Best Gaming PC Under $500: (2023 prebuilds and build)

Gaming desktops are indeed more expensive these days which drives most people to the conclusion that they can’t have a gaming PC. Not at all, the best gaming PC under $500 is what you can get if you don’t have tons of money. For a $500 budget, you have entry-level prebuilt gaming PC options where some of the games like Minecraft and Star Wars Battlefront are worth playing.

That’s right, a best $500 gaming PC can take on some of these realistic games as mentioned. Moreover, experiencing the stuttering or tearing of the screen during gameplay is no option for a $500 desktop.

The good news is that I haven’t just added the prebuilt gaming PCs under 500 dollars to the list but also worked on building the most outrageous gaming PC for our decided budget. Now which one is preferred? It is dependent on your knowledge. Let’s say, you are a PC building expert, stick to building your own desktop else stick to a prebuilt one. That being said here’s a list of these entry-level prebuilds.

Note: It’s quite hard to get the best prebuilt gaming PC under $500 these days because of the economic instability and skyrocketing prices of the hardware components. We still need a powerful gaming PC for a low budget and that’s the reason, the first two prebuilt that we chose are brand new. However, the rest of them are renewed with more power inside to cope with the graphics complex game. A renewed PC is better than a weaker one that can’t do anything on the gaming side.

What are the best prebuilt gaming PCs under 500 Dollars

Also read: Best gaming PC under 600

Why did we add the prebuilt and custom gaming PC under $500 here?

A handful of people are experts in building gaming PCs and the majority don’t know anything about gaming desktops. To minimize the hassle for those who can’t assemble a rig on their own, the prebuilt gaming PCs under $500 are the ones for them. However, if you have been building PCs for a very long time, you exactly know what to do on the hardware side and assemble a custom rig on your own without facing any issues. Nonetheless, I’ll also provide a guide on how to build a gaming desktop so that if you’re not an expert, you become one.

Prebuilt vs. custom gaming computer under $500

There isn’t much difference between both of them except for just a few things. The prebuilt is a little expensive because of the brand value of different companies but you’re also free from all the hard work. However, for the same cost, you’ll build a gaming computer that can deliver a slightly better performance than the prebuilt one. Let’s know about the prebuilt desktops for $500 first.

Get the best gaming PC under 600 dollars instead.

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Under 500 USD Reviews

1. HP M01-f0033W: (best gaming PC under $500)

Despite the fact that we have the cheapest gaming PCs onboard, the HP M01-f0033W is one of the first ones that prove that gaming is possible for $500. It’s an AMD-based desktop with some decent yet attractive casing with some really entry-level components sitting inside to have a really nice gaming experience at 720P settings.

That’s what takes us to question the hardware components and the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G is first worth mentioning. It’s a processor holding inside more power, specifically, touching the peak of 4GHz for the games that you can play on low-end gaming PC like HP M01-f0033W.

Moreover, on the GPU side, there aren’t many expectations, and Integrated Radeon Vega 8 Graphics is housed inside to get us started with some of the games in low settings. In addition, keeping the price in mind, HP has done a great job by adding up the 8GB DDR4 RAM to our participant here.

Whereas, the storage component is not what I like here and it’s a 1TB HDD – it’s a huge storage capacity but what I would recommend is to spend a little more on a 128GB SSD. Now that you turn your storage to hybrid, SSD is going to play the part of enhancing the performance, and HDD is left only left for saving loads of AAA or eSport games.

All in all, the HP M01-f0033W can take on most of the games like a boss at 720P and no complaints about lagging are going to come up.

The Good

• Smooth entry-level performance
• Decent exterior
• Acceptable connectivity options
• Mouse and keyboard included with the desktop

The Bad

• No SSD
• No LEDs

Read more: Best mini PC for gaming

2. Skytech Mini PC X1: (best gaming PC under $500)

There’s no way that I won’t add the Skytech Mini PC X1 to this list. Matter of fact, it’s way better than the previous prebuilt gaming PC under $500 because of the hardware that this has put on. That makes us curious about the hardware and it’s worth believing that Skytech Mini PC X1 holds on to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G at its core with a normal clocking speed of 3.9GHz. That gets to a 4.4GHz on max boost whenever it’s needed during hardcore gameplay.

Moreover, you’re going to love the fact that the Skytech Mini PC X1 has above ideal RAM with a memory of 16GB which isn’t found in most gaming desktops under 500 dollars. However, on the GPU side, the AMD Radeon Graphics is the same as found on other cheap computers and it’s ready to take on some low graphics games.

On top of that, the 500GB SSD is there to give a hand to the Skytech Mini PC X1 to store the games you’re aiming to have plus it has a performance edge that we can’t find in the case of an HDD.

As for the design, you already know from the name that it’s a mini gaming computer that doesn’t occupy much space in your room. However, it’s not fancy at all but rather can be called a decent mini PC with a power button and some ports on the front panel.

Whereas, the side panel is a pure mesh that exposes the inside of the rig somehow. Overall, the Skytech Mini PC X1 is a small gaming PC for $500 that is, of course, a little boring on the outside but it stands out from many desktops in this budget range.

The Good

• Compact design that can fit your small room
• Unexpectedly a nightmare for some video games
• 500GB SSD for speed and storage

The Bad

• Boring design

read more: best gaming PC under 800

3. Dell RGB Desktop PC: (best gaming PC under $500)

The Dell RGB Gaming PC screams gaming just by the look of it and that for under $500 is something phenomenal. The interesting thing that can get anyone really interested in the Dell Gaming PC is the free gaming mouse and Keyboard within the package.

Moreover, this $500 gaming PC doesn’t stop here, and surprisingly, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4G GDDR5 memory is what this beast is served with. This ensures that none of the graphics complex titles mess with the performance. Whereas, another advantage you’re going to have is an Intel Quad I5 processor that peaks at the 3.6GHz speed alongside 16GB RAM for some hardcore multitasking and smooth gaming.

Interestingly, the storage is hybrid on this Dell gaming computer that includes a 128GB SSD which of course sits inside for instant startup of games and programs. Besides that, a 2TB HDD is there to have some of the good games collection on your PC.

You can see RGB lights through the mesh of the front panel but that doesn’t look as interesting as found on the modern looking Prebuilt gaming PCs. The design doesn’t look that appealing to me because of the old case chosen for it. However, the $500 for a gaming PC like this one is justified with powerful hardware components.

Furthermore, all the ports that you need to install the games on the Dell gaming PC are there. Wrapping up all things together, I think this is a justified prebuilt gaming PC for $500 with more pros and fewer cons to let you hit some serious AAA titles in medium settings straight out of the box.

The Good

• Powerful components at a cheap price
• Keyboard and mouse in the same package
• Mo lag complaints

The Bad

• No ergonomics

Also read: Best gaming PC under 1500 dollars

4. Lenovo PC Desktop: (best gaming PC under $500)

Same as the one at #3, the Lenovo Gaming PC is one hell of a prebuilt that holds on to a lot inside. Starting with the graphics card, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti alongside a 4GB GDDR5 memory is what’s served inside this machine.

However, unlike the previous one, the storage is based on a 512GB SSD only instead of HDD on the side. Taking this thing into mind the is way below $500 and the Dell RGB rig is closer to our budget mark.

Moreover, the 16GB RAM on this prebuilt has multitasking capabilities alongside some lag-free gaming experience. Whereas, the 3.6GHz of processing speed is another advantage that we are getting here from an intel Quad I5 on the Lenovo gaming PC.

Although the design looks a little old, the addition of RGBs on the front changed everything for this 500 dollars gaming desktop. It looks attractive and worth having with these mentioned luxuries housed inside for medium level gaming.

The Good

• Smooth 720P gaming
• Acceptable design
• SSD installed
• Free gaming keyboard and mouse

The Bad

• Outdated design overall

Do you love portability rather than getting stuck in one place? Try our best gaming laptops for under $500.

What is the best gaming PC build under $500 2023

If the prebuilt gaming PCs under $500 are not your thing, no worries because we are also going to build a custom gaming pc for you on a 500 dollars budget. All the hardware components are selected very carefully while keeping in mind your budget and need. Just a reminder, please don’t attempt to start assembling the gaming PC on your if you’re not an expert. First, go through the whole process or find a friend who can help you out. Else, hire a PC building expert in case you don’t mess up anything. Let’s get in to list of what you’re going to need to build a gaming computer for $500.

Intel Core i3-10100F Processor

Despite the fact that there are the best CPUs for gaming out there and we’re on a really low budget, yes there are some processors like the intel Core i3-10100F processor that can serve this cheap gaming PC build with good clocking speed. It’s a 10th Gen processor that can go way far in performance when some intense processes are thrown at it and 4.3GHz of turbo boost is what the CPU can take them down with. Whereas the base clock is standing at 3.6GHz which is enough for normal use processing. Whereas, it only requires 65 watts of power from your PSU to get things going.  All in all, for a custom gaming PC under 500 dollars, the Intel Core i3-10100F is chosen for our budget and you’re to be satisfied with its performance on the gaming side.

ASUS Prime H410M-A/CSM MotherBoard

Choosing the right motherboard for a gaming PC is important because you must the one that is compatible with your other hardware components. A mobo for the intel chip may not work with the AMD chip. As we are working on the intel-based rig here, I have picked the ASUS Prime H410M-A/CSM, a mobo that supports the 10th gen processor and has sockets for all other hardware components that we chose for this cheap gaming computer under $500. On the other hand, it comes for under $90, so it fulfills our budget requirements too.

Patriot Signature 8GB RAM

we couldn’t find anything better than the Patriot Signature RAM which is from the DDR4 series having an 8GB of capacity. A little lower than expected but what can we do, we have to compromise on a few things as long as we’re stuck to a $500 budget. Overall, the Patriot Signature is not actually a bad RAM but enough for the low end games that are aimed to run on this custom gaming computer. 

XPX Radeon RX 6500XT Graphics Card

Now comes the most important component that is made for the graphics intensive games, the XPX Radeon RX 6500XT. It’s powerful enough for the most realistic games to play in 720P without compromising the frames per second(FPS). Whereas, it also puts out the burden on our actual computer RAM by offering the 4GB GDDR6 dedicated memory having 18GBPS speed alongside the overall boost clock of 2825MHz. Whereas, there are cooling fans to flush out the heat produced by the XPX Radeon RX 6500XT to prevent the performance of gameplay from compromising.

PNY CS900 500GB 3D NAND SSD

To collect some of our favorite games on our $500 gaming PC build, we need storage that is not only fast but also offers a decent storage room for everything alongside games. The PNY CS900 500GB SSD is the one worth including inside the rig because it falls under the category of our budget and needs. Whereas, the performance of an SSD is always better than a traditional HDD. Sure you can add some extra HDD room for storing more stuff on your gaming computer but running the operating system on an HDD is not our thing. 

Zalman K1 ATX Gaming PC Case

Regardless of all the hardware components that we have picked to build a really nice gaming PC for 500 dollars, It must look amazing from the outside too.  Zalman K1 is a stylish PC case with some RGB strips on the front panel that makes it look attractive. Whereas the side panels are transparent and give you an insight into the exterior. Whereas, on the back, you have a cooling fan installed to wipe out the heat from this $500 custom gaming PC. Moreover, the hardware components can get organized pretty decently inside this gaming PC case. 

Antec NeoECO Gold Power supply

The PSU part is interesting, we have the Antec NeoECO Gold here that is capable of supplying all power to the components that are installed on our cheap rig. Matter of fact, it’s a 500W PSU and it meets our budget requirements. There couldn’t be a better option for a $500 PC than the Antec NeoECO Gold PSU.

Also read: Best Gaming PC Under $1000

FAQs

Can I install free windows on my gaming pc under $500?

Yes, you can, As a matter of fact, it saves you lots of money especially when your aim is to build a cheap gaming PC like the one we built. Except for having no access to some of the customization options on Windows 10, you can play many games on this OS because of waste compatibility options. More specifically, you’re saving $100 by going with the free option and Microsoft won’t even ask you to activate your Windows.

Is a $500 gaming pc worth it?

Depending on what you’re aiming for, let’s say you need a casual gaming beast that can handle games in 720P settings, yes it’s completely worth it. However, if the expectations on your end are high up to playing graphics intensive titles, you have to work on your budget to have a powerful gaming rig that can easily handle them.

Is it cheaper to build or buy a gaming PC?

Overall, getting a prebuilt gaming PC or building doesn’t come cheap but yes, the performance that you get on your own build is slightly better than a prebuilt one. That’s because cherry pick the hardware components on your own and you know exactly what you’re doing with your desktop. The prebuilt can be a little expensive because of the brand value of those different PC building companies. However, getting a prebuilt flush out the hard work you put into a custom rig.

Also read:

• Best gaming PCs