Assembling a low-cost PC always forces us to make certain sacrifices, although. if we know where we have to cut back in the end we won’t have any problems, and we will be able to shape a fully functional, reliable and well-adjusted equipment to our needs.
This is something very simple that, unfortunately, not everyone has clear, in fact. it is still very common to find serious errors in low-cost PC assemblies that, in the end, can not only end up negatively affecting the user experience, but can also compromise the stability and security of the equipment.
I am aware of the importance of this, and so today I want to share with you a guide dedicated to going over five serious mistakes we should not make when assembling a low-cost PC. In each point I will explain to you the most important details of that particular mistakeand I will tell you how we can avoid it.
The guide is going to be clear, simple and easy to understand, but if you have any doubt when you finish reading it you can leave it in the comments and I will be happy to help you to solve it. Without further ado, let’s get down to business.
1.-Think that a low-cost PC will work with any power supply.
It is important to make it clear, before delving into this error, that there are many types of low-cost PCs, and therefore there may be cases where a particular assembly does work with any power supply. However, even in those cases it is advisable to choose a power supply that offers a minimum of quality.This is because this component will be responsible for supplying the equipment with the power it needs, and if it suffers a critical failure it can take other components with it.
A poor quality source is a time bomband in the end it is just a matter of time until it explodes. By this I do not mean that you need a particularly expensive power supply to assemble a low-cost PC, nothing further from the truth, but be clear that those models that offer a power of 500 or 600 watts for 15 euros or less are an option to avoid.
Think about the real power needs that the PC you are setting up will have, something that is very easy if you start from the base requirement of the graphics card you are going to use, and buy a power supply that exceeds that requirement a little. A power supply of acceptable quality and with a minimum of reliability. will always be reasonably priced for its power.
Thus, for example, a 500-watt source should hover around. between 35 and 45 euros in their most economical versions. Keep in mind that you will not need to mount a 100 euro power supply to enjoy a good user experience, and that there is life beyond premium brands. Nox and Aerocool power supplies have given me good results. If you have doubts about which power supply you need follow this link.
If you are not going to mount a dedicated graphics card you will not need a particularly powerful power supply, in fact in these cases a model between 300 and 350 watts is almost always sufficient. However, you should not rely on the cheapest power supply you can find. At this level it is normal to find reliable models. starting at 25 euros.
2.-Do without a dual-channel memory configuration.
It is common to encounter this error because many people believe that by using a single channel configuration they do not lose much performance, they save a few euros and only occupy one memory slot on the motherboard (this is important because most low-cost motherboards only come with two slots). Obviously, this is a serious mistake, and let’s see why.
It is true that not all applications and games benefit equally from a dual-channel memory configuration, but currently this type of configuration is key for processors to realize their full potential.thanks to the use of a 128-bit memory bus that we get by configuring the RAM in dual-channel. With a single channel configuration we would have a 64-bit bus.
Thanks to the 128-bit bus communications between the processor and the RAM are carried out at a higher speedand this has a positive impact on performance, especially at low resolutions. There are also professional applications that benefit greatly from dual-channel.
If it is the case that we are going to use a integrated GPU this mode will make a huge difference, as it determines the total memory bandwidth and can drastically reduce or increase the performance of the integrated graphics core (this uses RAM as graphics memory because it lacks it, which is not the case with a dedicated graphics card).
The price difference between buying one or two RAM modules will be minimal (less than €10) and the performance loss we will have to deal with. will not be worth itso don’t skimp and mount two dual-channel memory modules, even if you have a low budget. With few exceptions, this is the best option.
When choosing RAM memory we must prioritize the quantity and dual-channel configuration, these two points are not open to discussion, but we must not forget the speed and latencies either. If we talk about capacity, the ideal is to mount at least 8 GB for an office PC and 16 GB for a PC dedicated to games.both configurations must be dual-channel.
With respect to speed, a low-cost PC for office and basic tasks will not benefit as much from faster memory as a gaming PC, so is a more “expendable” point. However, in the case of a gaming computer, we should not go below a frequency of 3,200 MHz and CL16 latencies in case we use DDR4, and from 5,200 MHz and CL36 in case we mount DDR5.
3.-Buy the cheapest motherboard available.
This is another component to which we do not usually give the importance it really deserves, and it is a topic that we have already touched on in our guide to motherboards, but when we talk about assembling a low-cost PC becomes a much more important problem because, in the end, it is the one that usually suffers more cuts, and this can end up giving us. more than one headache.
Buying an inexpensive motherboard to assemble a low-cost PC is an excellent idea, but we must be careful and not go straight for the cheapest model we find. Before choosing you have to consider some basic things:
- Will the motherboard I am going to buy fit in my PC case?
- Is it compatible with all the components I will be using?
- Does it have a VRM powerful enough to drive the CPU I have chosen?
- Does it have enough connectors and ports?
- If using an integrated GPU, does it have the image connectors I will need?
If you don’t take all this into account you may end up buying a motherboard that is not able to optimally drive the processor you have chosen, and in extreme cases this could give you stability problems. It is also possible that it is not compatible with the SSD standard you have chosen and that it ends up working at a lower speed, or that it does not have the image output you need to connect your monitor if you use an integrated GPU.
Choosing the wrong motherboard can limit you a lot and give you serious problemsso be careful and always try to leave a small part of your budget reserved for choosing an inexpensive but well-fitted model for your equipment, and your needs. You may also encounter other minor but very annoying problems, such as the motherboard you have chosen not having enough USB ports to connect all your peripherals.
4.-Balancing too much in favor of one component.
When we have a limited budget, choosing the components to assemble a low-cost PC becomes very complicated. Since not all the assemblies have the same objective, it is normal that in some we prioritize certain components and that we invest in them a greater amount of money, but we should not go to the extreme of incurring in serious imbalances.because in the end it will be counterproductive and we will not enjoy a good experience.
I could give you many examples, but the most frequent and serious are the following:
- Mounting a very underpowered processor and a powerful graphics card, and vice versa.
- Reduce the investment in RAM and stay below the recommended minimum (mount 8 GB instead of 16 GB if we are going to play, for example).
- Choosing a cheap cooling system that will not be able to keep the temperatures of our processor at acceptable values.
It is fine to prioritize a component, but don’t go to the extreme of neglecting others which are also important. For example, if you want to build a low-cost PC for gaming the processor must be at least at the level of a Ryzen 5 3600/Ryzen 5 5500 or an Intel Core i7-8700/Intel Core i3-12100.
Continuing with that example we can say that a low cost gaming PC would have a serious imbalance if configured with. a dual-core CPU, or even if it uses a quad-core, quad-threaded chip.since none of these processors reach the recommended level of 6 cores and 12 threads, nor the minimum of 4 cores and 8 threads if you compensate with a very high IPC.
The truth is that with the prices that there are right now in the CPU sector. it doesn’t make sense to give up those minimumsThe difference between a quad-core, eight-thread processor and a six-core, twelve-thread processor, both with a good IPC, is around 30 euros. These savings will not allow us to improve other aspects of the PC to compensate for the loss of performance that we will have to assume.
5.-Forget the SSD and mount only a HDD
In this case I can come to understand that having to choose between performance and capacity, and the latter being such a limiting factor, some users still think that it is better to mount a 2TB HDD than a 512GB SSD. In terms of capacity, yes, the former is a better option, but when opting for a mechanical drive, the latter is a better choice. we will be giving up a lot of things:
- An SSD offers almost instantaneous access times, thanks to minimal latency. For the sake of clarity, HDD access times are measured in milliseconds, while SSD access times are measured in microseconds.
- The difference in terms of overall system fluidity and on/off times marked by an SSD are huge. The performance of an SSD is also light years ahead of that of an HDD.
- An SSD drastically reduces application and game load times, and allows graphics engines to better realize their potential in terms of streaming and loading assets in real time, which translates into greater fluidity and fewer popping problems.
- They are completely silent in operation, and are making an increasing difference in games and applications.
If you are really concerned about storage capacity you could opt for. mount a 256GB or 512GB SSD and pair it with a 1TB HDD as a secondary drive.. This would allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds with a very economical investment. If you have doubts about which SSD you should choose, I recommend you consult this guide, where you will find five mistakes you should not make when choosing your new SSD.
In extreme cases where the budget is very limited, it would even be better to mount a 128 GB SSD and accompany it with a 1 TB HDD, even if we have to limit the former to the operating system and basic applications. Nowadays not mounting an SSD is a very serious mistake, even in very low budget configurations, so be clear about it.
