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Best Cheap Prebuilt Gaming PC Under $500 in 2023

If you’re in the market for a new gaming PC and you’re working with a $500 budget (or less), these prebuilt desktops will allow you to run non-demanding games like League of Legends and Rocket League.

Best Prebuilt Gaming PCs Under $500

PC gaming has historically been one of the cheapest and most versatile ways to game. But with the rising cost of PC hardware and the increasing performance demands of newer games, it’s becoming more difficult to afford an adeqaute gaming PC.

That’s why, in this post, we’ve put together a list of some of the best budget prebuilt PCs (under $500) we can find.

These PCs aren’t the best options out there and they’ll struggle to run today’s top titles. However, if all you want is a system that can handle games like Minecraft or Roblox, then one of the options below should work for you.

Of course, if you’d like to put your $500 budget to better use, you could always consider building your own PC instead. Due to the markup prices that come with prebuilt PCs, you’re leaving a lot of performance on the table.

By building your own system you can put together a considerably more powerful system. Check out our $500 Gaming PC Build Guide for a list of parts that will give you more performance for your money.

If you’re not up for building your own PC, though, the prebuilt options below will serve as decent entry-level gaming PCs.

Quick Look: The Best Prebuilt PCs Under $500

NAME SPECS RATING
TOP PICK
HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop

HP Pavilion

  • R3 5300G
  • RX 5500
  • 8GB RAM
  • 512GB SSD
8.0/10

See Price »

Read Review »

RUNNER-UP
NOVATECH Gaming Desktop

NOVATECH Desktop

  • i5-4590
  • RX 570
  • 16GB RAM
  • 512GB SSD
7.9/10

See Price »

Read Review »

MINI-ITX
Skytech Mini PC X1

Skytech Mini X1

  • R5 5600G
  • Vega 7
  • 16GB RAM
  • 500GB SSD
7.9/10

See Price »

Read Review »

HTPC
ACEMAGICIAN Mini Gaming PC

ACEMAGICIAN Mini

  • R5 5600U
  • Vega 7
  • 16GB RAM
  • 512GB SSD
7.8/10

See Price »

Read Review »

RENEWED
Dell Gaming Precision 3620

Dell Precision 3620

  • i5-6500
  • RTX 2060S
  • 32GB RAM
  • 256GB SSD
8.2/10

See Price »

Read Review »

*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. HP Pavilion TG01-2022

Best prebuilt gaming PC for $500

HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop
  • AMD Ryzen 3 5300G
  • Radeon RX 5500
  • 8GB of DDR4 RAM
  • 512GB SSD

Our Rating: 8.0/10

Check Price on Amazon

While this HP Pavilion desktop comes in at a little over $500, it is the best overall option for gaming on this list. With an AMD Ryzen 3 5300G processor and a Radeon RX 5500 graphics card, this system is powerful enough to play most games on a 1080P display.

You won’t be able to max out today’s top titles (like the new Assassin’s Creed or Starfield), but you should be able to run them on lower settings.

And, if you’re playing non-demanding titles (Rocket League, League of Legends, Fortnite, etc.) this system will be able to run them on medium or higher settings with no problems.

To round out the hardware in this desktop, the system also comes with 8GB of DDR4 memory, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. 8GB isn’t ideal and there are options listed below that come with more RAM, but it is good enough for now. And, adding more RAM in the future is probably one of the easiest upgrades you can make.

In the end, we chose this Pavilion model as our top pick because it comes with the most powerful graphics card (with exception to the renewed Dell Precision 3620 listed below), which makes it the best option for gaming-specific purposes.

2. NOVATECH Gaming PC

Our runner-up pick

NOVATECH Gaming Desktop
  • Intel Core i5-4590
  • Radeon RX 570
  • 16GB of DDR3 RAM
  • 512GB SSD

Our Rating: 7.9/10

Check Price on Amazon

If you can’t spend a dime over $500 and you don’t want to buy a renewed system (see the Dell Precision 3620 below), then your next best option is this desktop from NOVATECH.

This system comes with an older Intel Core i5-4590 processor, an AMD Radeon RX 570 graphics card, 16GB of DDR3 memory, a 512GB SSD, and a keyboard & mouse combo.

There are some obvious downsides to this system, namely the older generation Intel Core processor and the two-generation-old DDR3 memory.

However, the older hardware configuration is still powerful enough to run any game on a 1080P monitor. And, really, with a sub-$500 you can’t ask for much more than that.

This system also has some other unique features that helps set it apart from the other options on this list. It comes with a tempered glass PC case, a 500-watt power supply, and four RGB fans. The case has plenty of room and the 500-watt PSU should accommodate a mid-range graphics card upgrade in the future.

3. Skytech Mini X1

A solid mini-ITX option under $500

Skytech Mini PC X1
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
  • Radeon Vega 7
  • 16GB of DDR4 RAM
  • 500GB SSD

Our Rating: 7.9/10

Check Price on Amazon

For a more compact option, Skytech’s Mini X1 is worth considering. This desktop comes in a mini-ITX form-factor and has a pricetag of just under $500.

Its hardware configuration consists of an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G processor (which includes AMD’s Vega 7 integrated graphics), 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 500GB NVME SSD, and Windows 11 preinstalled. It also comes bundled with a keyboard and mouse.

While the two desktop options above come with dedicated graphics cards, this system relies on integrated graphics. Integrated graphics aren’t ideal for hardcore gamers, but the Ryzen 5 5600G will provide enough performance to where you’ll be able to run most games at 1080P resolution.

Still, though, for the price we feel the two options listed above will give you a bit more in-game performance for your budget. But, if your main goal is to get a PC for light gaming, this system will definitely work.

 

4. ACEMAGICIAN Mini PC

An budget-friendly HTPC option

ACEMAGICIAN Mini Gaming PC
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
  • Radeon Vega 7
  • 16GB of DDR4 RAM
  • 512GB SSD

Our Rating: 7.8/10

Check Price on Amazon

If you’re looking for a tiny PC that packs a punch to use as an HTPC for light gaming, then you can’t go wrong with the ACEMAGICIAN Mini Gaming PC. This little PC features a Ryzen 5600U, which comes with RX Vega 7 graphics, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 512GB NVMe SSD.

At first glance, you might not think this tiny little PC is capable of much. But it holds its own surprisingly well in gaming. On medium settings at 1080p, this computer can hit decent average framerates in games like CS:GO, Fortnite, and Call of Duty, and is capable of streaming 4K video.

One unique thing about this computer is the dial that allows you to control the cooling fan. That means if you want to watch a movie, you can lower fan speed to make it quieter, or crank up the cooling for intensive gaming and workloads.

With its sleek design, excellent price to performance ratio, flexibility, and gaming capabilities, it’s a great mini HTPC for the living room.

5. Dell Precision 3620

More powerful option, but used

Dell Gaming Precision 3620
  • Intel Core i5-6500
  • NVIDIA RTX 2060S
  • 32GB of DDR4 RAM
  • 256GB SSD / 3TB HDD

Our Rating: 8.2/10

Check Price on Amazon

The Dell Precision 3620 is the most intriguing option in the sub-$500 prebuilt market thanks to its RTX 2060 Super graphics card.

While most of the prebuilt systems in this price range feature entry-level graphics cards that are geared towards low-end 1080P gaming, the RTX 2060 Super is powerful enough to max out any game (even more demanding titles) on a 1080P display.

So, what’s the catch?

This Dell desktop isn’t brand new. It is a refurbished system that meets Amazon’s standards for being classified as renewed.

Normally, we wouldn’t recommend a refurbished system, but with such a tight budget, the extra performance you’ll get by opting for this desktop over the other options on this list might be worth it for you.

Along with the RTX 2060 Super graphics card, this PC also comes with an Intel Core i5-6500 processor, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 3TB hard drive.

The i5-6500 isn’t the best option, but seeing as how most games today are heavily GPU dependant, it shouldn’t restrict this system’s performance.

Ultimately, it’s almost impossible to get such a powerful graphics card in a desktop in this price range. (You wouldn’t even be able to fit an RTX 2060 Super into a $500 PC build.) So, if you don’t mind taking a little risk, this system will offer you by far the most in-game performance out of all of the options on this list.

6. Dell Inspiron

Honorable mention

Dell Inspiron Desktop
  • Intel Core i5-12400
  • Intel UHD 730
  • 8GB of DDR4 RAM
  • 256GB Hard Drive

Our Rating: 7.5/10

Check Price on Amazon

Another option that is worth considering is this Dell Inspiron desktop. For just under $500, this Inspiron model comes with by far the best processor out of all of the options in the sub-$500 price range.

The Intel Core i5-12400 is an excellent CPU that, when paired with an adequate graphics card, will deliver ideal gaming performance.

The problem is that this desktop doesn’t come with a dedicated graphics card. So, you’ll be stuck with Intel’s UHD 730 integrated graphics. And, they aren ‘t great.

But, if you’re looking for a PC for browser-based gaming, or to run older games, this system might be worth considering. It’s also a good option to consider if you are also going to purchase a dedicated graphics card to go along with it.

In the end, we’d recommend one of the other prebuilt systems listed above. But for very light gaming, this system wouldn’t be a terrible choice.

Cheap Desktops With Enough Power

Whether you’re looking to break into computer gaming, or you’re into older games and emulation, gaming on a PC doesn’t necessarily require a massive up-front budget. As always, we recommend you build your own PC to get the most performance out of your budget. But if you’d rather buy a prebuilt PC, you can still get a deal on a decent budget gaming PC.

Also Read: How to Build A Gaming PC (Step-By-Step Guide)

As long as you temper your expectations, these machines can offer a decent gaming experience for under $500.

Brent Hale TechGuided.com

Hey, I’m Brent. I’ve been building PCs and writing about building PCs for a long time. Through TechGuided.com, I've helped thousands of people learn how to build their own computers. I’m an avid gamer and tech enthusiast, too. On YouTube, I build PCs, review laptops, components, and peripherals, and hold giveaways.

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