PC 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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Dell 27 Plus 4K Monitor (S2725QS) – Cataracts and Eyeglasses

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I recently purchased the Dell S2725QS 27-inch 4K Monitor for $279.99 + $19.60 tax, totaling $299.59. After years of using 20-22 inch monitors, I was concerned a 27-inch display might feel too large. However, its dimensions—24.08 in. wide (611.54 mm) and 14.02 in. tall (355.98 mm)—only add a few inches in width and height, fitting comfortably on my desk. Mounted on a swivel arm, it sits farther back than my previous monitors, freeing up valuable desk space. Plus, it came with free, fast shipping—ordered on May 18 and delivered by May 21!🙂👍

Cataracts and Eyeglasses

Underwent cataract surgery on both eyes—right eye in February and left in March. Adjusting to the improved vision took time, as colors, especially whites, became strikingly vivid. As a hermit, finding transportation and someone to wait in the lobby during each procedure was challenging. After three years of searching, I secured help, paying $240 per surgery for a driver to meet me in Gainesville, FL, and then take me to a clinic across the street and wait.

To celebrate completing my cataract surgery, I searched for high-quality eyeglass frames, moving beyond the $9-12 Walmart frames I’d used for 13 years. After receiving my new prescription in April, I chose four pairs—two from Warby Parker and two from Walmart—to suit my improved vision.

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ASUS Prime Z790M-PLUS D4 mATX MoBo: Restore an Image and/or do a Clean Install

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The Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) driver holds the controllers (?) and storage drivers I needed to do a Backup and Restore (Windows 7) of a Win11 Pro saved image, and/or to do a clean installation of Win11 Pro – on an ASUS Prime Z790M-PLUS D4 MoBo.

I am no expert at motherboards, but I sometimes do more ‘Tinkering’ with my main computer (‘Apevia’) than I should—hence the reason for using the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) utility that comes with Windows 11 before actual ‘Tinkering’ starts.

Long story, but I don’t really want to go thru the ‘Nightmare’, in great detail, again. Doubtful that I could remember all the details anyway, since a lot of the experience involved luck, searching, banging away, more searching, more banging away mixed in with deep thought & pondering, experimenting & testing, and a stroke of good luck in the home stretch. 👍😳👌🙂

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Fedora 39 Cinnamon SPIN – Anaconda (installer) + NVIDIA + System Upgrade

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Fedora 39 Cinnamon SPIN keeps getting faster & smoother with each release! I go with the Cinnamon SPIN because it is about as close to a Windows ‘Feel’ that the Linux desktop can get.

I’ve got at least 17 pics to insert, plus about 11 more that are linked to, and those are mostly on how to use the Anaconda (installer).

Also want to squeeze in how to add a NVIDIA driver, and a glimpse at adding other apps with the Fedora GUI Software Management – dnfdragora.

Then, doing a quick review of how to do a System Upgrade from Fedora 38 Cinnamon SPIN to Fedora 39 Cinnamon SPIN. That involves upgrading a converted 12.2” Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 XE521QAB from 38 to 39.

Lots to do, so let’s get started! 🙂👏

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