Written by
Michael Gariffo, Staff Writer
Michael Gariffo
Staff Writer
Michael is a veteran technology writer who has been covering business and consumer-focused hardware and software for over a decade.
Full Bio
Posted in Hardware 2.0
on December 23, 2021
| Topic: Hardware
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-Core 3.7 GHz (4.2 GHz Max Boost)
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$250 at Amazon
Motherboard
MSI Performance Gaming X470 Gaming Plus Max
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$90 at Amazon
RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB)
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$65 at Amazon
Storage
Seagate BarraCuda ST2000DM008 2TB
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$47 at Amazon
PSU
EVGA 550 B5
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$45 at Amazon
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Case
Corsair 110R Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case
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$73 at Amazon
Cooling fans
be quiet! Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM high-Speed
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$13 at Amazon
Gaming remains one of the biggest drivers of PC hardware, pushing forward everything from processor speeds to storage performance and, of course, graphics card technology. This bleeding edge reputation makes many people think the price for entry is too high to even consider. Let’s debunk that.
Of course, gaming PCs can be extremely expensive. Graphics cards alone can cost around $1,000 MSRP on a normal basis. With the ongoing chip shortages, and the once-again-ascendant battle with crypto miners devastating supply chains, graphics cards are currently selling for twice their MSRP, or more, even on the used market.
With all of this in mind, it probably seems like an impossible task to build a gaming PC right now for anything like a reasonable price. Certain companies like NZXT are out there trying to make the path to building your own gaming PC a little more visible by creating customizable kits. These are a great option for building your first gaming PC, or building one with your kids, thanks to simplified instructions, easy configuration options, and a guarantee that all of the components selected by the company will work well together. However, the prices for these kits start at $1,499, putting them out of the budget for many shoppers.
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