Striking the balance between having a capable gaming PC and not spending a fortune can be a tricky endeavor. If you’re looking to play old school retro games, then a basic PC with a budget graphics card can work.
But when you want to play modern, competitive titles, you want something with a little more “oomph” to it, both to get nice visuals and great frame rates.
With an $800 budget, you can get a pretty capable gaming machine. If you build one yourself, you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
Also Read: How to Build A Gaming PC (Step-By-Step Guide)
But if you’d rather buy a prebuilt gaming rig, you can still find some decent PCs. Here to help you find a good prebuilt gaming PC under $800, we’ve put together a list of the best ones we could find.
Best Prebuilt PCs Under $800
3. iBUYPOWER Slate5MR 2140 (Cheaper)
Quick Look: Best Prebuilt PCs Under $800
|
|
NAME | SPECS | RATING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
TOP PICK
|
 |
MXZ AMD Desktop |
|
/10 |
|
|
MINI
|
 |
SkyTech Chronos |
|
/10 |
|
|
CHEAPER
|
 |
iBUYPOWER Slate5MR 2140 |
|
/10 |
|
|
MINIMAL
|
 |
HP Pavilion |
|
/10 |
|
*For more information on the prebuilt gaming PCs above, click the “Read Review »” link and you will skip to our overview of that PC. To see our Honorable Mention picks, keep scrolling down.
1. MXZ AMD Desktop
Best prebuilt gaming PC under $800
Out of all the computers we’ve found under the $800 mark, the MXZ Gaming Desktop has to be the best of the bunch.
This sleek, RGB-laden computer offers the best of all worlds, coming in at a great price that hovers just above our budget choice. But it’s the hardware that it includes that makes it such a winner.
Coming with an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and an NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super, this is probably the most powerful system on our list. The Ryzen 5 5500 offers decent performance, despite being one of the lower end chips in the Ryzen 5000 series, being a great budget CPU for use in multitasking and productivity apps, thanks to its 4-core, 8-thread design.
But where this system really shines is the inclusion of the GTX 1660 Super, which offers much better performance compared to the GTX 1650 that’s commonly found in other systems at this price range.
Add to that the 16GB of memory, and the 500GB NVMe SSD, and it’s easy to see why this system takes the top spot on our list.
2. SkyTech Chronos
The best mini prebuilt PC under $800
When you’re working with a small budget, it can be hard to find the right computer. That’s especially the case when it comes to small PCs, which are more niche than a standard sized computer. That’s why if you’re looking for a mini PC on a budget, you won’t want to miss out on the SkyTech Chronos Mini Gaming Computer.
Also Read: The Best Prebuilt Mini ITX PCs
This little gaming machine comes with an Intel Core i3-10100F and an NVIDIA GTX 1650. This makes for a powerful CPU/GPU combo, ensuring the computer can handle most games at 1080p, while also running cool enough to fit in its small chassis. Also, because the computer comes with a 10100F, there’s a clear upgrade path, making this computer a good choice for now and into the future.
It’s a bit sparse on memory and storage, so you’ll definitely want to upgrade those at some point. But starting out, it should be enough to get you gaming.
3. iBUYPOWER SlateMR 2140
A cheaper sub-$800 prebuilt PC
Having a budget of $800 means you don’t have a ton of money to play with. So if you’re looking to stretch your dollar further by choosing a budget option, then you certainly want to check out the iBUYPOWER SlateMR 2140.
With an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GTX 1650, this capable gaming machine allows you to play at 1080p at high settings for most games while still getting great frame rates. It only comes with 8GB of RAM, so you’ll absolutely want to pick up extra memory. But at its economical price, it’s a good machine, offering you to upgrade at your own pace.
Also Read: 8GB vs 16GB of RAM: How Much Should You Get?
If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest option under $800, there are other PCs available at lower price ranges. But for the price and performance of this iBUYPOWER gaming PC, it’s possibly the best budget option under $800.
4. HP Pavilion
A minimalist prebuilt PC for under $800
Whether you’re more business oriented, or you just want a discrete PC that’s capable of gaming, this HP Pavilion is a great office-style prebuilt gaming PC.
This computer comes with a Ryzen 7 5700G, a capable gaming APU that can produce decent frame rates in most games. Because it’s an office-style PC, it doesn’t come with a dedicated graphics card.
However, with the RX Vega 8 graphics included in the Ryzen 7 5700G, this machine is still capable of doing some light gaming. And with perhaps the best processor out of all the computers on this list, all you need is to pick up a graphics card to make this machine a great budget-oriented gaming machine.
Overall, if you’re looking to avoid the flashy RGB lighting that’s common on gaming PCs, in lieu of a more modest machine, while still being able to play your favorite games, then this HP gaming PC is a worthy consideration.
5. Acer Nitro 50
Honorable Mention #1
If you’re looking for style, but don’t need all the flash and bling of an RGB computer, then you’ll definitely want to take a look at the Acer Nitro 50 N50-620-UA91.
This little gaming machine features a powerful CPU/GPU combo with the Intel Core i5-11400F and an NVIDIA GTX 1650. Making it capable of playing nearly any game at 1080p 60 FPS or greater, it’s certain to be able to handle most things you can throw at it.
Like some of the other computers on this list, it’s lacking a bit in the memory department, so you’ll probably want to add another stick of RAM to it at some point. However, the inclusion of an NVMe SSD is nice, and will help speed things up. You’ll also be able to add an HDD later for your games and media library.
Overall, if you want something that’s a little more discreet than a flashy RGB machine, but you still want the gaming PC look, this is a good choice.
6. MXZ Intel Desktop
Honorable mention #2
When it comes to performance gaming PCs on a budget, MXZ makes the list again with its Intel gaming desktop. Much like our number one pick, this is a great gaming machine at this price point, offering one of the best price-to-performance ratios on the list.
In this MXZ computer, it comes with an Intel Core i3-12100F and an NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super, making it one of the more capable machines on our list. In fact, it’s pretty comparable to the first MXZ computer we listed, with the 12100F and the Ryzen 5 5500 being comparable, and the rest of the system offering the same specs.
Here’s where the two differ: the AMD system offers more in the ways of multitasking and productivity performance. This one, on the other hand, offers a better upgrade path, with 13th-gen Intel chips utilizing the same CPU socket as the 12th-gen.
That means if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, as well as being able to upgrade further into the future, then this is a great choice.
Finding The Sweet Spot Between Price and Performance
Here we’ve gone over some of the best prebuilt gaming PCs under $800. Which one do you think is the best one? We think the MXZ Gaming Desktop with the Ryzen 5 5500 is the best of the bunch.
Also Read: Best $800 Gaming PC Build Right Now
But depending on your needs and taste, perhaps you found one of the other prebuilt PCs to be the best option.
