There are countless people always telling you which PC components you should never cheap out on, such as the CPU, GPU, storage, and power supply. However, as PC builders, most of us often work on limited budgets, trying to save every dollar we can. If there are certain components that you can cheap out on without losing performance or reliability, then why shouldn't you? Most PC builders don't need an expensive motherboard, CPU cooler, or RAM, and it's definitely worth considering cheaper options.

5 A cheap case is enough for most builders

Not the time to splurge

Cheap PC cases used to be associated with subpar build quality, a lack of quality-of-life features, and a feeling of compromise. Well, it's 2025, and affordable cases have been great for quite some time now. You don't need to spend over $50–$60 to get a case with good airflow, cable management features, ample component clearance, and respectable build quality. Budget gamers who are trying to save every penny to invest in the graphics card won't realistically lose out on anything by opting for a budget case.

I've worked with many cases from brands like Antec, Ant Esports, and Galax, and the cheaper models from Cooler Master and Corsair. Most of the recent models have not disappointed me in terms of the build quality and ease of assembly. While you don't need to restrict yourself to these brands, there's often no need to jump to $100 cases either. There are more than enough budget cases on the market that can satisfy the needs of the average PC builder.

4 You don't need to stress about fans

Cool it, will ya?

Case fans can be as complicated or simple as you make them. While many builders can spend days comparing static pressure and airflow fans, construction materials, and acoustics, the average builder doesn't need to worry too much. Most people don't even need to replace the pre-installed fans in modern cases, let alone stress too much about which fans to buy. I've never replaced the case fans in any of my cases, and I've never had a noisy or faulty fan in my life.

Even if you're replacing your stock fans, you don't need to buy Corsair or NZXT models to enjoy a cool and silent PC. Brands like Arctic and Thermalright have enough RGB fans to suit your fancy, and you don't even need to compromise on any aspect, except the esthetics (maybe). Cheaper fans might not last as long as expensive ones, but we're still talking years of usage. The majority of PC users aren't going to be stressing their fans too much to cause premature failure anyway.

3 Budget CPU coolers have come a long way

Most CPUs don't need excessive cooling

CPU cooling is an area where you can spend as little as $15 and as much as $450. It all depends on the kind of silicon you're trying to tame. Most people aren't using a Core i9, Core Ultra 9, or Ryzen 9 CPU, so high-end liquid coolers are needless to begin with. If you're a gamer, you probably have a 6-core CPU with a 65W TDP that doesn't need anything more than a $35 Thermalright air cooler to keep it nice and cool.

For people using an 8-core CPU, a slightly better air cooler or a cheap 240mm liquid cooler from Thermalright, priced around $45, will be enough. And even if your 8-core CPU is particularly toasty, many air coolers can handle it without breaking a sweat. Many builders jump straight to a 360mm AIO cooler simply because that's what everyone is using, but liquid coolers aren't always better than air coolers. You not only save money with a decent air cooler, but also get a simpler unit that's less prone to failure.

2 Pricey RAM gets you nowhere

Diminishing returns in full force

If you want to, you can spend over $150 on a kit of 32GB 6,000MT/s DDR5 RAM, but there are far too many models priced below $100 as well. So, what's the difference? Memory kits come in a variety of designs, some of which also have slightly better internals, but most people won't be able to tell the difference in real-world performance. At the end of the day, it's about how much importance you place on the looks of your RAM.

If I browse Amazon, I can often buy a 6,000MT/s kit of 32GB RAM for under $80 from brands like Crucial and Teamgroup. You might have to pay slightly more for CL30 kits, but even those are available for $90–$100, sometimes for even less. And you aren't even technically "cheaping out" with these kits. If you can pick RAM without fancy heatsinks, you can go even cheaper. The point is that the memory is not a department where paying more will get you more performance, so save your money for other components.

1 A budget motherboard is perfectly fine

Spending on features you really need

The motherboard might be a controversial topic when it comes to saving money on a PC build. However, I believe that most people aren't running high-end CPUs and don't intend to overclock their processors either, so they can realistically pick a cheap motherboard and be just fine. An affordable motherboard today can provide all the features you need for a modern PC without any negative effects on performance or reliability.

Pick any $130–$150 DDR5 motherboard, and you'll get enough Gen4 M.2 ports, onboard Wi-Fi, 2.5Gb Ethernet, decent VRMs, and even a long-lasting socket (in the case of AMD boards). Gen5 SSDs are still useless for the vast majority of people, and overkill VRMs are worthless if you aren't into extreme CPU overclocking. Motherboard build quality has improved significantly over the years, and most people don't even need to spend $200 to get a dependable model.

Sometimes, it's okay to cheap out on PC hardware

While you should rarely cheap out on the CPU, GPU, SSD, or the power supply, it's possible to save a pretty penny on components like the RAM, CPU cooler, motherboard, and the case. If maximizing value for money is your priority, you can steer clear of RGB memory, liquid coolers, premium motherboards, and even $100 cases. The build quality, features, and reliability of modern budget components have reached a point that you won't lose out on anything except esthetics.