If you’re looking to build an affordable gaming computer that can easily handle your favorite games, in this guide, you’ll find six different budget gaming PC builds that will serve you well into 2023 (and beyond).
In this day and age of incredible graphics and extremely demanding video games, you, as a PC gamer, must have a capable system to play today’s top titles on high settings with an acceptable framerate.
And, although some console gamers might tell you that PC gaming is too expensive to get into, the reality is that even if you are working with a tight budget, you can build a cheap gaming PC that can deliver excellent performance at 1080P resolution in most games.
In this guide, we’ve given you six different cheap PC builds that you can use as is or use as a base that you can tweak to create your own part list.
These aren’t the best gaming PCs you can build, but for the price, their performance is incredible, and most of these builds will offer a better PC gaming experience than consoles will.
With this guide, you’ll have a plan of action and a number of different components to choose between, and you’ll be well on your way to building the best gaming PC for your budget. You’ll also find a link for budget to a comparable prebuilt gaming PC. So, if you decide that you don’t want to build your own system, you can check out a prebuilt gaming PC for a similar price.
Table of Contents
I. Quick-Look: Best Budget Gaming PC Builds
1. Powerful $800 Gaming PC Build
2. VR-Ready $700 Gaming PC Build
3. Mid-Range $600 Gaming PC Build
4. Console-Killing $500 Gaming PC Build
5. Budget-Friendly $400 Gaming PC Build
Quick-Look: The Best Cheap Gaming PC Builds
In this section, we’ve taken six different price points ($300, $400, $500, $600, $700, & $800) and we’ve put together budget-friendly gaming PC builds for each budget. These builds can either be used as is, or they can serve as a base that you can customize to your liking. We’ve also linked to a comparable prebuilt gaming PC for each price range.
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*I update these builds about once per week and if the total price is over the price range I have set ($30 threshold) then it’s likely that one (or more) of the components included in the build saw a price increase since I had last updated the build.
1. Powerful $800 Gaming PC Build
What if I told you that for ~$800, you could build a computer that could serve as a solid 1080P or 1440P PC gaming machine?
That’s what this $800 gaming PC build brings to the table. Thanks to an Intel Core i5-12400F CPU, a Radeon RX 6700 XT video card, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, this budget PC build is capable of playing most games on a 1440P 60Hz monitor at medium-to-higher settings with acceptable frame rates.
And, of course, if you want to play on a 1080P monitor, this budget build will easily handle that, as benchmarks for the RX 6700 XT show that it can handle 1080P gaming incredibly well.
In fact, pairing this build with a cheap 144Hz gaming monitor would make it an excellent option for competitive gamers. Whether, you’re playing Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA, Apex Legends, Rocket League, or any other highly competitive game, this build will be powerful enough to deliver a high enough framerate to utilize a fast refresh rate display.
The build also includes a Kingston 480GB SATA SSD and a Thermaltake 80PLUS Gold rated fully-modular 650W power supply. This power supply will handle any upgrades or additions you might want to make in the future. And, there are a ton of different cases you can choose between that would work for this build, we’ve included the Zalman T7. It’s an affordable mid tower case that has a grilled front panel (for better airflow), a PSU shroud, and a transparent side panel that will let you show off your build.
Ultimately, this is one of the best budget gaming PC builds available. It can easily handle 1080P gaming, it will serve well for 1440P gaming, and it can even run some less-demanding games on a 4K monitor on mediumish settings.
Part List for $800 PC Build
 |  |  |  |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-12400F | |
| MOBO | MSI H610M | |
| GPU | PowerColor RX 6700 XT | |
| RAM | TEAMGROUP 16GB | |
| SSD | Kingston A400 480GB | |
| CASE | Zalman T7 | |
| PSU | Thermaltake 650W | |
| ODD | Install O.S. from USB | |
| OS | Windows |
Grand Total: $770-$830
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.
**You’ll need an operating system. Windows costs ~$100. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.
12400F + RX 6700 XT Benchmark
2. Excellent Gaming PC Build for $700
With an Intel Core i5-12400F CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 2060 GPU, this is one of the best budget gaming PC builds for ~$700. It is even capable of functioning as an entry-level 4K gaming system (it can run non-demanding games on a 4K monitor).
The processor/graphics card combination will even meet the required specifications for running the Valve Index or HTC Vive Pro 2—so tethered virtual reality is also doable with this setup.
The combination of the i5-12400F and the RTX 2060 won’t be quite as powerful as the 12400F/6700 XT combo from the $800 build above. However, it will still max out pretty much any game on a 1080P monitor.
This $700 gaming PC also comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and the same Zalman T7 case that was listed in the $800 build. Again, this isn’t the greatest case in the world, but for right at $50, you get a nice case with decent airflow, plenty of room, and nice aesthetics, too.
For storage, this build opts for the same Kingston 480GB SATA drive as the $800 build. In either this build, or the $800 build, you could try and fit in a 1TB SSD. However, we felt 500GB would be enough to get you started, as you can always add additional storage down the road, and the money saved allowed for a better graphics card.
You also get the same high-quality 650W 80 PLUS Gold Thermaltake power supply as well. This PSU will give you plenty of power to make upgrades or additions in the future and, as its fully-modular, it will make the building process much easier.
Overall, this budget build will offer ideal performance in 1080p gaming and decent performance in 1440P gaming, and it is one of the best options for $700 in 2023.
Also Read: 1080P vs 1440P vs 4K for Gaming?
Part List for $700 PC Build
 |  |  |  |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-12400F | |
| MOBO | MSI H610M | |
| GPU | EVGA RTX 2060 | |
| RAM | TEAMGROUP 16GB | |
| SSD | Kingston A400 480GB | |
| CASE | Zalman T7 | |
| PSU | Thermaltake 650W | |
| ODD | Install O.S. from USB | |
| OS | Windows |
Grand Total: $670-$730
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.
**You’ll need an operating system. Windows costs ~$100. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.
12400F + GTX 2060 Super Benchmark
3. A Solid $600 Gaming PC Build
For right around $600, you can throw together a solid gaming desktop that will max out any game on the market on a 1080p monitor.
The main difference between this $600 gaming PC build and the build listed for $700 above, is that this build has a less powerful Intel Core i3 processor. The i3-12100F CPU is no slouch, though, and since this build comes with the same RTX 2060 as the build above, the in-game performance difference between the two builds won’t be too significant.
And, for popular games like Elden Ring, Minecraft, Fortnite, or Call of Duty, and Starfield, this computer will be able to handle them with ease.
Also, with the Intel Core i3-12100F CPU, the NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card, and 16GB of memory, this $600 gaming computer build meets the requirements to run a Valve Index or HTC Vive Pro 2.
To round out the part list, this build comes with a Kingston 480GB SATA SSD, the Thermaltake Versa H18 micro-ATX case, and an 80PLUS Gold-rated power supply from EVGA.
The Versa H18 is a solid sub-$50 case that has a grilled front panel, a full-length PSU shroud, and a tempered glass side panel. Everything considered, the H18 offers a lot more than most cases in its price range.
The EVGA power supply is a solid unit, but the one downside is that it is not fully modular. It is tough to get a quality full modular power supply in this budget, but if you want to spend a little more, the Thermaltake unit listed in the two builds above will make the building process a little easier.
The bottom line, though, is that this system is a really good budget gaming PC build for the money and it will easily last you through 2023 and beyond.
Part List for $600 PC Build
 |  |  |  |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-12100F | |
| MOBO | MSI H610M | |
| GPU | EVGA RTX 2060 | |
| RAM | TEAMGROUP 16GB | |
| SSD | Kingston A400 480GB | |
| CASE | Thermaltake Versa H18 | |
| PSU | EVGA 600W | |
| ODD | Install O.S. from USB | |
| OS | Windows |
Grand Total: $570-$630
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.
**You’ll need an operating system. Windows costs ~$100. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.
12100F + GTX 2060 Super Benchmark
4. Affordable Gaming PC Build for $500
If you’re looking to spend ~$500, this gaming PC build might be the option for you.
These parts are capable of producing an experience on par with a some custom PC builder’s $1,000+ prebuilt gaming PC.
Still, though, with the budget limitations, there will a significant performance drop in performance between this system and the $600 PC build listed above. But, if you’re mainly playing non-demanding titles (like Fortnite, League of Legends, Minecraft, Rocket League, etc.) this system will get the job done.
Thanks to an Intel Core i3-12100F processor, an RX 6500 XT graphics card, and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, the cheap $500 gaming PC build listed below can max out pretty much any game on a budget 1080p monitor, as well as play non-demanding games at 1440p on medium-to-high settings.
And, while 8GB of RAM may not be ideal for gaming in 2023, with a $500 budget, we felt it was more important to put money to ensure an adequate CPU/GPU combo to start.
We also opted for a single 8GB stick of RAM, rather than a 2x4GB kit. This means you won’t get to utilize dual channel memory. However, since this build comes with a micro-ATX motherboard you only have two DIMM slots to work with and we thought it would be best if the second slot were free so that you can quickly and easily add a second 8GB stick of RAM in the near future.
This build also comes with the same Kingston 480GB SATA SSD and EVGA 80PLUS Gold 600W power supply that the $600 build comes with. The 600W EVGA power supply is strong enough to run an RTX 4070 graphics cards. So, you won’t be too limited in how far you can upgrade this build down the road.
Overall, this system is a good starter build for anyone looking to get into PC gaming or anyone who is looking for the best cheap gaming PC for $500.
Part List for $500 PC Build
 |  |  |  |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-12100F | |
| MOBO | MSI H610M | |
| GPU | PowerColor RX 6500 XT | |
| RAM | Patriot Viper 8GB | |
| SSD | Kingston A400 480GB | |
| CASE | Thermaltake Versa H18 | |
| PSU | EVGA 600W | |
| ODD | Install O.S. from USB | |
| OS | Windows |
Grand Total: $470-$530
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.
**You’ll need an operating system. Windows costs ~$100. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.
12100F + RX 6500 XT Benchmark
5. $400 Ultra Budget Gaming PC Build
For $400, you can build a budget gaming PC that will allow you to play games like Rocket League, League of Legends, and Dota 2 on higher settings.
And, by building it yourself, you can avoid having to deal with the low-quality power supplies and motherboards that the big computer companies like to throw in their budget systems. And, it is a far better alternative than opting for a cheap laptop.
This $400 gaming PC build comes with an Intel Core i3-12100F processor, 8GB of DDR4 memory, a GT 1030 graphics card, a 80PLUS Gold 600W power supply, and the same Thermaltake micro-ATX case as found in the builds above. The power supply and the roomier case size will make upgrading this budget gaming PC a lot easier in the future.
Ultimately, the desktop PC build listed below is based on my research on the best brand new parts available for a cheap gaming PC.
However, it should be noted that if you want to maximize the performance you can get out of a $400 budget, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to search the used market. It is possible that with a $400 budget you could match the performance of the $500 or $600 builds above if you’re willing to purchase used parts instead of new parts.
Obviously there is some more risk by going the used route, but considering that this system won’t offer a lot of performance out of the box, it might be a risk you’re willing to take.
The best place to find used components is either eBay, or on Facebook marketplace.
Part List for $400 PC Build
 |  |  |  |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-12100F | |
| MOBO | MSI H610M | |
| GPU | Gigabyte GT 1030 | |
| RAM | Patriot Viper 8GB | |
| SSD | PNY 240GB | |
| CASE | Thermaltake Versa H18 | |
| PSU | EVGA 600W | |
| ODD | Install O.S. from USB | |
| OS | Windows |
Grand Total: $370-$430
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.
**Price includes the parts that make up the tower only. You’ll need an operating system and Windows costs ~$100 for an activation key. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it with no problems—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.
12100F + GT 1030 Benchmark
6. Entry-Level $300 Gaming PC Build
For gamers who are working with an extremely tight budget, it is possible to build a gaming PC for under $300.
The downside of putting together such a system is that you’ll be stuck with integrated graphics.
Also Read: Dedicated Graphics Card vs. Integrated Graphics
However, the upside of this build is that with just an upgrade to the video card you will have a capable gaming PC.
But, even as is, with the AMD Ryzen 5 3400G and its integrated Vega graphics, and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, this PC build can handle most games at 1080P resolution on lower-to-medium settings.
We’ve kept the Thermaltake Versa H18 in this build, but have dropped down to a slight cheaper MSI 550W power supply. Still, though, the MSI power supply will be able to accommodate an upgrade to a mid-range graphics card in the future and the H18 case is roomy enough to where you won’t run into any clearance issues.
So, if you are severely strapped for cash now, but you want something that will let you play your favorite games on lower-to-medium settings and will also let you upgrade to a high-end system later on down the road, then this is probably one of the best budget gaming PCs you can build for the price.
Again, it should be noted that with such a low budget, it is worth considering shopping the used market for components. With a $300 budget you could build a significantly better system by opting for used parts. Obviously, the downside to that strategy is there is no guarantee on the state of the components you are buying. But, you might find the risk worth taking if you’re looking for more performance.
Part List for $300 PC Build
 |  |  |  |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3400G | |
| MOBO | Biostar A320M | |
| RAM | Patriot Viper 8GB | |
| SSD | PNY 240GB | |
| CASE | Thermaltake Versa H18 | |
| PSU | MSI 550W | |
| ODD | Install O.S. from USB | |
| OS | Windows |
Grand Total: $270-$330
*Component prices fluctuate daily. Click here to check current pricing.
**You’ll need an operating system. Windows costs ~$100. However, you can still install Windows for free and it will work indefinitely without activating it—there will just be a watermark at the bottom left of your desktop asking you to activate it.
Ryzen 5 3400G Benchmark
FAQ: Questions to Ask Before You Build Your Budget PC
If you’re on the fence of whether or not you should build your own cheap gaming PC, or you have questions, we’ve provided a list of frequently asked questions below to help you find the answers you’re looking for.
1. Is building a gaming PC hard?
Anyone who knows how to read or even how to watch a video and how to use a screwdriver can build their own PC. I should also add, too, that you do need some patience when building your own computer. Building a gaming PC is not rocket science and is not too difficult of a task.
However, there are moments that can arise during the building process that can be frustrating. The good news, though, is that there are plenty of guides out there that can help walk you through the building process to minimize the chances of you running into these kinds of problems.
Check out our guide on the common PC building mistakes that first-time builders make in order to get an idea of what NOT to do.
Most builders won’t face too many issues during their first build and even the most tech-challenged individuals could probably get through their own PC build if they are patient enough.
We’ve also put together a step-by-step guide to help first-time builders through the building process. You can access it here.
2. How much should a budget gaming PC build Cost?
How much a gaming PC should cost is going to vary from user to user depending on a handful of variables.
How much should a gaming PC build cost for someone who wants to mainly play League of Legends?
What about if someone wants to play Starfield on a 4K 144Hz monitors?
Obviously, the second user is going to have to spend a lot more in order to build a PC that will suit their needs.
So, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much a gaming PC should cost. It will depend on what your budget is and what you plan on doing with your system.
In general, though, for 1080P gaming, a budget of $600-$800 would be suffice for most users.
For more information on the cost of building a PC, check out our guide How Much is A Good Gaming PC?
3. Is building your own PC cheaper in 2023?
In most cases, building your own PC has typically been cheaper than buying a prebuilt gaming PC with similar hardware. However, you can sometimes find prebuilt PCs on sale at prices that may be cheaper than what it would cost to build that same system. This is fairly rare, even with somewhat inflated component prices—but, it is worth noting that it is possible to find good deals on prebuilt systems.
4. How do I build a gaming PC for the first time?
To build a PC you need a specific set of components, an operating system, and a screwdriver. While the process might seem daunting, as long as you follow a solid PC building guide, you should be able to finish your build without any problems. I walk you through how to build your own PC in this step-by-step PC building guide.
Also read: How Long Does it Take to Build A PC?
5. Should you build a cheap gaming PC or get a console?
There are two sides to this question… Yes, I am a diehard PC fan. But two of my favorite video games are Madden and MLB the Show. And, up until a few years ago, Madden wasn’t available on PC. (And, MLB the Show is still a console exclusive.) So, if I wanted to play Madden in the past, I also had to have an XBox One. (Yes, that’s right, I have a console…)
Or, if you wanted to play a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 at launch, you would have needed a console to play it.
So, before you go out and build a new budget gaming computer, you need to make sure that you understand that certain games aren’t available on PC. But, at the same time, what you lose on a console, you gain on a PC. There are also plenty of popular games that are exclusive to PC, like, for instance, League of Legends (also one of my favorite games), DOTA 2, Factorio, the Civilization games, etc.
And, overall, the in-game experience on a PC is better than it is on a console. That’s simply because on the PC you have the potential to play with better visuals, more detailed graphics, and smoother gameplay. And, of course, on average, PC games tend to be cheaper and there are also a lot more of them. (Although, with the launch of the PS5, the gap between platforms is closing. Check out our guide PC vs PS5: Which is Better for Gaming? to learn more.)
So, while a console will cost you less upfront (unless you go with a really inexpensive PC), if you buy a lot of games, in the long run, a PC will win out. Ultimately, though, if you’re like me, you just get both and enjoy the best of both worlds.
What about coolers for these builds?
hello
In the Powerful $800 Gaming PC (VR-READY) section in the table, you said Just an FYI the 750w power supply.