So, you want to build a Gaming PC under $500 and looking for a reliable source that can help you in building your budget-friendly PC. Then follow our guide in which we built a gaming PC with the best components and under $500. We can guarantee you that the PC which we have built will satisfy most of your needs.
If you love computer games, and it’s time to upgrade your current rig, you might want to consider building your own PC. There are numerous advantages to building your own PC, especially one with gaming in mind. For one, you decide the parts you want, therefore you are able to find better deals catered to that individual peace – This can save you quite a bit of cash. Secondly, you gain a lot of knowledge about your PC through building your own and this can help you with many different aspects of computer gaming. Thirdly, computer gaming evolves extremely fast. This often means upgrading your PC to be able to play the newest games on the highest settings you want. Building your own PC will give you this knowledge.
A lot of people thinking about building their own gaming PC become overwhelmed with the thought and think that is something they could never do because they aren’t extremely tech-savvy or believe it’s something that you need a lot of training to do. Honestly, it’s not that difficult. These days it’s almost as simple as finding where everything “plugs in”. Probably the hardest part of building a gaming PC is making sure all your components are compatible with one another and are tailored to your specific needs.
To give you an overview of our built PC under $500, we considered the following factors
- Will it play games in high resolution?
- What will the graphics look like?
- Can we upgrade it?
- How will it perform?
- What about its speed?
These were the questions which we kept in our mind when building a PC and here are answers to these questions:
- Will it play games in high resolution?
Yes, it will. You can expect to play PUBG, Fortnite, GTA V and other similar games in 1080p resolution.
- What will the graphics look like?
The graphical performance of this build is close to PS4. So, you can enjoy games in 60 FPS.
- Can we upgrade it?
Yes, the PC we built can be upgraded. You can upgrade your CPU and GPU in the future.
- How will it perform?
The performance of this PC is awesome. As we mentioned its graphics compatibility is close to PS4 and its overall performance is also close to PS4.
- What about its speed?
With great processing power, you`ll be able to play games hassle-free.
So, after asking ourselves these questions, we looked for the best components under $500 for building our PC. Here is how you can choose too:
Key Components when Building a Gaming PC
Motherboard
– This is the main circuit board that almost everything in your computer will connect to, hence the name.
Hard Drive
– This is where everything will be stored. You can select 2TB SSD if you want to but then your PC won`t be under $500. For our own PC, we used Hard Disk Drive instead of Solid State Drive. We know SSD performance is better than HDD but having a budget below $500 you can`t expect to buy some things.
Graphics Card
– This is obviously the biggest part of any gaming rig as it has the largest impact on the visuals. You’ll want to put most of your investment on this. The popular choices will be NVIDIA and AMD. From all our components graphics card cost us more than anything.
CPU
– The brains of the operation. The whole performance of your PC will depend on it. So, choose wisely.
Power Supply(PSU)
– Much like it sounds, it powers nearly everything inside your computer. Don’t skimp out on this one.
RAM
– RAM: Random Access Memory. This helps with multitasking and start-up speeds. You’ll want a minimum of 4GB. Don’t go cheap on RAM. For our own PC, we chose 8GB RAM.
So there you have it, all the essentials you’ll need to look into for building your gaming rig. Don’t be discouraged or intimidated, it’s not a very difficult process. Most importantly, don’t rush it! Make sure you find all the compatible parts, and learn the process.
Case
You`ll need a case to put all your components in one place. Go for the case with the best material.
With that we`ll discuss the components we used to build our PC and what are their pros and cons we found.
Best $500 Gaming PC Build:
1. AMD – Ryzen 3 2200G:
For the processor, we chose AMD – Ryzen 3 2200G 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor.
The reason for this is that we couldn’t find a better processor than AMD Ryzen. AMD Ryzen processors are designed to bring high-performance computing experience. AMD multi-threaded processing technology gives you the best performance whether you work or play. The great thing we found about this processor is that it has amazing graphics. AMD processors powered with Radeon Vega Graphics which gives advanced powerful computing and graphics hardware. To accelerate performance, Ryzen processors use true machine intelligence. It`s processing speed is 3.7 GHz maximum which can boost your computers overall performance. From our experience, we found that this processor works better than Intel Core i5. So, you can`t get a better processor than this.
Pros
Cons
2. Gigabyte – B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard:
This is the best motherboard we found under $100 due to various reasons. This motherboard perfectly fits the latest AMD Ryzen processors. As mentioned earlier, AMD Ryzen gives you great computing performance with more feature and more controls. This motherboard uses AMD StoreMI technology which accelerates traditional storage devices to reduce boot times. The great thing we found using this motherboard is that it has 6 USB 3.1 ports. So, you don`t have to face connectivity issues. For the design, it gives you the option of selecting 7 available colors to make your system appearance unique. Many gamers worry about heating when playing games but not on this motherboard. It comes with Smart Fan 5 which maintains its performance while staying cool. GIGABYTE motherboards are built with components like anti-sulfur transistors, solid plated power connectors, and humidity protection glass fabric that prolong its life.
Pros
- A great number of memory slots available.
- Ultra-durable
- Affordable
- The great number of USB ports.
Cons
- SATA ports can block graphics card.
- Bios are not easily swappable.
3. Team – Vulcan 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) Memory:
For RAM, we decided to go with Team- Vulcan 8 GB 2400. First, we picked DDR4-3000 but we couldn’t find it hence we have to go for DDR4-2400. When looking at its features, we think that this is the best RAM below $100 as it can boost your computer`s memory. Its memory speed is 2400 MHz so; you can expect to work fast. The great thing about this RAM is that we activated the XMP profile on first boot and we converted into 3000 MHz. With Ryzen as our processor, it gave us tremendous performance and worked against our expectations. The RAM is quite reliable which prolongs its working life.
Pros
- Great performance
- Fast speed
- Affordable
- Works best with Ryzen
Cons
- Had to go manually from 2400 MHz to 3000 MHz.
4. Western Digital – Caviar Blue 1 TB:
Storage is very important in PC gaming and you have to buy the best storage device. For our own built we used Western Digital Hard Disk Drive. We spent many hours searching for the perfect product and we found this hard disk. Although it is not an SSD which works faster than HDD, you can always pair it with SSD. The storage capacity of this HDD is 1TB which is very good considering the price. Western Digital offers Acronis True image which is available on their website. It enables you to easily copy all your data onto your new hard drive. The hard disk rotational speed is 7200 RPM which is excellent for its price. Overall it gave us a great performance.
Pros
- Great storage
- Great performance
- Affordable
- Great speed
Cons
- Long load times.
5. EVGA – GeForce GTX 1060 3GB:
Where will we go without a graphics card? Graphics card is the true performance builder for any gaming PC. When building a PC under $500, one would think which graphic card can I get under $200? The answer is EVGA- GeForce GTX. This card is loaded with new gaming technology making it the perfect choice for gamers. It is powered by NVIDIA Pascal which boosts its performance. The card features EVGA ACX 3.0 cooling technology so, you don`t have to worry about heat. The combination of NVIDIA and AMD Ryzen works very well. You can play most games at 1080p 60 FPS on maximum settings. After using this card, we were very satisfied with its performance.
Pros
Cons
6. Rosewill – NAUTILUS ATX Mid Tower Case:
You`ll need a case to put all your PC components in one place. For the case, we went with Rosewill. It has a stylish design with three blue led fans. With the glass window of the side panel, it is designed for the gamers who want to play games on a tight budget. It comes with multiple I/O ports with 3.5” to 5.25” docking station which offers easy access to users. The great thing we found it that it supports 380mm graphics card and EVGA graphics card worked really well for us by using Rosewill. So, you won`t find a better case than this below $50.
Pros
- Multiple I/O ports
- Affordable
- Less weight
- Can be upgraded
- Great design
Cons
- Cable ports are tight
- PSU fan hole is very small
7. Corsair – CXM 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified:
When building your own PC, the power supply has to be chosen carefully. If you choose low-quality power supply, then it will damage your computer. That`s why we chose Corsair. They are excellent choice basic system builds and computer upgrades. The great we liked is that it has no noise. We didn’t detect any fan noise during our usage.
Pros
- Great power supply
- Works best with Ryzen
- Affordable
Cons
- The semi-modular design can be somewhat annoying
8. Microsoft- Windows 10 Home:
For our operating system, we chose Microsoft- Windows 10 Home. Windows 10 is great for gaming. You can connect your Xbox account with it and can collect Xbox games with the Xbox app. We didn`t buy it as we installed it from our other computer so, it didn`t cost us. We recommend you to install your operating system via USB for faster install speeds.
Pros
- Easy to work with
- Cortana digital assistance
- Good for gaming
- Great speed
Cons
- Some apps can crash
- A bit expensive
Credits: Anikay
Our Recommendations For Peripherals:
So, there you have it. These were the components we used in building our gaming PC under $500. It must be noted that when we build this PC we spend less than $500 and prices can vary. However, there won`t be much difference and you can still buy these components under $500.
A Nerd Geo-Scientist, I am Internet Power User, Graphic Designer, WordPressor & Best Of All Founder of NerdsHD Where I share Interesting & Useful Stuff For Like Minded People.