Best gaming computer for 500 dollars

While the Ryzen above is a great CPU and even the Ryzen in the first recommendation is strong, Intel is still the leader in single-core performance that is most applicable to typical computer usage. For the user that wants the absolute strongest CPU they can find and the ability to game occasionally, we recommend the Dell Inspiron This is a bit of a qualified recommendation to be fair, a gaming PC without a dedicated graphics card is really more of a basic desktop. The reason we chose this specific desktop for a CPU-focused gamer is two-fold: finding a 9 th generation CPU at this price is pretty impressive, and Dell is known for PCs that are expandable without too much work.

Not everyone would be comfortable with this as it requires a little bit of DIY knowledge and an additional upgrade for the GPU down the road, but if you want a strong CPU for now and the possibility to add a GPU later, this Inspiron is our choice for you.

OK, after the best value above, the RGB alternative, and the CPU beast, there are not a lot of other desktops we would recommend for a potential gamer. So, we are going to cheat our own criteria a bit and provide a different style recommendation for someone looking to get into gaming: a laptop!

Typically, a desktop will always offer better price-to-performance and our first recommendation above is going to give the absolute best experience possible at this price point.

But with a desktop comes a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a desk…etc. Many of the products listed also include a keyboard and mouse, which is good news for those who are really on a tight budget. Unfortunately, none of the PCs included here come with a monitor, although the promotional images of some of the products might suggest otherwise.

The good news is that there are also a lot of budget gaming monitors on the market, though most of them feature a TN panel, which generally has inferior picture quality. The CyberPowerPC GUA is a recommended product if you want a budget gaming PC that is also suitable for work and general use, especially if you want something that can support a multi-monitor setup for productivity. The package also includes a gaming keyboard and mouse. The all-black case, which has a tempered glass side panel, is well built and includes easily accessible USB and audio ports at the top.

You can play older and less graphically intensive games on it at low or medium graphics settings, with the resolution set at p or lower. It has a simple black chassis with USB ports , audio ports, and an SD card slot out front for convenience.

It comes with a keyboard and mouse, but unlike with the ones included in the CyberPowerPC product above, they are not designed specifically for gaming. While clearly not marketed for gaming use, this Acer pre-built PC is a decent machine for light gaming despite lacking a dedicated graphics card. There are USB and audio ports at the top for your other gaming peripherals. This list has a dedicated GPU in the form of the RX which is for almost 3 years now, the best value budget card.

A comparison of the top motherboard brands can be found here. CPUs, especially the Ryzen series , love memory speed because it reduces access latency. This results in improved responsiveness, better average FPS and much better minimum FPS; gameplay smoothness is enough of an argument to go with such memory modules and 16GB is enough for this gaming-oriented build. Just make sure you are always getting dual-channel memory for your builds two identical RAM modules.

An SSD is mandatory for a build in and this build has a small one to keep everything within budget. You will not only access and transfer data at hugely improved speeds, but can also access and read games way faster than ever before. In most cases, integrated m. When it comes to storage, you literally cannot go wrong with storage manufactured by Seagate, Crucial, Samsung, or WD. Bear in mind that both offer storage space as low as GB all the way up to 2TB.

With that, of course, the price increases vastly. The power supply or the PSU of your system is a really overlooked component. To determine how powerful your PSU needs to be, you should look at your setup and the parts that are being used.

Note: Building your own system is hard, especially if you have little to no idea what you are doing. Yes, in most cases it will be cheaper, however, in building a computer, there are many risks involved so always follow the steps of a professional. Some things to look out for are definitely compatibility and potential bottlenecks within the parts that you are looking to use.

Finding a decent, pre-built gaming PC under dollars is an almost impossible task, at least for now, while some of the cheaper parts still hold value. Spending a little bit more money can really buy you an amazing gaming experience.

A bit of additional budget can make a huge difference. Photo: DiamondLobby. Quick Navigation show. How We Picked. Best Value for Money. Best for Performance. Runner Up Pick. An Upgrade. A Slightly Cheaper Option. Who This is For.

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PC gaming continues to become more expensive every year