Gaming / Editing PC for Rs. 30,000 (November 2016)

It is only natural that a lot of people look for a system that can cater to heavy tasks such as photo/video editing or gaming. While the ideal system for such tasks can cost anywhere north of Rs. 50,000, the grim reality is that it is beyond the means of an average Indian. Most of us have a budget of about Rs. 30,000 and getting a good PC in that limit can be a daunting task.

So we decided to help you in this task and help you build a PC for about Rs 30,000. While this build might not let you experience smooth gameplay at 4K or render heavy files in a matter of minutes, it will be able to provide a good starting point.

(Buy links for all the components have been provided. Please note that the prices are subject to change and we do not endorse any seller.)

Processor: 

First we must choose the heart of our system, the processor. We decided to go with the AMD A8-7600 for our build. It is a good quad core APU clocked at 3.1GHz and has the capability to be boosted to 3.8GHz (although you would hardly need that in this case). One of the primary reasons for choosing the AMD A8 7600 is that it has 6 GPU cores which can deliver decent 720p gaming performance on their own without a graphics card. So if you are not able to spend close to or more than 30k then this processor can save you the trouble of buying a dedicated GPU for the moment. You can wait and collect funds till you can afford a proper graphics card.

Link to Processor

Motherboard:

Choosing the motherboard was relatively easy as we had to find a motherboard that had a socket compatible with our processor. Thus we have the Asus A68HM-K - DDR3 motherboard. It houses a compatible FM2+ socket and has support for up to 32GB of DDR3 RAM. It can support a RAM of up to 2400Mhz frequency so you have plenty of room for upgrades.

Link to Motherboard 

RAM:

For starters 8GB of DDR4 RAM should be enough and what better contender than the Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 RAM. We agree that we could have chosen a cheaper option but the reliability we get in exchange for a few hundred rupees is totally worth it. Plus it comes with a 10 year warranty which is pretty sweet.

Link to RAM

Cabinet & SMPS:

To house all of this we have chosen the Zebronics H2, ZEB-528B Gaming Cabinet. This cabinet fits well with our motherboard and even looks rad (after all who does not want to look good). The biggest plus point of this cabinet however is that it comes with a 450W power supply so you save some cash. We agree that the SMPS is not of a great quality but it should do. It also comes with a USB 3.0 port for high speed file transfer. You also get dual 80mm fans for some extra cooling.

If you still feel the need to buy a separate SMPS then you can get a separate 450W power supply from Zebronics.

 Link to Cabinet 

Link to SMPS 

Hard Drive:

A WD 1TB Blue hard disk is one of the best bets in this price range as you get the assurance of a brand like Western Digital and with 1TB of storage space you can save tons of movies, music, games and all kinds of software.

Link to HDD 

Optical Drive:

Now we come to an often forgotten part, the DVD writer. Back when CDs were all the rage, this very component was valued much. But with the advent of USB drives and connectivity options like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi the use of disk drives has been reducing. It is still not obsolete and every now and then you do need to burn a CD or install important software through it. Thus we picked the LG GH24NSD1 Internal SATA DVD Writer.

Link to Optical Drive  

Monitor:

Coming out of the cabinet we do need a display to watch all the content for which we are building this PC. Since this system is aimed for gaming at 720p we have selected the Samsung 18.5 Super Slim LED Monitor. Even for editing and other things you can get by with a 1366X768 resolution. Plus the IPS panel with a viewing angle of 178 degrees makes for a great multimedia absorbing experience.

Link to Monitor 

Keyboard & Mouse:

We have not included any specific models for this category as you can get these items from any manufacturer such as Logitech, Intex, iBall, Quantum, Dell etc. You can get a keyboard and a mouse for a combined cost of as low Rs. 500. So we shall let you decide on these.

Graphics Card (Optional):

As this build is already touching our 30k limit, buying a GPU can become conditional,. As mentioned above if you feel that you do not have enough money for a graphics card then processor is going to be enough for a lot of situations. But if you do wish to get a dedicated GPU then we present you with three choices.

First is the Zotac Nvidia GT 730 1GB GDDR5 edition. This GPU coupled with the rest of the hardware should deliver decent performance even while handling the latest generation of games. Being an Nvidia card you can benefit while working with Adobe softwares such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects etc. This GPU is also very pocket friendly.

By bumping up your budget a little more you can get the Asus AMD Radeon R7 250 2GB edition. This will obviously increase the graphic capabilities of your system some more.

Last but not the least is the Zotac Nvidia GTX 750 Ti. This is a very powerful card and can last you for quite some time. Although it would be wise to wait a little before buying this card as (at the time of this article) the GTX 1050 is about to hit the market which would result in reduction of the price of the GTX 750Ti.

Link to GT 730

Link to R7 250 

Link to GTX 750 Ti 

Do remember that you will need a sound system as well. You might have one lying around or you could get a 2.1 system for about Rs 2000. Or you could just use the headphones that came bundled with your smartphone!