I know this is a low budget •_•"
Where would you go cheap?
What part should be bought new?
For which part is dumpster diving okay’ish?
I know this is a low budget •_•"
Where would you go cheap?
What part should be bought new?
For which part is dumpster diving okay’ish?
New: Motherboard, Heatsink, and PSU Used: CPU, RAM, GPU, and Case
The majority of components you find on the used market are pulled out of working systems and will be just fine for years to come. I only recommend buying those specific items new so you are guaranteed to get all the accessories that come with them.
You can find really good deals on used ram, mobo, CPU combos so I’d suggest going for them. Mobo accessories are sparse these days. Io plates are built in, sata isn’t used much anymore, and that’s all you’d ever really get. Maybe the M.2 screws will be missing but they’re a standard size.
Plus if it comes as one unit then you don’t have to worry about your new CPU not being compatible with the old mobo and needing a donor CPU to flash the new bios.
Another option is to buy a cheap Dell/Lenovo used desktop and spend the rest on a second hand GPU. If that’s cheaper of course.