I'm planning to buy a GTX 1080 Ti from a friend for a great price and want to build a budget-friendly PC that can run games at 1080p with 60fps. My total spend is under $500. I'm considering an AM4 setup since AM5 would likely be over my budget. This system will eventually be passed to my nephew, so I'm not shooting for top-tier components; just something functional. I put together a potential parts list on PCPartPicker, but I'm open to suggestions for alternatives, especially regarding the cost of Windows 11—thinking I might find a cheaper activation key.
2 Answers
Honestly, if you're going for a budget build, no sense in pairing a $75 CPU with a $120 motherboard or case. Here's an alternate option I threw together: I found a slightly better setup with an ASRock A520 motherboard and some good RAM within your budget, totaling around $442.44 with decent parts that won't break the bank.
If I were you, I'd just buy a second-hand AM4 PC and slot your 1080 Ti right in there. It’d save you some hassle and might keep costs down while ensuring you get decent performance without piecing together a new build.
Glad to see I'm not alone! I like slumming it, too! I’m hoping to score one of those CPU/mobo combo deals soon.