Friends, Bromans, and countrymen. It’s time to talk about the financial black hole known as building your first gamingPC. You want frames? You want ray tracing? You want a machine that can run Crysis while simultaneously cooking your dinner?
Well, sacrifice a goat to the RGB gods and buckle up buttercup, because papa’s got you covered. Today, we’re diving into the world of budget tiers that range from “I found some cash in my couch” to “I just sold my organs on the black market.”
Figuring Out What You Need
Before we start talking about particular parts and what they cost, it’s really important to think about what kind of gaming you want to do and come up with a realistic budget. Here are some key things to consider:
With your needs and space in mind, you can pick a budget tier:
Let’s take a little lookity-loo at all these budget ranges, and whether they’re, in the immortal words of Pitbull -muy caliente.
Uhhhh I Think I’m Going Basic
That actually works out great. A nice, palatable budget build between $500 to $800 is a great option for new or casual gamers who still want a quality experience. The goal here is smooth 1080p gameplay at medium to high settings while hitting 60 FPS in most titles. And you know what? It’s damn easy to get there.
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 / Intel Core i3-10100F
$100 - $200
$150 - $250
8GB to 16GB DDR4
$40 - $80
500GB SSD
$50 - $70
$70 - $100
500W 80+ Bronze certified PSU
Budget ATX case with decent airflow
$40 - $60
24-inch 1080p monitor with 75Hz refresh rate
$100 - $150
Basic gaming keyboard and mouse combo
$30 - $50
Entry-level gaming headset
Total Budget Range: $660 - $1,080
Never let it be said that I didn’t love my readers enough, because I’m out here making tables for y’all, yo!
I’m skipping specific brands and only talking about basic requirements, so this way you have more freedom to pick what fits your needs. Plus, it’s a good way to learn about the parts as you go! BUT I will be including example builds below to give you an idea.
AMD Ryzen 5 3600
$175
$190
$75
$60
$80
$65
$85
Monitor
AOC 24G2 24" Frameless Gaming IPS Monitor, FHD 1080P, 1ms 144Hz
$180
Redragon S101 Wired Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo
$40
$990
You Know What? I’ll Take The Sauce.
Stepping up to a mid-range gaming setup opens up a whole new world of performance. You’ll finally be able to turn those graphical settings up to high while maintaining smooth 60+ FPS gameplay at 1080p resolution for most titles.
Heck, you might even be able to bump things up to crisp 1440p visuals in less demanding games. And the beauty is, you don’t need to sell a kidney or take out a second mortgage to afford these mid-tier rigs.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X / Intel Core i5-11600K
$200 - $300
$300 - $400
$80 - $100
$120 - $180
650W 80+ Gold certified PSU
ATX case with good airflow and cable management
For the products where I used specific pricing, please do keep in mind that these are rough estimates, and can change based on the retailer you’re purchasing them from. These are just here to give you an idea of how you can build your PC.
A 27-inch 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate
$250 - $350
Keyboard & Mouse
A mechanical gaming keyboard + A high-quality gaming mouse with adjustable DPI.
$130 - $200
$80 - $120
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
$299.00
$400
16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200 CL16
$80.00
$150
$160
$100
$95
LG 27GL83A-B 27" 1440p 144Hz IPS Monitor
$300
$110
$1,955
I’m Jeff-Bezos-Rich
Gamers who really want the ultimate gaming experience should look into a high-end setup. We’re talking about the enthusiasts who crave the smoothest framerates, crispest resolutions, and most mind-blowing visuals that today’s games have to offer.
A true high-end rig will let you play the most graphically intense games out there while taking advantage of 4K resolution along with high refresh rates like 144Hz or even all the way up to 240Hz for outrageously smooth gameplay. You’ll also be able to completely max out the graphics settings in new titles without performance taking a hit.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i7-11700K
$350 - $450
NVIDIA RTX 3080 or AMD RX 6800 XT
$700 - $1,000
32GB DDR4
$150 - $200
High-end X570 or Z590
Premium ATX with good airflow
27"/32" 4K 144Hz HDR
High-end mechanical
Premium gaming mouse
Top-tier with surround sound
Consider adding a nice gaming chair
$200 - $400
Consider going for a secondary monitor
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
$449
$999
$199
$299
$269
$149
$159
LG 27GP950-B 27" 4K 144Hz Nano IPS HDR
$899
$179
$399
Total
$4,448
Aaand I’ve never felt poorer. But there you go. A nice little high-end build that won’t put you to shame when the robots come.
Some Tips By Yours Truly
No matter your budget, here are some pro tips to get the most bang for your buck:
Wrapping It Up
So, there you have it! How much should you spend on your first gaming setup? Well, it really comes down to you. If you’re just starting out or gaming isn’t your whole life, $500 to $800 can get you a solid 1080p rig.
Want to kick it up a notch? $800 to $1,500 opens up a world of higher resolutions and smoother gameplay. And if you’re all in, $1,500+ will get you a beast of a machine that’ll handle anything you throw at it.
Remember, building your own PC often gives you more bang for your buck than buying pre-built. Plus, it’s fun! Start with what you can afford, and don’t be afraid to start small. You can always upgrade later as your skills (and budget) grow.
FAQs
Can’t I just buy a pre-built PC?
You can totally gopre-builtif you want! It’s convenient and you get a warranty for the whole system. But building your own PC often gives you more bang for your buck, lets you customize every part, and hey, it’s a fun project!
I’m on a tight budget. What should I prioritize?
GPU, GPU, GPU! Did I mention GPU?For gaming, that’s your priority. After that, aim for a decent CPU and at least 16GB of RAM. Don’t skimp on the power supply (a cheap one can fry your whole system), and attempt to squeeze in an SSD for your boot drive. You can always upgrade other parts later.
What about future-proofing? Is it worth spending more now to save later?
Ah, future-proofing is tricky because tech moves fast. It’s generally a good idea to buy a bit more than you need right now, especially in areas that are harder to upgrade (like your motherboard and case). But don’t go overboard – it’s often more cost-effective to upgrade components over time as prices drop and new tech emerges.
