When it comes to upgrading or building a PC, there is always one question that comes to mind: Which set offers top-notch performance without breaking the bank? With so many options available in the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the best components that suit your needs and budget.
In this blog post, we will explore some of the best sets of components that provide excellent performance without breaking the bank. We will cover processors, motherboards, graphics cards, RAM, and storage. By the end of this post, you will have a better idea of what components to choose to build a budget-friendly yet powerful PC.
1. Processor
The processor is the heart of any computer, and it is essential to choose the right one to get the best performance. AMD and Intel are the two most popular processor manufacturers in the market, and both offer excellent performance at different price points.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is one of the best budget-friendly processors currently available in the market. It is a six-core, twelve-thread CPU with a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz. It supports PCIe 4.0, and it comes with a Wraith Stealth cooler. It has a TDP of 65 watts, which means it can easily be used with a budget-friendly power supply unit.
Intel Core i5-11600K
The Intel Core i5-11600K is another budget-friendly processor that offers excellent performance. It is a six-core, twelve-thread CPU with a base clock speed of 3.9 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.9 GHz. It supports PCIe 4.0, and it comes with an Intel stock cooler. It has a TDP of 125 watts, which means it requires a more powerful power supply unit.
2. Motherboard
Choosing the right motherboard is essential to ensure that all the components are compatible with each other and to get the best possible performance from the processor and other components. There are many budget-friendly motherboards available in the market, but we will cover the best ones for AMD and Intel processors.
AMD B450 Motherboards
The AMD B450 chipset is a budget-friendly option that offers excellent performance and features for Ryzen processors. The following motherboards are our top picks:
ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING
The ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING is a premium-looking motherboard that offers excellent performance and features. It has an ATX form factor, four DIMM slots that support up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, and two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. It also has two M.2 slots for storage, six SATA ports, and onboard Wi-Fi.
GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI
The GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI is another excellent budget-friendly motherboard that offers great performance and features. It has an ATX form factor, four DIMM slots that support up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, and two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. It also has two M.2 slots for storage, six SATA ports, and onboard Wi-Fi.
Intel Z590 Motherboards
The Intel Z590 chipset is the latest chipset for Intel processors, and it offers excellent performance and features. The following motherboards are our top picks:
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO
The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XIII HERO is a premium-looking motherboard that offers excellent performance and features. It has an ATX form factor, four DIMM slots that support up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM, and three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots. It also has four M.2 slots for storage, six SATA ports, and onboard Wi-Fi.
GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS MASTER
The GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS MASTER is another excellent budget-friendly motherboard that offers great performance and features. It has an ATX form factor, four DIMM slots that support up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM, and three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots. It also has three M.2 slots for storage, six SATA ports, and onboard Wi-Fi.
3. Graphics Card
The graphics card is another essential component of a PC, especially if you are into gaming or graphics-intensive applications. NVIDIA and AMD are the top two graphics card manufacturers in the market, and both offer excellent performance at different price points.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super is one of the best budget-friendly graphics cards currently available in the market. It offers excellent performance for 1080p gaming and can handle some games at 1440p too. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a base clock speed of 1530 MHz, and a boost clock speed of 1785 MHz. It requires a 450-watt power supply unit and is compatible with most motherboards.
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is another excellent budget-friendly graphics card that offers even better performance than the GTX 1660 Super. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a base clock speed of 1605 MHz, and a boost clock speed of 1905 MHz. It requires a 600-watt power supply unit and is compatible with most motherboards.
4. RAM
RAM is another essential component of a PC that affects its overall performance. It is essential to choose the right RAM that is compatible with the motherboard and provides sufficient performance for your needs.
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4-3200
The Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4-3200 is one of the best budget-friendly RAM kits currently available in the market. It offers excellent performance and is compatible with most motherboards. It comes with two 8 GB DIMMs and has a low profile design that makes it compatible with most CPU coolers.
5. Storage
Storage is another critical component of a PC that affects its overall performance. It is essential to choose the right storage that provides fast read and write speeds and sufficient storage capacity for your needs.
Samsung 970 EVO 1 TB NVMe SSD
The Samsung 970 EVO 1 TB NVMe SSD is one of the best budget-friendly storage options currently available in the market. It offers excellent read and write speeds and has a storage capacity of 1 TB, which is sufficient for most users. It requires an M.2 slot on the motherboard and is compatible with most motherboards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, building a budget-friendly yet powerful PC is possible with the right set of components. We have covered some of the best processors, motherboards, graphics cards, RAM, and storage options that offer excellent performance without breaking the bank. With these components, you can build a PC that suits your needs and budget and provides excellent performance for gaming, productivity, or any other use case.
Remember to check the compatibility of the components before purchasing them and choose the right power supply unit that can handle the power requirements of the components. With these tips in mind, you can build a powerful PC that meets your needs without breaking the bank.