How to Build a Cheap Gaming PC

Gaming computers can go out-of-date very quickly, and you can’t always upgrade your existing system to the latest and greatest. Fortunately, it is possible to build a great gaming PC for around $500; a computer which you can add better parts to if you want as you get the money.

In each category below is one main part that you will need for the project. A little description of the part is needed as well as some tips on what to look for when you’re out shopping. A link is also given to one of many products that will work for your gaming PC. All of the parts in this guide will work together, so you can build it directly from this guide. All of the links are to either Newegg or TigerDirect, although there are many other websites out there to get great deals.

Basically, you need to first choose whether you want to go with an AMD or an Intel processor, since this will also determine what kind of motherboard you will need. Intel chips are usually used in gaming machines, but AMD has made a lot of headway in this area in recent years. AMD will also be less expensive for similar performance. The AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ is a fast, dual-core processor at a great price.

The processor will come with a heatsink/fan. The heatsink will have a thin layer or really cheap thermal compound on it. I always remove that and replace it with Arctic Silver thermal compound, which offers much better transfer of heat, and therefore more protection from overheating.

The motherboard is one of the most important parts, as everything you are able to add to your computer will be dependent on whether or not the motherboard can support it. The motherboard I chose was the ASUS M3A78 Pro. When looking for a motherboard, make sure it has the following features:

• ATX - You want an ATX one, not MicroATX. That determines the size of the board as well as the size of the case you can get. I would stick with ATX.

• Socket - Make sure the socket size on the motherboard is the same as the processor you picked out. On some websites, you can buy these as a combo. In this guide, the processor is an AM2 socket, which will work with this motherboard.

• Memory - Beware of some really cheap motherboards that only support really slow memory (like PC5300 or PC4200). For a gaming rig, you will want your motherboard to be able to use DDR2 1066/800. It should also support dual channel memory.

• PCI-E 2.0 - The motherboard should also have at least one PCI-Express 2.0 slot available. You will not be able to do SLI or Crossfire, but you will still be able to use a very fast graphics card.