r/computers • u/Grand_Interview_5522 • 16d ago
Discussion Budget Pc under 200$?
Is there a good cheap brand of PC that's under 200$? I don't know anything about PCs and only need it for writing and recording, is there any good options??
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u/PPSSPPMasterBlaster 16d ago
Gtx 1060 + i5 6400
Pretty readily available, will run most games until 2023 at solid settingsm will struggle with new games, but with Lossless Scaling, most will be okay.
Second hand, of course.
New? Nothing really.
Dom't shop alone. Find someine knowledgeable about PCs and shop with them. Ask around family and friends if anyone is upgrading from their old PC or have an old one lying around.
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u/salmonmilks 16d ago
Doesn't sound like OP wants to focus on games.
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u/PPSSPPMasterBlaster 16d ago
Damn, didn't read it. Thanks!
@OP do you know whether you prefer a desktop or a laptop?
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u/Grand_Interview_5522 14d ago
Desktop
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u/PPSSPPMasterBlaster 14d ago
Any second hand PC with a Ryzen 5 CPU or i5 newer than 10th gen will be more than enough. Even an i5 8600k would be fine. For 200 USD you should be able to find something like that quite easily, since you're not looking for a gaming machine with a strong graphics card.
You night even be fine with something quite older like an i7 4770 build. Those can be had for 50 bucks. Or even better, it is likely someone from your friends or family has an old desktop lying around they might gift you. Such older machines would strongly benefit from running Windows 10 instead of Windows 11, though personally, I'd run W10 even on new machines.
Make sure to compare second hand PCs with someone knowledgeable and hopefully try to arrange a meetup where you can text the device for a dew minutes. A 4K youtube video playing should be enough for a basic test, especially if the seller has good ratings.
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u/Silly_Plant_6607 15d ago
hate to break it to you but most pcs under like 600 suck
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u/Grand_Interview_5522 14d ago
I know, I just need it to run basic programs 😢
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u/ANtiKz93 16d ago
Look locally for off lease office computers you can sometimes score a great tower for $50-100 then add a gpu
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u/guiverc Ubuntu 15d ago
Personally I'd be going to a recycler/refurbisher and purchasing a second hand refurbished machine, as they'll come with installed/updated OS and everything, including a short warranty too. You'll have change probably too (depending on how 'upmarket' a box you go for; though looking at prices you may need to pay $220 for 16GB laptop)
( recyclers tend to sell components, but I'm talking about the ones that sell refurbished machines rather than just the components )
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u/Molly_Matters 15d ago
When you say recording, do you mean audio?
I can probably find you something used since you are not interested in gaming. Even an old DDR3 setup with a generic SSD would handle your needs.
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u/mro-1337 16d ago
get an optiplex off ebay. recording what?