I'm completely new to building PCs and would appreciate advice on parts or affordable systems. I'd like to play games such as Rainbow Six Siege, League of Legends, Minecraft, and other less demanding multiplayer games with friends. Ideally I'd like around 120 FPS at 1080p, but I'm willing to settle for 60–80 FPS if that would make the budget more realistic. I also need enough RAM to use Discord and listen to music while gaming. Appearance doesn't matter to me, and used or refurbished parts are fine as long as they can be obtained in the UK.
4 Answers
Used local listings are probably the only realistic way to stay near that budget. You may find a decent office-style PC with an older Ryzen or 8th-generation Intel processor, but check that the power supply and case can support a graphics card. Prioritize 16GB of RAM and an SSD, since both will make Discord, music, and general use much smoother.
The exact games matter a lot. Siege, League, and Minecraft are much easier to run than newer AAA games, so you may be able to get good 1080p performance from a second-hand system. Around £300–£500 could work if you accept used parts, but a new build targeting 120 FPS in most modern games would likely cost closer to £800–£1,000 in the UK.
At £300–£500, buying every component new probably won’t get you the performance you want. Your best option is likely a used or refurbished desktop, then adding or replacing the graphics card if necessary. Look for something with a Ryzen 5 or newer Core i5/i7, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD. For the graphics card, a used RTX 3060 12GB or a similar-level card would be a good target.
Thanks, I’ll try to save more if I can. Times are difficult at the moment, but I’ll look into used systems.
Avoid spending the whole budget on a flashy prebuilt with a weak graphics card. Compare the processor, graphics card, RAM, storage, and power supply separately, and be cautious with systems that only have 8GB of RAM or rely on integrated graphics. If you can’t find a trustworthy used deal, saving longer for a better prebuilt will usually be safer than forcing a new build at this price.
The main games are Siege, League of Legends, Minecraft, and a few other games that aren’t especially demanding. I’m happy to use lower settings if needed.