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How much does it cost to build a gaming PC? Well, that doesn’t matter because we are building an affordable gaming PC!
Still, it can be hard to pinpoint the cost for a budget PC too. For instance, if you’re willing to utilize used hardware and refurbished prebuilts, the total cost of your cheap PC parts could be as low as $300. Fortunately for you, we have you covered!
We’ve built this machine around an AMD APU, which means that the GPU is technically optional. You’ll obviously want to upgrade to a discrete GPU somewhere down the line for the best performance– or just start with the one we’ve given you in this article– but even with the APU-only version of the build, you’ll be able to play AAA games at 720p and 60 FPS. With overclocking, many games (especially eSports titles) will be able to be pushed to 1080p and 60 FPS at low/medium settings!
If you’re willing to go all the way and opt for the GTX 1660, though, you’ll see a massive improvement. You’ll go from having a gaming PC that’s a bit less powerful than an Xbox One to a gaming PC that’s more powerful than an Xbox One X.
Our goal with the best budget gaming PC build is to provide options. If you can’t afford a ~$600 gaming PC right now, we understand. But if you can at least start with the cheaper version of the build, you’ll still have an excellent PC ready for future upgrades.
If you don’t know how to build a budget gaming PC, don’t worry. We wrote a “How to Build a PC” article a while back. Just ignore those parts and use these parts and you’ll be set. Or you can check out some video tutorials if you’re more of a visual learner (our article also has some other video references in case you don’t like the one above).
Let’s get started!
PCGuide Recommended Budget Computer Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 3 2200G
- COOLER – AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler (Included)
- GPU – Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 1660
- RAM – Crucial Ballistix 8GB RAM
- SSD – Intel SSD 660p Series 512GB
- PSU – Corsair CX450M
- MOBO – MSI B450M PRO-M2
- CASE – Phanteks Eclipse Steel Tempered Glass
Estimated Price With GPU (Recommended): ~$616
Estimated Price Without GPU: ~$385
Is a part missing, or are those prices dramatically different? Alert us in the comment section and we’ll fix it ASAP!
This APU makes it possible to buy this build today and still be able to play games and have a great PC usage experience. Its power as a CPU should also make it great for any GPU you add to this build, so long as you don’t plan to play games above 60 FPS.
