PC Build Navigation:
- $1500 Gaming PC Build
- $1000 Gaming PC Build
- $700 Gaming PC Build
- $500 Gaming PC Build
- Gaming PC Peripherals & Components Ideas
Welcome to the February 2021 Gaming PC Builds of the Month – bringing you the best budget builds from $1500, to $1000, $700 and $500 and all in between.
In previous months I’ve talked about how it’s been a bit complicated to build, and this month is a tad better, but we are still seeing extremely low GPU supplies.
What’s interesting is that the GPU supply shortages seem to have now seeped into even the lower budget GPU’s, so there’s no discriminating whatever your budget might be.
Other than that, it looks like there’s more supply now on the newer Ryzen 4th generation CPU’s, so that’s a major plus.
When budgeting out your pc build this February, keep a close eye on the GPU you want and keep looking, otherwise, there are other options that I’ve included below if you can’t find the recommend GPU in each budget.
To note, each build here is based mostly on a performance per dollar spent. What this means is that the focus is on maximizing performance before aesthetics. However, each of the builds below will look amazing, but if you have particular preferences in the overall look in your builds, then feel free to customize. If you have any questions do feel free to ask them in the comments!
Which February 2021 PC Build is right for you?
Included in the gaming PC builds of the month, you will find builds anywhere in-between $500, $700, $1000, and $1500. This should accommodate most PC gamers out there that play in a multitude of gaming settings, maxing games anywhere from 1080p, 1440p and play really well into 4K.
If you are not sure which pc build is right for you based solely on your budget, then here is a quick breakdown on which build may be a right fit for you:
- $1500 PC Build: For gaming at 2K resolutions into 4K
- $1000 PC Build: For gaming MAX settings at 2K resolutions
- $700 PC Build: For gaming at MAX settings 1080p resolutions into 2K
- $500 PC Build: For being able to game in any game at 1080p.
Best of luck building the best possible gaming pc build this February 2021. If you have any questions be sure to leave a comment or simply join our new Facebook Group: Gaming PC Builders Facebook Group.
Bookmark our Best Gaming PC Builds for 2021 Page to Keep up to Date With the Monthly Gaming PC Builds, or subscribe here.
The Best $1500 Gaming PC Build | February 2021
Performance: Game with Extreme settings and High FPS at resolutions of 1920×1080 (1080P) & 2560×1440 (1440p) + good gameplay at 4K
*This Gaming PC Build is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5600X CPU and an RTX 3070 Graphics Card
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
*Note: Stock is low on this, so it may be hard to get one at the moment but February should bring more availability! See below alternative if need be.
- AMD's fastest 6 core processor for mainstream desktop, with 12 processing threads
- Can deliver elite 100+ FPS performance in the world's most popular games
- Bundled with the quiet, capable AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- 4.6 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 35 MB of cache, DDR-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform, can support PCIe 4.0 on X570 and B550 motherboards
Amazon Price: $381.45
***Alternative if no stock / Equivalent CPU option: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X ($325)
The 3700x has been included in this build for a long while and is still great, so if you want to still go with it you can, especially if you find it on sale!
- The world's most advanced processor in the desktop PC gaming segment
- Can deliver ultra-fast 100+ FPS performance in the world's most popular games
8 Cores and 16 processing threads, bundled with the AMD - Wraith Prism cooler with color-controlled LED support
4.4 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 36 MB of game Cache, ddr-3200 support
For the advanced socket AM4 platform, can support PCIe 4.0 on x570 motherboards
2. Cooler: Stock AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler
The Ryzen 5600X is an amazing CPU in so many ways, in that it doesn't necessarily need to be overclocked and comes with a great Wraith Stealth Cooler, this saves you with a little more cash for other upgrades!
3. Motherboard: GIGABYTE X570 AORUS Elite Wi-Fi
- Supports AMD 3rd Gen Ryzen/ 2nd Gen Ryzen/ 2nd Gen Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics/ Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics processors
- Dual channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- 12+2 phases digital VRM solution with DrMOS
- Advanced heatsink design with enlarge heatsink
- Dual ultra-fast NVMe PCIe 4.0/3.0 x4 M.2 with single thermal guards
- Memory storage capacity: 1000 TB
Amazon Price: $199.99
4. Graphics Card: ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge
*If not in stock: Search for other RTX 3070's in stock
*Note: Stock on these newer GPU's has been limited, so keep checking for other RTX 3070 cards as well. The RTX 3070 is a newer graphics card that absolutely performs amazingly in all games at higher resolutions. You can also keep checking the actual NVIDIA.com listings to see if they are in stock here.
Guestimated Price: $530
Alternative Graphics Card: MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDRR6
*If not in stock: Search for other RTX 2070's in stock
If you want a graphics card right away and there are not RTX 3070's available, an alternative could be the older RTX 2070 SUPER. *Do note, that because of the major limited supply levels in all of the newer graphics cards, people seem to also be buying up the older ones as well. This leaves you with three options - wait for stock, buy used, or pay way too much from a scalper!
If you are having trouble finding a graphics card, here's a useful resource: Tomshardware's GPU Ranking hierarchy
5. RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 3600
16GB of RAM is the perfect spot for any high-end gaming pc - included is a 16GB kit of Corsair Vengeance 3600Mhz Gaming Kit - the perfect speed of RAM for this build.
What is the best RAM speed for gaming? Learn more about the best RAM speed for gaming with Ryzen 3000 CPUs in our recent article here.
Amazon Price: $82.99
6. SSD: Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe Internal SSD
- Capacity: Up to 2TB with sequential reads/writes up to 2,000/1,700 MB/s
- NVMe PCIe interface marks the next step in storage innovation
- Micron 3D NAND advancing the World's memory and storage technology for 40 years
- NVMe Standard Self Monitoring and Reporting Technology (Smart)
- Redundant Array of Independent NAND (RAIN)
Amazon Price: $104.95
7.Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G+, 80 Plus Gold 750W, Fully Modular PSU
- EVGA 750 G+ - "The New Gold Standard for Performance and Value" - JonnyGURU quoted “We were promised Gold but this one did Platinum”.
- 80 PLUS Gold certified, with 90% (115VAC)/92% (220VAC~240VAC) efficiency or higher under typical loads
- Fan Size/Bearing: 135mm fluid Dynamic Bearing
- Heavy-duty protections, including OVP, UVP, OCP, OPP, SCP, and OTP
- 10 year Warranty
Amazon Price: $125.99
*If available, I also recommend the following instead (based on the cost of course):
EVGA SuperNOVA 750 P2, 80+ PLATINUM 750W , Fully Modular
A great, quality power supply that gives you all the juice you need to power this pc build - plus this is a platinum efficiency power supply, making is super efficient and it is fully modular (so no messy cables).
8. PC Case: Corsair iCUE 220T RGB
The Corsair iCUE 220T has become a bit of an iconic case these days and for good reason. The Corsair 220T includes 3 SP120 RGB PRO fans providing not only great airflow as is, but also has full customizable aRGB fans that look amazing. Learn more at corsair.com.
- Improve your system's cooling with a high airflow layout complete with a steel grill front panel for optimal air intake
- Light up your PC with three included Corsair SP120 RGB Pro fans each lined with eight individually addressable LEDs around the hub (24 total)
- The included lighting Node core controls your RGB lighting making for brilliant lighting effects right out of the box with Corsair iCUE software
- The 220T RGB airflow’s solid steel construction and front plate ensure sturdy and resilient durability along with a striking look
- An edge-to-edge tempered glass side panel window showcases your PC's components and RGB lighting. Compatible corsair liquid coolers-H55, H60, H75, H80i, H90, H100i, H105, H110i, H115i, H150i
Amazon Price: $104.99
ESTIMATED PRICE: $1530 (February 2021)
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build for $1500
The best $1500 gaming pc build for February 2021 includes a new AMD Ryzen 5600X CPU, a brand new Ryzen 4 CPU that performs amazingly, especially for gaming. If this one isn;t in stock, you could still consider a Ryzen 7 3700X, which previously held this spot.
This is paired with another powerfully new piece of hardware, the RTX 3070 graphics card, making this a very powerful gaming pc capable of extreme performance in games at higher resolutions. (*Note: IF you have a hard time finding this in supply, you could consider a previous-gen RTX 2070 Super, noting that it doesn’t perform quite as well.
If you are looking for an over the top, very fast performing gaming PC build that you don’t have to worry about tweaking very much in order to max all games out at HD and higher resolutions, then this build is for you. However, unless you are wanting to get into seriously high-end 4K gaming, you shouldn’t need much more.
If you still think you need increased performances, you could upgrade your CPU or GPU if you have the excess funds to do so. If that is the case, you could simply consider upping the graphics card to something like an RTX 3080 (if you can find them in stock). This build also includes a very good gaming pc case, with great cooling included and more.
$1500 Gaming PC Build Upgrades
If you have more to spend, then you could check out some hardware alternative suggestions. This could be fore either upgrading this build before or after you buy it. To do so, visit the full $1500 gaming pc builds overview here:
The Best $1000 Gaming PC Build | February 2021
Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 (HD) resolutions up to Higher Settings at 2560×1440 (2K)
Powered by the AMD Ryzen 3600 and the RTX 3060 Ti 8GB Graphics Card
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a phenomenal gaming processor for the cost. Straight out of the box, it can beat some more expensive cpus in gaming.
Amazon Price: $199.99
2. Cooler (Included): Wraith Stealth Cooler
The AMD 3600 comes with a stock cooler that is more than enough.
Price: Included
3. Motherboard: ASRock B550 PRO4 Supports 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen/Future AMD Ryzen Processors Motherboard
This is a newer B550 Motherboard supporting Ryzen 3000 CPUs splendidly right out of the box, which also supports newer features like PCI 4.0:
- Supports 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen / Future AMD Ryzen Processors
- 8 Power Phase Design, Digi Power
- Supports DDR4 4733+ (OC)
- 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 2 PCIe 3.0 x1, 1 M.2 Key E for WiFi
- Graphics Output Options: HDMI, D-Sub
Amazon Price: $134.99
4. Graphics Card: MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB GDRR6
*Currently very low in stock. Hopefully, this month more come into stock -- keep checking Nvidia.com's RTX 3060 Ti supply lists as well.
The 3060Ti is a newer GPU that like the rest, is very low in stock. This GPU however, will blast the pants off any game you throw at it in resolutions of 1080p - 1440p -- especially considering it's better in terms of performance than the previous-gen more expensive 2080 Super (The RTX 2080 Super is currently in stock at about $1050).
Amazon Estimated Price: $400
*Alternative lesser comparable / older-gen card if in stock: RX 5700 XT
*Alternative lower-performing, but in-stock card if you're sick waiting for stock: PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB AXRX 5600XT 6GBD6-3DHE/OC
If you are having trouble finding a graphics card, here's a useful resource: Tomshardware's GPU Ranking hierarchy
5. RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 3600
Included is a total of 16GB in the best $1000 gaming pc build, which will be plenty of memory for this rig, plus it's rated at 3600 MHz, which is the perfect RAM speed for this build too!
Amazon Price: $82.99
6. SSD: Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe Internal SSD, up to 2000MB/s - CT500P1SSD8
The Crucial P1 NVMe SSD is a great value high performing storage devise that provides up to 2000MB/s in read times and 1700MB/s in write times.
Amazon Price: $59.99
7. Power Supply: CORSAIR CV Series CV650 - 650 Watt Power Supply
The sweet spot for this build is 650W of juice, and the Corsair CV650 does the trick.
Alternatively and if available, you could consider this as well: EVGA 650 GQ, 80+ GOLD 650W, Semi Modular, EVGA ECO Mode, 5 Year Warranty, Power Supply 210-GQ-0650-V1,Black
650 Watts is enough juice for this gaming pc build and this one comes in at a Gold Rated power efficiency and is partially modular (which in this case doesn't matter at the non-modular cords need to be used).
Amazon Price: $69.99
8. PC Case: NZXT H510 - CA-H510B-BR - Compact ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case
- New features: Front I/O USB Type-C Port and Tempered glass side panel with single screw installation
- Enhanced cable management: Our patented cable routing kit with pre-installed channels and straps makes wiring easy and intuitive
- STREAMLINED COOLING: Two Aer F120mm fans included for optimal internal airflow and the front panel and PSU intakes include removable filters, removable bracket designed for radiators up to 240mm - simplifies the installation of either closed-loop or custom-loop water cooling
- Motherboard support: Mini-ITX, MicroATX, and ATX
Visit NZXT.com to see the full overview and to learn more.
Amazon Price: $69.99
Estimated Cost (February 2021): $1017
Overview | $1000 Best Gaming PC Build 2021
The $1000 build for February 2021 includes a Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, which straight out of the box performs amazingly and even comes with a stock cooler that will be more than enough to cool this pc build down efficiently, even when overclocking to maximize gaming performance. One could also eye the Ryzen 4 3600X, if it’s priced similarly.
The real performance driver behind this build is the included and brand new RTX 3060 Ti 8GB graphics card which is a phenomenal card for 2K resolution gaming. It may use a bit more power than some other graphics cards on the market but performs so well for the cost.
This $1000 pc build will play games smoothly at high refresh rate 1080p gameplay and really well into 1400p (2K) resolution gameplay.
$1000 Gaming PC Build Upgrades
If you visit the full overview for the best $1000 build you’ll also find hardware alternatives and upgrades. This can be upgraded hardware including a better graphics card, more memory, or even more storage space should you need it.
The Best $700 Gaming PC Build | Febraury 2021
Capability: Game at Smoothly with High settings and FPS at 1920X1080 resolutions in most games.
Powered by the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU and an RX 5600 XT Graphics Card
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler
The Ryzen 5 3600 CPU is a superb value coming in with 6 CPU cores and 12 processing threads at 4.1Ghz Max Boost. This is a solid gaming CPU that is priced really well.
Amazon Price: $199.99
2. Cooler: Wraith Stealth Cooler (Included)
The Wraith Stealth Cooler is included with the Ryzen 5 3600
3. Motherboard: ASRock B550M-HDV
The motherboard for this build is a newer B550 motherboard featuring newer features for budget AMD board, including straight out of the box Ryzen 3000 series support and more.
- Supports 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen / Future AMD Ryzen Processors
- 6 Power Phase Design
- Supports DDR4 4733+ (OC)
- 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x1
- Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub
Amazon Price: $75.99
4. Graphics Card: MSI Gaming Radeon RX 5600 XT Boost Clock
*If out of stock: Search all RX 5600 XT's in stock
*The 5600XT has been low on supply. See below for alternatives to search.
The 5600 XT is a great card for this pc build and even beats out the previous card that was included, which was the GTX 1660 Super. With this card, you can max most pc games out there at 1080p resolutions without a hiccup at well over 60FPS.
Price: $279.99 (*I wouldn't spend more than $50 more than this)
**Alternative comparable / slightly lower performing cards to search for:
5. RAM: HyperX Fury 8GB 3200MHz DDR4 CL16 DIMM (Kit of 2) Black XMP
8Gb of RAM is the sweet spot for any gaming pc out there and should be all you need -- however there is always room to upgrade!
Amazon Price: $45.99
6. SSD: Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe Internal SSD
You can't go wrong with a great value per dollar spent on a Crucial P1 in terms of storage space and Read/Write speeds.
Sequential reads/writes up to 2, 000MB/s, 700 MB/s
Amazon Price: $59.99
7. Power Supply Unit: Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU, Continuous Power
The budget Thermaltake SMART Power supplies are perfect for this budget and provide just enough power at a fantastic cost.
Amazon Price: $47.99
8. PC Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX
- I/O panel can be adjusted in 6 different locations and the Case can be positioned: vertical or horizontal
- Edge to Edge Acrylic Transparent Side Panel offers a full view inside
- Body depth height: can support normal size ATX power supply
- Front Magnetic Design Dust Filter with open perforated front, top and bottom for high air performance
- Extra space behind the motherboard tray for hidden cable management
Amazon Price: $49.99
Estimated Price (February 2021): $759
*Over budget due to inflated GPU costs
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build for $700
The Febraury 2021 $700 budget gaming pc build is for those who just want to build a solid pc capable of maxing out games at standard HD 1080P resolutions and can easily push well fast 60FPS at 1080P in most PC games on the market right now. The CPU included is the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor and paired with a newer B550 motherboard.
For the graphics card, we have an RX 5600 XT, which now fits into the budget of this build, whereas previously it didn’t. This GPU will push games to high settings under a 1080p resolution. This build is probably most of what any very typical “I just want to game” gamers out there as it does max games out easily at 1080p standard HD monitor resolutions.
$700 Gaming PC Build Upgrades
The best $700 gaming pc build can be further upgraded — visit the full overview page for a full overview of this build including suggestions for hardware upgrades including a higher-performing CPU, a high performing graphics card for those more intense games or even a better pc case.
The Best $500 Gaming PC Build | February 2021
Capability: Game at Smoothly with Medium-High settings and FPS at 1920X1080 resolutions in most games.
Powered by the Ryzen 3 3300X CPU and a GTX 1650 Graphics Card
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X 4-Core
We've finally switched the CPU in the best $500 Gaming PC Build with a new budget Ryzen CPU - the newer Ryzen 3 3300X 4 Core CPU. The 3300X's four cores operate at 3.8 GHz clock rate and boost to 4.3 GHz, providing great gaming performance.
This replaces the previous Ryzen 2600, however, the 2600 is now way too expensive for older hardware and underperforms in comparison.
MSRP Price (*Stock is currently low): $130.00
*ALTERNATIVE CPU AND GRAPHICS CARD: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Amazon Price: $259.98
If you can't find the included Ryzen 3 300X CPU or an affordable graphics card, consider the Ryzen 5 3400G, which also has graphics built-in, so you wouldn't need a graphics card to get started. You could then add a graphics card later.
2. Cooler: AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler (Included)
This cooler is included with the AMD Ryzen3 3300X and is more than enough to cool this $500 gaming pc build.
3. Motherboard: Asus Prime B450M-A/CSM AMD AM4 (3rd/2nd/1st Gen Ryzen Micro-ATX commercial motherboard
This motherboard is a quality budget Micro ATX sized board, that features everything you'd need in a $500 PC, including:
- AMD AM4 Socket: The perfect pairing for 3rd/2nd/1st Gen AMD Ryzen CPUs
- Fast Connectivity: 1Gb LAN, HDMI 2.0b, D-Sub, and DVI display outputs
- ASUS CSM motherboard: ASUS Corporate Stable Model with up to 36-month supply, EOL notice, and ECN control
- ASUS Control Center Express to make IT endpoint management simpler
- 5X Protection III: all-round protection with LANGuard, DRAM overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, SafeSlot Core safeguards and stainless-steel back I/O
- Please ensure your BIOS is up to date if installing a compatible Ryzen 5000 series CPU. Visit ASUS site search by motherboard model name, click on “Support” tab, Drivers and Tools, then BIOS & Firmware to download the latest BIOS
To see the full specifications, please visit asus.com.
Amazon Price: $67.99
4. Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1650
The 1650 Super is a great 1080p gaming GPU and is capable of being able to run any game out there.
Amazon Price: $169.99
*Alternative lesser comparable graphics cards if no GTX 1650's are in stock:
*Can't find an affordable graphics card? Then consider a CPU with integrated graphics (see Ryzen 5 3400G cpu option above).
5. RAM: HyperX Fury 8GB 3200MHz DDR4 CL16 DIMM (Kit of 2)
8GB for any gaming pc out there and should be all you need -- however there is always room to upgrade!
Amazon Price: $45.99
6. SSD: PNY CS900 240GB 3D NAND
The $500 pc build starts at 240GB and it's plenty for those with the $500 budget pc build and there is always room for growth.
Amazon Price: $29.99
7. Power Supply Unit: Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU
500W is plenty for this pc build and the Thermaltake Smart 500W does the trick perfectly.
Amazon Price: $47.99
8. PC Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L
The Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L is a staple Micro ATX case with everything you need at the budget you need, all while looking great in a compact form factor case.
Amazon Price: $49.99
Estimated Price (February 2021): $541.95
*Overbudget as GPU prices are inflated.
*If you can't find an affordable GPU, then consider the CPU alternative with integrated graphics.
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build for $500
The best possible $500 gaming PC build for Janauary 2021 will get you up and playing at standard HD 1080P resolutions with game settings scaled back for optimal FPS gameplay.
The $500 gaming pc build is powered by a very capable and brand new Ryzen 3 3300X CPU and a GTX 1650 graphics card – which is a great combo for this budget. (If it’s in stock, you could also consider a slightly more expensive RX 5500Xt graphics card for greater performance).
This gaming PC build is a back to the basics type build that focusses solely on getting as much performance as we can out of each dollar spent. That means no bells and whistles, only pure performance and focusing on the necessities of our build.
This could be considered the gateway PC for those breaking free of the gaming console and jumping into PC gaming – or for those who want an affordable gaming pc that can play any game out there with scaled settings.
$500 Gaming PC Build Upgrades
As with all of the gaming pc builds of the month, there are plenty of upgrades that you could consider if you had just a bit more to spend. You can check these out here:
The best $500 gaming pc build can be further upgraded — visit the full overview page for a full overview of this build including suggestions for hardware upgrades including a higher-performing CPU, or a high performing graphics card.
Gaming PC Peripherals (Monitors, Mice & Keyboards)
If you’ve decided to build you very own gaming PC and don’t already have PC peripherals or an Operating System, these will be the final things you need to get 100% up and running.
What this means is that you will need a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and an operating system like Windows 10.
So if you are in the market for these things as well, see below for some Operating System ideas and see the following article for some gaming PC peripherals ideas depending on what you’re after.
Visit the Newb Computer Build Gaming PC Peripherals Page.
Operating Systems for Your Gaming PC
Do keep in mind that you will also need an operating system, however, it’s not too difficult to find keys for windows 10 online, you will need to install it using something like a USB key or external drive.
| OS Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 | Microsoft Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive | $105.00 (You can also download Windows 10 and install on a USB yourself – simply google how to!) |  |
| Ubuntu (Linux OS) | Ubuntu – Desktop | Free (open source) |  |
| SteamOS | SteamOS – “Build your own Steam Machine” | Free |  |
February 2021 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Overview Video
A Step by Step on How to Build a Gaming PC this 2021
Looking for a step by step on how to build your pc? Then check out our article for 2021: A Step by Step on How to Build a Gaming PC this 2021 or simply leave a comment below with any questions!
You could also watch the following video as we go through a full pc build: