Best Budget Gaming PC under $500 (2023)

Ahsan Habib May 24, 2020

0 533 6 minutes read

budget gaming pc under $500 — budget gaming pc

Budget Gaming PC, Is It Worth?
Category
Custom-made PC
Processor
Motherboard
GPU
RAM
SSD
PSU
CASING
Cost
Upgrade Path
Pre-built PC
Final Thoughts

Budget Gaming PC, Is It Worth?

Building a Budget Gaming PC doesn’t necessarily create negative vibes anymore rather it has become some sort of hobby for many folks out there. Nowadays building something cheap might add a ton of performance to the value proposition especially If you are on a tight budget to build one properly.

So, today we are suggesting you a PC building guide that will serve you just fine. With this Build, you can play all the AAA games with 1080p (high-ultra) settings at a solid 60 fps and the E Sports titles even more so.

Category:

Here, we will separate the guide into two portions, one being a fully custom PC and the other pre-built PC. The reason we’ve decided this is because there are a lot of people who lack the proper knowledge, experience or the privilege of building a fully custom PC, and this is where a pre-built PC plays a huge role. Also, we’ll be discussing the upgrade path and future sustainability for each build.

So, I hope you’ve got a basic idea about this article. Make sure to read until the end.

Custom-made PC:

As of our custom build, We have selected the following components. All the links from Amazon, eBay, Best Buy & New Egg will be provided.

Processor: (Ryzen 3300X ~ $120)

AMD’s entry-level budget CPU. But, don’t underestimate it because it features the latest technology from AMD ZEN architecture, and with 4 Cores and 8 Threads. Also, with a base and boost frequency of 3.8GHz and 4.3 GHz respectively, It can handle any games you throw at it.

The deal gets even better for us for the included Wraith Stealth Cooler which is pretty decent for mild overclocking let alone blazing through in the stock performance. This package comes with a price tag of $120.

You can Check Prices here:

Motherboard: (Gigabyte B450m DS3H ~ $80)

Our motherboard of choice is Gigabyte B450m DS3H. This is a Solid and Simple Micro-ATX motherboard from Gigabyte. It has all the necessary features from M.2 Drive support to solid grade capacitors hence there are no major compromises to note and with an $80 price tag, this motherboard looks awesome.

You can Check Prices here:

However, If you want to spend a little more money than that then the Aorus Elite motherboard from Gigabyte is your go. It’s feature-packed with good VRM cooling which lets your CPU push even further.

GPU: (XFX RX 570 RS XXX 8GB ~ $140)

The 570 cards are almost 2years old as of the time of writing this article but do note that this thing is no slouch when it comes to gaming. It’s a known fact that AMD cards age well compared to Nvidia ones due to their long term driver support and with a superior cooling design over the AMD stock cooler this GPU is capable of performing any games with solid framerate. This GPU can be found on amazon for as less as $140.

You can Check Prices here:

RAM: (Patriot 3400Mhz 8GB ~ $40)

We’re going with the Patriot 3400Mhz 8GB RAM for $45. The reason for taking a high-frequency ram is to provide low latency for the AMD processors to bring out the best performance. However, if you have an extra $40 budget, then I would suggest you to go with the 2X8 GB kit for $85. Dual-Channel memory is always a better option for gaming workloads.

You can Check Prices here:

Primary Storage: (Silicon Power 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD ~ $60)

With this build, we are suggesting the Silicon Power 512GB NVMe M.2 as the primary storage where the OS and other important software along with the main games will be kept. With memory chips becoming cheaper as days advancing we can get this sweet deal for just $60.

You can Check Prices here:

PSU: (Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ ~ $40)

With a budget build like this, the PSU which is the most important component for your PC’s safety often gets undercut. But. we’re trying to balance the cost & reliability and There is no other name that comes into the mind than Thermaltake. We’ll be taking a Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU with a price tag of only $45.

You can Check Prices here:

Casing: (Depending on your choice ~ $50)

This option I’ll leave up to you because every PC is unique and every component has its own priceless emotion to its owner. All the casing suggested here are within $50 give and take and they feature moderately ok”ish” air delivery. Our choice of casings are:

Total Cost:

So, The total cost hovers around just shy of $550. Though, it is a little over budget, but the extra spending is worth the money and you will never regret this decision.

Upgrade Path:

The good thing about this build is that you will not be compromising your upgrade path and future sustainability. With the tech industry moving ahead with such an enormous force, it’s very hard to keep up to date with the newer releases. But, being on the AM4 platform from AMD, you will be able to upgrade your PC to Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 when the 4th Gen CPU releases.

Also, With Nvidia and AMD releasing their new GPU you can easily swap out your aging ones. As for the RAM, 16GB should serve you for 2 more years with ease, but if you change your workloads to more productivity-based software consider upgrading to 32GB as your motherboard has two more extra slots.

As for a Secondary Storage, I am suggesting this 1TB HDD from WD at just $40 which is a killer deal. With a 7200RPM SATA connection, you will get up to 6Gb/S of speed. It will be used to store your media & games which the SSD can’t afford.

Also, for an aesthetics perspective, you can add an RGB watercooler and some RGB fans which will also keep your CPU cooler and gain some headroom.

Pre-built PC:

I generally don’t suggest anyone to go with a Pre-built PC because of the limited upgrade path and some hardware compatibility issues. But, if you are really bound by restrictions then the Acer Aspire TC-885-UA91 Desktop is a good option for just $420. You have to add a GTX 1650 for $150 to perform it as better as the custom ones. So, the total cost will be around: $570.

You can Check Prices here:

Also, there is a renewed version of this Pre-built PC that is available now on amazon for only $340. Check here for the price.

The Specs of this Pre-built PC is given here:

Processor: Intel 9th Generation Core i3 9100 Processor
(Boost Up to 4. 2GHz)
RAM: 8GB DDR4 Memory
Primary Storage: 512GB SSD
Optical Drive: 8x DVD Writer Drive DL (DVD RW)
Connectivity: 802.11AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5. 0 & Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Other Features: 1x USB 3. 1 Type C Gen 2 port (up to 10 Gbps), 1xUSB 3. 1 Gen 2 port, 1xUSB 3. 1 Gen 1 port, 4xUSB 2. 0 Ports & 2 HDMI ports & 1xVGA Port
Software: Windows 10 Home, USB keyboard & USB mouse

Additional information:

Final Thoughts:

Here at Coderclick, we do thorough research for making a PC build guide. Also, with our years of experience building computers and giving advice to the readers, we try to ensure our builds are up to date and can offer a high price to performance ratio to those who are going to follow this guide and build one.

We don’t just use our knowledge or experience, we also hunt down the best deals so that you get the best bang for the buck.