Best budget gaming PC under $500 for 2023

Built & Tested By Our Team

The Team That Worked On This Build

Last Updated: January 13, 2023

402 Comments

WePC’s mission is to be the most trusted site in tech. Everyone in the WePC team is a dedicated tech-head and gamer, and we put every product we review through a rigorous testing process before recommending anything. Our editorial content is 100% independent and our hands-on reviews tell you what we think, not what the manufacturers would like you to know. Read more

Our $500 Custom Gaming PC Build

Order This Custom PC On Amazon

Our Prebuilt Gaming PC Recommendation

HP Desktop 3200G (Renewed)

Best Gaming PC Under $500

WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Last Updated: January 13, 2023

First-time custom PC builders can find the entire process a little intimidating, it’s OK though, we’ve all lived through those head-scratching days. That’s why we’ve created this easy-to-follow guide to the best gaming PC under $500. It will ensure you have all the tools you need to create the perfect gaming rig for your needs. Furthermore, with this affordable build, you’ll be able to enjoy a wide selection of games without breaking the bank.

In the modern age of computing and technology, many will be surprised at what a $500 budget can get you. Long gone are the days of console domination, you can now get a PC for under $500 that can pretty much hold its own against any of the top console contenders. With that, let’s take a closer look at what makes this build, what we can expect in terms of performance, and what compromises were made along the way to stick to that strict price.

Whilst a lot of the items on this page were released before 2023, we still think they hold up today. $500 is a substantial amount of money, but it’s definitely on the budget side when it comes to comprehensive PCs. This means you’re going to have to save money by purchasing something with older, less powerful parts. Don’t fret, however, you can always upgrade part by part in the future. That’s the beauty of owning a gaming PC.

You can also check out our budget gaming PC page for recommendations from various price ranges.

Holiday gaming PC deals for Christmas

VIDEO: $500 BUDGET GAMING PC BUILD!

What You Get For Your $500

As you can imagine, putting together the best custom PC build for under $500 was no easy task. Many compromises were made along the way to be able to extract the maximum level of performance out of this build. Before the GPU shortages, you may have been able to squeeze a relatively good dedicated card into this price range, however, now we must settle for integrated graphics. The performance difference between the $400 and the $500 builds is minute but this build has optimal RAM and a beefier storage solution.

The case was another area of compromise. These are affordable components here but even though the case may not be one of the best, we still wanted to use one that was user-friendly and easy for first-time builders to get to grips with.

Performance

You can expect the AMD-based $500 build to handle 1080p/60FPS gaming across a few AAA titles with lowered settings. This APU will also easily play a lot of popular esports games too, giving you a wide variety of entry-level options.

We have bolstered performance with the included 16GB of RAM, a solid amount for gaming, and an SSD storage device. You can expect snappy boot times for Windows and your games, along with some future-proofing from the RAM.

AMD Vs Intel

The $500 gaming PC build takes advantage of AMD’s APU. The APU is essentially a CPU and GPU combined, giving you performance in most games when playing in 1080p and under. You may have to compromise on graphical settings for some games to be playable but esports titles performed well in our tests.

AMD is head and shoulders above Intel when it comes to integrated graphics, making them the superior choice when dealing with PC builds down the lower end of the scaler.

How We Choose

Here at WePC, we have years of experience building computers and giving advice to friends, families, and our readers. All of our build recommendations have been carefully researched, utilize similar builds we have completed ourselves in the office or for personal use, and most importantly are built with value and performance in mind. We work tirelessly to ensure our builds are up to date, efficient and offer high performance to the lucky reader who is going to build it.

We don’t just use our own knowledge and experience, we also keep up to date with the latest tech in our industry and use various benchmarks to allow us to quickly compare multiple components. We also check our builds daily, to ensure everything is still in stock and the price still offers you the best bang for the buck. We are here to support you.

How We Test

We build each of our selected PC’s from scratch to make sure all the parts we recommend work well together, fit into the selected case, and provide the best performance possible for the price range.

Once built, the PCs are used in the office for everyday work as well as a range of games from light to heavy-duty. While we test, we also run benchmarking tests to see how well our builds perform, all while keeping an eye on the temperature of the components themselves.

We tested our AMD builds against their Intel counterparts and found that these CPUs performed better across the board, and for a lower price. This is why we only recommend an AMD version.

We know how much some of our readers enjoy overclocking their PCs, so we made sure to test that out too. So, you can feel safe knowing that these machines can be pushed beyond their basic capabilities. But, please make sure you know how to overclock before trying to over-task your builds.

NOTE: Due to the ongoing effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, some retailers are experiencing stock issues. WePC constantly updates our pages to reflect current availability, so if the PC or part you want shows as out of stock, check back later or check out these alternatives.

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Under $500

So, you’ve got this far and you’re now thinking, all this PC building malarky seems like a big ask, would it not be easier to buy a prebuilt gaming PC? And the simple answer is yes, probably.

The issue with a prebuilt, as many will already know, is you pay a premium for the luxury of not having to assemble the parts yourself. So, ideally, you’d want to build an affordable gaming PC yourself and save money in the process (or get better value for your hard-earned cash). However, some people aren’t comfortable even trying to build their own gaming PC, and for those folks, here are our best-prebuilt options for under $500.

HP Desktop 3200G (Renewed)

CPU

Ryzen 3 3200G

GPU

AMD Radeon Vega 8

RAM

8GB RAM

Storage

1TB HDD

Best Gaming PC Under $500 Component Details

Last Updated - Jan 13, 2023

If you want a good gaming PC for under $500, you’re in the right place. Now, let’s hop into the belly of this beast.

Our $500 Custom Gaming PC Build

Order This Custom Gaming PC Build

Our best cheap custom-built gaming PC for under $500 is one of the best for those looking for a more affordable gaming experience. While the components in this build are considered entry-level, they still provide excellent levels of performance for the price.

No items found.

Intel’s latest 12th gen series are here, giving PC builders a solid entry-level option with the Core I3-12100F.

This processor comes to shelves boasting 4 cores and 8 threads clocked at a base speed of 3.3GHz and can be boosted to 4.3GHz. the 12100F has decent single-core performance, making it ideal for an entry-level gaming PC. The multi-threaded nature of this CPU also makes it better equipped for when it comes to computing tasks.

MSI PRO H610M-G

Form Factor

mATX

Socket

LGA 1700

Chipset

H610

For a custom build at this price range, the MSI Pro H610M-G motherboard is pretty much perfect. It might not be a premium motherboard but it still offers a bunch of features and is ready for upgrades when the time comes. Furthermore, you don’t yet have the funds to get the components to justify something more expensive at this price range anyway. Motherboards also don’t really affect gaming performance at all, so it fits into this build nicely.

No items found.

Patriot Viper 4 Blackout Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 3000MHz

Capacity

8GB (2 x 4GB)

Frequency

3000 MHz

CAS Latency

The Patriot Viper kit offers 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which should be more than enough for most gaming and multitasking scenarios. It displays solid value for money and the slight bump in clock speed naturally makes it better than a lot of entry-level DDR4 RAM kits you’ll find out there.

Asus TUF Gaming Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 OC Edition

Graphics Coprocessor

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

Video Output Interface

DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI

Chipset Brand

NVIDIA

Graphics RAM Type

GDDR6

We can just about squeeze in a dedicated GPU for under $500, with the GTX 1650. The 1650 is considered an entry-level graphics card but it will net you some decent results when playing in 1080p. While you should limit your expectations when playing AAA games, this card thrives when playing esports titles.

TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 240GB SSD

Read/Write

520/450 MB/s

Capacity

240GB

As with most builds at this end of the price category, compromises have to be made to ensure the performance power is up to scratch. With our $500 custom build, the storage capacity has taken a slight hit. We had to opt for the TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 240GB SSD that offers rapid load/boot times. We would have liked to bring a larger capacity into this build, however, we have had to make compromises to fit the GPU in. You will need to upgrade your capacity at some stage soon.

Zalman T7

The Zalman T7 PC Case is a brilliant example of quality for less. It comes to shelves offering reasonable out-of-the-box airflow, a clean and user-friendly design, and a bunch of build-friendly features as well. It’s a pretty rock solid case that should last you for the foreseeable future too with two 120mm case fans pre-installed. It may not be one of our best PC cases, but it certainly offers everything you’d need for this build at an affordable price tag.

Gigabyte GP-P450B 450W

Unfortunately, we were unable to equip our $500 build with a modular PSU, however, the Gigabyte GP 450W PSU we’ve equipped this build with will power this machine like a efficiently for years to come.

Order This Custom Gaming PC Build

Build Benchmark: What Games Can This PC Run?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

1080p

135 FPS

High settings

The Witcher 3

1080p

70 FPS

High settings

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

1080p

80 FPS

High Settings

Fortnite

1080p

140 FPS

High Settings

Total War: Warhammer II

1080p

50 FPS

High Settings

GTA V

1080p

70 FPS

High Settings

Things To Consider

At this stage in the article, you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not this build suits your needs. We’ve discussed exactly what this build offers in terms of performance, and have gone into more detail on how each of the hardware choices impacts this build. Now, let’s go over the areas which need to be considered before buying this build.

Below, we have listed the most important areas of a prebuild. Let’s waste no further time and get straight into it.

$500 Budget

One of the most important areas to consider before any PC purchase is your budget. By that, we mean will you be able to build a PC that meets your performance requirements with the funds you have set aside. Some people think $500 is going to buy you the ultimate gaming computer that smashes VR and 4k gaming at 100FPS. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

That being said, we’ve custom-designed these PCs to handle a variety of game titles in 1080p. FPS will vary as some games are more taxing than others, but for the most part, playable FPS is achievable if you have the settings optimized just right.

$500 Custom Gaming PC Vs Prebuilt

Building your own gaming PC is always going to offer more value, however, we understand that not everyone wants to tackle the challenge of a self-built machine. Stock has become a bit of an issue of late too, making it harder than ever before to build your own gaming PC. Well, this is where a $500 prebuilt gaming PC could be worth your while but there are a couple of things to know first.

The first thing to note is that you are probably never going to get a prebuilt gaming PC that offers the same performance at the same price. If you were to spend your $500 on a prebuilt, you are likely to see a lower-end CPU with fewer cores/threads, possibly smaller capacity RAM and storage, and lesser quality PC cases and supplies.

All of this is because prebuilt manufacturers are a business and they make money through prebuilt computers by adding a markup (labor costs). This is fair enough but it can impact the value you get and when its at the lower end, every penny counts.

Upgradability and Future-proofing

Another major player in a custom PC build is how easy you can upgrade it down the line. As most will already know, technology is moving quicker than ever and games are now increasing in both computational demand and size. For that reason, we’ve built this PC with both upgrades and future-proofing in mind.

Both builds have CPUs that should serve you well for the next couple of years straight off the bat. However, the motherboards have been chosen as they can accommodate a number of extra storage drives, more powerful GPUs, better CPUs, and additional RAM if you feel the need to increase.

Overclocking

We all understand what overclocking is, it’s a way of increasing the performance of your build by manually boosting the clock speed, voltage, and timings of your hardware (all at no extra cost might I add). However, what many don’t know is that not all hardware is geared towards overclocking. Just ask our friendly video guy that pushed an entry-level motherboard too far recently.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, you need to be careful when overclocking your hardware. Our build is geared towards light overclocking and will respond to manual overclocking if a better CPU cooler is fitted. That being said, both these chips have been pretty well optimized so extracting any real-world performance gains might be a little tricky.

Ease of building

As a first-time builder, you always want to consider how difficult the build might be to put together. We’ve opted for a build-friendly case with decent build quality that helps simplify the build process. Cable management was, to our surprise, fairly easy to tidy up and pre-installed standoff screws made the entire process move along much quicker.

We used an iFixit PC building toolkit to help with the assembling of this build. It’s also worth mentioning that an anti-static wristband is advised for first-time builders as it completely eradicates any possibility of static damage.

Non-Gaming Performance

Remember, this build isn’t solely designed for gaming, even though that is its main purpose. We’ve also taken into consideration its ability to handle stressful workstation tasking and multi-tasking processes. Thanks to the impressive CPU and RAM pairing this build should be able to handle tasks such as live streaming and video editing with no problem whatsoever.

Of course, browsing and media tasks don’t phase this build, however, where you will start to see diminishing performance is when rendering large video files. If you plan on doing that sort of thing, I would recommend upgrading the processor to something a little beefier.

Aesthetics

Finally, we have the aesthetics of the build. Aesthetics are usually one of the first things to be sacrificed in an affordable build, as stylish designs usually come with a premium price tag. Unfortunately, this build comes with an entry-level case which, if truth be told, isn’t the most attractive-looking case we’ve ever seen. That being said, where it falls short on aesthetics, it makes up for with its user-friendly design.

Build A Gaming PC By Price

Check out some of our price-focused custom PC build guides below.

Other Related Custom PC Guides:

Build A Gaming PC For Specific Games

Check out some of our game-focused custom PC build guides below.

The Best Gaming PC For Valorant
The Best Custom Built Gaming PC For CS:GO
Fortnite/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>The Best Custom Built Gaming PC For Fortnite
The Best Custom Gaming PC For Cyberpunk 2077
The Best Custom Built PC For Emulation

Related Prebuilt Gaming PC Guides

Check out some of our related prebuilt PC guides below.

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Brands

Every recommended prebuilt gaming PC in this article is from a reputable manufacturer. You are probably wondering how we know what the best gaming PC brands are? Well, we have done our research and purchased PCs from these brands.

Most notable brands:

Alienware
Corsair
CyberPowerPC
SkyTech
iBUYPOWER
Thermaltake
MSI
Scan 3XS
Overclockers UK

Calculating The PSU Wattage

Making sure your PSU provides the correct amount of wattage to your custom build PC is an essential part of the build process. For that reason, we’ve created a handy PSU calculator which will work out exactly what PSU wattage your components require – no matter how many changes you make.

Upgrade Options

Last Updated - Jan 13, 2023

Our best gaming PC in the $500 price range is already a potent machine on its own, but what if by making a few tweaks and pushing your spending amount ever so slightly you could improve the performance considerably.

Rhetorical question. This is PC gaming. Of course, you want to do that.

NOTE: These will raise the price of the build!

CPU

The 6 core, 12 thread Ryzen 5 3600 is one of AMD’s third-generation high-end desktop processors, renowned for excellent value multi-core performance. Thanks to the arrival of the recent Ryzen 5000 series, we’ve seen the price of 3rd-gen CPUs plummet. This price reduction brings excellent value to the table, helping us recommend a powerful GPU too.

It comes to the table equipped with an increased clock speed capable of 4.2GHz max boost speed. It comes pre-equipped with a Wraith Spire cooler and is excellent value for money. Overall, this should provide all the gaming performance you need, as well as acceptable streaming and video rendering performance.

GPU

When the prices begin to revert back to what they once were, you may be interested in upgrading to a dedicated GPU. We have gone for the Radeon RX 580 as it was a value champion for quite some time, offering great results for the price. This graphics card can play any title in 1080p and deliver results in high settings, giving you everything you need.

HDD

The build features some fast SSD storage but you may need some extra HDD space for all your other files. This 2TB BarraCuda will certainly do the trick, giving you plenty of storage to load the majority of your media files and possibly some games on too. If you’re just getting into PC gaming, chances are you don’t have a large enough Steam library to stuff this full of games. By the time you’ve built that library, you should have the money to get another HDD as a storage upgrade.

MSI ARMOR 8GB OC RX 580

Clock Speed

1366 MHz

VRAM

8GB GDDR5

Length

10.6 inches

Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM

Storage

2TB

Cache

256MB

Speed

7200RPM

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

Speed

3.6GHz/4.2GHz

Core (threads)

6/12

Socket

AM4

TDP

65W

Related Custom PC Builds

Best Gaming PC Build under 1500 High End Builds

Best gaming PC build under $1500 of 2023

Ben Johnson

Best Gaming PC Build Under 400 Budget Builds

Best gaming PC build under $400 of 2023

Ben Johnson

Best Gaming PC Build under 1000 Mid Range Builds

Our best $1000 gaming PC build of 2023

Ben Johnson

Best gaming PC for Warzone 2 2023: Warzone 2 PC build & prebuilt

Shaun Conroy

Peripherals & Software

Ideally, you’d already have some or all of these things before buying the best gaming computer under $500. Unfortunately, we don’t always live in an ideal world, so we’ve provided this section just in case you need it.

Operating System

For the best gaming performance and general compatibility, Windows 10 is your best option. If you already have a retail-bought Windows license on another PC, you should be able to transfer over your installation with little-to-no issues. If you don’t, however, you’re probably going to have to fork out for the cost of a brand new Windows 10 installation. If that is the case we recommend using the Windows 10 USB Flash Drive. It allows you to install Windows directly from a Flash Drive, rather than needing a DVD drive. If you are looking to protect your system you may want to include an antivirus program too.

Gaming Mouse

The Razer Deathadder V2 is insanely good value and for that price, you will be getting one of the best shapes on offer for gaming. This ergonomic mouse has been designed with comfort in mind, it features more than enough DPI for anyone and boasts a seriously good optical sensor. If you would prefer to cut the cord and go wireless then take a look at some of our wireless recommendations here.

MORE: Best Gaming Mice

Gaming Monitor

The ASUS VG278Q is a 144Hz monitor with a very generous 27″ display. It currently features in our best gaming monitors for under $300 article and for good reason. It has everything a gamer would want and comes at an affordable price point, what more could you ask for?

Gaming Speakers

Some great speakers to start out with are the Creative Inspire T12 Speakers. At just under $45, these provide a high-quality audio experience without breaking the bank. While you’ll still need to buy better speakers for things like surround-sound and a subwoofer, the T12 set will be perfectly fine for getting you started listening to music and watching your films.

ASUS VG278Q Gaming Monitor

Size

27"

Refresh Rate

144Hz

Response Time

1ms

Panel Type

Maximum Resolution

1920 x 1080

Razer DeathAdder V2

Sensor

Focus+ Optical (PWM 3399)

DPI

20,000

Weight

80g

Size (H x W x D)

(127 x 70 x 44mm)

Buttons

Windows 10 Home USB

Creative Inspire T12

ASUS PCE-AC56 PCI Wireless Express Adapter

Standard

IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Frequencies

2.4Ghz or 5GHz

Connection

PCIe

Custom PC Building Tips

So, finally, you’ve arrived at the section in this article which hosts a whole bunch of helpful building tips if you’re a beginner builder.

We know there’s a lot of common mistakes that rookies make when PC building (it’s just part of the learning process) and that’s why we wrote a guide to nip that in the bud. For you to successfully build your $500 gaming PC, you need the right guide to do it correctly and efficiently.

Before you even get there, though, we know you’ll have a lot of questions. And, well, we’ve already answered a lot of commonly asked PC building questions here.

How To Build A PC

Never built a PC before? Let us guide you through everything you need to build your first PC, even if you’re a complete beginner!

Related Builds

402 thoughts on “Best budget gaming PC under $500 for 2023”

Sophie

Hi WePC,

Thanks for this comprehensive guide. I just built this computer (the only difference is I used this case: MOROVOL Mesh Matx (Micro-ATX) Case Tower Computer Case). I followed the instructions and the CPU fan turns on and my keyboard lights up, but it’s not booting. My monitor says “no signal detected” (which is different from the “no cable detected” message) and I’ve tried multiple cables.

Anyway I contacted ASRock and they said the BIOS needs to be updated. Does that sound right to you?

Thanks
Reply
Luis

Hey WePC, i’ll be purchasing this build as my starting point into PC gaming, is it okay if i replace the Zalman S3 ATX Mid Tower with the Zalman S5 Mid Tower PC Gaming ATX? it’s only a few dollars more and i dig the RGB aesthetic even if it may be a little superfluous to some people, greetings!
Reply
- Sebastian Kozlowski
  
  Hey,
  Comparing the two looks like they are very similar and the S5 is just slightly bigger so it should be fine to use as a replacement.
  Reply
Mahesh

The post was very informative and helpful to look for the things before buying Gaming station.
Reply
Bem

Hi, Can I use (RX 570) instead of (RX 560) without change everything?
Reply
- Elias
  
  yea
  Reply
Elias

Hi Charlie, I am a first time pc builder, and I was wondering if I could change the mobo and cpu to a MSI H410M-A PRO and an intel i3-10100. Thank you!
Reply
Elias

Hi Charlie, I am a first time pc builder, and I was wondering if this pc guide is still good for 2021. I was also wondering if I could use an intel i3-10100 paired with a MSI H410M-A PRO instead of a ASRock B450M PRO4 paired with a ryzen 3 3100. Thanks!
Reply
Joe

I was wondering if this pc can handle minecraft well ?
Reply
- Jacob Velasco
  
  yes
  Reply
- Eli
  
  Well, minecraft is a really easy game to play on almost anything, so i’m sure that it would run very well.
  Reply
- Anonymous
  
  Look up rx 570 (or 580, whichever it is) minecraft fps
  Reply
Kelly

Hey,
Should have picked up the 3 3100 befor Black Friday, now they’re sold out everywhere. 🙁 kid wants to play fortnite, maybe call of duty. Found a used Ryzen 7 1700 for cheap, do you think it would work for his needs? Thanks for any help you can give!
Reply
- MisterMister008
  
  No, I wouldn’t, the cpu wouldn’t fit on the motherboard and the first gen AMD cpu’s are terrible.
  Reply
Kriss

I can’t get some of these things in my country for instance the case isn’t in my country so i was wondering If i order it from UK or USA would there be anything different?
Reply
Emerson

Hi Charlie,

I’m thinking about buying this 600$ pc build. I noticed that this build recommends a 240gb SDD, just wondering how easy it is to upgrade storage later if needed?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Extremely easy. You’ll be able to install numerous other SSD’s or a 3.5″ HDD if you want some more budget-oriented.
  Reply
Troy Chandler

Just bought this ($500) build for my sons 11th birthday. He is super excited to get started. Stay tuned…
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Thanks Troy, will do!
  Reply
  - Anonymous
    
    Hey Charlie, I was wondering what overclocking and how to do it but was also wondering if the 500 dollar build can support games like cod warzone. Thanks.
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      In the future, we’ll be adding overclocking potential to each of the builds. However, to answer your second question, when we tested Modern Warfare we found it could run at 70FPS average on 1080p high settings. That’ll translate to pretty similar FPS when playing warzone – with some FPS dips here and there.
      Reply
  - Troy Chandler
    
    The build went perfectly (11 year old birthday gift) He says he is averaging 170fps on fortnite. he loves it and is now using it as a school pc as well.
    I am buying another $500 build for my 14 year old (who was jealous) for Christmas. Thank you! (I have 5 kids so you’ll be hearing from me again…
    Reply
Sam

Hello, first time pc builder here. i decided to remove the Gpu, since its not in my price range and i later found out that the Ryzen could make up for the graphic without needing to have the gpu. is that a wise thing to do? and when it comes to the motherboard im a little worried because i went into pcpicker and put everything together but it kep saying that the bios needed some update and all that, did you guys think about this when you decided to put this build together?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Sam, hope you’re well. When the Ryzen chips first came out back in July of 2019, motherboards like the ASRock B450 did require a BIOS update to enable support for the latest 3000 series CPUs. However, since then, over a year later, all the B450s roll out BIOS versions that support this CPU lineup. So to answer your question, you will not need a BIOS update for this motherboard and CPU to be compatible :]
  Reply
Duc

Can I replace the chip amd ryzen 5 2600 instead of ryzen 5 3400g?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  You certainly could my friend
  Reply
Gerry

Can I downgrade the board to an A320 and the RAM to 2x4gb 2666mhz with this build to further save me money? Can the CPU and GPU still perform its best with those? Thanks.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  I dont think the A320 supports this CPU. So, no. I would not advise doing that.
  Reply
personNOTa-bot

can this run warthunder at 60fps?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  You’ll be able to get the game running, yes. It won’t push amazing frames and you’ll probably have to reduce the settings though.
  Reply
Gustavo

Is the pre-installed fan in the thermaltake versa h15 case enough or do I need to buy more fans?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  You’ll get away with just using the preinstalled fan. However, adding a secondary exhaust will create better airflow, so it’s really up to you. A second fan is not essential though.
  Reply
  - Gustavo
    
    Thanks!!
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Anytime buddy.
      Reply
  - Tate
    
    Hello, everywhere I look it says that the motherboard might need a bios flash. Using the ryzen 3 3100. Is that something you had to do or is there another motherboard that I wouldn’t have to flash?
    Reply
Seb

Please could you update the list of components, whenever i try and buy them on amazon it puts everything in the cart except for the PSU and the MOBO, i then tried searching them and still nothing, please help
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Sebastian, Check my previous reply :]
  Reply
Sebastian

Hello when I click order on Amazon it doesnt show the GAME MAX power supply 650w and the ASRockB450M pro 4, should I just wait until the next update of this page or what should I do?
Reply
Sebastian

Please help me when i click order on amazon it only shows 5 of the things i need to buy. what do i do?
Does this mean that they are out of stock and that i should just wait until you update the list
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Sebastian, We update the builds on a daily basis to make sure all the hardware is in stock. If you look now, everything should be in stock :]
  Reply
  - Alicia
    
    Hi Charlie. I feel like this couldn’t have happened this time around. It says this was updated yesterday at the top and the parts list says today, yet I can’t find the 3100 for its normal non-scalper price anywhere. The RX 570 is $209 and hasn’t been anywhere near $150 since Sept (at least on AMZ). All parts minus the processor come to $484 already. This puts the build well over $500. Can someone take a look at this and suggest changes? Thanks!
    Reply
Emilio Flores

Any suggestions for an alternative motherboard? The B450M PRO4 is currently sold out on Amazon. Thanks!
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Check stock levels now Emilio, we have recently changed some components!
  Reply
Dylan

Hi!

A first time builder here and I used this build and am very happy with it; however, I’m looking to upgrade this PC build. What would be the first two pieces you would recommend upgrading to enhance performance? I already have upgraded the SSD but I’m not sure what I should upgrade and to keep everything compatible.

Thanks in advance for your input.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Dylan, if you want better gaming performance, I would definitely start with a new GPU. This will undoubtedly improve your gaming experience the most. However, if you want to improve workstation type performance, you probably want to look at a new CPU with a higher core/thread count.
  Reply
Uchuabaya

May I know if this mobo and CPU can handle 3200mhz ram? How can I maximise the ram speed? I’m looking to buy mobo as I have 2x8gb 3200mhz ram and ryzen 5 2600.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  The new line of B550s which are now in the builds allow for up to 4733MHz OC+ RAM. So, you’re good to go my friend :]
  Reply
  - Uchuabaya
    
    Oh, I didn’t notice the mobo has changed. Last I checked this page it was MSI b450m pro-m2 max. So will the MSI board able to maximize the 3200mhz ram with the 2600 cpu? Appreciate the reply
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Yea the new motherboard supports up to 4733mhz RAM! Hope this helps buddy.
      Reply
      - Uchuabaya
        
        Hello, so I build my first pc. Everything is fine but the GPU. I bought the rx570 card and it has some problems. First time I installed the latest AMD driver, I can’t even run a single game without crashing (black screen, multicolor screen, frozen screen). Other tasks seems fine except for gaming.
        
        So after many read online, I had to install the older version of the driver. So the games are working but, whenever I open my web browser, it keep on crashing. I turned off the hardware acceleration on my browser and still the problem remains. It’s so frustrating as this is my 1st build but I can’t seem to make it work. Do you have any advice on how to fix my issue? Thanks.
        
        Mobo: Asrock B450m pro4
        CPU: R5 2600
        GPU: RX570 4GB
        RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8gb 3200mhz
        SSD: Adata SU635 480GB
        PSU: Corsair CV Series 550W
        Reply
        
        Charlie Noon
        
        hmmmm not really heard of that one before. Are you sure it’s a GPU issue? I’d try removing the RAM and replacing it first. That can cause those types of problems. Next, it might be worth sending the GPU back as it may be faulty. If you get another and the problems still occur, then you know there’s an issue with the system.
        Reply
        
        Uchuabaya
        
        I borrowed a GPU from a friend and I don’t have any issue. So it’s the GPU. There are a lot of people having the same issue with RX570 from what I read online.
        Reply
        
        Charlie Noon
        
        I’d recommend just sending it back and either getting a different RX 570 or the RX580 instead :]
        Reply
Michael

Can I use an SYX MLX2 mid tower case? 7 expansions slots, a verticle motherboard slot above that?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  As long as its Micro-ATX compatible, it should be fine!
  Reply
Charles

I already have an empty X Blade case, from what I can find online it should work with these components, will it?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  As long as it isn’t mini-ITX then you should be good to go!
  Reply
  - charles
    
    are there any motherboard alternatives? This particular one is becoming rare to find online.
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Yea stock levels are pretty bleak on motherboards right now. You could always use the B450 Tomahawk Max instead?
      Reply
Cecil

I was wondering if this build would be good for a game like Green Hell?
Reply
dave

what is the cheapest cast this build will fit with.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  cast? do you mean Case? the Thermaltake versa h15 is one of the cheapest cases you can buy.
  Reply
  - dave
    
    does the h17 work, that is the cheapest one i can find
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Hi Dave, the h17 will work fine with the rest of this build.
      Reply
      - dave
        
        do all Thermaltake Versa H models work
        Reply
        
        Charlie Noon
        
        They certainly should, yes!
        Reply
Tomas

I bought all the parts on amazon on April 22 but somehow I don’t think I ended up with the right ones. I see that the parts going into the build have been changed again so I wanted to know if what I have is compatible and would still work. The CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD and MOBO are the same as what is currently listed. The PSU is FSP Hyper M 85+ 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified Semi Modular Active PFC Power Supply (HA550). Case is AeroCool DS230 Window Black Cases. Thanks!
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Thomas, yes all those parts are completely compatible. We’d never change the build in such a dramatic way that previous part recommendations were no longer compatible! Good question none the less. I hope your build goes well!
  Reply
tim

does this motheboard do 32gb ram, also are there any upgrades that will be not much more and will save me lots in the long term (other than ram)
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi tim, the motherboard does cater for 32GB of ram, yes. If you want a decent boost in performance, you’d probably be better getting an RX 5700Xt. However, that may add 140 to the overall price of this build.
  Reply
  - tim
    
    yes, i have to buy from amazon aus so i cant afford an extra au$400 (about 250usd) for that, are there any other places where it is a bit cheaper to aus?
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Hi tim, You’d have to check with your local retailers, I can’t remember any off the top of my head from my short time in Aus!
      Reply
Dane

can I change out the case out for a DEEPCOOL MATRIXX 55. would that work?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  You sure can Dane, a fine choice for this mid-range PC build.
  Reply
oli

just wondering, what upgrades would i need to run beamNG
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  This PC should run BeamNG just fine!
  Reply
- Brandon Curry
  
  I am interested in doing this build. I clicked on the Amazon link to look at the parts and the pricing. I noticed here in the comments others have done the same and have the same issue. As of right now all the parts are available but the motherboard and chasis. With out those the pricing for the parts that are available come in around $462. With the prices I found for the mother board and chasis you guys recommended it bumps this build up to almost $700. And thats just for the hardware, no mouse, keyboard, monitor or OS. Which is going to jack the price up another couple hundred bucks. Im willing to go a little over $500 but not alot. Specially when I will need a monitor and OS.
  
  Is there other parts for less that will do the same job as the ones u list? Or is it possible to get some of the parts a little less powerful without sacrificing alot of performance? For example maybe going down on the ram from 16gb to 12 or even 8gb?
  Reply
  - Charlie Noon
    
    Hi Brandon, we check our builds daily to make sure they’re not only up to date, but within the specific price point we state. With COVID currently affecting a lot of pricing, it’s hard to keep everything as low as we’d like. That said, we always try to keep the builds within 20% of the stated price. If you have a look today, I’m sure the builds will be within the 10-20% range I spoke of.
    Reply
Anton

Dear Wepc,

You may remember me from my previous comments. I would like to say thank you. You have taken the time to put together a comprehensive guide that even people new to PCs can understand. This was my first pc build and I am proud to say that I a, very satisfied with it! I am playing overwatch and valorant (I have a key) at well over 100 FPS. During this quarantine, there is not much to do but I challenged myself to build a pc for the first time. When I searched up “500 dollar gaming pc”, I found that many of the builds were outdated and the parts were sold out. However, Wepc takes the time to update their guide almost everyday! I look forward to upgrading this build in the future, and now that I have the confidence, never look back on prebuilt again!

Keep up the great work,
Anton

Ps.
I changed the Aerocool case for the Coolermaster pro 5 rgb because I liked the look more. Since the motherboard doesn’t support rgb, I had to buy an additional controller, which is coming soon.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Anton, glad we could be of service, my friend! Gaming is a great way of passing the time right now. I feel I’m spending far too much time on CS:GO though, need to give Valorant a try for myself!
  Reply
TM

Would a 3600 (3rd gen) work in this build with this MB and would it be worth the additional $20?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Yes it would, and yes it would! We’d normally put the 3600 in this build, but it doesn’t fall into the specific budgetary requirements.
  Reply
Anton

Could this build run apex legends? What about Valorant, the new FPS coming out? Thanks so much.
Reply
Anton

How I’ll this build handle apex legends? What about riots new shooter valorant? Thank you so much.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Anton,
  You’ll be looking at 70-100FPS in Apex if pushed. Not had chance to try Valorant yet, but stayed tuned, more is coming on that one!
  Reply
Yasir

Can you guys update the building Guide. The case is very different and you don’t install a gpu. I don’t want to mess anything up.
Reply
John

Does this Aerocool case(in the build) have space for an optical drive?
If so, which one would you recommend?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  It does not my friend.
  Reply
Yasir

Hi, idk if my first comment came through so im writing again. The ram can’t be delivered to my address do you know of a different place where i can get them? Or a substitute? Its my first time building a pc and im pretty nervous
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Yasir, Ok, so if you’re struggling with that kit, why not check this one out:https://amzn.to/2IZ3YG1
  Let me know if you have any issues with that!
  Reply
FONSECA

Hi,
I hope you are well.
I am a newbie and I would like to build a basic PC only for normal internet usage (send emails, browse the web, and stream videos but I don’t know which parts I should buy. I am able to spend $300 but if it can be less than that, that would be great.
Could you possibly provide the parts list necessary to make this happen?
Thanks and looking forward to hear from you.
Best Regards,
Fonseca
Reply
Anonymous

Just wondering if you can play Red Dead Redemption 2 on the pc?
If not then what would be the next best build to play it, or how to upgrade it so that you can.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Technically speaking, this PC would run RDR 2. Because the game is quite demanding though, you’d struggle to push decent FPS in anything above low. I’d probably recommend the 800 as a minimum for that game. Hope this helps.
  Reply
  - Anonymous
    
    Thanks!
    Reply
Ben

Hey as I was trying to put my GPU into the PCI-E slots I realized it doesn’t fit into the case and the notches won’t even line up. Am I doing something wrong or do I buy another case?
Reply
Ben

So I ordered all of the parts, and now I’m installing my gpu, however it doesn’t fit. I’m putting it into the correct PCI-E slot and in the right configuration, but the case is just to small. Is there a reason, am I putting it in wrong, maybe I should try putting the mobo into different standoffs, or fo I have to order another case?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  I have never had an issue using this GPU with this case. If the motherboard is correctly positioned in the case, you should have no issues. How exactly does it not fit??
  Reply
brady

would the XFX Radeon RX 580 GTS Black Edition be good for this build
Reply
brady

I also wanted to add some extra lighting. Is the CORSAIR iCUE Lighting Node PRO RGB Lighting Controller compatible with this motherboard?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Adding the NZXT and the ICUE might be a struggle. If you’re looking to do this then I would recommend getting a slightly better motherboard.
  Reply
brady

I was also wondering if I could use the NZXT Internal USB Hub to hook up extra fans and such since this motherboard only comes with 2 usb slots. Would this work?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Brady, yes, this will work fine with the motherboard. Just be aware though, as this is an entry-level motherboard, you are limited to headers.
  Reply
brady

What is a good WiFi card I can use, the one provided got very bad reviews. Do you have a better, more modern alternative?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  https://amzn.to/36rPVSz
  Hi Brady, have a look at the above recommendation, should be a sound replacement.
  Reply
Blake

The EVGA 450 Bronze is currently out of stock, can you suggest a compatible replacement? I’m very new to PC building. Thanks.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi blake, this is a fine replacement https://amzn.to/37lKMgi
  Reply
brady

The wattage of the cpu for this build is 65 watts, but for the 7 it is 105. Do I need to get a 500 watt PSU instead of the 450?
Reply
brady

Will the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Processor with Wraith Prism LED Cooler fit in this build. I would like a stronger proccesser but don’t want to have to risk it not fitting then trying to return it.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Brady, Nice choice of CPU for this build. Yea you’ll be fine upgrading to the 2700X. The RAM will be a tight fit, but it should be fine.
  Reply
  - Brady
    
    ok, What about the wattage, the cpu for this build has a wattage of 65, but the ryzen 7 2700x takes 105, I need to get about 50 more watts, right?
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      hi Brady, the PSU we recommended is more than enough to run our recommended build and upgrades as well. Upgrading the CPU will no require an upgrade :] If you want to be safe, of course, go for a 500W, but it isn’t necessary.
      Reply
brady

Is this build still good for january 2020? I’m not sure how outdated it is.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Brady, the builds get looked at daily, so to answer your question. Yes, they are :]
  Reply
Jason

so I’m looking at benchmarks for Vega 8 vs the low power GT1030 that I threw into my Dell T20… and they look the same…?

What am I doing wrong?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Can you be more specific? From what I understand, the performance between Vega 8 and the GT 1030 is quite minimal.
  Reply
Tony

Not sure if my comment was posted… the build you suggested is that better than the prebuilt Computer Upgrade King
CUK Continuum Micro Gamer PC (AMD Ryzen 3 3200G with Radeon Vega 8 Graphics, 16GB 3000MHz RAM, 256GB SATA SSD, 500W PSU, AC WiFi, No OS) Gaming Desktop Computer? Trying to see which one would be better to run WOW on high to medium quality. Thank you
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  They’re about the same in specs. See my comment above for average FPS figures :]
  Reply
Tony

The build you have listed is it better than the prebuilt one you suggested, CUK continuum ryzen 3200g? Do you know if the prebuilt one would be able to run WOW on high or medium quality with ease?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Tony, you’d probably struggle to play the new WOW on high settings with a 3200G. You’d be looking at around 50FPS on medium in 1080p though.
  Reply
David

Hi All-

I’m new to building a PC and my son asked that I attempt it so here I am. I have installed all parts and am now wondering how do I manage Bluetooth devices. My son has a wireless keyboard and mouse. The mouse comes with a USB adapter which makes sense; but, the keyboard does not. How do I install a Bluetooth driver on this build? AMD website?

Thanks!
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi David, I hope the build is going well!
  Usually, you will go to the manufacturer website of the keyboard, find the model you have, and download the supported drivers that way. What keyboard have you got out of interest?
  Reply
owen

is there any case that looks cool maybe with a window that would work with this build for around the same price.
Reply
Alexander Simpson

is the motherboard micro atx size and would that fit in the case?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Alexander, thanks for the comment. Yes this will fit, the case supports Mini ITX, Micro ATX, and ATX.
  Reply
Ville

Would it be okay if i bought this hard drive together with the ssd that was shown in the guide to get some more memory.
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM008 2 TB 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive – SATA
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Ville, that would be absolutely fine!
  Reply
Patrick Hawkins

Hey great guide thanks but I have a few issues I was hoping you could help me with. I FOLLOWED YOUR GUIDE EXACTLY EXCEPT I SPENT 5 MORE FOR THE MSI B450M PRO VDH MAX MOTHERBOARD INSTEAD AND ADDED 3 FANS. 2 TO THE FRONT AND ONE ON THE TOP. ANYWAY the system is working great except one issue I’m having. Why did we get ddr4 3200mhz ram chips when it’s only giving me like 2133mhz ram speed in the bios and with msi software? I tried messing with the ram overclocking but nothing I do changes the speed. I’m using the A2 and B2 ram slots on the board and individually one is saying 3200mhz the other is 2133mhz and overall together only running at 2133mhz. Can you give me some advice on this issue. Also one other thing should I run all my fans on 100% manual mode or just use smart mode. Thanks!
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Patrick, did you manage to get this sorted? RAM usually doesn’t come at its full speed so you need to overclock it. If you cant see “XMP” profiles, try updating your BIOS. You can manually overclock the RAM but its best to just use the XMP.
  Reply
  - Patrick Hawkins
    
    No I didn’t get it sorted but I’ll look into the xmp profiles in the bios. I did a bios update when I completed the build in late November. Regardless the performance and reliability of this build for under 600 is great for sure. And the ram speed hasnt effected anything i can notice but I’d like it to be running at the fastest it can since I payed for 3200mhz. Anyways if u have any links or more detailed info on overclocking the ram with the xmp profiles or manually on this built it would be greatly appreciated. I’m compTIA A+ certified so I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Just havnt dealt with modern gaming hardware for over 5 years till now. Thanks agaib.
    Reply
  - Patrick Hawkins
    
    Oh and what about the fans? Manual mode on 100% or just use smart mode on the fan software?
    Reply
James

Would this build be able to run minecraft and no lagging?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Thanks for popping by James, yes it can.
  Reply
Christopher

Hey, when you click the link to Amazon, the total price is ~$590 BEFORE tax. Same stuff, but the prices are higher now. I swapped the GPU and Ryzen 5 2600 CPU for the Ryzen 5 3400g APU, and that gave me room to upgrade the SSD to 480gb and the case to the Phanteks Eclipse. Now the build is ~$495 AFTERtax. If you upgrade the power supply, it adds like $15 to the total.
Reply
- ZeEnforcer
  
  I like this idea and is it fully upgradable?
  Reply
Christopher

Hey, when I clicked the button that takes me to Amazon, the $500 build became a $600 build. Same stuff, just higher prices. I swapped the Ryzen 5 2600 and graphics card for the 3400g, which let me upgrade the SSD to 480Gb and upgrade the case. All that for under $500 by combining the $400 and $500 builds y’all have. Would that still work together?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Chris, thanks for the comment. Prices can fluctuate and for me, the build comes up $559. You are not going to get the same results if you change the parts and i would advise keeping this CPUO/GPU combination for a better gaming experience.
  Reply
Riley Austin

Would this pc be able to run arma 3?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Riley, thanks for the comment. It would be able to handle Arma, giving you 40+fps in very high settings but with a few tweaks 100+fps.
  Reply
Alex P

Hello, just ordered these exact parts from amazon, you said the case comes with 3 off the shelf fans, the case page on amazon says only one rear exhaust fan is included, which is right?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Alex, the case comes with one fan pre-installed. If you think you would need any additional fans this case can fit 2 x extra 120mm fans
  Reply
  - Alex P
    
    Hello, thanks for the reply. I noticed in a comment above that this motherboard only has slots for 2 fans and suggested a splitter. I purchased 2 of the noctua ones linked and the splitter, but will I need a 3 in 1 rather than a 2 in 1 splitter for the fan that comes with the case? or does that connect somewhere else? sorry this is my first pc i’m building myself, kinda nervous 😀
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Hi Alex, don’t worry about it, friend.
      As far as the fans are concerned, you would need a 3 in 1 splitter, yes. You’d have to make sure you get one that can accommodate both the rear and front fans .What i mean is, cable length, and how you’re going to manage the cabling.
      What might be a better option, is a fan controller. The controller plugs into the fan controller, you then reroute the controller to the rear of the case and attach all the fans to it. It also gets power direct from the PSU.
      This could be a good backup plan if everything else fails.
      Reply
      - Alex P
        
        Thanks for your time I appreciate it. I noticed upon looking at more pictures of the motherboard there is a header for cpu fan, and 2 system fan headers, one by the pci-e slot labeled system fan 1 and another on the side of the board labeled system fan 2. Shouldn’t then the 2 in one splitter be enough for the 2 additional fans I ordered? Splitter with 2 fans into system fan 1 and the fan that comes with the case into system fan 2 or vice versa? Thanks!
        Reply
        
        Charlie Noon
        
        Not a problem, Alex.
        After reading your comment, I had a look around the office to see if we have that board here, which unfortunately, we don’t. However, you are indeed correct about the SYS FAN 2 header. That being said, you would indeed only need the 2-in-1 splitter. Just make sure it’s long enough so you can cable manage it behind the motherboard.
        Anyway. We have the case in house. I had a look to see how easy it would be to cable manage, and yea, it should be a relatively easy task. Where the system fan 2 header is, you can push the splitter around the PSU to the back of the case.
        If you need any help with that feel free to message me back!
        Reply
Austin Manwiller

Will I be able to do online gaming with this build?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Austin, thanks for the comment. Yes, the build features a decent CPU/GPU combo meaning you’ll be able to play most games you fancy online. What games did you have in mind?
  Reply
Sean

Hi, does the build have an optical drive and if it doesn’t have one but I can install one, which one would I use?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Sean, thanks for the comment. We have included a case that has space for 2 x optical drives just in case anyone would like to install one. As most use people USB drives and downloading to obtain software, we left out a 5.25″ option to keep closer to the budget.
  
  You can install one if you wish, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0033Z2BAQ?tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20
  Reply
Andrew

Hi! So the power supply isn’t currently in stock. What can I use to substitute the currently listed 500 w power supply? I don’t mind if I have to spend 10-20 more dollars.
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Andrew.
  
  Any EVGA or Corsair bronze rated or better PSU at 500W would suffice, I usually recommend the EVGA BR or BT as it’s an affordable option, if you can stretch your budget slightly further then a semi-modular PSU will help with the build and cable management.
  Reply
Paladin Asvr

Umm this might be a weird question but can “computer upgrade king” ship internationally? Because I want to buy the computer which they sell on amazon but I can’t because they don’t ship to turkey, could you please like do something about it? Or maybe do an agreement with amazon (talking about FBA ,Fulfillment by amazon)
And yeah that’s all ,hope you respond
P.S I really like the build
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Paladin, did you manage to resolve this issue?> I’ll look into alternative solutions for you and see what we can muster up.
  Reply
John

Hey does the case have a optical drive?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  This isn’t 1995 John. You can purchase optical drives if you need to though! :]
  Reply
John

Hey, love the build! I was just wondering if I’d missed something, as I did not see a graphics card or storage on here. I couls just be blind and missing it, but would anyone mind pointing it out to me?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hey John, glad you like the build! There is a GPU and storage solution in the list. Click- https://www.amazon.com/gp/aws/cart/add.html?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJOASTQRBLOVVPUQA&AssociateTag=bgfg-wepc-us-20&ASIN.1=B07B41WS48&Quantity.1=1&ASIN.2=B06ZY21842&Quantity.2=1&ASIN.3=B0143UM4TC&Quantity.3=1&ASIN.4=B07G3KRZBX&Quantity.4=1&ASIN.5=B07QWNQQKQ&Quantity.5=1&ASIN.6=B07NH4H5X8&Quantity.6=1&ASIN.7=B07VGJDDHF&Quantity.7=1 You should see them if you follow that link through.
  Reply
Cody

Sorry I meant to say I was considering buying a Oculus Rift S and if this PC is powerful enough to run games like Job Simulator and Espire 1
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Cody. This PC is powerful enough but you may want to consider an upgrade with the GPU to future proof the build.
  Reply
Cody

Hi I’m hoping to get into PC gaming (I play Xbox) I was wondering if this PC is good for the following games: Fortnite, Minecraft, and various FPS games on steam. And I’m considering buying a Oculus Rift S. One more thing what kind of desk do you recommend (I have a small room) Thank You
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Cody, Another Xbox gamer looking to convert, join the party!
  We have a great article on desks that I would recommend looking at here. https://www.wepc.com/reviews/best-gaming-desks/.
  The games that you stated would run fine on this build as well. Virtual reality would be abit of a push even if it doesn meet the minimum PC requirements.
  Reply
Jerd

How well would this build run world of Warcraft
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Jerd,
  You’ll be fine running World of Warcraft on this PC.
  Reply
FalconGK81

This isn’t under $500. My math has it at ~575. Am I doing it wrong?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi FalconGK81,
  The build is subject to price increase/decrease depending on the amazon pricing. If you check in a couple of days the price will have changed.
  Reply
Jackal

Hi, This is my first build. I have a question about the fan recommendations. You say to get 2 more 120mm fans but the MSI B450M PRO-VDH Plus motherboard only has 2 connections for system fans. How do I get that many fans to work with this motherboard?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Jackal,
  You can purchase a fan splitter which allows you to connect multiple fans to one connector. Good question.
  Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Sleeved-Splitter-CPF01/dp/B00B46XKKQ?tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20
  Reply
Anna

I’m saving up to get a new computer/art set up, hopefully by next February. I’m thinking if I build my own PC and get an Cintiq-esque drawing monitor I can have higher quality workspace with more bang for my buck than if I invested in a surface pro similar laptop. (I was originally saving up for a new laptop, but was dissatisfied with the specs in comparison to the prices.) Using this build as a starting point, I created this parts list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YCQ6cY

Does this seem decent for the price/intended use. Of course this doesn’t include the monitor (I’m thinking Huion), keyboard, mouse, or speakers, but it should still end up being more affordable than a surface pro with decent specs, and it can be upgraded in the future.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Anna,
  Yeah, that’s not a bad build for the price. It would certainly achieve what you wanted from it.
  I would maybe recommend getting a Seagate Barracuda over the WD, if you can squeeze it into the budget. If you can manage to get 3600Mhz RAM that would also improve performance quite a lot.
  I suppose you have to weigh up the pros and cons of both sides. A laptop gives you portability and freedom. That being said, you would definitely get more performance from a custom build.
  All-in-all, not a bad little PC!
  Reply
  - Anna
    
    Thanks so much for your feedback! I’ll definitely take that advice into consideration once I see how much I have saved up 😊
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Glad we could be of service Anna.
      If you have any other questions feel free to ask away!
      Reply
Robbie

Hey I have questions: Does this build come with USB slots? Do you recommend a disk drive? And how do I download Windows 10 for the rig if I dont have an OS to begin with? And lastly, for the wifi do I NEED a wifi adapter or can I just use the ethernet cable and box I have from Xfinity or At&t?
Thanks.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Robbie,
  Yes, the build comes with a number of USB ports.
  I personally haven’t used a Disk drive in years. All games and software can be downloaded directly from their website or via Steam.
  Windows can be purchased from Amazon on a USB stick.
  You can use a wifi adapter, however, I personally prefer to plug my ethernet cable straight into the motherboard for a more secure connection.
  Hope this helped.
  Reply
Sam

I put all of these items in my card and they were over $600 and that is without a monitor or keyboard. The monitor recommended is over $250 the keyboard over $50. Is there a reliable one that is cheaper?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Sam,
  Are you asking for a cheaper monitor or keyboard, or both?
  A good reliable gaming monitor is this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D377Q6D?tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20
  As for keyboards, you will be fairly hard-pressed to get anything reliable for under $50. That being said, the Redragon is fully mechanical and is currently on sale for $30 I believe.
  Reply
Anna

we have built this computer as listed with a slightly better case but when we turn it on we can not get any signal to our monitor. We’ve tried to use VGA and HDMI cables. We’ve removed the graphics card and tried to plug it directly into the motherboard and still no signal to our monitor. help……
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Anna,
  Does the PC switch on?
  Have you tried plugging a peripheral into the motherboard to see if it (the peripheral) gets power?
  Reply
David

I see you recommended some fans to buy and put into the case. I am looking to buy these fans but I am at a loss of where to put them. Am I supposed to replace the fan in there already or is there a spot that these fans can go. Please let me know if I am just dumb lol.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi David, Hope you’re having a great Monday.
  The fans we recommend are ADDITIONAL fans, so they will be used with the fans that are already there. You should be able to see the fan mounting holes in the roof of the case. Let me know if you’re still struggling :]
  Reply
  - David
    
    Alright perfect. I noticed that there were holes on the top of the case but I thought it was for something else for some reason. I am going to get the additional fans and try to install them there on the top of the case.
    Reply
  - David
    
    Thank you! I will get those additional fans and add them at the top. One other question is when I built this build I had the intel not the AMU GPU. What would be a good option for upgrading from the stock fan.
    Reply
    - David
      
      CPU* no GPU oops
      Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      So you didn’t go for the AMD 2600? What CPU and Motherboard do you have?
      Reply
      - David
        
        The CPU is a Intel Core i5-9400F Desktop Processor 6 Cores 4.1 GHz and the motherboard is the
        MSI Model B360APRO Intel Chipset Socket H4 LGA-1151 B360-A PRO Desktop Motherboard
        Reply
        
        Shaun Conroy
        
        Hi David, I would recommend – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O65JXI?tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20 . This cooler performs well and is a bargain!
        Reply
Adam

This may or may not be a dumb question, that being, would this build be compatible with Windows 8.1? If it’s a necessity, I can go with 10, but I already have a license for 8.1 that I could use for this and would need to wait to afford one for 10.
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Adam, that should be absolutely fine.
  Reply
  - Adam
    
    Awesome. Thanks for the confirmation.
    Reply
    - Shaun Conroy
      
      No problem Adam, enjoy the PC!
      Reply
Anonymous

Will it still work well with the thermaltake versa n21 snow edition with the side window
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi anonymous, great question.
  The Versa N21 snow edition would be a fine replacement for this build.
  Reply
Reamus

All in all the products cost more than 600$. Why is this so????
Reply
- Anonymous
  
  The prices of the different components are constantly going up and Down. Try waiting until they are low and then buy your parts
  Reply
  - Anonymous
    
    Also, you can get the gpu for 60$ less form Newegg.com
    Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Prices fluctuate on a daily basis. Most of the time we try to stick to a 10% buffer either above or below the target budget.
  Reply
David

I am comparing this to another 400 Dollar build here: https://www.wepc.com/builds/best-gaming-pc-under-400/

I just want to know which of these PC’s is better for streaming or if I would be just fine with the 400 dollar build.
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi David.
  
  If you are streaming, I’d recommend going for this $500 build and then potentially upgrading the storage to an SSD and upgrading the RAM to 16GB.
  Reply
  - David
    
    So basically I would buy the parts you recommend for upgrades in the 16GB RAM and the SSD instead of the HDD
    Reply
    - Ben Johnson
      
      Exactly David 🙂 You could also purchase a HDD, if you expect to use a lot of storage, but you could always add that later on.
      Reply
      - David
        
        Thank you!
        Reply
        
        Charlie Noon
        
        Anytime David.
        Reply
Dylan

I can’t figure out how to connect the cable for the Radeon RX 570 graphics card to the MSI B360-A Pro Motherboard. Specs for the motherboard say they are compatible. Where do I connect the cable?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Dylan.
  
  The cable for the GPU will be connected directly to the PSU, not to the motherboard, this should be a six pin connector.
  Reply
Darien

I like this build guide would I be able to use a i5 8600k with integrated graphics instead of the gpu
Reply
- Darien
  
  Could you passably use a i5 8400
  Reply
  - Ben Johnson
    
    Hi Darien.
    
    You could use an 8th generation Intel CPU if you wanted, just make sure the motherboard is 8th generation Intel compatible (LGA1151).
    
    If you were looking to reduce the build cost then I’d recommend going for AMD’s APU build such as the AMD 2400G which is what we recommend in our $400 build here: https://www.wepc.com/builds/best-gaming-pc-under-400/
    Reply
Sam Heppner

Just curious (as I’m very new to this–first time builder), how well could this rig run a very rendering-demanding game, such as Skyrim or Fallout?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Sam. You could play both games successfully, at 1080P or 1440P on medium settings.
  Reply
  - Sam Heppner
    
    thank you!
    Reply
Nick

Can I use a hard drive from a computer thats been sitting around unused for a few years? My mom gave me an old (like 2012) desktop from her work that didn’t see much use to replace my desktop thats on like life support basicly. Its pretty bad but wasnt used to much so I don’t think there’s much wear on the hard drive.
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Nick.
  
  I think this should be OK, it might not perform as good as we would expect though as the HDD may slow down the entire PC performance. Ideally, we would recommend a cheap HDD or cheap SSD to run the operating system, and utilise the additional HDD you have for less demanding storage use.
  Reply
Otto

From what I have seen, this motherboard will likely need a bios upgrade, to work with the 9th gen processor listed, for this, I heard you would need to buy an 8th gen processer as well. Is this true, and if so are there other similar motherboards?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Otto,
  You are correct, an update would be required. If you wanted to get this board you could take it to any local PC shop and they would do the upgrade for little to no cost.
  alternatively, you could potentially look at getting a more expensive board that has BIOS flashback.
  Hope this helps
  Reply
Michael

Do you have any prebuilds that can handle VR games such as VRchat that around 570 dollers?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Michael, brilliant question.
  To get the best VR experience you really want to be looking towards the $800 build as a minimum. The $500 range is just short of what you would need to perform VR gaming.
  https://www.wepc.com/reviews/best-prebuilt-gaming-pc-under-500/
  Reply
Colin

What changes need to be made for the PC to be Oculus-ready? Specifically, the Oculus Rift S
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Colin,
  You’d really want to upgrade the GPU to a minimum of a 1060. The CPU would be quite fine. Potentially look at investing in a cheap SSD for quicker load times. A kingston 240Gb wouild work and be good value for money. Hope this helps
  Reply
Peter

Should I buy a Gigabyte B450M DS3H and ryzen 3 2200g instead of the one you suggested? Also I can’t seem to find a very cheap WiFi adapter do you have any recommendations please and thank you?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Peter.
  
  You could purchase one of AMDs APUs either the 2200G or the 2400G both are fantastic value for money and offer solid performance.
  
  As for the Wifi Adapter, you could try TP Link, we have a few in the office and they work well such as this one: https://amzn.to/2XC3crp
  Reply
Adam

Would it be better to buy a mobo with integrated WiFi than buying the WiFi adapter?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Adam.
  
  You can do, but typically speaking motherboards that include wifi are significantly more expensive, we recommend this affordable wifi adapter: https://amzn.to/2XC3crp
  Reply
tony

What drives would have to be installed?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Drives or Drivers?
  Reply
Jean-Karlo L.

Hi, I had a few questions about this build.
1. The case suggested in this list is out-of-stock in most pages I visited (Amazon and Newegg), necessitating that I replace it with a CORSAIR Carbide 270R. You may want to update the list to reflect the availability of the case.
2. I’ve read that the Gigabyte H310M A has some BIOS errors and needs to be updated to F3 from F2, which is difficult because its BIOS prevents an OS from being installed. Any pointers? I’m very new at building PCs, and I’m quite scared at having to go through a rigmarole just to get my OS installed.
3. Can this rig still run Windows 8.1, and would the bios still run off of that OS? I insist upon 8.1.

Thanks!
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Jean-Karlo,
  Since your comment, the builds have been updated and we have new practices in place to make sure that hardware recommendations are always in stock.
  The new hardware consists of the 2600 and a B450 which are both compatible without a BIOS update needed.
  Why do you need 8.1 out of interest??
  Hope this helps :]
  Reply
James

can it be upgraded to an i5?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Yes. You can upgrade the CPU to a i5 or an i7.
  Reply
Alex

Is the Thermaltake Versa N21 Snow compatible with the rest of the build, and what are some good LED fans should i buy with it?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Alex. Yes it is, that PC case is a mid tower which is suitable for motherboard sizes up to ATX. As for RGB fans, the best we’ve tested are the Corsair LL120s however they are quite pricey, these are an affordable option: https://amzn.to/2XbiTGJ
  Reply
GhillieSniperX

why not use a samsung 860 evo
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  It simply comes down to the budget – for an Intel build it’s very difficult to make a build which has an SSD at this price point and the GPU is more of a priority. Having said that, would we recommend having an SSD, of course – we all use the 960 EVO in the office, they are great but expensive.
  Reply
Max Van Dorn

Hey I used this website and built the PC with your guide, everything seems to be running but my monitor, a Acer, says no signal when I turn it on and plug it in to my PC, any words of advice?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Which cable are you using to connect your monitor to your computer? Secondly, which port are you using on the computer tower (are you connecting to your motherboard or GPU)?
  Reply
micah

will this computer run the game sea of thieves?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Yes, this game would comfortably run Sea of Thieves.
  Reply
Will Collins

Is there a slot for a SD card? If not, do you have any ideas for cheap options? Thanks for the recommended steup
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  There isn’t but you can easily purchase an external SD card reader that connects via USB.
  Reply
Will Collins

Is thier a slot for a SD card?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  No, but you can purchase an external SD card reader for very little, such as this one: https://amzn.to/2Xkl62R
  Reply
Jaden V

when i buy all the parts does it come with all the cords and screws and wifi how do i connect it to wifi??
Reply
- Max Van Dorn
  
  You need to get your own wifi.
  Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Jaden. As Max mentions, you will need to purchase a wifi adapter as many motherboards still do not come with WiFi. As an affordable Wifi adapter, I would recommend this: https://amzn.to/2XC3crp
  Reply
Sam

Will this build be able to carry the new anthem game coming out?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Sam.
  
  Yes, this build will be able to play Anthem at 40-50 FPS obviously depending on graphics settings and what monitor you are using.
  Reply
Michael M

Why isn’t Radeon RX 570 4GB recommended when it’s significantly faster than the Geforce GTX 1050 Ti, yet cheaper?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  We’ve updated the build with the RX570 🙂
  Reply
Brandon M

Question, what happens if I upgrade to i5? What components need to get changed?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Brandon,
  Please have a look at the new component list. The builds are much improved since your comment :]
  Reply
Beef

Hey I built the pc build from last year with a Ryzen 3 and a gtx 1050 and it won’t turn on. I was hoping for some help? Thanks.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Can you elaborate on wont turn on? Have you ever built a PC beforE?>
  Reply
kool

can you choose a cheaper case, it is way more then 500
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Yes, just be sure to choose a case that is at least a mid tower, which means it supports ATX motherboards.
  Reply
AlexElRoz

Hi,are you sure this good for gaming and would u deliver it to any country?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi AlexEIRoz,
  This Pc has been customed designed for gaming.
  You would have to check with the retailer my friend :]
  Reply
Jonathan

This may sound like a stupid question, but how many gigs of VRAM does this PC have?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Jonathan,
  The GPU in this build has 4GB of VRAM.
  Hope this helps :]
  Reply
Nolan

Are you able you use a larger dimensioned ram in this build being 4.3cm high vs what you have in the build at 3.1cm?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Nolan,
  That should be quite ok:]
  Reply
Anthony

Hello. I am wonder if this build would be good for League of Legends
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Anthony.
  
  Yes, this build would be perfect for LOL.
  Reply
Shaheer

Wouldn’t this rig be wayyy better if it had the rx 570 which basically is a gtx 1060 3gb for the cost of a 1050ti?????
Reply
- Dan
  
  Yes.
  Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Shaheer, yes we have updated our build recommendations and we are also going to be releasing video guides and step by step guides very soon as well as benchmarking results for our builds.
  Reply
Warren

Hello I recently had some friends help me build my pc. They claim that the power supply is not compatible with the mother board it says it is a 4 point not a 6 point plug?
Reply
- Dan
  
  Your friends are morons. Maybe they mean the GPU instead, in which case a PSU’s PCI-e power cable is gonna support both 4 and 6 pin.
  
  In any case, the 1050 Ti is far outclassed by the AMD RX 570, which is available for similar or lower prices. This list is outdated as far as their GPU recommendation goes.
  Reply
Jaz

Hi, i was wondering if this build would be good for photoshop/digital art, casual video editing?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Jaz.
  
  Yes, this computer would be fine, you may want to increase the RAM and also upgrade the storage space to an SSD, but it would be sufficient for light video editing and photoshop.
  Reply
Gladmon

Can I use a 240 hz monitor with this
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Yes, you could use a 240hz monitor with this PC, however it wouldn’t be the best use of funds. The reason I say this is because a 240hz monitor would be best suited with a high powered PC with a GPU such as a 2080 or a 1080TI which would have the capacity to hit high FPS in game.
  
  This build is more for 60 – 120hz gaming monitors running in 1080 or 1440p.
  Reply
Tayghan

Can the case get a DVD player instaled
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Tayghan,
  The case can house 2 CD Roms, however, I’d advise against it if you can.
  Reply
Tayghan

Can u put in a DVD tray cuz I’m still have old stuff and I will need it
Reply
Oscar

Second question: wouldn’t we need a CPU cooler? The i3-8100 doesn’t seem to include one.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Oscar,
  You were absolutely correct in both your questions. Since your comment, however, we have updated the builds and I think you’ll find the new $500 build to be much more rounded and better performing.
  Reply
Oscar

I’ve read that the AMD Ryzen
5-2600 would be an all-around better cpu than the Intel i3-8100, so why are you using the i3 for this build? Is it for compatibility or upgradeability reasons?
Reply
Eric

If you are using the H310M A motherboard how many fans can you add?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  The motherboard has been changed since your comment.
  Reply
Gabriel

Hi, great guide btw, I was wondering if I could switch the case for a corsair carbide spec omega?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Gabriel, you could absolutely change the case for a Carbide, yes.
  Reply
Jackson B

Will the Deepcool TESSERACT SW ATX mid tower case work with this build instead of the case you have featured?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Jackson, The builds have all been updated since your post. Please have a look and let us know your thoughts
  Reply
kevin

Any replacements for the seagate 1TB? It is currently sold out.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Kevin, Did you manage to purchase a Seagate 1TB?
  Reply
Nolan

Will my msi bazooka b350 m motherboard work with this build?
Reply
- Shaheer
  
  no. the b350 motherboard is compatible with only amd processors
  Reply
  - Charlie Noon
    
    Thanks Shaheer
    Reply
Diego

I have enough money to upgrade the RAM to 16 gbs of ram total instead of 8, is there any other things you suggest I upgrade with it in order to get the most efficiency out of it? Thank you and have a wonderful day.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Diego, Since your comment, all builds have been updated. Please check the new builds and let us know what you think
  Reply
Dylan

can you use the EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC Gaming, 4GB GDDR5 on this build?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Dylan,
  All builds have been updated since your comment, please have a look and let us know your thoughts
  Reply
David

This will be my first PC build, i was wondering if there where any specifically BAD places to put it in. Such as on a desk by the monitor, on the ground, layed on its side and turned around? And if there where any build tutorials along with can this run JC3 and Heroes and Generals ok? Thank you so much!
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi David, It would be best to stand up your build and not lay it down on the floor. Try and put the computer where there is less dust build-up too! This will run both JC3 and Heroes and Generals.
  Reply
Jeff

I notice you make no mention of having to buy a new operating system… Your system just gained another $140 if you’re using Windows 10. All the hardware in the world is useless without the operating system… If I upgrade my current computer with swapping out the motherboard and CPU what are the odds the current operating system will still work?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi, Jeff, we mention the operating system just below the build list. Your operating system is on your HDD so I wouldn’t worry about that pal.
  Reply
Matthew Cenance

It says the CPU is only available for Amazon Prime members. What do I do?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Matthew, thanks for the comment. We have recently upgraded the build and the CPU is not only for prime members.
  Reply
Jason

Can I substitute an i5 for the i3?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Jason,
  The builds have been updated since your comment, please have a look and let us know your thoughts
  Reply
JC Jollant

Nice setup but the case is not available anymore
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi JC, we’ve updated the build!
  Reply
MAL

Liked the guide a lot. I was planning on buying this setup but then I remembered that I live in Italy and these products are shipped from US, will the final price be higher?
Reply
CJ DeGroote

I built this pc but the build didnt call for an optical drive and I need one to install bios. Is there any way I can take what’s on the disc and move it to a USB stick?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi CJ, thanks for the comment. You can install a BIOS update onto a flash drive and then go into your BIOS menu and update it!
  Reply
Rylan

Hey I’m new to pc builds but I have a general idea any vids or tips in how to build this model
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi Rylan, good to hear you are considering building your own! visit -https://www.wepc.com/how-to/build-a-gaming-pc/ for some help in regards to building and i hope things go well for you. If you have any specific build issues then contact us with your question here- https://www.wepc.com/contact-us/
  Reply
TheMusaiyan5

Is there any motherboard similar to this on this price range with the ability to detect WiFi??
Reply
Ian

Hey, I was wondering if the case came with an optical drive or somewhere because I don’t see it on the list. Will I have to buy on or is it included in one of the parts?
Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Hi, Ian, this doesn’t come with an optical drive. but the case does accommodate for one if you need to install.
  Reply
Greg

The Best Budget $500 Gaming PC

Part List

$114.99 Intel Core i3-8100 Quad-Core Processor
$ 45.99 Gigabyte H310M Micro ATX Motherboard
$ 59.98 Patriot Signature Line 8GB (2x4GB) DDR4-2400
$ 42.15 Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM
$169.99 Zotac GTX 1050 Ti Mini
$ 39.99 Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L
$ 31.89 EVGA BR 450W 80+ Bronze-Certified PSU
$504.98

My version:

$114.99 Intel Core i3-8100 Quad-Core Processor
$ 45.99 Gigabyte H310M Micro ATX Motherboard
$ 99.99 G.Skill – Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
$ 39.85 Hitachi – 1 TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
$154.99 MSI GTX 1050 Ti AERO ITX 4G OC
$ 49.99 Raidmax – Vortex V4 ATX Mid Tower Case w/450 W PSU $505.80

You have twice the ram now and it’s DDR4 3000 and you have the same vid card for $15.00 less. I would have left the HD alone, but I was doing my damndest to get it down to $500! Comments welcome!
Reply
- Frosty
  
  Congratulations! You just made a web page talking about spending its time looking for the best parts be showed up by a the wizard that is you find better priced components completing the same task as the original
  Bravo Greg, Bravo
  Reply
- Shaun Conroy
  
  Good work Greg
  Reply
Greg

Took your design and gave it a few tweeks:

Part List
cpuIntel Core i3-8100 Quad-Core Processor
gpuZotac GTX 1050 Ti Mini
ramPatriot Signature Line 8GB DDR4-2400
hddSeagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM
psuEVGA BR 450W 80+ Bronze-Certified PSU
moboGigabyte H310M Micro ATX Motherboard
caseCooler Master MasterBox Q300L
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Hi Greg, thanks for the input.
  Since your comment, the builds have all been updated, have a look and let us know what you think!
  Reply
AJ

How well use on ranbow 6 and fotnyte?
1080p and ~100 frame?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Absolutely friendo. Absolutely.
  No, but seriously, if you’re asking if you can achieve 100FPS on Fortnite and Rainbow 6 at 1080, then my answer is yes, you can.
  Reply
Aaron

Awesome post was looking for a new computer, this inspired me to give a go at building one, I do have a question though would the Intel Core i3-8350K function in place of the Intel Core i3-8100 Quad-Core Processor? I need a little more (not much) power for GHz, and from what I have found the i3-8350k should work but just want to ask some pros before making a purchase.
Reply
- PC Machine
  
  Would it bottleneck? It is more powerful, and with a slightly more expensive mobo, you can overclock. This would be some 100-150 dollars more tho.
  Reply
Humu

Does this case fit double fan gpus, if it does should i get the rx 580 instead of the zotac 1050ti?
Reply
Connor

HI MATE was wondering if you could try and build one under $400
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  We have a page for PC’s under $400. see link https://www.wepc.com/builds/best-gaming-pc-under-400/
  Reply
DensityDuck

Hi there! Would getting a second stick of RAM make a significant difference to performance, or would the SSD be a better upgrade from the basic list you present?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Good question,
  If you’re going from HDD to SSD then the SSD would make a huge difference in loading times. The RAM would be much better for gaming purposes.
  Reply
bigboi

Hello i was wondering if there is a motherboard with built in wifi that would be compatable if so could you leave link.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  All the builds have been updated since your comment to incorporate the latest hardware offerings.
  Reply
Gabriel

Hey! Since I’ve never built a gaming pc before I have a few questions:
– Would this PC be good for streaming?
– How do I install the fans for cooling?
– Do you recommend any cheap internal wifi card?
– Is this PC difficult to build?
– How would I know were to connect all the parts?

Thanks
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  It would work as a streaming pc, yes.
  Fans are mostly powered by the board. some fans have other features that require them to be plugged directly into the PSU. It all depends on what case you have, but it’s a very simple process. Just make sure the case will accommodate the fans you wish to install.
  There is a WIFI adapter at the bottom of this build page.
  It is an easy build, just make sure to follow the steps in this guide: https://www.wepc.com/how-to/build-a-gaming-pc/
  You’d have to follow a guide if you were unsure. See link above.
  Reply
Logan

Hey I scrolled through a good amount of comments but not all and was wondering just to clarify that this pc does run fortnite? And like what I would need to install for like a game installer like steam or something? and sorry if I sound like a noob im new with this stuff lol. I am asking because I use an xbox one x and want to switch.
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Every build we have ever recommended plays Fortnite.
  Fortnite is not very taxing on your PC and most will be able to play it at 60+FPS
  Reply
Nicolas

I’m thinking about upgrading my CPU to a Ryzen 5 but don’t know which Ryzen 5 to buy any Tips ?
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  Did you ever get the upgrade you wanted Nicolas?
  Reply
Nicolas Potes

For the Hdd can I use a Silicon Power 256 Gb instead and is the Silicon better then the Hitachi 1 Tb 7200 Rm
Reply
- Charlie Noon
  
  I would recommend the Hitachi 1TB 7200 RPM over the silicon for a number of different reasons. This being said, the SSD would be faster than the Hitachi.
  Reply
SenderMF

Very useful, do you know where to buy a decent monitor that can run games in about 90fps in 1080p, it doesnt need to have anything special just be able to go above 60fps
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Sure, you can check out our monitor guide here: https://www.wepc.com/reviews/best-gaming-monitors/
  
  For 1080P I would recommend something like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JLD4HZ?creativeASIN=B074JLD4HZ&linkCode=w61&imprToken=W681YrHFq5OGiSHGDQ4Apw&slotNum=10&tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20
  Reply
Marcus

Hi!

I appreciate the guide it is well explained and makes you want to build it with confidence.

My question will be this, I want to game with a Oculus or the Vive and I would like to watch some 4k movies in the same PC, I already have a nice 4k tv that is great for gaming so I would just need a PC. What build of PC do you think I can get that could be used for regular gaming, VR gaming and watching 4k movies?.

My apologies if I am asking too much. I was planning in buying a Xbox One X because it outputs in 4k and you can watch blurays and 4k content with it but I decided to check a PC. I doubt that there will be a Laptop for all that in a range of maybe 750 right?.
Reply
- PC Machine
  
  A Good Rule of Thumb Is That A Performance Based PC (Not Pre-built) Has a PC Counterpart Twice The Price. This Is NORMALLY True For PC 0-700 Dollars, After That It Does Not Make Sense To Buy A 1400 Dollar Laptop Anyways.
  Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Marcus.
  
  OK so for watching movies at 4K, that really relies on the monitor/TV more than the PC, so you would be fine watching movies in 4K on a $500 budget PC.
  
  As for general gaming, again, this wouldn’t be too tricky, as long as you are playing at 1080P or less, you might be able to play at 1440P but it ultimately comes down to the games you are playing.
  
  Lastly, VR this is where things get tricky, VR is very demanding of the GPU and can take significant resources to run. A $500 budget PC would not be recommended for VR and would definitely struggle.
  Reply
Brian J

As the prices have changed for a lot of the items, I thought this would also work for a little under 500$. Maybe you can update the guide?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/cart/view.html?ref=nav_cart
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hey Brian, unfortunately, you emptied the shopping cart so I didn’t have the chance to see what’s in there. Can you send me the list of items instead? We’ll be happy to hear what you have in mind before we update this list. 🙂
  Reply
Brian J

Is there a cpu cooler for this PC build?\
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi Brian J! I know I’m a little late and I apologize for that. But the Ryzen 3 1200 CPU does come with the Wraith Stealth cooler 🙂 so you won’t have to worry about buying a separate cooler if that’s what you’re concerned about
  Reply
Gianfranco

Hi, i’ve never built a gaming pc before, but i’ve been looking around on youtube and sites. I was just wondering if it would be smart to buy 1 8gb ram instead of buying 2 4gb ram? I am asking because I want to upgrade to 16 gb ram later on.
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi Gianfranco! How’s it going? I apologize if I was a little late to address your question. Personally, I would get the 2x8GB together if I have the opportunity since these RAM sticks should come in pairs to work together in sync. If you can, wait until you could afford 2x8GB. Otherwise, 2x4GB is what I would recommend over 1x8GB of RAM since you can take advantage of the 10%-15% DRAM boost from the dual channel technology.
  
  The reason why we recommend 1x8GB for this build is to give builders a future-proof rig. Anyone building this could then just get another 8GB of RAM of the same-size memory (or the exact same 8GB) and still make use of the dual channel technology.
  
  I hope this helps 🙂
  Reply
helpme build this pc nobie

can you make a video build for this PC i am a newbie at building PC and i’m getting this one
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Yes, we are working on this at the moment, we are hoping to have the video live within the next 4 weeks.
  Reply
Jeremy

Hello, I was wondering if there was a motherboard with built in WiFi that would be compatible with this. If there is any, could you link it?
Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Hi Jeremy.
  
  Yes, there are compatible motherboards which also have Wifi, however most Wifi enabled motherboards are much more expensive. You can either purchase a motherboard with Wifi or purchase a Wifi adapter (USB or PCI-E).
  Reply
U675

Can i use anothe gpu the 180 dollar one is too much
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi U675! Yes, you can definitely use another GPU for this rig. Either you get the GT 1030 (around $90) or the GTX 1050 (around $140 – $150) 🙂
  Reply
  - Humu
    
    Can I only get the single fan gpus? If I can get a double, then I’ll probably buy the rx 580.
    Reply
    - Ben Johnson
      
      You can get either, we do tend to recommend dual or triple fan GPUs as they can run very warm, especially in PC cases with limited space and case fans. I wouldn’t recommend a blower style fan as they can be quite noisy and can also run quite hot.
      Reply
T5

Can it cinnetc to wifi or do i need to buy another part
And is there a cheaper gpu i can use
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hello, T5! How are you? This motherboard doesn’t come with a WiFi. But you can check our “Getting Online” section – we have the TP-Link Archer T4U there, it’s what you need to connect to the internet wirelessly.
  
  For the graphics card, yes, there are, actually. 🙂 You can get the GT 1030 that cost around $90 or the GTX 1050 around $140 – $150.
  Reply
  - Charles
    
    I was looking at the motherboard and it looks to me that the graphics card covers up any ports for the wireless card.
    Reply
    - Charlie Noon
      
      Yea, you may be right on this occasion Charles. There are no other options available at the current time, however.
      Reply
Bob

Is there an alternate motherboard I can use for this build? The one linked is sold out. I’m trying to fit everything into this case if that helps, thanks. 🙂 https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811353081
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi Bob! Yes, there is an alternate motherboard you can use. But please check back because as of now, upon checking, the motherboard is available 🙂
  Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  you can get it from this link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073WCB5WJ/ref=as_at?creativeASIN=B073WCB5WJ&linkCode=w61&imprToken=5zs.hoXtB3A1crKgzJkXAQ&slotNum=5&tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20 if it still appears unavailable. it’s the same board. 😀
  Reply
  - Bob
    
    Will this board also work? I am in need of more RAM slots so I believe this is a better choice for me https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZSVCBT/ref=as_at/?imprToken=5zs.hoXtB3A1crKgzJkXAQ&slotNum=5&creativeASIN=B073WCB5WJ&linkCode=w61&tag=bgfg-wepc-us-20&th=1
    Reply
    - Juzel Albert Padilla
      
      Hi, Bob! Yes, that would certainly work 🙂
      Reply
Micah BOWEN

I’m looking at a machine good for editing photos, Is this a good build for that as well as casual video editing? Thanks in advance!
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi Micah BOWEN! How are you? While it’s “fine” for minor edits here and there and casual video editing, here at WePC, we personally recommend our $1000 builds and over if you are doing content creation full-time as video editing can be very CPU-demanding.
  Reply
Jason Maag

Are there any YouTube videos of this computer being built, or perhaps gameplay with these components?
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi, Jason Maag! How are you? I’m not certainly sure but chances are that there should be YouTube gameplay videos you would find today with this setup.
  Reply
  - Jason Maag
    
    I found a YouTube video that has nearly identical components
    https://youtu.be/1CD4eGYo4zk
    Here it is in case you want to put it on this website
    Reply
    - Juzel Albert Padilla
      
      Thank you so much, Jason Maag! I appreciate it! 🙂
      Reply
keegan de mayo

Can you get a different case if so what case should I get
Reply
- Juzel Albert Padilla
  
  Hi, Keegan de mayo! Yes, you can actually get another case. What’s your budget range? I could give you a list of cases for your convenience 🙂
  Reply
  - Loui Ring
    
    Hello, I would like to know your list of cases please :). I’m willing to spend around the $50 mark.
    Reply
    - Juzel Albert Padilla
      
      Hi Loui Ring! Here are some of the list in the $50 price. Remember though that the motherboard A320M Pro-VHL has an onboard USB 3.0 Header and some of the cases on the list don’t have front panel USB 3.0 ports.
      
      BitFenix Nova TG (White)
      BitFenix Nova TG (Black/Red)
      Apevia X-QBER-PK
      Cougar MX310
      DIYPC VT380-W
      Apevia X-Harmony (Black/Green)
      Rosewill Galaxy-01-A
      Corsair 100R
      Corsair SPEC-02
      Fractal Design Focus G Mini (Black)
      Thermaltake View 21 Tempered Glass Edition
      Cooler Master N400
      Thermaltake View 22 Tempered Glass Edition
      Thermaltake Versa H18 Tempered Glass
      Corsair 100R Silent
      Thermaltake V3 Black
      Rosewill Challenger S
      Rosewill GUNGNIR X
      Raidmax RAIDMAX Monster II
      Thermaltake Versa N25
      Zalman Z11 NEO
      RIOTORO CR480
      Rosewill R521-M
      Nanoxia Rexgear 1 (Black/Orange)
      Rosewill I3-397-BK
      Raidmax Vortex V5 ATX-405WB
      RAIJINTEK STYX
      Rosewill Galaxy-02
      RAIJINTEK STYX
      Raidmax ATX-502WBG
      Rosewill R363-M-BK
      VIVO CASE-V10G
      RAIJINTEK STYX
      RAIJINTEK STYX
      Zalman R1
      Nanoxia Rexgear 1 (Green)
      Raidmax ATX-402WB
      Apex TX-388
      VIVO CASE-V07
      Raidmax Viper (Red)
      Apevia X-QBER-BL
      Raidmax ATX-522WBU
      Raidmax Cobra Z
      Enermax OSTROG Lite
      Apevia X-QPACK3-CL
      BitFenix Neos
      Apevia X-QPACK3-BL
      Thermaltake Versa N27
      Thermaltake Versa N27
      Apex TX-606-U3
      Thermaltake Versa H24
      Apevia X-QPACK3-WHT
      Cougar Challenger-O (Black/Orange)
      Thermaltake Versa N21 Snow
      Thermaltake Versa H22 Window
      Phanteks ECLIPSE P400
      Thermaltake Versa N21 Snow
      
      Are you looking to upgrade your case? 🙂
      Reply
      - Amanda
        
        Would a thermaltake versa h13 work for this build?
        Reply
      - Grant
        
        yes that case will work. it fits the micro atx which is the size of the msi proseries A320.
        Reply
      - Alex
        
        Hey! The case was sold out and i really enjoyed the Thermaltake Versa N21 Snow
        ( amazons choice) and I had a few questions. Is it compatible with the rest of the build, and what LED fans should i buy with it?
        Reply
      - owen
        
        were can i find these cases
        Reply
        
        owen
        
        Apevia X-QPACK3-WHT is the case that i think i want i just want to be clear will this case work with the parts on this list??? Thanks
        Reply
  - Iean
    
    Hey could I order a non modular power supply and can it be any brand as long as it’s 450watts 80bronze certified
    Reply
    - Ben Johnson
      
      Hi Lean,
      
      You can order any PSU, but please ensure it is bronze certified, and you can also get a non modular PSU. However, I would recommend going for a semi-modular if you can, typically they are only slightly more expensive and very worthwhile.
      Reply
- Carter
  
  Hello does the motherboard support hdmi? I just got all the parts and put them together but when i tried to plug in an hdmi cord is didnt fit.
  Reply
Renaud Didelot

Very good guide.
Reply
- Kadin
  
  Hi great guide but could you please put a how to build for this very gaming PC so we know where every thing must go so none of us waste 500 bux
  Reply
  - Ben Johnson
    
    Yes, we are currently working on the how to build page, this will be updated very soon.
    Reply
- Tayghan
  
  Can u have a DVD tray put in
  Reply
- Tayghanv
  
  Can u have a DVD tray put in
  Reply
  - Ben Johnson
    
    Yes, you can add a DVD drive to the build, very easily.
    Reply
- Ben Johnson
  
  Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it. We will be updating our guides very soon with build videos and benchmarking results.
  Reply
Ji R

Wow great guide! Very helpful for a first time builder.
Reply
- Cameron
  
  Can I order everything but the motherboard and still be cool?
  Reply
  - Karthik Srinivas
    
    No the motherboard is the most nescessary item. The only thing you can not use is the gpu
    Reply
    - hank
      
      i know right
      Reply
    - Annoymous
      
      are you good, you still need a gpu for a stable system, if you dont have a gpu ull probably have blue screens of death everysecond when you try to do things. And, also i dont think you could have a very high res
      Reply
      - Gen
        
        Blue screen of death lol stop commenting.
        Reply
      - thofik
        
        but with vega q1 grapich it should be no worries
        amd has it own gpun inside thr cpu
        Reply
- Ben
  
  hey i was wondering if you had a mother board replacement or different site to buy it on there all sold out on amazon
  Reply
  - Ben Johnson
    
    Apologies for the delayed response, there are a number of similar motherboards to what we recommend on the market. The most important thing to remember is the socket and CPU generation of the motherboard.
    
    For example, LGA1151 & 9th generation would be compatible with the latest Intel CPUs, such as the i9400F.
    
    Please let us know if you need anything else.
    Reply
    - Maxime
      
      Hi Ben, I was wondering if a kid 13 years old could build this with help of an adult? And how does the wrist band help with preventing to dry the parts of the PC?
      Reply
      - Vurio
        
        By a wrist band, he means a anti-static wrist band. It wraps around your hand and the other end goes to the ground via ground in your electric socket to prevent static build up. Google anti static wrist band and you should be good to go.
        And I highly recommend having an adult with a little know how in case of assembling a PC. It can be a fun bonding experience. There are many youtube tutorials I recommend watching.
        Reply
- josh
  
  would it be able run aaa games at decent graphics and would you know any places in ireland to build a pc .do you know any gaming monitors
  Reply
  - Ben Johnson
    
    Hi Josh.
    
    It would be able to run most AAA games at 1080p at medium settings, but would struggle with anything more, at least if you want a stable FPS.
    
    We will be providing build videos and benchmarking very soon for our build recommendations.
    Reply
- Mitch
  
  What could you upgrade the cpu to?
  Reply
  - Ben Johnson
    
    You could put any 9th generation CPU in the build, but we would advise upgrading the motherboard if you were looking at something such as the i9900K. Realistically, I’d recommend anything from the 9400F – 9700K.
    Reply
- Abe
  
  So I already have an ssd at home what could i buy to make the build better instead of the ssd?
  Reply
  - Charlie Noon
    
    I would personally put the money towards an RX 580 or 590 if you can afford it.
    Reply

HP Desktop 3200G (Renewed)

Best Gaming PC Under $500

Asus TUF Gaming Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 OC Edition

Gigabyte GP-P450B 450W

Patriot Viper 4 Blackout Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 3000MHz

TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 240GB SSD

Zalman T7

Intel Core I3-12100F

MSI PRO H610M-G

Holiday gaming PC deals for Christmas

VIDEO: $500 BUDGET GAMING PC BUILD!

What You Get For Your $500

Performance

AMD Vs Intel

How We Choose

How We Test

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Under $500

HP Desktop 3200G (Renewed)

Best Gaming PC Under $500 Component Details

Our $500 Custom Gaming PC Build

MSI PRO H610M-G

Patriot Viper 4 Blackout Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 3000MHz

Asus TUF Gaming Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 OC Edition

TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 240GB SSD

Zalman T7

Gigabyte GP-P450B 450W

Build Benchmark: What Games Can This PC Run?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Witcher 3

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Total War: Warhammer II

GTA V

Things To Consider

$500 Budget

$500 Custom Gaming PC Vs Prebuilt

Upgradability and Future-proofing

Overclocking

Ease of building

Non-Gaming Performance

Aesthetics

Build A Gaming PC By Price

Build A Gaming PC For Specific Games

Related Prebuilt Gaming PC Guides

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Brands

Calculating The PSU Wattage

Upgrade Options

CPU

GPU

HDD

MSI ARMOR 8GB OC RX 580

Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

Related Custom PC Builds

Peripherals & Software

Operating System

Gaming Mouse

Gaming Monitor

Gaming Speakers

ASUS VG278Q Gaming Monitor

Razer DeathAdder V2

Windows 10 Home USB

Creative Inspire T12

ASUS PCE-AC56 PCI Wireless Express Adapter

Custom PC Building Tips

How To Build A PC

Closing Thoughts

Share this article

The Team That Worked On This Build

Related Builds