It’s the time of year to spread some cheer, by building your own PC, and tis the time for sales, sales, and sales, also known as the perfect time to go hunting for some bargains on computer components. Being a college student, shopping on a budget is a must, however, to get a competent system, the cheapest build I found came out to be about $550. So, I present, my wish list for a competent PC build for approximately $550. The sites I mainly used to look for the components are Amazon and Newegg but take note that some parts may go out of stock depending on when you find this!
– Ryzen 3 2200G: https://lmg.gg/8KVQB
This is your CPU, or the brain of the computer. AMD processes are typically a bit cheaper than Intel, and you are getting a decent performance (enough for gaming) but just not as seamless as an Intel processor.
– 2×4 GB DDR4-2400: https://lmg.gg/8KVQJ
This is the working memory of your computer. 8 GB should get most computers running smoothly, and you can always upgrade to 2 8GBs down the road to get more!
– Gigabyte AB350M-DS3H: https://lmg.gg/8KVQZ
This is the motherboard (where you put everything in). My goal was to find a compatible motherboard, with a low price tag.
– FSP Berserker 500W: https://lmg.gg/8KVQ4
This is your power source that’s both compatible with the system, not too expensive, and enough juice to power your machine.
– Cougar MG110: https://lmg.gg/8KVQV
This is just a cheaper case that fits the config nicely!
– Radeon RX 570 4GB: https://lmg.gg/8KVQq
This is the priciest item on our list, the graphics card. Without a good graphics card, you won’t be able to run games at a decent fps with normal graphics settings. So we splurge for the sake of good graphics, and consequently a good gaming experience.
– Seagate FireCuda 1TB SSHD: https://lmg.gg/8KVQH
This 1TB SSHD will give you plenty of long term memory for all your gaming needs.
This build can handle games well, however, it will sacrifice high-quality graphics for the sake of saving money. Disclaimer, the prices may change throughout the year, you may even find all the parts for cheaper than I did. Let me know what you love or what you would change in this build in the comments down below!