Best Gaming PC Builds Under $500 (2023 Guide)

Best Case:
Thermaltake Core V21 SPCC Micro ATX Cube

The Thermaltake Core V21 is an excellent cheap Micro-ATX case. This case is probably one of the most portable cases around, and if you are looking for the most mobile case you can find, then this is it. It also has a nice-looking design with a slick black finish, making it even more appealing.

In addition, it has clear sides to show your build in all its glory! Not to mention this case also comes with a fan already installed which will make your PC even cooler. It’s especially useful with this build due to the pretty demanding video card.

That being said, we understand if you would rather have another case other than the Thermaltake Core V21, due to personal preferences, just make sure whatever you pick will work with this build.

Best Power Supply:
EVGA 500 W1

EVGA is a brand respected by many and is known to make the most high-quality power supplies around. There isn’t much to say about the power supply, except that it’s awesome and has enough power for anything this build can throw at it and then some. Just know that with this 500W power supply, you are getting power and quality all in one.

Best Video Card:

In the past, getting any decent gaming rig on a budget of $500 was almost impossible, However, due to prices falling you now have the opportunity to game at even higher levels at an amazingly affordable price.

The ZOTAC 1050 is one of the best entry-level 1080p graphics cards on the market and is the component that makes or breaks this build. So we want to be anything but cheap here! Video cards are super-important and at this price point, even more so.

Your video card choice can make or break your build, so we chose a powerful GPU that can run most games on high settings, but still not break your budget. With this in mind, we chose the ZOTAC 1050.

The ZOTAC 1050 has many different variables, but the one we picked has silent fans and is also super -locked. When playing your games, you will hardly hear your PC, as it will be very silent.  With the 1050, you will have the capability to play most newer games on high settings and older games at ultra settings!

If something as cutting-edge as the ZOTAC 1050, doesn’t excite you, with the performance per price ratio, we don’t know what will.

Best Processor:

For the price point, the Intel Pentium 4600 really impresses. If the video card is the heart of the PC, then the processor is the brain. Without an awesome processor it doesn’t matter how good your PC is, it will still struggle to process things and that’s where the 4600 comes in. This, coupled with the 1050, will allow you to run most modern games on high settings.

One of the biggest problems people seem to have with dual-core processors is the fact that more and more games are requiring more than two processors. Intel combats this by utilizing hyperthreading which just means that a dual-core processor, such as the Pentium 4600, can efficiently play games that require multiple cores.

Best Motherboard:

This motherboard may not expensive, but don’t let the price fool you, this MSI B250 Micro-ATX motherboard is amazing. ASUS is a renowned motherboard maker for high quality at low prices, and this motherboard doesn’t disappoint.

The motherboard is like a vital hub, that runs everything, and having a good motherboard is borderline essential. You also get MSI’s amazing BIOS which makes fine-tuning your gaming experience very accessible. With this MSI B250 motherboard, you are getting an easy to install motherboard that exceeds expectations.

Best RAM:

Random Access Memory (RAM) is vital to any PC and having 8 GBs is now vital to PC gaming. As games become bigger, they need more memory to be able to run, and even though this is a budget build, we made sure to include 8 GBs of RAM.

The RAM for this build was the Crucial Ballistix Sport 8 GB kit. This RAM by Crucial has to be the best bang for your buck around. There isn’t much to say about RAM except that you need it, and Crucial’s RAM has stood the test of time to become one of the best RAM manufacturers you can buy from.

Best Hard Drive:

With this build, we have decided to include the 1TB hard drive by Western Digital. One TB of space makes this gaming PC build all the better, as it can store even the biggest games simultaneously and still have space to spare.

You can always get less hard drive space, but if you intend to build a PC that will last you years, then we recommend 1TB, unless you are a fan of deleting games right after you play them.

We picked Western Digital because of their amazing, quality hard drives, they've produced over the years. People rarely have an issue with these hard drives, and even if they did, they offer returns and quickly rectify customer issues.

Best (Optional) CD Drive:

The CD drive is optional and is not included in the total because you do not need a CD drive anymore, as most things are digital nowadays. The one reason most people seem to think they need a CD drive is that they use it to install their operating system, but they could also just use a USB drive.

If you want one, you can add one on but if the only thing you are going to use it for is installing an OS then you can go the USB route.

Either way, the ASUS CD drive is cheap and gets the job done. It’s not the best CD Drive out there, but is one of the most affordable and we use it in many of our builds.

Best Case:

Since the theme of this build is having a very upgradeable PC, we went with a larger case that could easily house any of the bigger graphics cards if you upgraded in the future. This case not only looks awesome but meets all the requirements for a case.

The Vivo ATX Mid Tower case is not only stylish but also a very affordable case. You also get USB 3.0s, which are awesome, as they charge faster than 2.0s.  Honestly, what more can you want from a case other than style, function, and affordability? The Vivo ATX Mid Tower meets all of these points, so is a great choice.

We understand that some people may not want this case and instead would rather get another case, so we've included a link to other cases that would fit your preferences (remember PC building is all about choice!)

Best Power Supply:
EVGA 500 Watts

Again, we have the EVGA 500 watts power supply, simply because of them making some of the best power supplies money can buy and also some of the most affordable. 500 watts is more than enough for this build and you can easily upgrade to more when the time comes.

Best Video Card:
PowerColor Radeon RX 570 4 GB

Now we’ve come to the MVP of the gaming build, the Radeon RX 570. This card is not only beautiful, but also (like the name entails), silent. This card by itself can play most games on high settings, yep, even at this price point, you can play most modern games on high settings with this card. That’s not to say there are some games that will be on high due to their graphically intense nature, but overall this card is amazing for the price.

The RX 570 is also a pretty beautiful piece when it comes to overclocking, which pushes the performance even more, especially in open world games such as Skyrim or Fallout 4, making your experience that much better.

The RX 570 is also over-clocked, which means it already comes running at max performance so you get every ounce of performance. For someone on a $500 budget, this is the only GPU we recommend.

Best Processor:
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

This is an awesome CPU that meets every requirement while still remaining on a budget. The AMD Ryzen 3 2200 quad core processor is the best budget processor out.

For around $80, you’re getting something that can process most games at a very high level.

Best Motherboard:
ASRock M-ATX B450M

The ASRock MATX motherboard does what it needs to do without any issues, and that’s all you really need out of a motherboard at this price range.  The manufacturer is ASRock, as they make some of the best motherboards you can get when you are a gamer. This motherboard is completely compatible with the Ryzen 3’s processors right out of the box. You also get ASRock’s great BIOS, which makes customizing your gaming experience a breeze.

With so much going for it, the ASRock B450M is easily one of our favorite motherboards for someone on a budget.

Best RAM:
Patriot Signature Line 8GB

This build has two sticks of 8 GB RAM, which makes 16 GBs. We’ve stressed the importance of just getting a minimum of 8 GBs of RAM due to the rising demand from games. One example of this is the famed GTA 5. GTA 5 on high/ultra setting can use around 3 GBs of RAM on high settings, which would mean that in order to play  GTA 5, you would have to close everything out and remain on lower settings than your system can handle.

This build features double that at such an affordable price! This is enough RAM to play a game and have other applications running at the same time. This makes it an amazing build for streamers.

The reason why we chose two 8 GB sticks instead of one 16 GB stick is simple. It manages memory much more efficiently when you use different panels instead of just using one channel. An example would be like having two wells vs. one well, even if they both have the same amount of water, the two wells will get water faster due to the different channels.

Best Hard Drive:
WD Blue 1TB

The hard drive is from Western Digital, due to them having awesome hard drives that barely ever have any issues and also because of the awesome speed this hard drive provides. Not to mention, it has a very affordable price for what you are getting.

Best (Optional) CD Drive:

Now, a CD drive isn’t included in the build because most people only use it to install the OS and that seemed to be just another cost you could really just ignore. There are many ways to get an OS, so there really is no point.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get it. however. If you like to watch Blu-Ray disc movies or other things, then by all means, it’s up to you. That’s why building PCs is great. We all get to make our own choices when building them.

1. Redragon S101

• PC GAMING KEYBOARD AND GAMING MOUSE COMBO: Includes Redragon RGB Backlit Computer Gaming...
• RGB BACKLIT GAMING KEYBOARD; 7 different RGB Lighting modes & effects, 4 backlight brightness...

The Redragon S101 combo has to be one of our favorite gaming keyboard and mouse combo sets on a budget. This keyboard and mouse were made specifically for gamers, which allows for more customization features to get that competitive edge when playing games. The keyboard and mouse are LED lit, which is awesome as it allows you to see your keys, even in the dark. At this price-point, it is a steal and that’s one of the reasons whyit is included in this list. This combo also comes in different colors, which makes it even cooler!

2. Mpow Eg3 Gaming Headset PC PS4 USB

• 7 1 surround sound for gaming -- Locate your enemy easily with MPOW EG3 gaming headset 7 1...
• Personalized equalizer setting (PC only) -- MPOW Gaming headset will give you better music and...

Recommended Headset: MPOW EG3  Gaming Headset

The looks of these headphones alone are really awesome, but that’s not even the best part about this set. Not only are you going to be getting some headphones with an amazing design, but they also sound great, as well. With noise cancellation, an awesome mic braided cord, and stunning surround sounds, what else could a gamer want out of this headset? If you are a gamer looking to get an awesome pair of headphones on a budget, there is simply no reason not to give a look at these. They seriously met our expectations and then some.

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