A BUDGET BEAUTY

WE’RE VERY IMPRESSED with this build. The Ryzen 3 2200G’s integrated graphics blew us away; sure, it never approached the kind of performance you’d see from a graphics card, but this four-thread processor’s Radeon Vega 8 graphics enabled us to get some games running. Our benchmarks at 1080p ultra were unplayable (surprising nobody), but in our preliminary tests in Windows 10, we got Fortnite running at 1080p with medium settings, with a smooth 60fps on average. We were even able to get a stable frame rate out of ApexLegends, albeit at minimum graphical settings in 720p. Even more bogglingly, we scored the number one spot in three of the four matches we played on this machine. Disclaimer: We are not usually that good.

Despite trying our best to beat the living daylights out of the hardware, the CPU rarely rose above 60 C, even at stress—impressive given that it’s only cooled by the stock Wraith Stealth. Benchmarking tests saw the 2200G smash our integrated-graphics Intel Core i3-8100 zero-point in every department. Granted, this build has faster RAM, but as lower speeds have less of an impact on Intel CPUs, it’s fair to say that this AMD chip is pulling its weight.

Elsewhere, the Crucial SATA drive did its job well, ensuring relatively speedy boot times. With a slightly larger budget, we might have sprung for a larger SSD; 120GB isn’t much, and even with the Toshiba HDD, we’re still looking at less than a terabyte of storage. It’s hard to argue with the BX500’s price, though; you’re unlikely to find a cheaper SSD right now, at least not from a manufacturer with Crucial’s solid reputation.

We have to recommend the B450M Steel Legend. It’s not too expensive and delivers everything we wanted, with ample potential for upgrading, thanks to its two PCIe ports and M.2 drive. It looks a bit absurd (grayscale digital camo and multicolored lighting; do you want to be seen or not?), and the RGB effects aren’t going to blow anyone away, but it functions well, fits this build to a T, and has a straightforward BIOS. We found that the EVGA 450 BT remains the “old reliable” of budget PSUs, providing adequate power without too many loose cables, despite its non-modular design.

Linux remains a tricky beast; personally, we’d prefer to stick with Windows for a PC like this, but considering that it comes with a delightful absence of a price tag, the current version of Ubuntu is genuinely great. Compatibility and ease of use have been greatly improved over the last few years. Browsing the Internet and doing basic work is straightforward, and the software center makes getting yourself set up a cinch; we got Steam up and running, and managed to successfully play Clustertruck,Team

Fortress2, and Portal in 1080p at max settings. Overall, we’re pleased to report that this build was a triumph.

The Ryzen 3 2200G runs 1 Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics, which can handle basic PC work, but is also surprisingly effective when it comes to lowend gaming. The Corsair SPEC-05’s 2 included case fan is a funky clear plastic number with red LEDs at the corner. It shines through the curved slit at the front of the case, but isn’t too impressive unless you’re in a darkened room. The drive cage has capacity 3 for four drives (either 2.5 or 3.5-inch), although the whole cage has to be removed from the case to access the lowest slot. We’re using that space for cable management instead. 1 2 3