For some people, a budget for a gaming computer of just $300 is a tight squeeze. To answer this question, there are several factors that need to be taken into account such as the games you will be playing, the level of graphics you’re looking for, and your overall budget.
Past and current video games have been created with vastly different studies, leading to some games having minimum requirements that simply cannot be met by low to mid-range PCs. Thus, the first step to answer this question is to identify the games you will be playing and determine whether they are demanding or not. For instance, graphics-intensive games like Crysis and Witcher 3 require considerable computing power which is not achievable with a $300 gaming PC. On the other hand, if you plan to play simpler games like League of Legends, then a sub-$300 gaming PC can be an option.
A gaming computer with a budget of only $300 will likely have budget components. This means that components such as the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage could lack the power needed for resource intensive games. Additionally, the problem won’t be solved with more RAM or a more NVidia’s latest GPU. Low end and mid-end gaming PCs often lack the necessary cooling solutions and the PC components may not support this.
Low end and mid-end gaming PCs usually come with some trade-off in performance, but depending on your gaming needs, this could be manageable. A $300 gaming PC may run casual games fine, but it won’t be able to handle any AAA title. Furthermore, as technology progresses, more demanding AAA titles may come out, which a sub-$300 gaming computer will not be able to run.
All in all, if your primary goal is to play casual or indie games on average settings, then a $300 gaming PC could be a good buy. However, if you need enough juice to power the most demanding games, then a $300 budget will limit you especially in terms of performance, as you may not be able to get both the necessary performance and hardware for that price.
Cost Efficiency
Before purchasing a gaming PC on a $300 budget, you should consider going the second-hand market route. This means buying one that’s been used and may not be the most recent types, but is still decent and functional. Consider used platforms that still have lots of life and quality components left in them such as rigs with the latest Intel or AMD processing units, Nvidia/RTX graphics cards, and plenty of RAM.
Depending on the condition of the components, you are likely to get more bang for your buck in comparison to buying a PC with all brand new components. With the right search and comparison of used gaming PCs, you may reach the performance of a high-end $1,000 PC but for the price of a $300 one. This means you can have large savings from your budget and put them towards a better gaming monitor, a comfortable gaming chair, or even custom building at a later time.
Therefore, you can take advantage of the better prices for used gaming PCs and get an adequate gaming experience for a low price. You just need to know exactly what components you need and what budget you’re working with. And after that, you are now ready to buy your gaming PC.
Graphics Quality
In terms of graphics quality, it is difficult to find top-of-the-line graphics cards under this budget. It is all down to the power of the processor, the RAM, and the quality of the graphics card. The most powerful GPUs will usually not fit this budget and the ones that do fit the budget are usually of low- and mid-range quality. This means that you will be limited in terms of the graphics quality in resource-intense games. In order to ensure a better gaming experience, you should look into getting a dedicated graphic card with a higher-tier graphics processor, like Nvidia’s GeForce 900 series.
Graphics cards that have UHD capability and multiple display support are the ones to look for when wanting better graphics performance for certain games or hardware. You may still be able to purchase a decent enough card in the $300 budget, but bear in mind that it’s not going to match the performance of a high-end card. In summary, a good GPU is the essential factor for better gaming performance, and in this case, you should prioritize it in your budget.
Furthermore, the size of the monitor you will be using should also be considered when choosing your PC parts. If you plan to use a larger monitor, it would be good to look into getting a better graphics card. This way, you won’t suffer from laggy performance when gaming on higher resolutions. Some of the larger monitors require more intense graphics cards to operate at full capacity and resolution, so this is something to consider before you make a purchase.
Components Efficiency
Building a gaming PC on a $300 budget comes with several challenges, as you are likely to find components with limited performance at this price range. You will need to find parts individually or in bundles, or even go for the second-hand market. Another approach would be to focus on components that offer better ROI (Return On Investment). In other words, if you spend $300 on a gaming PC, you should focus on the parts that will provide the best performance with the required budget.
As mentioned before, the selection of the components will largely depend on the game you want to play. The components that you choose should support your desired gaming experience. For instance, CPU should have enough power to handle the games you’re playing and the motherboard should have enough ports for all your extra devices and components. Additionally, for lag-free gaming, you should also look for components that have energy-efficient features and can keep your PC running cool.
Storage is also important when it comes to the efficiency of your gaming PC. Hard drives may be cheaper, but the performance of solid state drives will be much better if your budget allows it. Additionally, if you are truly interested in gaming on a $300 budget, there are some cases like the Cougar QBX that offer you efficiency in a tiny form factor. These cases won’t take up too much space but offer enough space for all the components you need.
Upgrades Potential
The worst-case scenario when purchasing a gaming PC on a $300 budget is that you eventually get frustrated with its performance. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead before you make your choice. You should consider the potential of the PC in terms of upgrades. That way, you can always swap out the slower components for better ones while still fitting your budget.
Once you’ve picked a suitable gaming rig under $300, you can start planning what components you will upgrade first and in what order. Purchasing different components like CPU, RAM, and graphics cards to upgrade is a great way to increase the gaming performance of your PC. A good suggestion would be to focus on components which offer better performance for your type of games.
Even though there are some limitations to the upgrades you can make for a budget gaming PC, there is still plenty of room for upgrades and customisations. CPU processors and chipsets, better RAM and storage, cooling solutions and power supply units, and so on. Carefully select the components you want to upgrade and make sure they are compatible with your gaming PC.
Whether you’re buying a $300 gaming PC or look into upgrades, having a clear idea of what game you want to play and how far you intend to take it will help you determine what components to buy. Additionally, you should always be prepared to sacrifice some quality in order to fit your gaming PC build into the budget.
