Budget Gaming PC Builds for 2021: Powerful Cheap Desktops

There are many reasons why you should build your own PC. The main reason, of course, is to save money. By choosing to build your own PC, rather than purchasing a pre-built computer, you can save a ton of money. This is mainly because pre-assembled computer companies typically mark up the price of their systems significantly.

Another reason why you should build your own PC is that you can get a much more balanced system. A lot of times you’ll see pre-built PC systems comes with a bunch of RAM, but a weak video card. If you build your computer yourself, you can ensure that you aren’t wasting money on certain components when that money could be better allocated to more important parts (like your video card.)

And, finally, building your own computer is just a really good skill to have in this day and age, where everything depends on technology. It’s not a difficult task by any means, but it is rewarding nonetheless, and, in the grand scheme of things, not many people have ever built their own system.

Building your own gaming PC will give you a better working knowledge of the inside of your system. So, if you ever need to upgrade your computer in the future, or fix something inside of it, you’ll be better able to do so if you already know what the inside of a computer looks like. Not to mention, building your own PC could lead you to develop interest in other technology-related fields, like programming, software development, computer engineering, electrical engineering, etc.

Anyone who knows how to read or even how to watch a video and how to use a screwdriver can build their own PC. (Although, if you’ve seen the PC building video that was released from ‘The Verge’, that is an example of how NOT to build a PC. 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.) I should also add, too, that you do need some patience when building your own computer. As I mentioned above, 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.

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.

I’ve had 10-year-olds email me to tell me how they have built their own computers, as well as non-tech-savvy parents and even grandparents. So, if they can do it, I bet you can, too.

If your goal is to get a gaming computer that can play any modern game on a 1080P monitor while maintaining a decent framerate (at least 40 FPS), then you could get away with a PC build as low as $500.

If you don’t want to build your own PC, you’ll probably want to spend about ~$600 or so on a pre-built desktop to achieve similar results.

On the other hand, if you only play non-demanding games like Rocket League, Minecraft, or League of Legends, you could get away with a PC build as low as $300.

While some pre-built desktop gaming PCs can get close to the cost of a similarly-specced PC build, the reality is that, on average, building your own PC will cost less than buying a pre-built system. There are no markup costs when you buy your own parts and assemble your own computer.

However, if you don’t want to build your own computer, pre-built systems are always going on sale and so if you are savvy enough and you wait for a good deal, you could mitigate the difference in cost between a pre-built system and a DIY system.

To build a PC you need a specific set of components, an operating system, and a screwdriver. If you look scroll down in this guide, you’ll see that I’ve put together a number of pre-made part lists that you can either use as is, or as a base for the system, you want to build.

However, if you want to have an exact idea of what parts you will need in order to build a computer, the list below will take you through each one:

Parts Are Needed to Build A PC for Gaming

While you can put in all sorts of different parts into your computer, there is a core set of parts you will need in order to build a PC. They are:

CPU: The CPU is the brain of your computer. It handles all of the processes, calculations, and tasks of your computer. More than any other component, it will determine the speed of your computer. However, if you’re building a gaming computer, your CPU will take a backseat to your video card in terms of which component is the most responsible for performance. But either way, you need a decent CPU if you want to build a legit computer.

CPU Cooler/Fan: The CPU fan or cooler dissipates heat from your CPU to help keep it cool. Every CPU comes with a stock fan (unless otherwise noted), but you can always buy a bigger and better air cooler from a third-party manufacturer as well. Liquid cooling is also an option for building a PC, but if you’re working with a tight budget, you’ll want to stick with an air cooler.

Motherboard: The motherboard operates as the main “hub” of the PC. It’s where all of your components connect to so that they can communicate with each other.

Video Card: A video card is similar to a CPU, but its main job is to handle all graphics-related processes. You don’t necessarily need to buy a video card if you just want to build a standard PC. A lot of processors have video processing capabilities built directly into them. However, if you want to game on your PC, the integrated graphics that come on most CPUs aren’t good enough for serious gamers. If that’s the case for you, you need a dedicated graphics card. And, you can choose between an NVIDIA or AMD video card. In the current video card generation, AMD seems to offer better price-to-performance in their budget-range video cards over what NVIDIA offers.

Memory: Memory, or RAM, serves as the location where your CPU can carry out tasks. For most purposes, you’ll never need more than 8GB of RAM (at least, at the time of writing this.) However, if you’re doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, video editing, graphic design, etc. you may be able to utilize more than 8GB.

Storage: There are two prominent types of storage: traditional mechanical hard drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD). Both offer you a place to store all of your files, documents, and games. HDDs offer much more storage space for the price, but SSDs are much faster and can offer a significant performance increase (outside of gaming, as an SSD won’t have a big impact on your in-game experience other than loading times.) Many PC builders pair a solid state drive with an HDD in their builds so that they can get the best of both worlds.

Case/Chassis: A case is simply the container that you place all of your computer parts inside of. Not all cases are created equal. Some are smaller and have less space, while others are huge and allow for all sorts of crazy configurations. And, not all components will fit inside of all cases. So, it’s important to check and see if the components you are going to purchase are compatible with the case you want to choose before you buy all of your parts.

Power Supply: A power supply, or PSU, is the component that delivers electricity to your system. It takes the power from a wall socket in your home and converts it to power your PC can use and then delivers it to your system. Not all PSUs are created equally and it’s important that you don’t choose a cheap unit that could give you problems down the road. You also need to make sure that the power supply you choose is big enough to power all of the other components that will go into your build. You can do that with a calculator like Extreme Outervision.

Optical Drive: An optical drive is either a CD/DVD drive or a Bluray drive. Honestly, optical drives are slowly becoming obsolete as games and software are primarily downloaded online. You can even install your operating system through a USB drive nowadays. Still, though, a traditional optical drive is only about $20 so if you have a big budget it doesn’t hurt to throw one in if you still have some games or software on a disc.

Operating System: Obviously an operating system isn’t a physical component. However, you need an OS if you want to game. Ultimately, there are two viable OS options: Windows and Linux. Of the two Windows is the best option as it can accommodate any PC game. However, it will cost you an additional ~$90. Linux is free but doesn’t support as many games as Windows. Still, though, if you only care about playing certain Linux-friendly games and you don’t mind being limited to only Linux-friendly games, it might be worth considering.

What Cables Are Needed to Build A PC?

There are a ton of cables that are needed to build a computer. Fortunately, though, you don’t really have to worry about them and where they go because A) they are all clearly marked on where they go and B) all of the cables you need come with the parts you will buy.

In the worst case scenario, you might be short a couple of SATA cables. So, if you want to order a few extra just in case you can do so. (They’re only a couple bucks each.) Other than that, all of the cables you need will come with your motherboard, case, and power supply.

What Tools Are Needed to Build A PC?

The only tool you really need in order to build a computer is a screwdriver. And, really, you’ll only need the screwdriver to screw the motherboard into its standoffs and to secure your power supply. (And, in some cases, to take off/put on the side panel.)

Zip ties are also good to have, as well, to help you secure excess wires out of sight. And, of course, if you want to get really fancy, there are a few other tools that can make building a cheap gaming PC a little easier. It’s also a good idea to have a laptop, computer, smartphone, or tablet that is connected to the internet. Often times new builders get hung up on a common issue during the building process, that, because they have never built a computer before, isn’t something they know how to solve.

Fortunately, though, there are a lot of forums out there where these types of issues get posted and solved every day. So, having access to the internet during your build could be the difference between a smooth build process, and a problem-laden build process.

There are many places to get PC parts, including:

1. Amazon.com (Online)
2. Newegg.com (Online)
3. BHPhotoVideo.com (Online)
4. Microcenter (In-store or Online)
5. BestBuy (In-store or Online)

For me, personally, I stick to Amazon.com simply because I already have a Prime membership and so I can get most items within a couple of days. And, let me tell you when you hit the submit button on your order, the last thing you’re going to want to do is to sit around for a week waiting to build your PC. Also, Amazon typically has the lowest prices, and if not, they aren’t too far off of the nearest prices from competitors. And, in the instances where they don’t have the lowest price, I’m willing to pay a little more to guarantee that I get my parts (and, thus, my system) quickly.

However, there is some sense in using the other stores mentioned above. If you are fortunate enough to live near a Microcenter, they often have insanely good deals that you won’t find online. And, another option is to mix and match where you get your parts from. This makes sense if you want to maximize your budget to its fullest as you can buy different parts at different stores depending on where they are the cheapest.

It would take its own post entirely to walk you through how to build your own cheap gaming PC. Fortunately, you can check out our step-by-step computer building guide to walk you through the process.

No… just no. Do not get a console. Are you kidding me? I’m offended!

Joking aside, there are two sides to this question as well. Yes, I am a diehard PC fan. But one of my favorite video games happens to be Madden. And, up until Madden 2019, Madden wasn’t available on PC. 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 want to play a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, you’ll need a console to play it, as it isn’t available on PC (yet.) If you’re a baseball fan and you want to play MLB The Show, your only option is to get a PlayStation 4.

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 games that are exclusive to PC, like, for instance, League of Legends (also one of my favorite games.)

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 can play with better visuals, more detailed graphics, and smoother gameplay. And, of course, on average, PC games tend to be cheaper (Steam) and there are also a lot more of them.

So, while a console will cost you less upfront (unless you go with a really cheap 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. Problem solved.