How to build a good budget gaming computer

There are five important components which need to be selected carefully before you build a custom gaming computer.

• Motherboard
• Processor
• Graphics Card
• PSU
• RAM 

The difference between an average and an advanced gaming computer is not much.In most cases the difference might be just a few frame rates but the cost difference might be huge.Let me explain more about the important components required for building a custom gaming computer below.

Graphics Card:

A Graphics Card is a component which brings the display to the monitor.The different kinds of graphics cards available are DDR3,DDR5,1GB,2GB,5GB etc.Dont get confused with the variety of options available in the market.

Set your priorities right.Ask yourself what kind of games you are going to play?

In case if you just want to play games like Farmville,Mafia wars or a few other online games there is no point going for a high range graphics card.In fact since these days motherboards have an integrated graphics that should easily suffice the needs for online gaming.

If however you like playing games such as Black Ops II,Assassin's Creed or Need for speed you can go in for a mid range or high range graphics card.The only reason why i do not say low range is because a low range graphics card will not perform any better than an inbuilt graphics card on a motherboard. 

A few common questions you might have on graphics card are answered below:

Where to fix the graphics card in the motherboard?

Since 2002 all graphics cards are inserted in the  PCI Express or PCIe interface and are fit in a PCIe X16 slot. (Dont confuse this with a PCI slot which is entirely different)

How to find out if the motherboard has a PCIe Slot?


Most of the information will be available through internet itself.So do a google search or alternatively check the manual of the motherboard.If none of the options help you find if your motherboard has a PCIe slot as a last resort check it inside the cabinet physically.

What if the motherboard doesn't have a PCIe slot?


A motherboard with a PCIe Slot is required to insert a PCIe Graphics Card.If you don't find the slot in your motherboard buy a new one.

Will a PCIe 2.0 or 2.1 card work on a motherboard that has PCIe 1.0 ?


yes it will work fine as all PCIe cars until now are backward and forward compatible.

Which slots did the the earlier graphic card use?


Earlier graphics cards were inserted in a AGP Card Slot which is different in comparison to PCIe

My motherboard has DDR2 RAM. Will a graphic card with GDDR3 or GDDR5 memory work?


The RAM/memory on your motherboard is different in comparison to the Graphics card PCIe slot. All that a graphic card needs is a PCIe slot and it will work.As long as you have a PCI'E slot you should be good to go.

Motherboard:

A motherboard is like a phone switchboard.If you have a land line phone the phone company will give you the connection through their main switchboard similarly motherboard provides power to the components inside the cabinet through a PSU and helps them work hand in hand
 

The central processing unit (CPU, occasionally central processor unit) is the hardware within a computer system which carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in use in the computer industry at least since the early 1960s.The form, design, and implementation of CPUs have changed dramatically since the earliest examples, but their fundamental operation remains much the same.In short a processing unit is what determines the speed at which the computer runs

RAM:

A RAM or Random Access Memory is a temporary storage slot for a computer.RAM comes of different types such as DDR2,DDR3 etc.Depending on the motherboards Capability a RAM can be chosen even though in most cases they are backward compatible.With windows 8 launch expected in the near future its good to have a minimum 2GB ram incase you are using an external graphics card of 3 GB incase you are using an inbuilt graphics card(As the portion of the RAM will be taken by graphics card)




PSU(Power Supply Unit):

I have had a best experience of changing the power supply unit thrice since i purchased the computer.The basic thing to know is the power supply is the amount of power that will be pulled out from the electrical socket which is distributed to the components of the computer inside the cabinet.The more the components the more the power will be required.Its always a good idea these days to have a minimum 600 Watts PSU from a good company which should be future proof.Apart from these the Cabinet,monitor,Keyboard and mouse can be any of your liking as they wont effect your gaming to that extent.

Now you know what components are used for.So i will get into how you can get a budget computer.Its always a good idea to do some research either in ebay or newegg and check for deals.If you buy a computer which is company built it is always likely to be expensive but if you build a custom gaming computer it will definitely be lot cheaper.Depending on the deals you are getting you can buy different components from different websites or dealers where you get the best bet and build it or if you are not techie you can ask a professional to do it for you.