In this, the second in our Bits and Bobs PC build series, we have a mash up of used part from eBay and some new components that add up to a behemoth of a gaming PC for under $300/£300.

 

This is still an excellent option in 2020 and you'd have to spend $500+ to get this performance using all new parts.  Console killer is an overused term, but what we have here is something that costs under $300, has a little bling, and will run most games smoothly at 1080p with a blend of medium/high settings. Of course some of the parts were acquired on eBay and prices vary, on the new components too, but there is enough wriggle room here for me to be confident that this type of machine can be put together for this budget throughout 2020 and beyond.

 

Navigating eBay for used parts isn't necessarily as easy as it might sound.  To get the best deals you need to watch a few products go, in order to judge the right price, and then set your limit, being prepared to walk away if your outbid (easier said than done - especially if you need this one last bit to finish your build....).  So far I have been fortunate not to have been sold a dud, but then I check out sellers history and avoid the obvious counterfeit GTX 1060 GPUs for $50 - if it seems to good to be true the chances are it is!

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The bundle deal of motherboard, processor and RAM is a case in point - I saw a few go for over a $100 but waited and got lucky with this one.  I also walked away from a number of 1050Ti cards as their price went over $90 - once you know your value price point stick to your guns.

 

I tend to avoid second hand PSUs and Storage - unless they're effectively free in an all in build deal, so opting for the Kingston SSD and the EVGA PSU, although more expensive than buying from the used market, gives added piece of mind.

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Performance wise for eSports titles this is hitting over 100FPS in Fortnite and CS:GO at medium setting, around 80FPS in COD Warzone and Apex Legends.  In racing titles Project Cars 2 at 80FPS and the ubiquitous GTA V (a must for all PC benchmarks) the right side of 100FPS - again both at 1080p medium/average settings.

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Overall this build provides great performance at a low budget and is both obtainable and easy to put together (I'm sure you could get a Xeon and an old server motherboard - but that won't fit in an Micro ATX case!)  All in all - Epic stuff! 

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YouTube video and full specs below, until the next on - Go Well!

 

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SPECS:

Motherboard: Gigabyte B85M

CPU: Intel i5 4690 (4 threads, Core speed 3.5Ghz - Boost 3.9Ghz)

Ram: 8GB (2 x 4Gb) DDR3 1333Mhz

GPU: EVGA GTX 1050ti

Storage: Kingston 240Gb SSD - https://amzn.to/2CChSy7

PSU: EVGA 500W 80+ White - https://amzn.to/393r0YC

Case: CiT F3 Micro-ATX PC Gaming Case - https://amzn.to/38YZEmu

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