If gaming is a hobby, or even a big passion of yours then there are lots of reasons to consider switching from console to PC gaming. Many gamers will have a selection of different ways to play, but PC gaming is quickly becoming a firmer favorite among many.
This is because not only are there many more games available to play on PC, but they are also often cheaper compared to console games. You can get updates faster, and in some cases, they are more detail rich. The one downside to getting started with a PC, however, is the cost of a gaming PC.
To get a good gaming PC, you’re going to need to be prepared to spend quite a bit on it. A good gaming PC will need a powerful processor, a dedicated graphics card, a lot of RAM, a good cooling system, and gaming-centric peripherals such as a gaming mouse and keyboard and at least one monitor with a high refresh rate for you to get the best experience. The good news is that if you are looking to make a start on your PC setup, there are lots of things that you can do to save money on the process.
Check Out Budget Ranges
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Consider what kind of games you are hoping to play on your gaming PC – if you’re not playing the latest games with the best graphics, then a budget PC might work out well for you. Today, there are more gaming PCs than ever before available from manufacturers who are now creating ranges to suit all budgets.
While the budget range is probably not going to have the most powerful processor or graphics card, it should be more than enough to play lots of games, and a great place to start if you are new to PC gaming and aren’t sure if you are going to like it. Brands like Lenovo offer budget gaming PCs along with workstations and other computers with a range of prices to suit every gamer.
Consider a Custom Build
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While building your own PC is no longer the absolute cheapest method to use compared to in the past thanks to the wider range of affordable pre-built gaming PCs that are now available, there are some advantages of taking this route if you want to save money while getting the best for your PC.
When you build your own PC, you will be buying all the different components separately, giving you more control over where you want to allocate most of your money. Unlike pre-built gaming PCs where the different components will come included as standard, building your own allows you to shop around for different parts to find the best deals, or even use existing parts from a current PC if they are in good working order and will offer the kind of performance that you need.
Wait a While
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If you’re not in a huge rush to get a new PC and don’t mind waiting for a better price, then this can pay off. Not only can you wait for seasonal sales that occur throughout the year, particularly Black Friday and Cyber Monday where you can get a lot of great deals on PCs and gaming PC components if you are building your own, but waiting for the next big release of parts like AMD Ryzen processors or NVIDIA graphics cards could mean that you get the previous model at a much cheaper price compared to now, while it’s the best one on the market.
Shop Second-Hand
Gamers are always updating their setups and selling off their old components or even full PCs to make money for the next one, so shopping second-hand might be a good idea if you are just starting out with PC gaming and want a cheaper, basic setup to start out with.
Check out sites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace where you can often find gamers selling components that they no longer need and are still working perfectly at prices that are usually much lower compared to buying brand new. It may also be worth joining some online communities for PC gamers such as gaming Facebook groups where you may be able to ask if anybody is selling the parts that you need.
Shop Around for Peripherals
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While there are lots of deals nowadays where you can get all you need to get started with PC gaming including the PC itself along with any peripherals you need like a monitor, gaming mouse and gaming keyboard, it might be worth buying these separately to save money.
Once you have the PC itself set up, there are many benefits of shopping around for your peripherals as there are so many of them available from different brands, so finding a good deal isn’t difficult at all. And, you will also have the chance to shop around second-hand for these too; they’re also often upgraded and can often be found for sale at decent prices.
Sell Your Old Components
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If you already have a gaming PC but are looking for a complete upgrade, then you can sell some of your old PC components, or even sell the PC as a whole to put some money towards the cost of your new one. Another option to consider if you are building your PC is to use any of these components that you can in the new one. For example, if your old PC has 8GB of RAM and you want 16GB in your new one, then using what you already have means that you will only have to purchase half instead.
Whether you are already into PC gaming and looking to upgrade your setup or want to move from console gaming over to PC, getting the right gaming setup for you is not always cheap. The good news is that there are lots of savvy money-saving strategies that gamers can use to get the right gaming setup on a budget, from shopping around for second-hand components to waiting for a release to reduce prices.