The PC hardware scene has taken a real beating during the AI explosion, which means routine upgrades to PCs are drastically more expensive than they used to be. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on more RAM or a new SSD, why not grab yourself (or a loved one) a cheaper sub-$100 upgrade?
As noted, you're probably not going to be able to find a $100 component upgrade to increase your frame rates or jump from 1440p to 4K; at best, you might be able to source yourself a new power supply. So what can you add to a PC for $100? And what makes a good sub-$100 upgrade?
Well, the early obvious candidates are improved connectivity, such as a Wi-Fi card or USB-C expansion slots for memory card readers. You could also add a snazzy LCD screen (albeit not Corsair's $250 Xeneon), new RGB fans, or even an AIO cooler.
Crucially, just because you're spending less than $100 doesn't mean you have to cheap out on budget or unknown brands. You can still find great quality down at this price bracket from reputable companies like Noctua, TP-Link, and beyond.
Here are some of the best PC upgrades you can buy for less than $100.
Sm088x 8.8" Universal LCD Screen: $84.99
This Lian Li universal LCD screen can be used either standalone or mounted to a compatible PC case. With vertical or horizontal orientation, its 8.8-inch screen can be used as a USB-powered secondary display for your PC. You can use it to show off PC performance metrics like temperatures, keep an eye on a Twitch stream chat, or control music via your media center of choice. View Deal
Peerless Assassin 120 SE: $34.9
Got a dusty old air cooler or a stock cooler that came with your CPU? If you want to upgrade your cooling, this is one of our very favorite air coolers for CPUs, with impressive heatsinks and fans. Compatible with both Intel and AMD, this air cooler will be an upgrade over any stock or older model, giving you some overclocking headroom or extra performance if thermals have become a bottleneck. View Deal
Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360: $69.89
If you're already using a decent air cooler and you have a compatible case, you can also upgrade to an AIO, and the Arctic Liquid Freezer III is the best one on the market by some distance. It dominates our testing and will keep even the most powerful CPU cool during intense workloads. Remember to check you've got a compatible case; this one requires room for a 360mm radiator. If you don't have that kind of room, you could opt for the 240mm model.View Deal
Nf-A12x25 G2 fans: $34.95
These Noctua fans rank as the best we've tested in our extensive best PC fans roundup. These silence-optimized fans deliver a ton of airflow while running whisper-quiet, either on the radiator of your AIO or anywhere else in your case. Pricey for individual fans, a couple of these would make a great gift or upgrade for any gaming rig. View Deal
Be9300 Pcie Wifi 7 Card: was $69.99 now $49.98
Perhaps you've got a PC with an older Wi-Fi standard, or perhaps no Wi-Fi at all. This PCIe card can be fitted to any compatible motherboard, equipping your PC with speedy Wi-Fi 7 with little to no hassle. If you want to save a bit more, there's also a Wi-Fi 6E option that will still provide a decent upgrade. View Deal
Noctua Nt-Cp1 Am5/4 Carbice Carbon Nanotube Thermal Pad for Amd Am5 & Am4 | Superior Long-Term Stability on Ryzen Cpus, Safe and Easy to Install and Remove, Size 33x33mm, With Na-Cw1 Cleaning Wipe: £20.95
No matter what platform you're on or what your specs are, there's no GPU or CPU that can't benefit from a fresh application of thermal paste or some pads. There are a ton to choose from, but this new Noctua Carbice Carbon Nanotube Thermal Pad promises unparalleled longevity for your CPU on AMD's Ryzen 4 and Ryzen 5. View Deal
GF1 Fully Modular ATX 850W Power Supply: was $109.99 now $76.99
If you've got an older build, or your hoping to make any future upgrades to your PC, having a good, reliable power supply is a must. For less than $100, you can pick up something like this Thermaltake GF1. Upgrading a PSU could mean going from a non-modular to a modular design, improving your cable management. Or increased capacity could mean better support for a powerful GPU. Upgrading could even improve your noise levels depending on your current setup. View Deal
Strimer Wireless 24 Pin: $88.04
No matter which components you're using, the chances are that they're connected to your GPU by dull, boring cables. Extensions like this Lian Li Strimer don't require you to buy a new power supply or invest in a new cable, they simply attach to the end of your existing cable and add a dash of addressable RGB color to your build. This is the ATX cable for a motherboard, but there are also versions for the GPU cable too, as well as CPU. View Deal
5-Port USB 10Gbps Pcie Card: $72.99
Another great option for an upgrade, if you have the spare PCIe slot, is a USB expansion card of some description. This USB-C one adds four high-performance external USB-C ports to your desktop, and one internal USB-A slot. With 10Gbps transfer speeds, this is great for improving your PC's connectivity for external hard drives or other storage solutions. View Deal
Commander Duo iCUE Link RGB Lighting Fan Controller: was $39.99 now $29.99
If you want to start adding some RGB spice to your PC case, Corsair's iCUE system is a well known and easy to use option. A unit like this Commander Duo controller unit is a great starting point to begin connecting up fans and lights, letting you sync your cooling and lights across your PC. It supports up to 12 daisy-chained PWM fans, and comes with two flexible temperature sensors. View Deal
