Tips to Build a Cheap Computer that Doesn't Suck

When you build a cheap computer, there is a big myth that just because it's cheap, it has to suck.  Not the truth.  You can have a computer that you didn't pay a whole lot for that is just as good as a much more expensive one.  The only difference is going to be that it's slower, not slow, but slower than if you throw more money at it.

There are only a several of things you need to do to make sure that your cheap computer doesn't suck.  First, we check the reviews, then we check the benchmarks. If you're not sure what brand names are good, the best computer brand page we have here can be used to help you out.

Check the Brands

Although you can always get good parts without following the "Brand" law.  If you do so, make even more sure you do a good job of checking the reviews.  People will try all kinds of parts because they're cheaper, and although some work very well, they may leave your computer itching to crash, or glitchy.  Neither of which is any fun to fix.

Read the Reviews

If you only take one tip from this whole page, this would be the tip you should take to the bank.  The reviews are real world users like me and you telling us what they think about whatever part you're looking at.  Just like us, they'll tell you if it's junk or the greatest cheap ram you ever bought.

Sorry to say, but reviews done by generic companies aren't really much help here. Many good computer parts vendors these days have a system in place where regular people can comment on the parts.  This is where you want to be.  The information is real and unedited.  You'll find what you need to know about the computer parts here. 

When I go looking for reviews, not finding any is almost the same as finding negative reviews.  You want to be sure that you error to the side of caution.  Buy safe.  You could be wanting to use this computer for a long time.  Tigerdirect.com is a great site that helps you do this.

Benchmarks

If you do your research, check the benchmarks on the key components like the Hard Drive, CPU and Video Card, if your computer will have one.  These score numbers don't mean a whole lot except they indicate what the performance is in an overall scenario.

To use a benchmark to build a cheap computer, simply try to get a benchmark score that's as high as possible while staying in your budget for whatever part you are wanting to buy.  Often times, you'll find a way faster computer part for a whole lot less money simply because you checked this.  Using this tool along with a reviews will make the difference in any computer build.

Go from Build A Cheap Computer to How To Build A Computer
Learn how to build your own computer