Summary
- Save money when building a PC by choosing a mid-range CPU and motherboard, and avoiding unnecessary high-end components.
- Use tools like PCPartPicker to compare prices and find the best deals on computer parts from a variety of retailers.
- Consider buying used or open-box components to save even more money, and reuse old PC parts when possible to reduce costs.
Building your own PC is one of the most rewarding experiences for tech enthusiasts, but it can also be a costly endeavor. While PC part prices are slowly returning to normal, following the tumultuous effects of the pandemic and a wedged ship, building a PC can still be expensive. However, with careful planning and smart shopping, you can significantly reduce your build costs. Here are our top tips for saving money when building a PC.
Save Money on PC Parts
Your choice of PC components can significantly impact your budget. Fortunately, you can save money on certain parts without sacrificing much performance. The PC case is one area where you can cut corners. Most cases under $100 that are sold today will work fine for most PC builds. If you're building primarily for gaming, a mid-range CPU paired with a powerful GPU can deliver excellent performance, while saving around $100 or more compared to a high-end CPU. Some CPUs even include a stock cooler, saving you from purchasing one.
If your CPU doesn't have a cooler, you can still save anywhere from $50 on a good air cooler instead of getting an AIO. The motherboard is also one of the best parts to save on when building a PC. Unless you need to overclock your CPU with liquid nitrogen or need more than five M.2 sockets, there is little that a high-end motherboard can do that most mid-range motherboards cannot. Plus, most of the capabilities will apply to overclockers, not gamers, so it's usually best to just save your money and get a mid-range motherboard.
Why a Mid-Range Motherboard Might Be Perfect for You
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However, we don't recommend skimping on the power supply. The PSU is one of the most important PC parts, and getting a cheap, sub-par one can limit your PC's processor or even fry your components. Work out your PC's power requirements using online calculators and get a powerful PSU. You can still save some money with a non-modular or semi-modular PSU.
Research and Compare Prices From Different Retailers
There are a bunch of websites that can help plan out your build and find the best prices for your computer parts. One of the best resources out there is PCPartPicker. If you haven't used PCPartPicker when building a PC, you're missing out on a lot. This site lists almost every PC part one can buy and allows users to virtually put together their PC, selecting everything from the CPU and motherboard down to the monitor. It will also warn you of compatibility issues, like using a motherboard with the wrong CPU.
One of the best tools of PCPartPicker is the price comparison tool. The site not only lists every computer part, but also all the retailers that sell it. You can scroll to check the best price for each part of your build, and even check its recent pricing trend so you know you're getting the best deal. If you're not satisfied, you can even set alerts to be notified when the price of a product drops below a certain price. You can also check physical stores like Micro Center and online forums like r/buildapcsales, where Redditors post daily deals for computer parts.
Look for Sales and Discounts
If you're not in a hurry to build your PC, you can wait for Prime Day and Black Friday sales to grab PC parts on a budget. Most PC components, including CPU, GPU, RAM, motherboards, and more, get massive discounts during Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, making it the best time to build a powerful PC without blowing a hole in your wallet. The team at The Best War Games is always here to help you find the best deals on PC components during major sales; make sure not to miss it.
While Prime Day 2024 is behind us, the year isn't over yet. Black Friday is on the horizon, bringing another wave of amazing PC component deals. As you wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, you can also sign up for email alerts from retailers like Newegg, Amazon, and even PCPartPicker to get notified when your favorite items go on sale. Physical stores like Walmart and Micro Center also offer crazy in-store discounts that you can take advantage of to save money on your PC.
Consider Used or Open Box Components
If you're on a tight budget, the used PC market can save you anywhere from 10 to 20% or even more on PC parts. Prioritize buying from reputable sellers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg, that way you're protected if you receive defective products. Forums like r/hardwareswap also have a lot of used stuff on sale, but we recommend extra caution, as most don't come with a warranty.
CPUs, GPUs, RAM, PC cases, and air coolers are generally safe to buy used, since they have lower failure rates than other components like hard drives and PSUs. If you're skeptical about used parts, open-box items offer another way to save on PC parts. Unlike used PC parts, open-box parts are essentially new items that were returned but still work perfectly, and most will have a return policy and warranty just like new items.
Reuse Old PC Parts
If you're upgrading from another PC, chances are you still have some good computer parts you can use in your build to save costs. The standard for motherboards (ATX, IXT, and mATX) hasn't changed much in the last decade, so any recent case will still work fine for a new PC. This extends to SSDs and even RAM, if they're compatible with your new motherboard. Most motherboards today support DDR5 RAM, although some use the older DDR4 standard.
However, be careful when reusing critical components like the power supply. If you upgrade to a more powerful CPU and GPU, you'll need a power supply that can keep up with the increased power demands. Make sure to get a new power supply if the old one doesn't cut it. Don't worry if there is nothing you can reuse in your older PC as you can still sell it or most of the parts and dump the money into your new build.
Build Your PC Gradually to Spread Costs
If you're on a budget but still want to build a high-end gaming PC, you can prioritize essential components like the CPU, motherboard, and GPU and add other upgrades later. If you're playing titles that run well on low-end hardware, such as Fortnite, you can even use the integrated GPU on your CPU for gaming while you save up for a more powerful GPU. All the latest processors, including AMD, have integrated GPUs that can run most FPS games at respectable framerates.
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For CPUs like the Intel Core i7-14700 and AMD Ryzen 7 7700, you can use the bundled CPU cooler and upgrade to your favorite AIO cooler later. For storage, you can simply snag an affordable 512GB SSD to get your PC up and running. This will buy you more time to save and take advantage of sales and price drops, which lets you snag more powerful hardware for less money, instead of buying cheaper, less-capable hardware that will need another upgrade sooner rather than later.
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Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra infoImage
Display card main info widgetIntel Core i7-14700
20 cores of unrelenting power and a cooler included
$400 $438 Save $38Display card main info widget end -
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra infoImage
Display card main info widgetAMD Ryzen 7 7700
Incredible performance at a good price. Cooler included.
$289 $329 Save $40Display card main info widget end
How Much Money Do You Need to Build a Decent PC?
You can build a gaming PC for just $500 and run most FPS games at respectable frame rates. However, for a decent gaming PC that will play most games at good settings and higher frame rates, you'll need at least $1000. A $1000 PC build can include powerful components like a discrete RTX 4060 GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a powerful mid-range gaming CPU like the Intel Core i5-14400F.
The Best Gaming PC Builds For $1000
Building a gaming PC individually just became easier as The Best War Games showcases three of the best and most balanced PC builds.
PCPartPicker pre-built guides can give you an idea of the parts you can expect at different budget levels. They have multiple pre-built guides ranging from as low as $438 to enthusiast builds that cost over $3000. NZXT also offers an excellent custom PC builder that lets you plan your PC and shows you how many FPS you can expect from popular games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Fortnite, and League of Legends. If you're ready to build your PC, check our guide below to see what $2000 can get you in 2024.
The Best Gaming PC Builds Under $2000
Need to build a PC on a budget? Here are the best builds you can make yourself for under $2000!
FAQ
Q: What are some of the PC parts you can save money on?
When building a PC, some parts you can save money on include the computer case, storage, and cooler. If you're building a PC for gaming, you can also save money by buying a mid-range CPU and motherboard.
Q: What costs the most when building a PC?
The CPU, GPU, and motherboard are the most expensive parts when building a PC. You can lower the costs using a mid-range or previous-gen CPU and motherboard.