Builds & Upgrades

Budget PC Build: How Cascading Components Make Each New PC Cheaper

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Budget PC Build infographic showing key cascading components: Intel i5-13600KF CPU, Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX motherboard, Cooler Master N200 case, Cooler Master MWE Gold 750W modular power supply, Noctua mounting kit, and Windows 11 Pro $9.97 TechRepublic deal. Prominent prices and headline: “Budget PC Build: How Cascading Components Make Each New PC Cheaper.”

Building a budget PC build isn’t just about saving dollars upfront—it’s about leveraging previous hardware investments to make every new rig more affordable and strategic over time. This journey began thanks to the jaw-dropping $9.97 Windows 11 Pro deal from TechRepublic Academy, which became the catalyst for this round of upgrades.

Whether your first build costs $550 or $1050, BYOPC (Build Your Own PC) strategies help you cascade older components forward, lowering the cost for every subsequent system. Here, you’ll discover how cascading, gifting, and repurposing parts create a long-term ecosystem where each new build gets cheaper—a method that keeps your setups current but your wallet happy.

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Cooler Master N200: The Micro-ATX Case That Still Gets It Right

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Cooler Master N200 micro-ATX PC case collage showing front, side, rear, empty interior, and fully built system. Highlights external bays, compact design, and budget-friendly features.

Building the i5-13600KF rig reminded me why the Cooler Master N200 is the micro-ATX case that truly solves modern problems for practical PC builders. After years searching for something like the old Rosewill FBM-01—a dependable, budget-friendly case with external drive bays—I stumbled upon the N200 purely by accident.

It’s not nostalgia driving this post. The real strength of external bays is versatility—they offer options that are rare in today’s case market. The Cooler Master N200 stands out in 2024/2025 for keeping one 5.25″ and one 3.5″ bay up front. Hot-swap drives, extra USB-C ports, card readers, fan controllers—whatever your build needs, these bays make it possible even in a compact Micro-ATX case.

This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s about keeping useful features alive for builders who need them.

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Redragon K713-RGB-PRO: A Keyboard Novice’s Continuing Journey

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Redragon K713-RGB-PRO review – software customization interface on Windows with color lighting and key mapping features

Redragon K713-RGB-PRO is the first keyboard I’ve found that finally ticks all the boxes—sturdy for everyday use, with large, readable legends, great backlighting, and a price I can afford. For years, my quest for the right keyboard was never-ending, thanks to OEMs that change models or drop good layouts without warning. As a self-professed novice, I’ve tested brands and layouts I never expected to, until Redragon K713-RGB-PRO delivered exactly what I needed.

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Windows 11 24H2 – and Recall

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Windows 11 24H2 installed on my ‘Rose’ test computer yesterday (10/19/2024). Specs are: Intel® i9-10900K CPU, ASUS Prime Z490M-PLUS MoBo, MSI GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER™ VENTUS XS OC GPU, and 32GB of memory.

Didn’t time it, but it is a *MAJOR* update and took time to download (Fiber internet) & install. Restart was required, and that also took time with several restarts during that process. Am seeing reports of an hour or more for the update – depending on computer’s age and your internet connection. Mine didn’t take an hour, but total time was over 30 minutes…maybe 40-45 minutes? It is a “full OS swap..”

What’s new in Windows 11, version 24H2:

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