PC Build under $300

Robert Rodriguez2 said:1 x Asrock H81M-VG4, Intel Socket 1150
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Intel Pentium G3220, 3.00GHz,512KB,3MB, Haswell

$341
That’s basically the extent of it...

Thanks for the help.
I settled on this build. Hopefully it's solid.
Asrock H81M-HDS, s1150 - $127
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...76bf57cdcc4e1b
Intel Pentium G3220, 3.00GHz,512KB,3MB, Haswell - $140
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...76bf57cdcc4e1b
DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11,Value, CMV4GX3M1A160C11 - $105
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...76bf57cdcc4e1b

Thomas Campbell12 said:Thanks for the help.
I went with this setup, hope it works out,
ASUS Prime H81M-K, s1150 - $127
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...76bf57cdcc4e1b
Intel Pentium G3220, 3.00GHz,512KB,3MB, Haswell - $140
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...76bf57cdcc4e1b
DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11,Value, CMV4GX3M1A160C11 - $105
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...76bf57cdcc4e1b

👍
pretty much the same list.

Timothy Kim60 said:So, I've got one of those ASUS Prime H81M-K boards lying around—it's an LGA 1150 socket, runs on the Intel H81 chipset, and fits that standard mATX form factor we all know so well. It supports dual Channel 2 xDDR3, which should be plenty for whatever basic build someone is putting together.
Just picked up a single Intel Celeron G1820 (2.70GHz, 512KB, 2MB, 54W, 1150) Box.
Just one single stick of 4GB DDR3 from Crucial, running at 1600MHz with CL11 timings.
Just one 1TB Seagate hard drive, running on SATA III at 7200 rpm—specifically that ST1000DM003 model.
I’ve got one of those Corsair VS Series power supplies sitting here—the 350 Watt model. It's a standard ATX unit, running on the ATX12V v2.31 spec. Just a single unit for now.
I’ve got one LG GH24NS on hand—it's a DVD±RW drive that handles 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, and 40x CD-R speeds if you're still into that sort of thing.
I’ve got one Zalman ZM-T2 PLUS micro tower case available—it measures roughly 189mm wide by 427.5mm high, with a depth of 364mm.

$659 I suppose I should probably get around to addressing this, though I find myself drifting off into thoughts about how much more complicated things have become lately compared to when we were all just tinkering with basic setups in our garages. There’s a certain rhythm to these discussions that I always appreciate, even if they tend to wander quite a bit. Anyway, looking back at the specs being tossed around, it feels like we're constantly recalibrating what "entry-level" actually means in the current market. It’s a bit of a moving target, isn't it? One day you think you have a solid handle on what makes a functional build, and the next, everything shifts under your feet. But let's stay on track for a moment.

You’ve got VGA, DVI, and HDMI right there on the motherboard—three different outputs to choose from, so just pick whichever one works for your setup, and if you run into any compatibility issues, you can always just grab a cheap VGA to DVI converter or something similar to bridge the gap.

Regarding the graphics cards—I’m telling you, they all come with three outputs now, even those bottom-of-the-barrel budget models. $100 So, you're looking at a GT 610 or an HD 6450—assuming they have VGA, DVI, and HDMI—but honestly, that feels like throwing money down the drain. They aren't exactly going to outperform the integrated graphics on a Haswell chip anyway. Plus, when you're trying to squeeze a decent PC together for two people on a tight budget, those cards just don't fit into the math. I mean, technically, you could probably make room for one if you cut corners elsewhere—maybe ditch the fancy tower, grab a cheaper case, swap out the power supply for something basic, or settle for a smaller hard drive instead of a 500GB one—but let's be real, there’s just no point in spending the cash.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Looks like a really clean setup!

I’ve got one single 4GB stick of Crucial DDR3 sitting here, running at 1600MHz with CL11 timings.
I've got one Toshiba 500GB drive on hand—it's a 7200rpm model running on SATA 6 Gb/s with a 32MB cache, specifically the DT01ACA050.
I’ve got one AMD Trinity A8-Series x4 5600 sitting here, clocked at 3.60GHz with those four cores on the FM2 socket.
I’ve got one of those Asrock FM2+ FM2A58M-HD+ boards lying around, specifically designed for those FM2+ sockets that handle up to 95W or the FM2 ones that can push 100W.
I’ve got one of those Spire Kepler Rev.2 units on hand—it's that compact cooler, roughly 96.5 by 51 by 125 mm, sporting a 92mm fan, and it covers a pretty wide range of older sockets like 1156, 775, and FM1.
I’ve got one of those MS Castor Midi towers on hand—it’s a standard ATX/mATX setup, and it actually comes with four 5.25" external slots, which is a bit of a rarity these days if you're looking to throw in an optical drive or some extra controller cards.
I’ve got one of those Corsair VS Series power supplies sitting here—it’s a 350 Watt unit, standard ATX, running on the ATX12V v2.31 spec. Just a basic, reliable little thing for a build that doesn't need much juice.

$708
Well, here's a little something for you. $40 It’ll be more, sure, but you’re getting an immediate jump to a quad-core processor and 4 gigs of RAM, which honestly makes a world of difference. If you're looking to tackle anything even remotely demanding, it’s going to handle it just fine—it'll actually perform like it's supposed to. 🙂

Just one stick of DDR3 4GB Crucial RAM, running at 1600MHz with CL11 latency.
I’ve got one MS Castor Midi tower case on hand, which supports both ATX and mATX layouts, and it features four 5.25" external slots if you still need room for those old-school optical drives.
I’ve got one of those Corsair VS Series power supplies sitting here—the 350 Watt model, standard ATX, running on the ATX12V v2.31 spec.
I’ve got one of those ASUS Prime H81M-K boards on hand—it's an LGA 1150 setup running that H81 Express chipset, featuring two DDR3 slots.
Just picked up an Intel Pentium G3420 (3.20GHz, 512KB, 3MB, 54W, 1150) Box.
Just one Toshiba 1TB drive sitting there—it’s a 7200rpm model with a SATA 6 Gb/s interface, 32MB cache, specifically the DT01ACA100.

$636
Or maybe go with Intel.

Guys, I really appreciate the help, though this one is being pretty stubborn about insisting on that more expensive graphics card; honestly, at this point, it’s possible he might already have it tucked away somewhere.
So, if we’re looking at how that motherboard, power supply, and CPU would actually play together in a build... what kind of setup are we talking about here?
Is this looking alright?
I was looking over the specs for the ASUS Prime H81M-K again, and it really makes you think about how much hardware has shifted since the Haswell era. It’s one of those boards that just sits there, doing exactly what it’s told without any unnecessary flair, which I suppose is its own kind of charm if you're into that sort of thing. It’s a bit like a reliable old sedan—nothing flashy, but it gets you from point A to point B without making a scene. It handles an Intel Pentium G3220 or even an Intel Celeron G1820 just fine if you're building something low-key, though I find myself wondering why anyone would bother with anything less than an Intel Core i3 4160 these days. You've got your dual Channel 2 xDDR3 slots and the standard mATX layout, which keeps things simple. If you were trying to squeeze some actual performance out of a budget build, throwing a GTX 750 in there changes the whole vibe, turning a basic office machine into something that can actually handle a few light games. I saw Timothy Kim60 mentioning something similar a while back regarding older chipsets, and honestly, he had a point about the longevity of these builds. Even when you're running something modest like an AMD Trinity A8-Series x4 5600, the stability of the platform is what matters most. It's not about chasing benchmarks; it's about whether the system stays upright when you actually need it to. It's a measured way to look at it, I know, but I've always preferred a steady machine over one that runs hot and loud just to win a single round of a game.
I was looking over some specs for the AQPROX APP550PS recently, and it got me thinking about how much we tend to overlook power supply units until they actually decide to quit on us. It’s one of those components where you really want stability over flashiness, though I suppose everyone wants that RGB glow these days. It's a bit like choosing a reliable sedan over a flashy sports car; you don't necessarily need to win a drag race at a stoplight in Los Angeles, you just need to know the engine isn't going to sputter out when you're merging onto the freeway. Anyway, I was reading through some old threads where Robert Rodriguez2 was mentioning similar builds, and it reminded me of how much the landscape has shifted since the early days of Haswell architectures. Back then, everything felt a bit more straightforward, didn't it? Now, with all the different modular configurations and efficiency ratings, you almost need a degree in electrical engineering just to pick a unit that won't fry your motherboard. I remember seeing a comment from briskeagle11 regarding voltage ripples on these mid-range units, which is always a valid concern if you're running anything remotely sensitive. It’s funny how we obsess over the GPU or the CPU, yet the PSU is essentially the heart pumping blood to the whole system. If the heart fails, the rest of the expensive hardware is just a very heavy, very quiet paperweight sitting on your desk.
Intel Core i3 4160, 3600 MHz

You can definitely do that, and it’ll work, but I wouldn't recommend skimping on the power supply—maybe grab something more reliable like an EVGA unit instead. Since you're just running an i3 and a GTX 750, they don't pull much power, so even a budget generic unit would technically get the job done, but why risk it?

An i3 paired with a GTX 750 will pull about 150W, so it should run without any issues, though I guess it might be worth looking into an upgrade sooner rather than later.

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice on a setup in the $1,500-$$667 range. It's going to be used strictly for checking emails and working in Microsoft Word. I'm thinking integrated graphics and maybe 4 GB of RAM—just some basic guidelines to start with. Thanks!

SIG Patriot DDR3 1600MHz, 4GB, HS
I guess you're looking at the Intel Celeron G1840.
The MS PHOENIX case, just the chassis without a power supply.
The Asus H81M-R motherboard.
Patriot SSD Blaze R545/W430, 120GB, 7mm, 2.5"
The Fortron Hexa plus 400 w power supply—it's an 80+ rated unit with active PFC and a 12 cm fan. I guess it does the job.

All things considered: $587 center.com

Thanks, I think I'm going to pull the trigger on this one. Cheers!

You could totally go with a much cheaper setup here:

ASRock Q1900B ITX (quad core j1900 cpu)
KINGSTON 4GB SO-DIMM 1600 MHZ
Intel HD 520 120 GB SSD SATA 3
SPIRE POWERCUBE 502 + 300W

= $538.

It's small, uses basically zero power, has passive cooling, and you get an SSD with a better warranty. Honestly—I'm guessing you aren't planning on upgrading this thing anytime soon—so I don't see any point in dropping cash on a pricey standalone power supply, especially considering what this build actually does and how little power it even pulls.

So, here’s the final list of what I picked up. It’s a little bit of everything, but honestly, it’s more than enough for an 80-year-old retiree's needs. 🙂

Asus H81M-R motherboard
Intel Celeron G1840 processor
Patriot Sig. DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, HS
Intel HD 520 120 GB SSD SATA 3 (comes with a 5-year warranty)
MS GRIFFIN PLATINUM 400 V2 case with power supply
=$538 (Best Buy)

And just so you know, there aren't any Spire cases available.

Hi there, my parents have decided it's finally time to get a PC.
I'm just looking for the tower itself.
Their needs are pretty basic: web browsing and general daily tasks. Nothing intensive like gaming.

My budget is up to $1,500, though I'd ideally like to keep it in the $100 range.

Thanks

1 x Intel Celeron G1820 (2.70GHz, 512KB, 2MB, 54 W, 1150) Box
1 x Asus H81M-R processor Intel Celeron G1840 patriot sig, 1150, H81 express chipset, DDR3, 2 slots
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA050 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Linkworld LPW12-25E 420W PSU, 12cm fan, 3xSATA, ROHS
1 x MS HERCULES Midi tower, ATX, mATX
1 x LG GH24NS DVD±RW burner, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R

$543 CNN - you could even cut the DVD burner if they don't need it (-$43) - assembly fees apply per the list below $667, so perhaps:

If this exceeds the budget, you could also go with this option - which has 2GB less RAM and skips the burner

Hey everyone!

I'm looking to pull the trigger on a new PC and could really use some guidance. I've already got my monitor, mouse, and keyboard ready to go, so I just need to assemble the rest of the rig here 😁
Budget: ideally somewhere between $2,000 and $2,200, though I might stretch it up to $2,400 if it actually makes sense to do so (paying cash)
This build would be mainly for gaming—not that I’m planning to marathon the latest Call of Duty for 24 hours straight without blinking, but I definitely want to be able to run it along with other newer titles—plus all the usual stuff like browsing the web and watching movies, which isn't exactly demanding.

I took a quick peek at what's available on CNN, but honestly, those listings don't mean much to me.

Is an Intel processor better than an AMD one? I see all these different sub-types like Kaveri, Trinity, and Richland... and frankly, it all looks like alphabet soup to me.

So, what should I be looking at for the motherboard, graphics card, power supply...? 😵

I would truly be grateful for any help you guys can throw my way 👍

James Green37 said:Hey everyone!

I'm looking to buy a new PC and could use some help. I've already got a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, so I just need to build the rest 😁
Budget: ideally $2,000-$2,200, maybe up to $2,400 if it's actually worth it (paying cash)
The rig would be for gaming (not for marathon sessions of the latest Call of Duty, but definitely enough to run that and other newer titles), plus general stuff like web surfing, watching movies, etc.

I checked out some deals on CNN, but honestly, I don't know what I'm looking at.

Is an Intel processor better than an AMD one? There are all these different types like Kaveri, Trinity, Richland... It’s all Greek to me.

So, which motherboard, graphics card, power supply should I get? 😵

I'd really appreciate the help 👍

$2,400 is actually pretty tight for a gaming PC, let alone $2,000-$2,200. For $2,400, you could do something like this:

1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
1 x AMD Kaveri A8-Series X4 7600 (3.8GHz,4MB,65W,FM2+) box
1 x Toshiba DT01ACA050 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Fortron 400W Power Supply, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Active PFC
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x MS PHOENIX Midi tower case, MBO: ATX, mATX

$791 CNN

Anything less than that doesn't make much sense. You could go for a weaker APU like a 5600K, but since that has weaker integrated graphics and you want to game, it wouldn't be worth dropping down that low. 🙂

At Future, there's an R7 260 available, which fits if you go slightly over budget 🙂

1 x Intel Celeron G1840
1 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 Mhz (PC3-12800) CL11
1 x GIGABYTE Desktop Motherboard iH81 (S1150,DDR3,VGA,USB3.0/USB2.0,LAN,SATAIII/SATAII) mATX Retail
1 x MSI R7 260 OC, 1GB GDDR5, VGA, DVI, HDMI
1 x HDD Desktop Toshiba DT01ACA050 (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU
1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+, active, 12 cm

Total: $825

You get a stronger, dedicated graphics card here, but the processor is significantly weaker. Personally, I'd stick with the AMD option from CNN. 🙂

Thanks, Adam Moore3 😁

Look, I never actually envisioned this being some high-end gaming rig or anything like that.
To me, classics like GTA San Andreas or Mafia—the kind of stuff I grew up playing on my ancient dinosaur of a PC (running at 1.6GHz with a measly 512MB 🤣)—are basically the gold standard. Though, honestly, looking at that build you laid out 🤷
, I have a feeling it could probably handle some of the newer titles too, if I felt like pushing it.
I’m really hoping someone else jumps in here and shares their own parts list, just so I can get a sense of whether we've hit the absolute ceiling for this budget.
Even so, what you've put together looks pretty damn solid to me. 👍

James Green37 said:Thanks, Adam Moore3 😁

Honestly, I wasn't even envisioning this as a serious gaming rig.
For me, classics like GTA San Andreas or Mafia—stuff I grew up playing on my old machine (1.6GHz, 512MB 🤣)—are basically the gold standard. Though, looking at the specs you listed, 🤷
I bet I could probably handle some newer titles too.
I'm hoping someone else chimes in with their own build ideas, just so I can see if this is really the best bang for my buck.
Even so, what you've put together looks awesome to me. 👍

That APU combo will definitely breeze through those older titles without breaking a sweat. You can run newer stuff too, you'll just have to turn the settings down. What resolution are you playing at?

If you're mostly looking to play older games, I’d honestly say go with the Intel setup and grab a dedicated graphics card—you'll get much better CPU/GPU performance overall. Most of those older titles don't even know what to do with extra cores anyway, so a dual-core chip is plenty, and having a dedicated AMD Radeon R7 260 is going to be way more powerful than that integrated R7, which is basically just sitting at the level of an R7 240. Plus, you're gonna take a massive performance hit using single-channel RAM... APUs really crave dual-channel to work properly, and you'd probably want to bump it up to 8GB too, which is just more money out of your pocket.

So, this is the direction I’ve decided to head in—assuming, of course, that everything actually works together without any major drama

processor - AMD Kaveri A8-Series x4 7600 (3.8GHz,4MB,65W,FM2+) box
RAM - DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
hard drive - Toshiba DT01ACA050
case - MS PHOENIX midi tower case, no PSU included, supports ATX and mATX

Now, I’m hitting a few crossroads here, so if there’s anyone out there who actually knows their stuff, please help me clear up these doubts 😁 so I can finally just go pick up this rig and be done with it.

motherboard - Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
or maybe the Asrock FM2A78M-HD+, Socket FM2+ 95W / FM2 100W processors

power supply - FORTRON 400W HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Active PFC
or the Corsair VS Series, 450 Watt, ATX, ATX12V v2.31

To wrap things up, is all of this actually compatible, or am I missing something vital that's going to haunt me later?

I really appreciate the help, because honestly, if I didn't ask, I'd probably just buy some pre-built junk and end up getting totally screwed over.😁

1 x Toshiba DT01ACA100 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x 4GB DDR3 (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
1 x MS PHOENIX Midi tower case (no PSU), ATX/mATX compatible
1 x AMD Kaveri A8-Series x4 7600 Processor (3.8GHz, 4MB, 65W, FM2+) box
1 x CORSAIR 430W CX Series 80+ Bronze Power Supply, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 Cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm

$830

crimsonstag84 said:1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, Kingston Fury, HX318C10F
1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x AMD Kaveri A8-Series X4 7600 Processor (3.8GHz,4MB,65W,FM2+) box
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series 80+ Bronze, EPS12V v2.3, 80+
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm

$830

The guy said $2000-$2200 max, maybe $2400 at most, yet you're sitting at $2500.🕺

OP, glad you made a decision. Regarding the motherboard, it doesn't matter much—just grab the cheaper one to stay within budget. As for the power supply, definitely go with Fortron. That Corsair VS series is their low-end stuff; HEXA is a way better choice.