So here’s the situation: my wallet is currently training for a marathon of despair, but my gaming cravings insist on living up to triple-A standards. I’m on a quest to build a budget-friendly gaming rig that doesn’t require me to sell a kidney—preferably something that runs more than just Minesweeper without crying in binary.
I’ve scoured the internet for deals, but every “amazing bargain” seems to come with a complimentary heart attack. Can someone point me in the direction of the parts that scream “I can barely afford these” rather than “I just sold my soul for you”?
Specifically, what’s the least I can spend on a CPU and GPU combo that won’t have me permanently queueing in low-resolution misery? And are there any hidden gems out there disguised as last-gen hardware that can still run something remotely resembling my favorite games beyond “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature”?
Any advice would be as appreciated as a free upgrade to extra life in a no-checkpoint nightmare. Thanks in advance for saving me from another round of “Do I really need to choose between dinner and decent gaming graphics?”!
Let the bargain hunting commence!