Building a gaming PC is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. The aim was to build one from parts that each cost less than $50 USD. I ended up getting all the parts except for the motherboard for a price under the limit.
- As I mentioned I looked for parts that cost under $50 USD. This decision was in attempt to avoid the Jamaica Customs import fee which, as of building it this PC, is charged on goods valued at over $50 USD.
- Due to the 2020 pandemic prices of computer parts have risen, especially GPUs, which is part of the reason I went for a CPU that comes with integrated graphics.
- Cost to clear items when they arrive in the country differ due to different factors such as weight and which freight fowarding companies were used.
- AMD was a good choice for this project, especially since they come with CPU coolers and sometimes thermal paste pre-applied.
AMD Athlon 3000G with Integrated Radeon Vega 3 Graphics
16GB DDR4 3200 (2 x 8GB Sticks)
256GB SSD and 1TB HDD
I used PCPartPicker to locate parts, compare the prices across different sellers, and check for compatibility between the different parts. Started off by identifying which CPU I wanted to use, then finding a compatibile motherboard and RAM. I figured those were the most important parts to get out of the way first.
It runs games quite well. So far I've tested it with games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Apex Legends and GTA V. I also used UserBenchmark for additional performance checks. The results can be viewed in the PDF included.
Prices may have varied since I purchased these. Some of these items had tax applied to them which brought the price up a little. In the case of the CPU the price was $49 USD but tax brought it to a little around $52. I was only charged for the value.
| Part | Price (USD) | Cost to clear (JMD) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | $52.43 | $758.48 |
| Motherboard | $69.54 | $0.00 |
| RAM (x2) | $81.96 | $1,500 |
| Power Supply | $43.69 | $2,385.46 |
| Case | $48.14 | $4,310.46 |
| SSD | $34.99 | $750 |
| HDD | $48.14 | $1,050 |
| Fans | $14.99 | $1,650 |
| Total parts cost (USD) | Total cost to clear (JMD) |
|---|---|
| $393.88 | $12,404.40 |
- Installing a CPU - How To: Basics by Linus Tech Tips
- How to Choose a Motherboard: 3 Levels of Skill by Paul's Hardware
- How to Install DDR4 RAM by Builds With V
- Choosing the Right PC Power Supply (PSU) as Fast As Possible by Techquickie
- Modular vs Non Modular Power Supplies as Fast As Possible by Techquickie
- AMD Athlon 3000G | Vega 3 benchmark test in 16 games by Benchmark Tests
- My parts list on PCPartPicker