Gaming is a gratifying addictive activity that has gained popularity across the globe. To get a good gaming experience, one needs to have a gaming device that has the right hardware and software. For gamers on a tight budget getting a gaming pc with the right specifications can prove to be a challenge as such gaming consoles get pricey. After carrying out extensive research on the internet, we have finally been able to settle on a gaming pc for under $300 that you can purchase in 2018. Our guide is quite detailed and will assist you in the process of building a gaming pc from scratch and at an affordable price. Such consoles also provide you with room for making an upgrade in future if need be.
Why build your own gaming pc?
Building your own gaming computer has become a prevalent trend due to the room it gives you when it comes to the overall design. You are free to determine what components to use based on the performance and games you want to play. In our guide, we have also included a list of pre-built gaming pcs that you can purchase in the 300 dollar price ranger. Keep in mind though, due to the budget of this build we recommend you have a few compromises, they are still sturdy enough when it comes to performance and give you room to conduct an upgrade if need be. The built quality is good, and even without an upgrade, you will still get very decent performance and at a very favorable price range.
In the making of the pc, we have explored a variety of options and drifted from the use of common AMD budget components even though they happen to be very popular. We have embraced an Intel CPU design. The design and architecture allow future upgrades to incorporate features such as an i5 or an advanced GTX 1070 chipset. Even though we were after making a budget device, we tried our best to maintain quality by using the best components that were available in the market. The upgrade feature was a strategic addition to ensure our devices were able to keep up with technological advancements that necessitate users to upgrade their devices after a couple of years.
Best Gaming PC Under $300
In the market today due to technological advancements, the prices of CPU’s due to improvement in the GPU has resulted in a price hike that is way over the 300$ mark. With such factors in mind making a CPU below the 300$ mark can prove to be a challenge. One can, however, settle for basic consoles and upgrade them once they have sufficient cash. The device we have been able to come up with is not going to outshine other kinds of PCs when it comes to the overall performance but is aimed at giving you a smooth gaming experience and at a lower price. Here is our full build below.
1) GIGABYTE GA-H110M-A
Our choice of a motherboard is entry level but will still give you excellent performance and at the most economical price considering the price range. The manufacturing company GIGABYTE does not only sell the motherboard but offers after sale services and technical support in case one has issues with the motherboard. The design of the motherboard allows for upgrades and can support other processors such as the Kaby Lake if you wish to install them. On the positive side, you will not need to have a BIOS setup when making an upgrade.
2) Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030
Considering the 300$ budget, this is an ideal and cheap component for the CPU, and it has the advantage of having a very excellent graphics card. On the downside, the Shortage of GPU and the overall effect it has had on the prices have hindered the device from attainting console parity with other devices in the market. To get optimum functionality on this kind of budget graphic cards, one needs to lower the settings to maximize the performance. To cut down on costs, one can also consider acquiring a second-hand graphics card such as the GTX 760 as it will give you better performance and at a lower price.
3) EVGA 450 bt 80+ Bronze-Certified PSU
The PSU packs enough power under the hood. However, for a device with such an excellent built quality, it only incorporates the use of basic modularity features. Due to this basic modularity features, it emits some extra heat and also consumes more power while in operation. The heating issue can, however, be resolved by the use of dual case fans. The installation process may prove to be tedious as one has to sort out the mass of cables that come with the component.
Compared to other companies, the EVGA is a cheaper alternative. The low price is however not an indicator of inferior quality. Over the years the company has built a reputation for manufacturing powerful and durable GPU and PSUs. The component also comes with a Bronze certified power supply unit.
4) Patriot Memory Viper 4GB RAM
We intentionally settled for a basic DDR4 RAM and a motherboard that had enough room to allow for future upgrades. The basic 4GB RAM that comes with the device is sufficient enough for basic multitasking tasks but may fall short of superb gaming performance. To improve the overall performance, one can add to the RAM by purchasing an extra RAM stick. Even with the slight dip in performance when one is using a single RAM stick, the Patriot’s 4GB RAM is quite reliable and comes at a very cheap price.
5) Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB
When coming up with the CPU the cost of storage was fairly cheaper compared to the last time we planned an upgrade. With the fair pricing, a fell speed 1TB hard drive was the ideal storage capacity to settle for. Such storage capacity is sufficient and gives users enough space to store games and other media they may have. It may fall short of SSD superior quality but based on the budget it will be sufficient to start with.
6) Intel Pentium G4400
Even with the high GPU prices in the market, this Pentium processor stands out as a performer due to the solid built quality. The Pentium G4400 has excellent performance and is a budget device that is going to give you superb service without the need for an immediate upgrade. Even with the room to upgrade the device, experts recommend users to not upgrade past the GTX 1060. Upgrades past this model are usually accompanied by CPU performance challenges, and it would be wise to avoid them as they can interfere with the overall gaming experience.
7) ROSEWILL FBM-X1
This component is not the best in the market as far as performance is concerned but it happens to be the most economical purchase based on the budget. Regarding design, it has a very efficient cooling mechanism that relies on two fans that control the intake and the exhaust of the cooling system. The case is quite unique in the sense that it is very compact and boasts of gorgeous aesthetics. As an addition, the case has a side window panel that gives a clear view of the interior. With all those features it is worth every penny.
Wow thanks for this! Didn’t even think it was possible to build a gaming pc at such a low price. To be honest I don’t think I’ll copy this build 100% but I’m definitely going to use the majority of it 🙂
What parts did you swap out?
Feel free to add and change your own parts. This should give you some great ideas to start with.