The Best Gaming PC Build Under $300 for 2021

Strapped for cash, but need an entry-level gaming PC to run games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, & Rocket League? Then, this $300 gaming PC build will do the trick for you.

What if I told you that, for $300 you could build a decent entry-level gaming computer for 1080P gaming? No, it won’t be a high-end RTX 3090 desktop that can max out today’s top games. However, for $300 you can put together a system that is capable of running most modern games on lower (and, for some games, medium) settings.

That’s not too bad for that low of a budget. And, this build will not only deliver solid performance now, but it is also set up so that it can easily be upgraded in the future to a system that will be able to max out games on a budget 1080P monitor.

So, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly $300 gaming PC, keep reading to see how you can build one that will exceed your expectations.

Or, you can check out more builds on our Best Cheap Gaming PC Builds guide.

*URGENT: Due to extreme hardware shortages caused by the pandemic, it is currently very difficult to find new graphics cards (and other hardware) at reasonable prices. As of right now, if you want to buil a new gaming PC, your best bet is to check the used market for a video card, or you can look at a pre-built gaming PC (see our recommendation below) instead of building your own system.

I. $300 Gaming PC Build Overview

Not everybody has thousands of dollars to spend on a high-end gaming computer. However, the reality is that spending thousands of dollars on a gaming PC isn’t always necessary. And, if you’re someone who currently has a cheap laptop or older desktop that can’t run any of today’s top games, all you probably care about is getting a system that will at least let you play your favorite games.

With the $300 gaming PC build listed below, you’ll be able to run most of today’s popular games on lower settings on a 1080P monitor.

This $300 build comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 3200G APU, a 240GB SSD, and 8GB of DDR4 memory. The 3200G has decent integrated graphics built into it that can handle most games out there on at least minimum settings.

The build also comes with a 500W power supply that will easily be able to power a mid-range graphics card later down the road, when you are ready to upgrade. In fact, this build is really just a couple of upgrades away from being a really powerful mid-range system. But we’ll talk about potential upgrades further down in the post. For now, here is the part list that will help you build a solid cheap gaming PC for under $300:

*NOTE: We’ve also linked to an affordable pre-built gaming PC, too. So, while you’ll get more performance out of the build listed below, if you absolutely don’t want to build a PC yourself, the pre-built desktop we have linked to will serve as a viable alternative.

II. $300 Gaming PC System Breakdown

While we feel that the components listed above will give you the best value for your budget, there are alternative options that you can go with to either cut the price down further or to get more performance out of the system now…

1. What Games Will It Run and What Framerate Can I Expect?

We’ve already discussed how the integrated graphics on the Ryzen 3 2200G are good enough to run most games on a 1080P monitor on lower settings. But, as a clearer picture of what this system is able to do, you can expect it to:

• Run eSports titles (Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, etc.) at ~50-60FPS on medium or higher settings
• Run AAA titles (like Middle Earth: Shadow of War, Rise of the Tomb Raider, etc.) at ~30FPs on lower settings

If you mainly play competitive eSports games that aren’t super demanding, then the 2200G will have you covered. If you want to play AAA titles, the 2200G will be able to run them at lower settings, but you shouldn’t expect to get a high framerate at 1080P—although, reducing your monitor’s resolution should help there as well.

2. Why Go With A Single 8GB Stick of RAM?

For RAM, we chose a single 8GB stick of DDR4 memory. Rather than going with a 2x4GB kit to utilize dual channel memory, we opted for a single stick of RAM for two reasons:

1. It’s cheaper than the cheapest 2x4GB of DDR4 memory
2. It will make adding a second stick of RAM much easier

While you may have been told that running your RAM in dual channel configuration will give you more performance than running a single stick of RAM, the reality is that, for gaming, dual channel configurations typically don’t offer a significant performance advantage when compared to single channel configurations. (For proof of this, check out our guide: Single Channel vs Dual Channel vs Quad Channel Memory).

And, since the micro-ATX motherboard in this build only has two DIMM slots, that means if you were to start out with a 2x4GB kit of memory right now, you wouldn’t be able to upgrade to 16GB of memory down the road without having to replace your existing kit.

By going with a single 8GB stick of memory now, all you need to do to get to 16GB of RAM is to add a second identical 8GB Corsair Vengeance stick of memory.

3. What About the High Cost of Windows?

While the price of this build will fall anywhere from ~$270-$330 depending on how the price of the components are fluctuating, this cost only accounts for the tower itself. It doesn’t account for the cost of an operating system, which you will definitely need in order to get the build up and running.

A brand new copy of Windows will set you back another ~$100. So, that will take the cost of this build up closer to $400 if you buy a copy of Windows brand new.

However, there are ways around paying $100 for Windows.

Use A Linux-Based Operating System?

You can choose to go with a Linux-based operating system for free. The downside, there, though, is that not all modern games can be run on a Linux-based system.

Buy A Windows 10 Key for Cheap from A Third-Party Marketplace?

The other option to cut down on the costs of Windows is to buy it from a third-party marketplace. Sites like Kinguin.net or G2A.com have Windows 10 keys for as low as ~$30. Some people question whether or not purchasing Windows keys from Kinguin or G2A is a good idea or not. We have covered the pros and cons of using a marketplace like Kinguin or G2A in two other guides, Is Kinguin Legit? and Is G2A Legit? if you want to read further into it.

Get Windows 10 for Free?!?!

If you absolutely can’t afford to pay for Windows right now, the good news is that you can still install it on your computer and use it without having to buy a key for it. The downside is that without activating Windows, you will be limited in some areas on what you can do with your system.

However, even with an unactivated version of Windows installed on your computer, you can still play all of your games and use your system in a fairly normal manner.

The only real differences between an activated Windows and an unactivated Windows is in some customization options (for instance, you won’t be able to put up a custom wallpaper if you haven’t activated Windows.)

So, in the grand scheme of things, if you’re okay foregoing some of the customization options that require Windows to be activated, you could use Windows 10 for free without ever activating it. And, at the very least, if you can’t afford Windows 10 now, you could still always build your tower and use the unactivated version of Windows for the time being, until you can afford to purchase a key.

4. How to Upgrade This Build

The best part about this $300 gaming PC is that, with just a couple of upgrades, it can go from being an entry-level 1080P gaming PC, to a mid-range gaming PC that can max out pretty much any game you throw at it.

Here’s how I would upgrade this computer to get it to a mid-range gaming computer:

1. The first upgrade I’d make would be to add a mid-range GPU (~$175-$300)

The following GPUs would make for a good upgrade:

• GTX 1650
• GTX 1660
• RX 5600 XT

If it were my system, I’d shoot for either a GTX 1660 or RX 5600 XT. These will be more than enough to handle any game on a 1080P monitor right now and in the coming years. And, the good news is that, you won’t need to upgrade your power supply before jumping up to either of those options.

The provided 550W power supply could even power an RTX 3060, RTX 3070, or an RX 5700 or 5700 XT.

2. The second upgrade I’d make would be to upgrade to a mid-range CPU (~$150-$300)

The motherboard in this build will support newer Ryzen processors with a BIOS update. The following two options would be nice mid-range upgrades:

• Ryzen 5 3600
• Ryzen 5 3600X

You could also check out the older Ryzen 7 2700 or 2700X if you could utilize the extra cores. And, on the extreme end, there’s the Ryzen 7 3700X as well. But, if it were me and I had a moderate budget to upgrade my CPU, I’d look at either the 3600 or the 3600X.

3. The third upgrade I’d make would be to add a second 8GB stick of RAM (~$50)

For the next upgrade, I’d double the amount of RAM in this system by adding a second 8GB stick of Corsair Vengeance LPX 2400MHz memory. This will take you from 8GB to 16GB, which will be more than enough for most scenarios.

4. The fourth upgrade I’d make would be to add more storage (~$50-$150)

The other downside of this build is that it only comes with 240GB of storage to start out. That should be enough to hold over most gamers for a little while and the good news is that adding additional storage is pretty easy. And, so, the next upgrade to make would be to add additional storage.

With all of those upgrades, you’ll now have a very capable mid-range gaming computer that can max any game out on a 1080P monitor. Even before the upgrade from 8GB to 16GB, the system would be able to handle any game you threw at it.

III. Peripherals & Accessories to Go With Your New Gaming PC

Along with your computer, you will also need a keyboard, mouse, and monitor (if you don’t already have them.) If you have a $300 budget to spend on your gaming computer, my guess is that you also have a limited budget to spend on your peripherals.

So, with that being said, here are some picks for some budget-friendly peripherals that will pair nicely with this $300 gaming PC build:

Budget Gaming Monitor Pick

Budget Gaming Keyboard Pick

*Or, if you’d prefer a mechanical keyboard, check out our post on the best mechanical keyboards under $50.

Gaming Mouse Pick

*For more cheap mouse options, check out our guide on the best budget gaming mice.

Conclusion: A $300 Gaming PC Won’t Blow You Away… But it Will Let You Play Your Favorite Games

No, this $300 gaming computer isn’t going to let you max out a game like Borderlands 3 on a 1440P 144Hz monitor. You probably won’t even be able to run The Borderlands 3 on lower settings on a 1080P monitor with a playable framerate with this build.

However, you will be able to run more non-demanding games on lower-to-medium settings. And, the key there is that you will be able to run it. For a lot of gamers who are stuck with older laptops or desktops that can’t run modern games, just being able to run newer games would be a huge upgrade. And, really, that’s who this build is for: people who have an extremely tight budget, but who just want to be able to play mostmodern games.

This system also has a simple upgrade path to becoming a solid mid-range gaming computer, too. So, it will not only work well for right now, but it will also give you plenty of potential for the future as well.