Due to the prices of hardware components and competition between hardware vendors, you can put together a competent gaming computer for $1,000. Start by examining high-end games' minimum and recommended system requirements, then begin a list of components and the minimum acceptable specifications. If you have an older computer rig from which you can scavenge parts, make a list of these items. Prepare to spend the majority of your budget on the video card, CPU, motherboard and RAM, as these items will have the greatest impact on overall system performance.
Instructions
1. Make a list of reusable old parts that you already have or that you easily could obtain. Common salvageable parts include disk drives, optical disk drives, keyboards, mice and monitors.
2. Price your video card first. Select a midrange video card with ample memory. This will be the most expensive component in your rig due to its importance when playing games.
3. Select your CPU next, then match it with a motherboard. Select a motherboard with upgrade potential to maximize your build's longevity.
4. Price your system RAM next. RAM is also a crucial component in a gaming computer, and you should aim to meet recommended system specifications for high-end games.
5. Select a case that matches the motherboard's form factor. Some cases include power supplies and fans, which can look like a deal. Always make sure that the power supply's specifications meet the motherboard and CPU requirements.
6. Choose a power supply and case fans that meet the demands of your motherboard and CPU, if your case does not include a power supply. You can find this information in the support documentation for these hardware components.
7. Select a hard drive and optical drive, if you can't scavenge these parts.
8. Select a sound card, Ethernet card or wireless adapter, if your motherboard does not feature on-board sound or networking.
Tags: power supply, video card, disk drives, games Select, hardware components