Affordable Non-Gamer Desktop: Discover the Ideal $250 Custom PC Built Just For You

Key Takeaways

• A $250 PC build can handle everyday computing tasks like web browsing and document editing efficiently.
• Components included in the build: Intel Core i3-10100 or Athlon 200GE CPU, RAM, Motherboard, SSD, PSU, and Zalman T8 Case.
• Upgrades like additional RAM, PSU, and video card can enhance performance, but prices for upgrades can range from $250 to $1,000.

There are many fancy gaming PC builds out there, but what about PCs for everyone else? Is it even possible to build a PC for less than $250 that can manage most of your tasks? If you’re not a gamer and just need a reliable computer for everyday tasks, I’ve put together a $250 PC build that’s perfect for folks like you.

You might be thinking, “What can I really do with a $250 PC?” Plenty! This budget-friendly rig is more than capable of handling your daily computing needs, like browsing the web, streaming videos, working on documents, and even some light photo editing. It’s not going to beat any speed records, but it’ll get the job done without putting a huge dent in your wallet.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the essential components you need for this $250 PC build. We’ll cover the processor, RAM, storage, motherboard, power supply, and even the case. Don’t worry if some of these terms sound like gibberish to you – I’ll explain everything in a way that’s easy to understand. Let’s dive in!

Processor (CPU) - The Brains of the Operation

AMD

A processor (also known as the CPU ) is responsible for all the processing your computer does. A desktop system like this will have a different processor than the type you look for in a laptop . CPUs can be expensive, with some of the top-end processors coming in at thousands of dollars. However, for this minimalist build, we’re going with two budget options that can still get the job done:

• Intel Core i3-10100 ($94)
• Athlon 200GE ($70)

Both of these are decent budget chips for a workhorse build that isn’t too concerned with playing the latest games. Each chip comes with some decent processing power, allowing users to do most of their everyday computing without stress. They are pricey, at almost half of our total budget, but they’re worth it as we continue our build.

Motherboard - The Main Interface

Goran Damnjanovic/How-To Geek | MSI

The motherboard is the main circuit board responsible for connecting the processor with the rest of the hardware. It’s like the computer’s nervous system . Motherboards are crucial pieces of hardware, and there are a lot of them on the market. The chip you choose will narrow down your results significantly. In our case, we have two options for motherboards:

• If you choose the Intel Chip: Gigabyte H410M H V2 ($73)
• If you choose the AMD Chip: ASUS Prime B450M-A II ($75)

The board choice requires that you select a board that fits the socket type of your chip or else the chip won’t fit in the board. These options fit the chip sockets we selected for our processors.

Random Access Memory (RAM) - Short-Term Memory

Random Access Memory or RAM is the short-term storage solution that your computer uses to store things temporarily while it’s working on them. Whatever is in RAM is only there temporarily, so if you lose power or shut down your PC, you lose whatever’s in RAM. Most casual processing doesn’t need a lot of RAM, so we’ll settle for something that isn’t terribly expensive:

• Samsung 8GB DDR SDRAM ($15)

This budget RAM stick will fit either motherboard since they both carry DDR4 memory slots. 8GB should be more than enough for basic processing.

Storage - Long-Term Memory

Storage is a crucial part of any PC build. RAM stores stuff over the short term, but your storage medium will hold more long-term stuff. Some people still buy HDDs , but for this build, we’ll use a solid-state drive (SSD). This budget option suits us nicely:

• TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 240GB ($20)

SSDs are a fast and affordable option for storing our operating system and any files we’ll be working on.

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Power Supply Unit (PSU) - The Power to Make it Work

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

Power supply units or PSUs are required to power all the other parts of your $250 PC build. It’s one of the most essential parts of any PC. PSUs have different wattage ratings, and some expert builders know exactly how many watts their PSU should have . In this case, a 450W supply should handle all our needs. The one we went with was this:

• Apevia VENUS450W 450W ATX Power Supply ($26)

450 watts should be enough to power the motherboard and processor, as well as other connected parts like the RAM. It’s also budget-friendly enough, so that we don’t need to overthink sticking it into our budget build.

Case - The Body Of Our Machine

Corsair

The case brings all the disparate parts of our machine together, allowing a spot to house our motherboard and processor, power supply unit, storage and RAM. Finding a case that will fit our parts requires a bit of research. Luckily, there are several cases that offer a great working space and some space for expansion. We settled on this one:

• Zalman T8 Gaming PC Case ($40)

The case is built for a gaming PC, but it will suit our needs and come in under budget.

But What About the Video Card?

Since this is a budget build, the graphics processor is included with the processor. The Intel chip comes with Intel 7th-10th Generation Processor graphics and the AMD chip comes with Radeon Vega 3 Graphics. Neither of these solutions are built to run cutting-edge games, but they’ll work for general use. Each of the boards also comes with a built-in HDMI port allowing you to plug in a monitor without any hassle.

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Potential Upgrades For This Rig

Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | Avocado_studio / leedsn / Shutterstock

The budget build is a great place to get started, but at some point in time, you’ll want to upgrade your PC. Your upgrade path for this PC should follow this pattern:

• PSU: While 450 watts will handle most things at this level, even upgrading your rig with a standard video card will be too much for your PSU. Upgrading this should be your priority.
• RAM: 8GB is good enough for non-stressful tasks, but once you start putting games on this thing, you’ll notice the sluggishness. Upgrading to more RAM should be the next step.
• Video Card: Onboard graphics aren’t made for heavy-duty usage, so you’ll want to get something that has a bit more power behind it. It doesn’t have to be a cutting-edge card, but almost anything is better than onboard graphics.
• Case: This microATX case is a decent one, and can support a lot of use. Upgrading the case to a Full ATX case isn’t a necessity, but it would be nice to have. It’ll give you a lot more space to work when you’re upgrading.

Upgrades on this scale won’t be cheap. A new 650W PSU could cost between $50 and $80. Another stick of 8GB RAM will double the current costs, but upgrading further will increase the costs, depending on the brand and amount of RAM you’ll be slotting into your motherboard. A new video card will run into the hundreds of dollars for a decent buy. The total upgrade costs for this build could be as little as another $250 or as much as $1,000, depending on how much you’re willing to spend.

Nothing Beats the Satisfaction of Building Your Own PC

Even if you’re not a techie, or versed in hardware, you can put together a budget PC for less than $250. This build isn’t going to outperform gaming builds, but it will allow you to get basic functionality. With a few upgrades, you could turn it into a decent mid-range rig and, from there, you could even upgrade and tweak it into a performance rig. Even if you don’t decide to go this route, putting together a PC with your own hands and seeing it power up is an amazing feeling. It’s one you’ll never forget, no matter how long you spend building PCs.