3 survival tips for ‘budget’ PC building in brutal times

PC building sucks right now. At least, it does for anyone on a budget—even a reasonable one.

This reality is documented in stark, painful detail by my colleague Mike Crider, who attempted to put together a decent gaming PC for under $1,000. Nothing too fancy by pre-RAMpocalypse standards: a six-core, 12-thread CPU, RTX 5060 8GB GPU, 1TB SSD, 32GB DDR5 memory. Modest air cooler, case, and PSU.

Grand total? About $1,250, including sales tax. In the beforetimes, you would have paid around $800. Possibly less, with good deals.

Even a reliable escape route—pre-built computers—isn’t the haven we’d hope for. As Mike also details, you’ll save maybe a couple hundred bucks, with the compromise of unknown power supplies and possible proprietary configurations. And you may need to live near a particular retailer to get the best possible specs. Mike was able to find a Dell pre-built with similar specs to his build list, but with an upgrade to a 5060 Ti 8GB GPU for $1,000. But you have to live near a Micro Center (all hail PC building mecca) to get one.

So what to do if you’re still looking to build a new PC? Or at least, a solid refresh? I have a few tips.

First: Look for bundles. This strategy works for upgrades and new builds alike. In the past few weeks, I’ve spotted several excellent motherboard and RAM bundles—some for the same price as the RAM alone, if bought separately. You don’t have to settle for ones with just a lone DIMM of memory, either. The bundles I saw (and liked) all had two DIMMs and decent speeds. (The latest one to cross my feed was DDR5-6000.)

Second: If rolling a brand-new computer, you can stretch your dollars even further if you don’t mind shopping on a slow schedule. Buy the bundle when you can get it. Buy the other components when you spot a good deal. Crowdsourced deal sites like Slickdeals are useful for finding sales, as is monitoring /r/buildapcsales on Reddit.

(I know, this advice goes against conventional wisdom. But real talk, we are no longer on a normal timeline. Releases have slowed to a crawl for consumer hardware. Right now, depreciation is not a major factor.)

Third: Look for high-performing older hardware. Intel can be a good option here, as its Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and Raptor Lake Refresh parts (12th to 14th gen) can be used in motherboards that support both DDR4 and DDR5, giving you flexibility to upgrade your memory down the road if you feel particularly strong about it. You can go new or used for this route—hunt for the best prices and most reputable sellers. 

Now is a rough time to build, yes. Mike’s PC building exercise shows that clearly. It also is an (unwanted) reminder that it wasn’t long ago that purpose-driven builds were the norm. Gaming PC? Didn’t need as much memory. Mostly web browsing with only periodic gaming? Didn’t need as powerful a GPU. We’ve returned to a time where most of us can’t buy a ton of performance. No more throwing everything into a build for funsies or “just in case.”

I’m glad a sliver of breathing room at least exists, though. #teambundle

In this episode of The Full Nerd

In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith dissect our feelings on AMD’s new Ryzen 7 9850X3D, what would make a version two of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D stand out, and the fragile, withered trust we users have in Microsoft right now.

Adam also willfully confuses Korean fried chicken with KFC—an appalling error on his part. (Meanwhile, I’m still contemplating if I should hit Popeye’s this week.)

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Don’t miss out on our NEW shows too—you can catch episodes of Dual Boot Diaries and The Full Nerd: Extra Edition on our channel, too. PLUS: Adam just teased episode zero for his new joint endeavor with Retro Gaming Corps…

And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.

This week’s packed nerd news

I expected a slower news period still, but this past week proved me utterly wrong. Some urgent security alerts, a major anniversary for a seminal game, possible hints at the next Xbox, cool science stuff—so much popped up in my feed!

• Update Notepad++ ASAP: This popular alternative to the Windows Notepad app was compromised between June and December 2025—its creator says the issue is now fixed, but advises a manual reinstallation.

• Okay, this is pretty rad: MIT researchers outlined a process for converting heat generated by computer components into more performance.

• Speaking of waste heat: The Large Hadron Collider’s excess heat is being used to warm nearby homes in France. Magnifique.

• New Xbox in 2027? AMD’s wording suggests a launch could be next year—but doesn’t definitively confirm it. (Seems like when you’re ready to leave for a party, but are still waiting on other people you’re traveling with.)

• Sounds dangerously addicting: But also kind of irresistible. I can’t say I still trust Wikipedia, but being served random articles sounds like a much better alternative to doomscrolling.

• My first multiplayer game just turned 30: Happy birthday, Duke Nukem 3D. I remember struggling to establish a peer-to-peer connection with a 14.4 modem and still thinking how cool it was. (Also, you haven’t experienced lag until you try that.)

• Back we go: NASA is sending the Artemis II to explore the dark side of the Moon—and this beautifully glossy NatGeo coverage digs into the details.

• Oooh: Shoutout as usual to Mark Tyson over at Tom’s Hardware for this find. I like books. I like PCs. I like Tokyo. Gorgeous PCB bookmarks showing Tokyo Metro maps? Heck yes.

• Update your Bluetooth devices now: A vulnerability can allow hackers to track your location through Bluetooth accessories. Given how many BT headphones, mice, etc., I manage for myself and family, seems like my weekend plans are set…

• A whole new take on ‘mini-PC’: Chinese scientists have invented a computer chip as thin as a strand of hair. Truly can’t wait to see if this ever crosses over to medical applications.

• Vindication: I never was onboard with 8K—but couldn’t openly admit this during its buzz. (Cool tech, little practical application.) Consumers sided with me on this one, though.

• Would you use a second Windows taskbar? I like the power user angle, but I’m also weird about clutter in my user interfaces. Maybe I could get used to it.

• A sad (and cautionary) tale: Honestly, I should probably think about updating or replacing a couple of my own power supplies, given their age…

• Speaking of ChromeOS: During this week’s show, we touched briefly on ChromeOS’s coming fate, given Google’s focus on AluminumOS. I may not need to stress yet about an immediate turnover (…Though we are talking about Google here).

• A lovely love letter: THe Nvidia Shield is still kicking on, much to my astonishment—and this piece from Ars Technica does a fantastic job of chronicling its endurance.

• A keeper: Sometimes, it really is the thought that counts. (Especially when the result is so cute—and the reason for the creativity painfully relatable.)

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means I’m eagerly anticipating Feb. 15—aka discounted candy sales day. Perhaps not coincidentally, I have started looking more seriously into workout apps.

Catch you all next week!

Alaina
This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.