute steal. If you look at AMD options in this same tier, you might end up with a weaker CPU, but you'll get much better integrated graphics—something like the A4 5300 paired with an FM2 motherboard would be a superior choice if gaming is your priority. However, if you don't plan on playing games, I'd personally stick with the Celeron

I don't have any intention of gaming on this machine. This is primarily a family computer intended for the kids to play their little games and watch movies. Since they are quite young, we aren't talking about high-end titles here. 🙂
My wife and I will mainly be using it for web browsing and general tasks.
So, am I correct in assuming that Intel offers superior integrated graphics within this specific budget range—specifically where both the CPU and the motherboard combined stay under about $100? For our needs, having decent visual performance is actually a much higher priority than raw processing power.

However, if for some reason I decide to go the AMD route, which of these would you recommend:
- Intel Pentium, AM4 - $96
- Intel Core i3, AM4 - $126
- Intel APU, LGA 1150 - $76

The issue with the LGA 1150 option is that the motherboards tend to be pricier, which pretty much eats up any savings I might get from choosing a cheaper dual-core processor.

I realize that any of these options will technically suffice for our basic requirements. That said, my real goal is to pick something that remains perfectly functional for the exact same purpose five years down the line.