Best Gaming PCs Under $500 in 2024

In today’s economy, it can be incredibly tough to find a performance rig that won’t break the bank. However, budget-friendly powerhouse PCs prove that users can still get a quality PC rig on a tight budget, and there is no compromise when it comes to performance or affordability. These rigs will be able to hit at least 60 FPS on most titles in 2024.

These PC pre-builds have potent processors, robust graphics cards, and adequate RAM to handle the latest titles at around 60 FPS. Whether gamers are diving into immersive open worlds, or engaging in fast-paced gameplay – these PCs deliver.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Gaming PC for $500

Baseline Performance: Gamers want to game. If they are getting 10 FPS on Minecraft, then there’s an issue. It is important to have the proper specifications that can run the games gamers want to play, and this starts with the GPU. PCs on this list will have the best entry-level graphics cards possible paired with the CPU. Some rigs choose a better GPU, and some go with the quicker CPU.

SSD/HDD: Storage is one of the most important choices gamers can make when purchasing a new PC. Should an SSD take priority with a smaller storage amount, or should an HDD take priority for maximum storage at the cost of load times? These questions are important when prioritizing specs that gamers can’t live without.

Upgradeability: PCs will not last forever, especially a $500 PC. That’s the nature of budget PCs, they utilize older hardware to get the job done on a budget. As a result, some of the hardware will need to be upgraded sooner than others, and it is highly important to ensure the PC can be modified and upgraded over time. All PCs on this list will have at least a base level of upgradeability, which is incredibly important for budget rigs, as they will need to be upgraded within a few years of purchase.

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Gaming PCs Under $500

Despite looking like an office desktop system, the HP Victus 15L holds enough horsepower to power games with its powerful mid-range APU from the Zen 3 family. Using the Ryzen 5 5600G APU, it brings a 6-cores/12-threads configuration to the table, which gets the job done on a budget. Whether users are trying to speed up their productivity or multitasking, the 5600G is capable of doing so while also providing an iGPU to handle the graphics load.

However, the system didn’t take the best overall spot mainly due to its processor, but because it combines it with a discrete GPU, which is hard to find in most $500 pre-built gaming systems. While most gaming PCs end up giving just the 5600G APU, this one adds a Radeon RX 6400, featuring 4GB of dedicated VRAM, 768 SPs, and a power-efficient operation that doesn’t require any external power connector.

At 1080p resolution, this gaming build can play most games at 40-60 fps on medium settings without any major dips. The system gives 8GB system RAM and a fast 512GB SSD to provide a good balance in the configuration which can be upgraded in the future. However, upgrading to a better GPU or cooler may not be feasible due to the case’s limitation and the generic power supply. Still, it’s easier to change the case than to get a system with a discrete GPU in the first place at this price tag.

Acemagician’s compact and entry-level build can be bought for even less than $350 on Amazon at the moment. Despite the low price, it provides appealing aesthetics and modern hardware for gaming and productivity. Due to its compact design, it doesn’t feature standard-sized desktop components and comes with a mobile chip based on the Zen 3 architecture. It’s the Ryzen 7 5700U that provides 8 cores and 16 threads for unmatched productivity and multitasking capability for a low price that also features an integrated GPU.

The iGPU is based on the Vega architecture and features 8 GPU cores clocked at 1900MHz to provide up-to-the-mark gaming performance on non-intensive titles. It won’t be ideal for modern games due to its limited capability, but it will be decent for esports titles and some older games that are well-optimized. Not only is this PC cheap, but it is highly power-efficient and provides high performance per watt compared to regular gaming desktops.

From the Zen 2 lineup, the Ryzen 3 4100 is a lesser-known, yet capable processor for budget gaming builds. The MXZ gaming PC provides this 4 cores/8 threads CPU combined with the Polaris-based RX 580 GPU to achieve a decent gaming performance at 1080p. Even though the GPU seems old, it is still capable of competing with many budget graphics cards and has sufficient VRAM to handle some intensive graphical settings.

Users will get an excellent micro-ATX chassis that hosts the components and comes with six RGB fans pre-installed, which is surprisingly impressive for this price. These are installed at the front, rear, and top to make sure the components are fed cool air and the hot hair is dissipated continuously. Except for its 450W power supply and 500GB SSD, there aren’t any big flaws, and users should make sure that they look for the total power consumption before proceeding to upgrade their GPU.

Gone are the days when carrying a desktop PC was a nightmare. Gaming PCs such as the Peladn HA4 Mini PC make it possible to carry a gaming beast in a small backpack. Smaller than most gaming consoles, the Peladn HA4 is a perfect companion for gamers at LAN parties. It’s not only compact and affordable, but powerful enough to play modern games at 1080p resolution. Powered by the Zen 4 architecture, the Ryzen 7 7840HS is highly effective in CPU-intensive applications and games without being too hard on the power supply.

Its 8-core/16-thread config can go all the way up to 4.75GHz(max) in turbo-boost mode, unlocking the system’s true potential. The CPU brings the Radeon 780M iGPU on the chip itself, which is comparable to the GTX 1650 desktop graphics card. Hence, there is no need for any discrete GPU, and users can play their favorite games on high settings at close to 60 fps. Esports titles such as CS2, Valorant, Fortnite, and other games in particular are ideal to play on this system. Other key specs include 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a total of 512GB in SSD storage, and excellent connectivity features through WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and 2.5G LAN.

The Ipason Gaming Desktop is truly the best value at $499 on Newegg at this time. The Ipason Gaming Desktop was Game Rant’s top pick in 2023, and the 2024 version has only upped the ante with even better specs. This PC is packed with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G CPU with six cores and 3.9 GHz, though players can decide to pay a bit more and get the Ryzen 7 5700 instead. Gamers will not be disappointed in this PC’s computing power, regardless of what competitive games they love most. The AMD Radeon Vega is a great pairing for the Ryzen, resulting in benchmarks of 60 FPS in GTA, PUBG, CS2, Fortnite, and more!

The 2024 version of Ipason’s gaming desktop also brings a slightly more attractive case, with a sweeping angle across the front allowing for better ventilation than the previous model, while the clear door puts players closer to the action for easy upgrading. Although there is room for improvement, sacrificing the upgradeability is ultimately a good trade-off for all the other features the PC comes with.

Once again, Ipason has presented players with a great first-time gaming PC, though with its overall power and very affordable price, it’s also ideal as a holdover PC for players saving up for their next PC build. The PC can be setup quickly and easily, with streaming available almost instantly. If a gamer’s priority is future upgradeability, this might not be the right PC, but with a $500 sticker price, the Ipason gaming PC will give players a good run for their money.

The Skytech Mini Gaming PC desktop is the perfect solution for a gamer who needs their PC to make a big impact within a small space and a small budget. The simple, minimalist design can match almost any setup, though it does make it a little challenging to upgrade. However, with the low price point, players can theoretically just upgrade the entire PC once they’re ready.

Skytech’s mini PC has most of what gamers need to get playing, including a Ryzen 5 5600G processor, though the Radeon Integrated Graphics could be better. Regardless, this PC can handle single player games and even multiplayer titles like Fortnite or League of Legends. Newer titles may not be playable with this tiny PC, but again, this is a pretty fair trade for the low price. Overall, the Skytech X1 mini PC is perfect for straightforward players looking to play their favorite titles for a few more years before needing a more serious upgrade.

ICEWolf isn’t just another pre-built system with a generic power supply and a cheap PC enclosure that compromises its upgradeability. It’s a fantastic option for future-proofing the system in various ways. The mini-tower used isn’t a regular chassis, but a dual chamber case with a power supply completely hidden. All that is visible is the motherboard, CPU cooler, and the pre-installed ARGB fans that can be controlled via the remote included with the system.

Featuring tempered glass panels on two sides, it provides a mesmerizing view of the interior that lights up via the RGB fans. It’s highly neat and tidy, offering enough room to accommodate GPUs that measure up to 345mm long. At the moment, the system doesn’t bring any discrete GPU, but is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G, which is the fastest APU in the Zen 3 lineup. It already comes with 8 cores and 16 threads to crunch big numbers, but its Vega-based iGPU, which features 8 GPU cores, is sufficient for a lot of games.

It won’t be able to max out games, but will be adequate to provide playable frame rates and is faster than the 5600G. 16GB DDR4 RAM clocked at 3200MHz and 1TB of NVMe storage completes the build, but a 500W 80 Plus power supply opens the path to upgrading to a discrete GPU such as the RTX 4060 or even the RTX 4070.

What To Expect With An Extremely Budget PC

It is of the utmost importance to temper expectations when looking to buy such a budget PC. There will always be room for improvement, and the sacrifices made to get the price tag to $500 for these products are significant. Users should never expect a perfect experience, though a good knowledge of PC building is always a great benefit to anyone purchasing a PC.

Even with tempered expectations, gamers need a rig that will be able to handle everything they want to throw at it, meaning that some players won’t be satisfied with a budget PC. However, Game Rant has other guides to provide top-level assistance with more expensive pre-builds, as well as custom builds on a budget!

FAQ

Q: What is the best CPU I can get in a budget PC?

Typically, the best CPU available is going to be an Intel Core i5, however, if a budget PC has this processor, there should be the expectation that other components will suffer as a result of the higher-end CPU.

Q: What can I expect performance-wise with such a low-cost PC?

With a low-cost PC, it is important to maintain proper expectations. This PC will not run top-of-the-line games on high settings. Games will need to be run on medium to low settings depending on the game, and upgrading will need to happen down the line to maintain the PC’s ability to run games as the industry progresses and games get more intensive on these components.