Entry-level custom PCs
A modest build done properly beats an expensive one specified carelessly. Here is where a small budget should go.
Where the budget goes first
Solid-state storage
Nothing else changes how a machine feels for this much less money.
Enough memory
Being short of it undoes every other choice on this list.
A power supply that is not an afterthought
The component most often cut on a budget, and the one whose failure takes others with it.
Room to add later
A modest machine that can grow is worth more than one that cannot.
Where a small budget is wasted
Usually on a processor a step or two above what the work needs, paired with too little memory and a mechanical hard drive. The specification reads well and the machine feels slow, because the parts that decide the daily experience were the ones economised on.
Reversing that — a modest processor, generous memory, solid-state storage — produces a machine that costs the same and feels considerably faster.
Build for what you can add
A budget build is a starting point more often than a finished machine. Choosing a case, board and power supply with a little room means the next step is adding a part rather than starting again.
- A board with free memory slots
- A power supply with headroom for a graphics card later
- A case that will take a full-size card if one is ever fitted
When we will tell you not to build
If an off-the-shelf machine covers what you have described, we will say so — and if upgrading the computer you already own would fix the problem for a fraction of the cost, we will say that too.
What each choice costs elsewhere
| Choice | What it buys | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Spend on storage and memory first | A machine that feels fast every day | A less impressive processor on paper |
| Leave expansion room | Upgrades instead of replacement | A slightly larger case and power supply now |
Questions
Is a custom build worth it at a low budget?
Can I start small and upgrade later?
Next
Performance upgrades
Upgrade, repair or replace
The custom build process
Get a modest build specified properly
Tell us the budget and the work, and we will place the money where it counts.