Budget AM4 gaming PC
The cheapest build worth making, why a finished platform is a reasonable trade at this budget, and the two places not to economise.
Build a PC that actually works together
Pick your parts and we check sockets, memory, clearances and power as you go. Every result explains itself, and when we cannot verify something, we say so instead of guessing.
- Components
- 26,164
- Compatibility checks
- 16
- Guides
- 28
- Build guides
- 12
How it works
Choosing parts is mostly a compatibility problem wearing a performance costume. We take that half off your hands.
-
Choose parts
Search and filter by socket, memory type, form factor or capacity. Your selections stay in your browser between visits, with no account and no sign-up.
-
Check compatibility
Sixteen checks run as you select: socket and firmware, memory generation and slots, card and cooler clearance, radiator fit, power connectors and capacity.
-
Review and share
See an estimated power draw with the arithmetic shown, a suggested supply capacity, and any notes worth reading. Copy the list, print it, or create a link.
Build guides
Complete part lists for a purpose and a level, with the reasoning behind every choice and what the build gives up.
Home office PC
A quiet, responsive office machine without paying for capability office work does not use, and where the money is better spent.
3D rendering and CAD workstation
A workstation for work that genuinely uses everything, and the one check to make before deciding where the budget goes.
Programming and development PC
What development work actually needs, why memory beats processor when budget forces a choice, and the upgrade people underestimate.
Student PC
A responsive machine for coursework without paying for capability studying does not need, with a deliberate path to adding a graphics card later.
Compact Mini-ITX gaming PC
A small form factor build with an honest account of the costs, the three clearances to check, and practical advice for the assembly.
Planning tools
Each one shows its working and states its assumptions, because a number without a method behind it is just a guess with better posture.
Build calculator
NewSay what the machine is for and how much of one you want, and get a complete compatible parts list you can then edit.
Power supply calculator
Estimate system draw and see a suggested capacity, with the headroom reasoning explained in full.
Memory calculator
How much memory each workload actually uses, and the point where more capacity stops helping.
Storage calculator
Work out how much storage you need from what you keep, rather than guessing and running out.
Upgrade calculator
Find which part is holding your current machine back before spending money on the wrong one.
Resolution calculator
How resolution, refresh rate and screen size interact, and what each asks of a graphics card.
Bottleneck calculator
NewWhether a processor and a graphics card hold each other back, as a range weighted by resolution rather than one invented figure.
Learn the parts
How each component works and what actually matters when choosing one, written for someone about to spend money.
How to choose a power supply
How to size a supply properly, why transient spikes trip units that looked adequate, and what 80 PLUS ratings do and do not tell you.
NVMe versus SATA
The real difference between the interfaces, why game loading times barely change, and the M.2 naming confusion that catches buyers.
How to choose an SSD
Why sequential speed is the wrong number to compare, what happens when the write cache runs out, and whether a PCIe 5.0 drive is worth it.
DDR4 versus DDR5
What actually changed between the generations, why the choice is usually made by your platform, and the naming trap that catches buyers.
How much RAM do you need?
Why running out of memory is worse than having slow memory, the capacity each workload actually needs, and the BIOS setting most builds miss.
How to choose a motherboard
What a motherboard actually decides, why chipset is about features rather than speed, and the lane-sharing specification most people miss.
How we work
Our hardware data comes from manufacturer documentation. Every component record stores where its figures came from and when they were last checked, shown next to the part rather than buried in a policy page.
We do not run a test laboratory, and we do not claim to. Our analysis is based on specifications, standards documentation and hands-on experience assembling machines, not on benchmark runs we performed ourselves.
- Sources on every part Each specification links back to where it came from.
- Honest about gaps A missing figure is reported as unverified, never guessed.
- No pay-to-appear Compatibility results come from the rules, not from commercial arrangements.
- Free and account-free Every tool works without signing up for anything.