60 SEPTEMBER 2019 |COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE 379
BUDGETPCs
01
Buildingyour own PC is often cheaper
than buying apre-madesystem, and
gives full controlover the components.You
don’t need any special computer knowledge:
just afew spare hours, ascrewdriverand
your choice of parts. Even things such as
liquid-coolingsystems can be found in
user-friendly,easy-to-install packages,and
forthe most part it’s as simple as inserting
each componentintoaparticularslot.02
Arguablythe most important
componentis the CPU. These days
you can get aquad-corechip even on atight
budget,which should provide more than
enoughbrainpowerforsimple tasks such as
web browsing,but hexa-coreand octa-core
chips are better fortougherjobs such as
media editing,gamingand content creation.
The CPU will also determinewhich
motherboardsyou can choosefrom.
Intel CPUs will only work with boardsthat
use an Intel chipset,like Z390, Z370 and
B360, while AMD processorsneed AMD
chipsets,such as X470 and B450.03
When choosingamotherboard,think
about both the size of the PC’s
chassis(smallercases won’t fit larger ATXor
EATX boards,forinstance)and how manyChoosing a... Custom PCspec
additionalcomponentsyou’ll want to install.
Forsystems with alot of expansioncards
(such as graphicscards, sound cards or Wi-Fi
cards), it’s best to go with ATXmotherboards
and larger.For simplerbuilds, microATX or
Mini-ITXboardscould well provide all the
connectivityyou need. Keep in mind, too,
that if you want to try overclocking,only
certainIntel chipsetswill supportit, such as
Z370 and Z390. AMD is more relaxed,
enablingoverclockingon all its Ryzen-
compatiblechipsets,except A320 and A300.04
While CPU integrated graphicswill
suffice foreverydaybrowsing,a
dedicated graphicscard is essentialfor
high-qualitygaming.These can be installedin
aPCI-E x16 slot on your motherboard,and
have the bonus of adding more display
outputsto use –just make sure the card
will fit inside your chosencase.05
On the subjectof cases, personal
tastewill factor highly here: nobody
wants an ugly PC. That said, pickingachassis
with adequatespace forcomponentsis vital.
As alreadymentioned,an ATXmotherboard
likely won’t fit in amini-tower case,and if
you want to install alot of hard disks, you’ll
need acase with sufficientdrive bays.06
Every PC requiresRAM and aPSU.
Performancedoesn’t vary much
betweenspecificmodels,but generallyyou
should aim for8GB of RAM forabasic build
and 16GB forhigher-end systems, and at least
a550W,Bronze-certifiedPSU. It’s better to
buy ahigher-wattage PSU than you strictly
need, as it will allow you to add more
componentsin the future.Also,check which
RAM is compatiblewith your motherboard
before buying,althoughforall current
modelsit’s probablygoing to be DDR4.07
Our recommendedstorage setup
comprisesboth an SSD and alarger
mechanicalhard disk. By installingWindows
(and afew choice applications)on the SSD,
you can ensure fast bootingand loading
times, while the HDD is acost-effectiveway
of storing lots of files. Alternatively,you
could buy ahard disk, and then install an
Intel OptaneMemorymoduleto accelerate
its writespeeds to SSD levels, althoughsince
SSDs are barely more expensivethan Optane
drives, this is perhapsbetter forsituations
when you want to upgradefrom an existing
hard disk, rather than when you’re buildinga
whole new system. In the latter case,anSSD/
HDD combois better all round. See page 58
forour recommendedstorage drives.ASROCKFatal1tyAB3
Gaming-ITX/ac
★★★★★
£95•www.cclonline.comAMDRyzen32200G
★★★★★
£79•www.amzn.to/2TImlHhTiny it maybe, but the AB350 makes the
most of what space it has available.Multiple display
outputs,arear-mounted M.2 port and onboardWi-Fi
mean it almost has the specs of arespectableATXmodel.This pluckyquad-core
chip is decentlyfast,
comes bundledwith its
own cooler and –unlike most Ryzen chips
–includesintegrated RadeonRX Vega gra h
It’s therefore particularlyideal if you don’t need the added power
of dedicated graphics.
PROCESSORSOCKETAM4•DIMENSIONS170x170mm•CHIPSETAMDB350•MEMORYSLOTS (^2) • PCI-EX16SLOTS (^1) • PCI-EX1SLOTS (^0) • PCISLOTS (^0) • USBPORTS2xUSB2,2xUSB3,
1xUSBType-C•VIDEOOUTPUTS2xHDMI•WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.asrock.
com•PARTCODE90-MXB5P0-A0UAYZ•FULLREVIEWJul2018
SOCKETAM4•CORES (^4) • FREQUENCY3.4GHz•INTEGRATEDGRAPHICSAMDRadeonRX
Vega8•WARRANTYThreeyearsRTB•DETAILSwww.amd.com•PARTCODEYD2200C5FBBOX
- FULLREVIEWJul2018
ZOTACGeForceGTX1050Ti Mini
★★★★★
£140•www.amzn.to/2Qi7bG7SILVERSTONE
PrecisionSeriesPS15
★★★★★
£40•www.scan.co.uk An optionalpurcha
thanks to the Ryze
CPU’s onboard
graphics,but if you’d like aspot of
1080p gamingcapability,the GTX 1
is the best budgetGPU around.Zo
compactdesign will allow it to easily
small cases, too.As long as you work within its limit as
amicroATX chassis,the PS15 is a
great fit forbudget builds. Despitecosting apittance,
it’s well designedand can take amultitudeof fans and radiators, so
all-in-onewatercoolingis apossibilityforfuture upgrades.GPUNvidiaGeForceGTX1050Ti•MEMORY4GBGDDR5•GRAPHICSCARDLENGTH145mm•
WARRANTYFiveyearsRTB•DETAILSwww.zotac.com•PARTCODEZT-P10510A-10L•FULL
REVIEWNov2017CASETYPEMinitower•MOTHERBOARDTYPEMicroATX,Mini-ITX•SUPPLIEDFANS1x120mm- MAXIMUMDRIVEBAYS1x3.5in,3x2.5in•DIMENSIONS381x192x351mm•WEIGHT3.5kg•
WARRANTYOneyearRTB•DETAILSwww.silverstonetk.com•PARTCODESST-PS15B-G•
FULLREVIEWAug2019
350
AB350 mak thechase,
yzen1050 Ti
tac’s
asily fit inA
G
★★
£95G
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