I'm looking to upgrade my PC and I'm curious about what a reasonable budget would be. Back in 2020, I managed to build a computer for around $110, which surprisingly handled gaming, heavy internet use, and drawing/programming well. Now, I've heard from various people and online sources that a minimum budget is around $300. Was my experience just a fluke, or can you really get good value on computer parts without compromising too much?
2 Answers
You can definitely make it work with the used market if you're okay with older components like an LGA1200 from Intel or a basic AM4 from AMD. Just keep in mind that anything new will likely run closer to $600 before adding a GPU, which is usually a big expense.
If you're looking to get a decent PC, I'd recommend budgeting between $500 to $600, especially if you're considering buying used CPUs and GPUs. You can find some solid parts within that range. Check out PCPartPicker for good deals—here's a link to a list of components you can start with.
Yeah, I want to understand how the VRAM plays into performance, too.
What about graphics cards? Any tips on finding a good used GPU?