How to Build a Well-Rounded, Budget Desktop
Last Updated on April 22, 2024
At first blush, purchasing a desktop computer does not seem like a terribly difficult or complicated undertaking. For the average consumer, the process is no more difficult than purchasing a fan or television from the local appliance store. This would be all well and good, but it is by no means the most cost-efficient way. The more prudent option would be to build a desktop from its constituent parts, from the processor to the power supply. This approach requires more time and some research, but, in the end, it yields better results. The benefits of building a desktop from scratch are further accentuated in countries with high import taxes and logistic costs. In this essay, I will outline the parts needed to build a ₱26,000 desktop, composed of brand new parts suitable for light gaming and productivity. As a helpful aside, buying second-hand components usually leads to better price-to-performance at the cost of possible longevity. The table below breaks down the parts that will be used:
Let us begin with the processor. The Ryzen 7 5700G is a powerhouse of a processor, sporting 8 Zen 3 cores, 16 threads, and a max boost clock of 4.6 GHz. However, the processor’s main selling point is its comparatively powerful integrated graphics. Back in the day, a discrete graphics card was required to play games, but technology has advanced to a point where this is not strictly true anymore. Note: While this processor can handle games, do not expect it to play the latest ones at the highest resolutions. The power supply I chose is a frequent and well-respected choice for budget desktop builds. I picked out a 16GB dual-channel kit of DDR4 RAM from Kingston. The performance of this build heavily depends on how much and how fast the RAM is. The motherboard is a standard AM4 motherboard, but because it uses the B450 chipset, it supports overclocking. The storage is just a standard NVMe drive from Kingston. The desktop case is from a lesser-known brand, but given the build quality and pre-installed chassis fans, it is worth the price.
I have mentioned it before, but I will say it again: do not expect this desktop to play games or render videos at breakneck speed. As with most things, the price is directly proportional to the performance or efficiency. That said, this build will still allow the leisurely gamer to play older games at higher resolutions while still managing to play newer games at lower, more modest resolutions. Ultimately, it is about tempering expectations. The build would greatly benefit from a discrete graphics card, but this would force us to sacrifice a little processor power and go over our budget. Should that be the desired path to take, the Ryzen 7 5700G should be replaced with the following:
The Ryzen 5 5500 is a Zen 3 processor sporting 6 cores and 12 threads with a max boost clock of 4.2 GHz. It is somewhat slower than the Ryzen 7 5700G, but it does not fall too far behind in terms of processor power. The most challenging aspect of this approach is finding a brand new RX 550. I am not even sure if they produce those anymore, but if they are available, it is a decent choice. Compared to the original build, these modifications will allow for higher resolutions and framerates in newer games. Hopefully, someday I can present a step-by-step guide for building this desktop, but, for now, there are plenty of guides out there.
