Cheap PC Builds

I always get asked by family and friends for recommendations on PC builds. Some want a PC that can just perform basic functions like surf the internet or allow people to work in Excel and Word, some want a machine for gaming while others just want an HTPC for movies and music but all recommendations came with one condition, it shouldn’t be expensive.

So I decided to put up what I think is the best configuration for the cheapest price I could find. What I wanted to do was see how low I could go (heh) without compromising on performance. Everyone has different budgets and needs. So I put up one configuration for each segment and provided the prices for them as well.

The below configurations do not include a monitor, keyboard or mouse.

The Basic “surf the internet and read emails” Build
This kind of build is very popular with parents and for someone who is not interested in gaming. For these builds, we can go very low in terms of price as raw performance is not required. Below is the list of my recommended hardware.

Processor: AMD Athlon X2 2.9 Ghz Rs 2.500
Motherboard: ASUS M2N68-AM Plus Rs. 2,100
Memory: Transcend 1GB DDR2 800MHz Rs. 1,250
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 250GB Rs. 1,400
Graphics Card: Onboard Nvidia GeForce 7025
Cabinet: Cooler Master  Elite 310 Rs. 1,400
Power Supply: Generic
DVD drive: Sony DVD combo Rs 900

Total: Rs.9550

Taking into account the Power supply, you can build a very basic system for around Rs 10,500. While the above is for people who just want to surf the net or work, the next category is a tough one, for it needs the best performance for the best price. In this case Value For Money is the main objective.

Budget Gaming Rig
Budget Gaming rigs are always a tough one because games nowadays pack in so much technology, that the hardware which can deliver a good experience is an expensive proposition. So this is where I try to provide the best bang for your buck.

Processor: Intel Core i3-540(3.06 GHz) Rs. 5,000
Motherboard: Intel DH55TC Rs. 5,100
Memory: Corsair XMS3 2GB Rs. 3,100
Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB Rs. 1,700
Cabinet: Cooler Master Elite 430 Rs 3,500
Power Supply: Corsair VX450 Rs.3,500
Graphics Card : ZOTAC 9800GT Rs. 5,500
DVD drive: Sony DVD combo Rs 900

Total: Rs.28,300

As with custom builds, you can always swap out parts for more powerful ones depending on your gaming needs and resolutions settings. So mix and match as you want.

HTPC
This build is for someone who just wants to watch movies by connecting his device to his TV or wants to use his PC as a TV. The build will be the same as the basic build but with a little modification.

Processor: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5400 (2.7GHz) Rs. 2,700
Motherboard: Intel DG31PR Rs. 2,500
Memory: Transcend 1GB DDR2 800MHz Rs. 1,250
Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB Rs. 1,700
Cabinet: Cooler Master Elite 310 Rs. 1,400
Power Supply: Corsair VX450 Rs.3,500
Graphic Card: Sapphire Radeon HD5450 1GB Rs. 3,200
DVD drive: Sony DVD combo Rs. 900
TV Tuner: AVERTv SPEEDY Rs. 3,000

Total: Rs.20,150

So there you have it; a simple to understand list of components for different builds. This is not a list set in concrete so if you find something better or cheaper, go ahead and install it. Also go price hunting at your local computer hardware area as you will more often than not find a better deal.

If you have something that you would like to add to the list or have built a rig for yourself, please share it with us. Your suggestions and recommendations are always welcome.