Building a Gaming Computer for $800

By building our own gaming rig we can definitely save some money compared to buying a pre-built one from the stores.
The parts needed are listed below, and we've made sure they all work well together to play the latest games. Also great for video editing, game streaming, game design, graphic design, and video/sound editing.

The Computer Tower
A spacious and cool tower. The Thermaltake Tower comes with four 12v fans, so we won't have to get a whole lot of extra cooling. And it has a controllable lights to customize the look.

Motherboard
The motherboard is the main piece of hardware that you will connect everything else to.
It has USB ports, audio input/output, and slots for all the parts we will need.
The MSI Motherboard is perfect for 8th generation intel chips and highly upgradable in the future for multiple graphics cards, more RAM, or basically whatever you'll need to do.

Graphics Card
This graphics card can connect to up to two HDMI screens as well as a PCI express monitor. The power of this graphics card is pretty amazing for the price.

Processor
With 6 Cores up to 4.1 GHz in Turbo mode, the Intel i5 is great for gaming. An ideal processor for our build.

Power Supply
All of the internal hardware needs power. This 500 Watts power supply is what we need. The power supply generally comes with enough cables for the typical hardware.

Hard Drive
One terabyte of storage space is enough for several games. The WD harddrives are very long lasting and secure in my experience.

Solid State Drive
For extra speed and performance in your favorite game (and operating system) you should get a secondary SSD Hard Drive. Maybe start with a 120gb Crucial SSD

Memory (RAM)

16 GB of RAM is good enough for games. This corsair pair is a gamer's choice. The board we're using can hold up to 4 RAM chips.

DVD Drive
Any DVD ROM will do. We mostly just need them to install games and maybe watch dvds. It's also a DVDRW for recording your own mixtape CDs or DVDs.

I recommend looking for a keyboard you like. Saitek's slick looking gaming keyboards with backlit keys and wide button placement are ideal for gaming. The keyboard is soft and silent, has macro functions, and adjustable height and angle. I've had mine since 2013.

Extra Cooling

Our tower has a lot of cooling, but two of these wouldn't hurt as backup fans.

Gaming Mouse

I suggest looking for a mouse you will like. I have always been happy with Logitech's ergonomic mice with programmable functions. For gaming I recommend going with wired mouse, and not wireless. Both for speed and to save money. And you don't want to run low on battery in the middle of a game!


HDMI Cables 
For connecting your computer to your HDTV or monitor

Total = $812

This build does not include a monitor. You can use a HDTV as a Computer Monitor for now if you have one.

You will also need a copy of Windows 10 Home Edition or your favorite operating system. (Windows is best for gaming).

We also just counted one type of HD. If you're interested it saving even more money read our older article building a gaming rig for under $600. You might have to search around for some of the older AMD parts, I still have that build and it plays many games just fine in 2019

Extras
Xbox One Controller or the Steam Controller.

Both are excellent choices for PC gaming (yes Xb1 controller works in windows right out of the box). The steam controller has switched out the right analog stick for a touch sensitive pad, which can be a bit unusual for gaming. But good as an alternative mouse or Virtual Device.

If you need a monitor check out one of these 17 inch monitors for under $200.

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