With the amount of new hardware coming out every now and then, it is hard to track and decide on which parts to upgrade for those looking to build a gaming PC. Contrary to popular belief, a decent 1080p and 60 frames per second experience is still possible with budgets no more than a grand and here's how gamers can gun for that direction.
One of the most important part in setting up a gaming rig is the processor. Sometimes, it is debatable whether the AMD brand is better than Intel, but this is entirely subjective. As Gamespot puts it, it would be better to make some leeway on some extra cost to avoid bottlenecking, or simply not getting the most out of the other parts.
With this, two of the best options right now could either be an Intel Core i5-6400 or what PC Gamer's suggestion, an Intel Core i3-6100. The latter might sound a bit underwhelming, but it comes as a surprise to most that combined with the right GPU, the Intel i3-6100 can also be a beast of a gaming processor and this video of "Assassin's Creed: Unity" at Ultra Settings shows some very playable evidence.
Once the right processor is taken care of, bottlenecking is not a problem anymore. The next important part is the GPU, or the graphics processing unit. Almost every PC gaming website recommends the RX 480 for a reason. First is due to its dirt cheap price and second, it gets the job done extremely well.
Regardless of which brand, the RX 480 4GB variant is a very capable GPU and it can run games like "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt." CD Projekt's game is a very harsh resource hog and the RX 480 does wonders in rendering everything in Ultra settings with minimal framerate dips. Price for the RX 480 4GB usually goes around $220, but consumers can take advantage of the on-going promotional prices from Amazon sellers that sells it under $200.
The last things to consider are the RAM and the power supply. Almost every RAM can do the trick, provided that users don't go as low as 4 GB with speeds lower than 1600. Common gaming setups usually require 8 GB of RAM and at least 1800 clock speed. A particular Kingston HyperX 8GB single stick is currently priced at $37 on Amazon as well.
The hard drive size is optional as well as if the user would opt for an SSD or an HDD. SSDs are way faster than HDDs, but they are usually more expensive to the point that prices goes as much as triple for what consumers would pay for a normal SSD.
The motherboard, power supply and optical reader goes to the least of the priorities in setting up an high-performing, but cheap gaming setup. As long as the above mentioned peripherals work with them, the rest should be smooth sailing. Popular brands like Thermaltake or MSI are good options, but always make it a practice to check the comments and reviews section before making a purchase.
All in, costs for setting up a PC with these hardware would hardly touch the $1,000 mark and could even be as low as $700 depending on the chosen casing, power supply and storage devices.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
