Building a gaming PC for $500 is possible, but it takes skill, knowledge and an eye for detail to truly maximize its potential. Today, we will be looking at what components you’ll need to build a decent starter gaming PC for a budget price. First, let’s take a look at the CPU, or Central Processor Unit, which is the brains of the PC. You’ll want to invest in a good quality budget-friendly CPU, like the Ryzen 3 3200G, which packs a lot of performance into a small frame and can be had for around $100.
Next, let’s move on to the GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit. This is the heart of any gaming rig, and the GPU you choose will play a major role in what your gaming PC can do. You won’t be able to get a high end GPU for $500, but it is still possible to find a decent one within your budget. We recommend the Radeon RX 570, which can be had for around $200 and will perform surprisingly well for a budget option.
Moving on to memory, you’ll want to get at least 8GB of RAM, preferably 16GB. Nowadays RAM is incredibly cheap and it can be had for as little as $30. We also recommend getting a Motherboard and a Power Supply Unit (PSU) that are capable of supporting the components you chose. The Motherboard should cost between $70 and $90 and the PSU should cost around $50.
Your gaming PC won’t be complete without storage, which is essentially where all your files, games and software will be stored. You’ll need an SSD (Solid State Drive) and a Hard Drive. The SSD should be around 250GB, while the Hard Drive can come with 1TB or 2TB of storage, depending on your needs. The total cost of storage should be below $100.
For the case (the PC’s external frame) you’ll want something that at least looks good, and comes with sufficient cooling. There are some good budget cases which come with several air vents and can be had for around $50. Finally, you’ll need a monitor to actually play games on. Buying a decent, low budget gaming monitor should cost around $150.
Software Considerations
Now that you know the components you’ll need for your gaming PC, you’ll also want to consider the software requirements for it. Firstly, you’ll want a copy of the operating system, such as Windows 10. This can be bought for around $100 for a digital key. You will also need a good antivirus program which can be had for free or around $30-50.
Other than that, you may need certain components or drivers to make certain components work, like your CPU, Motherboard, GPU or storage. You can usually install these components either via a drivers disk that came with the device or off the manufacturer’s website.
Finally, if you want to take advantage of your hardware’s full capabilities, you may need to optimize your computer for gaming. This can be done either with generic windows performance tuning, or with custom tuning software. There are a variety of free and paid options available, depending on your preference.
Finding The Best Components
Building a gaming PC doesn’t have to be expensive but it is important to find the right components that are reliable and provide the best value for money. You should always read reviews of different components and compare their prices and performance. This will help you pick the right components that offer the best performance within your budget.
It is also important to take into consideration other factors such as size and heat dissipation when picking components. Since gaming PCs generate a lot of heat, it is important to get components that have good ventilation and cooling systems to keep the PC running at optimal performance. A good case is essential for any gaming PC and should be able to accommodate all of the components you choose.
Finally, you should also take a look at upgrade paths when picking components. Even if you are building a budget gaming PC, it is important to keep in mind any possible upgrades. This will help you make sure that the components you pick are future proof and can be upgraded easily.
Assembling The PC
Once you have all the components for your gaming PC, now it’s time to assemble them. This is where you have to pay the most attention, as it is important to make sure everything is correctly connected, and your PC won’t have any technical issues due to a mix up in connections. First, there is usually a certain order in which components should be installed, so make sure you are following the instructions correctly.
Aside from the installation process itself, you should also make sure each component is secured tightly. You don’t want anything to detach and cause harm to your PC or components. You should also double-check any connections and make sure they are secure and seated properly. Take your time and make sure all the cables are not too tight and won’t cause hardware failure.
Finally, once your PC is completely assembled and all connections are secure, you should apply thermal paste to any components like the CPU and GPU to ensure proper cooling. This will help your PC stay cool and perform better. Follow the instructions for applying thermal paste as it can be tricky to get it right.
Testing And Running Games
Now that your PC is put together and all components are connected and secured, you should test it and make sure everything is working properly. It is important to install the drivers or software of each component and ensure they are running smoothly. You should also test your PC by running some low-load complex applications or games. This will help you make sure there aren’t any compatibility issues or hardware failures.
Once you are sure everything is working properly, you should go back and optimize the PC’s settings to squeeze out as much performance as possible. This can be done through tweaking settings like the power plan or general system settings or by using software like a gaming optimizer. There are plenty of online guides to help you with this.
Finally, the best way to test your gaming PC is to play some games. If your PC can run games smoothly at medium-high settings, then you have successfully built a functioning gaming PC. Of course, now you can tweak and upgrade your PC in order to increase its performance.
Conclusion
Building a gaming PC for $500 is definitely doable, but it takes some knowledge and effort to get the most out of it. With careful selection of components, software considerations, careful assembly and optimization, you can build a decent gaming PC on a budget. This guide should have provided some insight into the process of building a gaming PC and how you can get the best PC for your budget.
