I'm building my first PC and have around £250–£300 for the entire system. I'd like to use two 8GB RAM sticks for 16GB total, but I'm unsure which CPU, graphics card, motherboard, storage, power supply, case, and cooling parts I should look for. I'm mainly interested in gaming, Blender, and Unreal Engine, so I'd appreciate realistic part recommendations within this budget. I'm open to buying used hardware and would also welcome advice on suitable thermal paste and common beginner mistakes to avoid.
3 Answers
Try to find a used prebuilt or office PC with a decent upgrade path, then add an entry-level graphics card if the power supply and case support it. Older systems with DDR4 are much more realistic than new DDR5 builds at this price. Aim for 16GB of dual-channel RAM, an SSD, and at least a six-core processor if you want to use Blender and Unreal Engine comfortably. Check the condition, exact specifications, temperatures, storage health, and power-supply model before buying.
The memory is only one part of the cost. You still need the CPU, motherboard, graphics card, storage, PSU, case, and possibly a cooler and fans. Sixteen gigabytes of DDR4 is fine for a budget build, but Blender and Unreal Engine can benefit from more RAM and a stronger GPU, so £300 will involve compromises. You don’t need an expensive thermal paste brand; a reputable basic paste is sufficient, and many stock coolers already include paste. Prioritize a reliable power supply and a healthy used graphics card over premium cooling accessories.
£300 is extremely tight for a complete PC, especially for Blender and Unreal Engine. Buying every part new probably won’t give you a worthwhile system, so the used market is your best option. Look for a complete older gaming PC rather than purchasing every component separately, since cases, storage, power supplies, and cooling add up quickly. Something around a Ryzen 5 2600 with a GTX 1660 could be a reasonable target if you find a good deal, though you should expect 1080p gaming at low or medium settings.
That makes sense. I’ll focus on complete used systems instead of trying to buy every part new.
Would 16GB of DDR4 be a sensible choice? DDR5 seems far too expensive for this budget.