Building a cheap computer always forces us to make some sacrifices, though if we know where to cut Eventually we will have no problem and be able to assemble a fully functional, reliable team well suited to our needs.

This is something very simple, which, unfortunately, is not really clear to everyone it is still very common to find serious errors in low-cost PC builds, which ultimately can not only negatively affect the user experience, but can also threaten the stability and security of the device.

I am aware of the importance of this, and for this reason I want to share with you today a guide dedicated to reviewing the five major mistakes that should not be made when building a budget PC. at every point I will explain the most important details of this particular errorand I will tell you how we can avoid it.

The guide will be clear, simple and easy to understand, but if you have any questions after reading, feel free to leave them in the comments and I will be happy to help you solve it. Without further ado, let’s get down to business.

1.-Think that a cheap PC will work with any power source

Before delving into this error, it’s important to understand that there are many types of budget computers, and therefore there may be cases where a particular build works with any power supply. However, even in these cases, it is advisable to choose a source that offers us the minimum qualitybecause this component will be in charge of supplying the device with the necessary power and if a critical failure occurs, it can take other components with it.

Poor quality source it’s a ticking time bomb, and eventually it’s only a matter of time before it explodes. This is not to say that you need a particularly expensive power supply to build a cheap PC, nothing could be further from the truth, but rest assured that those models that offer 500 or 600 watts of power for 15 euros or less are an option to avoid.

Think about the actual power needs of the computer you’re building, which is very easy if you start with the base requirement of the graphics card you’ll be using and buy a power supply that slightly exceeds those requirements. A power supply of acceptable quality and minimal reliability It will always have a reasonable price for its power.

So for example a 500 watt power supply should be around between 35 and 45 euros in its cheaper versions. Keep in mind that you won’t need to install a 100 euro power supply for a good user experience and that there is life outside of premium brands. Without further ado, the Nox and Aerocool sources gave me good results. If in doubt about what power supply you need please follow this link.

If you are not going to install a dedicated graphics card, you will not need a particularly powerful power supply, because in these cases a model between 300 and 350 watts will almost always suffice. However, you should not trust yourself and go with the cheapest power supply you can find. It is normal to find reliable models at this level from 25 euros.

2.-You don’t have to configure the dual-channel memory

It is common to find this error because many believe that they are not losing much performance by using a single channel configuration, save a few euros and they only take up one memory slot on the motherboard (this is important because most cheap motherboards only have two slots). Obviously, this is a serious mistake, and we’ll see why.

It is true that not all applications and games benefit equally from a dual-channel memory configuration, but this type of configuration is currently the way to go it is crucial for processors to develop their full potential, thanks to the use of a 128-bit memory bus, which is achieved by configuring RAM in dual channel. With a single-channel configuration, we would have a 64-bit bus.

Thanks to the 128-bit bus communication between the processor and the RAM takes place at a higher speed, and this has a positive impact on its performance, especially at low resolutions. There are also professional applications that benefit greatly from dual channel.

If we happen to use a integrated GPU this mode will make a huge difference because it determines the total memory bandwidth and can drastically reduce or increase the performance of the integrated graphics core (it 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 memory modules will be minimal (less than 10 euros) and the loss of performance we will have to face it won’t be worth it, so do not skimp and mount two memory modules in two channels, even if you have a low budget. With few exceptions, this is the best option.

When choosing RAM, we must prioritize the amount and dual-channel configuration, these two points cannot be debated, but we must not forget speed and latency either. If we are talking about capacity, mounting is ideal at least 8 GB for office PCs and 16 GB for dedicated gaming PCsboth configurations must go in two channels.

In terms of speed, a cheap PC for office and basic tasks won’t benefit as much from faster memory as a gaming PC, so This is a more “dispensable” point. However, in the case of gaming equipment, we should not go below the frequency 3200 MHz and CL16 latency in case we use DDR4, a 5200 MHz and CL36 in case we mount DDR5.

3.-Buy the cheapest motherboard available

This is another one of those components that we don’t usually give as much importance as it really deserves, and it’s a topic we’ve already touched on in our motherboard guide, but when we’re talking about building a budget computer, it becomes very important because it’s in the end, the one who usually suffers the most cuts, and this can end up being more like a headache.

Buying a cheap motherboard to build a cheap PC is a great idea, but we have to be careful not to go straight for the cheapest model we can find. Before choosing you have to consider some things which are basic:

• Will the motherboard I buy fit into the PC case?
• Is it compatible with all the components I will be using?
• Do you have a powerful enough VRM to drive the CPU I chose?
• Do you have enough connectors and ports?
• If I’m using an integrated GPU, do you have the video connectors I’ll need?

If you do not take all of this into account, it may happen that you buy a motherboard that will not be able to optimally drive your chosen processor and in extreme cases this could cause stability problems. There’s also the possibility that it’s not compatible with the SSD standard you’ve chosen and ends up running at a slower speed, or that it doesn’t have the video output you need to connect a monitor if you’re using an integrated GPU.

Choosing the wrong motherboard it can limit you a lot and cause serious problemsSo be careful and always try to keep a small part of your budget reserved for choosing an economical model that is well adapted to your equipment and your needs. You could also run into other minor but very annoying problems, such as your chosen motherboard not having enough USB ports to connect all your peripherals.

4.-Excessive imbalance in favor of the component

When we have a limited budget, choosing components to build a cheap PC becomes very complicated. Since not all builds have the same goal, it’s normal to favor certain components in some and to invest more money in them, but We must not go to extremes to get seriously imbalancedbecause it will end up being counterproductive and we won’t have a good experience.

I could give many examples, but the most common and serious are the following:

• Install a very low-power processor and a powerful graphics card and vice versa.
• Reduce your investment in RAM and stay below the recommended minimum (if we’re going to play, for example, mount 8GB instead of 16GB).
• Choosing a cheap cooling system that will not be able to keep the temperatures of our processor at acceptable values.

It’s fine to prioritize the component but do not go to the extreme of neglecting others which are also important. For example, if you want to build a cheap gaming PC, the processor must be at least Ryzen 5 3600/Ryzen 5 5500 or Intel Core i7-8700/Intel Core i3-12100.

Continuing with this example, we can say that a cheap gaming PC would be seriously unbalanced if configured with a dual-core CPU, or even if you’re using a quad-core, quad-threaded chipbecause none of these processors reach the recommended level of 6 cores and 12 threads, nor the minimum of 4 cores and 8 threads, if it compensates for the very high IPC.

The truth is that with the prices that are currently in the CPU sector it makes no sense to give up the minimums, as the difference between a processor with four cores and eight threads and another with six cores and twelve threads, both with good IPC, is around 30 euros. This saving 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 one HDD

In this case, I understand that when I have to choose between performance and capacity, and the latter is 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 if you opt for a mechanical unit we give up many things:

• SSDs offer near-instant access times thanks to minimal latency. To be clear, HDD access times are measured in milliseconds, while SSD access times are measured in microseconds.
• The difference in terms of overall system smoothness and on and off times that an SSD makes is huge. SSD performance is also light years ahead of HDD.
• SSDs drastically reduce the load times of apps and games and allow the graphics engines to better develop their potential at the level of streaming and loading resources in real time, which translates into more fluidity and fewer stuttering problems.
• Their operation is completely silent and makes an ever-increasing difference in games and applications.

If you are really concerned about storage capacity, you can opt for connect a 256 GB or 512 GB SSD and complement it with a 1 TB HDD as a secondary drive. This would allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds with a relatively cheap investment. If you’re in doubt about which SSD you should choose, I suggest you take a look at this guide for five mistakes you shouldn’t make when choosing your new SSD.

In extreme cases where the budget limits us a lot, it would be even better to install a 128 GB SSD and complement it with a 1 TB HDD unit, although we have to limit the first to the operating system and basic applications. Today, not using an SSD is a very serious mistake even in very low-budget configurations, so clearly.