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The Best $500 Gaming PC Build for April 2023 Update:
$500 is the true PC builders budget build. If this is your first go at a PC build, then this is a great place to start with regards to a PC build or with regards to your exploration into space. That’s because you may be wondering what exactly you should be spending on your gaming PC for what results in terms of performance to expect, and how to actually build your PC.
If you are looking to learn what’s involved in PC build, well you can check out the hardware below or check out the step-by-step on how to build a gaming PC build (which explains what’s included in terms of hardware and terminology).
Over the last few months we saw many great changes in the $500 gaming PC build of the month, and this month the build stands strong and still includes the powerful integrated graphics chip — the Ryzen 7 5700G. And the greatest part of this build is that it comes in well under the already modest budget of $500, which is either a bargain for anyone with a $500 budget or good news in that you can save only a bit more for the discrete graphics card, which would knock this PC build to the next level in terms of gaming performance.
This is a very viable and entry-level Gaming PC Builds of the Month and the staple in terms of entry-level gaming PC builds as it comes in at an extremely entry-level cost and is a simple setup utilizing integrated graphics (without the need for a separate graphics card). This gaming PC build will play any PC game on the market, it’s just a matter of what settings and presets.
If you’ve been in the market for a PC build that is economical and can still game decently, this $500 pc build is it. You could perhaps consider this the console killer, in the instance that it is more affordable and leaves you with the flexibility a PC gives you in terms of upgradeability and diverse options of gaming and the other benefits of having a custom pc.
Please keep in mind that every PC is and can be unique to its builder, so feel free to swap things like cases if you had your eye set on something more unique to you — and if you have any questions as per compatibility, please feel free to leave a comment.
Which April 2023 PC Build is right for you based on Your Gaming and Budget Needs?
The budgets included below should accommodate most PC gamers who play in many gaming settings, maxing games anywhere from 1080p to 1440p and playing 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 of which build may be a right fit for you (*rough performance guidelines):
- $1500 PC Build: For gaming at 2K resolutions into 4K
- $1000 PC Build: For gaming MAX settings at 2K resolutions
- $800 PC Build: For gaming at MAX settings 1080p resolutions into 2K
- $500 PC Build: For being able to game in any game at 1080p.
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The Best $500 Gaming PC Build | April 2023
Capability: Game at 720p to 1080p resolutions in most games.
Powered by the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU with Integrated Radeon RX Graphics
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G 8-Core, 16-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon Graphics
(*You don't need a graphics card with this CPU as it comes with Integrated Radeon Graphics for smooth 1080p gaming)
- Play some of the most popular games at 1080p with the fastest processor graphics in the world, no graphics card is required
- 8 Cores and 16 processing threads, bundled with the AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- 4.6 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 20 MB cache, DDR4-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform. Maximum Operating Temperature (Tjmax)-95°C
Amazon Price: $178.00 (If you want to cut your budget even further, consider the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G)
2. Cooler: AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler (Included)
This cooler is included with the AMD Ryzen 5700G CPU
3. Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming A520M-PLUS (WiFi) AMD AM4 (3rd Gen Ryzen™) microATX Gaming 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: l Ready for Ryzen 5000 Series/ 4000 G-Series/ 3000 Series Desktop Processors
- Comprehensive cooling: Large VRM heatsink, PCH heatsink and Fan Xpert 2+
- Made for online gaming: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, TUF LANGuard and TurboLAN technology
- Gaming Connectivity: BIOS FlashBack button, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 32Gb/s M.2 onboard, SATA 6Gb/s, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, DisplayPort/HDMI/D-Sub
- Gaming Look and Feel: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including RGB headers and a Gen 2 addressable RGB header for greater customization
Amazon Price: $99.99
4. Graphics Card: *Integrated Radeon RX Graphics Included
The Ryzen 5 5600G comes with integrated Radeon Graphics at a graphics frequency of 1900 MHz and a graphics core count of 7.
5. RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 3600 MHz
16GB is an upgrade to the $500 gaming PC build, and might even be more than you actually need. However, at the moment 16GB kits are close in cost to 8GB ones at the moment anyhow -- so it only makes sense.
Amazon Price: $48.99
6. SSD: Crucial P3 500GB PCIe Gen3 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD
- Capacity: Up to 2TB with sequential reads or writes up to 2400MB/s/1900MB/s
- NVMe PCIe interface, marking the next step in storage innovation
- Includes SSD management software for performance optimization, data security, and firmware updates
- Backed by a limited 5-year warranty or up to the max endurance rating of 150 TBW
Amazon Price: $35.99
7. Power Supply Unit: Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU, Continuous Power with 120mm Ultra Quiet Cooling Fan
500W is plenty for this pc build and the Thermaltake Smart 500W RGB does the trick perfectly.
- Delivers 500 Watt Continuous output at plus 40 degree. Compliance with Intel ATX 12 Volt 2.31 and EPS 12V 2.92 standards
- 80 PLUS Certified, 80 percentage efficiency under typical load
- Supports (2) PCI E 6plus2pin Connectors. Active (PFC) Power Factor Correction, MTBF: 100,000 hours
- Industry Grade Protections: (OPP) Over Power Protection, (OVP) Over Voltage Protection, (SCP) Short Circuit Protection
- High Quality Components
- Equipped with a powerful plus 12 Volt rail, superior performance under all types of system loading
- 5 Year Warranty
Amazon Price: $39.99
8. PC Case: Zalman S2 ATX Mid Tower Computer PC Case
- Front Design for maximized Airflow with two front 120mm fan pre-installed (& one rear 120mm fan pre-installed)
- Convenient Interface with one USB, 3.0 & two USB 2.0
- Power Supply unit dedicated space for improved cooling performance
- 7 PCI Expansion Slots with Bottom & Top Magnetic Dust Filter
Amazon Price: $64.99
Estimated Price (April 2023): $469
(*Using integrated graphics)
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build for $500
For the $500 gaming PC build of the month for April 2023, you will get HD 1080P resolutions with game settings scaled back for optimal FPS gameplay and it uses integrated graphics, which makes this the most accessible pc to game on out of all of the gaming pc builds of the month.
The $500 gaming pc build is currently powered by the Ryzen 7 5700G CPU with integrated Radeon RX graphics. This means you do not need a graphics card to get up and start gaming, which is a plus since cards are really inflated with regard to cost at the moment. This also allows you to add a better graphics card for increased performance in the $500 gaming pc build of the month.
This gaming PC build is a back-to-the-basics type build that focuses solely on getting as much performance as possible from each dollar spent. That means no bells and whistles, only pure performance and concentration 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 of the Month 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.
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 11 online, you will need to install it using something like a USB key or external drive.
| OS Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 or 11 |
Make a Windows 11 Installation Media OR View this video on the Easiest How to Make Your Own Windows Boot USB |
Download and install Windows on a USB (Need another PC) |  |
| Ubuntu (Linux OS) | Ubuntu – Desktop | Free (open source) |  |
| SteamOS | SteamOS – “Build your own Steam Machine” | Free |  |
The Best $500 PC Build for April 2023 Overview Video
If you prefer to check out a video overview of the $500 PC build, then look no further. And please remember if you have any questions or comments on your build to leave them below and I’ll try my best to help you out. Best of luck building your next best PC build!