4 Responses to “Tips on building a gaming computer on a tight budget?”

1. dba695 says: April 11th, 2011 at 11:55 am

2. Gaming computer and tight budget don’t go together at all. Minimal gaming computer, yes.

3. b3ryz_iz_1337 says: April 11th, 2011 at 12:50 pm

4. Eh, If I were you, I would save up until you have 450 punds so you can build a gaming pc that will last longer and allow you to play newer games. With 250 pounds, you will probably be getting a pretty low end gaming machine (although you’d probably be fine if you were building a normal pc and not gaming)

5. Jim says: April 11th, 2011 at 1:38 pm

6. Here are some practical tips:

   If you want to build a good computer don’t CHEAT or CUT CORNERS on the power supply unit. Cheap + Power Supply do not go together. A cheap PSU will burn your computer and all the components in one instant flash…and it usually happens sooner than later.

   You can sometimes find a good “COMBO” deal, which is the motherboard and the CPU together for one price. However, always price the motherboard separately from the CPU and see if it is a real deal or not. The motherboard is what determines what you can or cannot do with a computer. Cheap motherboard with limited features = cheap or non-functional computer. The better the motherboard, the more functionality, the more you get to do with your computer.

   For price cutters, stick with AMD CPU’s, they are cheaper than Intel CPU’s and they are JUST AS GOOD AS INTEL! Don’t be fooled by the prejudice against AMD, they build good, solid CPU’s!

   You can cut corners by buying a cheap chassis (computer case) but throw out the cheap psu that comes with them and make sure you buy a good one. You can live with a 25 BP case but not a 10 BP cheapo power supply unit.

   There is little advantage in buying a microATX case or motherboard unless you are living in such cramped quarters, you have absolutely NO SPACE to put a mid-tower. Avoid microATX because the power supplies are limited and since the space is so tight, you are generally forced to use half-height video cards.

   If you can cut a corner or two, look at the DVD ROM drive. 18X or 22X, who cares? Its just a matter of seconds. You can save a few BP by buying the 18X drive.

   YOu don’t need a floppy drive any longer, for most purposes. Save the 5 BP and spend it on something else.

   You need a good hard disk, 500 Gigs is the minimum these days. Avoid SEAGATE’s 1.5 or 1 T hard disks. They have a high failure rate.
   Instead, buy Western Digital or Hitachi drives. You can get a good 500 Gig HD from Western Digital for about 34 BP.

   If you do a lot of shopping around and comparing, you might just be able to put a fairly decent computer together for around 250 BP.

7. jerry t says: April 11th, 2011 at 2:11 pm

8. THis is about the cheapest “good” gaming computer that I have seen. Of course you will not be able to play the latest game at the highest frame rates.
   Good luck