Introduction

In this article, which our team will regularly update, we will maintain a list of parts for a roughly $700 budget system build that focuses on value for money without sacrificing quality, features, and support. Whenever possible, it is also our goal to recommend parts we have personally used or reviewed. Still, considering how much choice exists in the market today, that is not always doable. Regardless, our goal here is to provide the community with a solid foundation from which to build a custom PC. Of course, this includes those just getting started in the world of PC gaming, or perhaps you want a new workstation for work at home.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, prices and availability are a bit spotty in some areas. So rather than using US retailers, we have gone with EU retailers because their prices are far more stable, and the selection is quite a bit better. Prices in Europe can roughly be considered the same as in the USA in euros as, generally speaking, $1 without tax equals €1 after VAT.

With that out of the way, It should be noted that certain items will not be included in these build guides. First and foremost, we do not cover the cost of an operating system. How you obtain a Windows 10 license is up to you, be it a retail key, OEM key, or from a key reseller. Each alternative varies wildly in price. A retail key is far more expensive, while keys from resellers, although cheap, are considered sketchy by some. You also have the option of using Linux. Thus, the final decision is yours to make.

The same goes for the mouse, keyboard, speakers, or other accessories. These are very much up to personal taste, so we will not attempt to recommend a one-size-fits-all solution here, as these are probably not the best choices for what you need. Instead, we would recommend reading our reviews on various offerings for an informed decision on which PC peripherals best suit you.

If you feel lost, do hit us up in the forums or the comments section for this article.

System Configuration

The "budget gaming build" is, as the name suggests, a bang for the buck configuration that is tailored to get you into PC gaming without breaking the bank and leaving your wallet empty. It is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. If you want to lower the price further, you can likely find quality used parts on the web, if you're comfortable with that route. You can also hunt for the best-possible deals via mail-in rebates or coupons. That said, we will focus on delivering a base configuration you can buy today with reliable parts that are covered by a warranty for some peace of mind.

Processor

Our choice of CPU remains unchanged for this update because the Ryzen 5 1600 AF is essentially a Ryzen 2600 for a good deal less. It delivers performance on par with the Ryzen 5 2600 but saves you €20. It also comes with a bundled CPU cooler, which, while not fantastic, at least lets you get the system up and running. While it is true that the Ryzen 5 3600 is a faster processor, it also retails for €170, which is roughly €50 more. The only other options in this price range would be to opt for the Ryzen 3100 or 3300X, which are slightly cheaper and more expensive, respectively. However, with that said, you will be going from 6c/12t down to 4c/8t. Now, realistically, this doesn't matter all that much for the majority of games right now, but with new consoles coming soon and the boost in CPU processing power, the extra cores will likely prove useful going forward.

At the budget end of the spectrum, AMD is still a better value at this moment. Intel options are available, including the i3-10100 or i5-10400, but you would end up spending around €135 for the i3-10100 or €178 for the i5-10400. Another option for the blue camp is the i5-9400, but at €174, it is also priced above the AMD offerings. So while there are a lot of options in terms of CPUs, they are all priced a bit out of this particular budget, and that includes AMD's Ryzen 5 3600.

It's also worth mentioning that the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF does come with a stock cooler; however, if you want to keep noise and temperatures down, spending a few bucks on a cooler like the ID-Cooling SE224XT Basic (review) or any other entry-level tower cooler may be a worthwhile investment.