October 2023 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Budgets:
- Best $1400 to $1500 Gaming PC Build of the Month
- Best $900 to $1000 Gaming PC Build of the Month
- Best $700 to $800 Gaming PC Build of the Month
- Best $400 to $500 Gaming PC Build of the Month
October 2023 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Update:
There have been a significant number of changes this month in terms of updating the gaming PC builds of the month for October — I’d say there have been some decent upgrades, but more so, I would say refinements in the builds.
Each of the gaming PC build budgets have actually gone down, and if you look at the $1500 gaming PC build of the month for example, it’s gone WAY down in cost, and now has a better motherboard, better memory, more economical power supply and a case upgrade!
You may also notice that each of the builds is labeled slightly differently this month to indicate the budget ranges they fall in rather than a finite budget — this is because a lot of the builds are either at the lower end of the budget (such as the $1500 or $500 builds for example site closer to $1400 and $400, respectfully.
So if you are looking to build your VERY FIRST GAMING PC 🙂 or simply looking to upgrade your current gaming PC to be able to play PC games at higher presets, you’ve arrived at the right place.
If you are planning your first or a new gaming PC, then you’ve come to the right place. Every single month here at Newb Computer Build, these gaming PC builds are updated to represent the latest hardware or most recent market changes. Here you will find the best PC builds for the month up to date for October 2023 and includes the best PC builds between $1400 to $1500, $900 to $1000, $700 to $800, and $400 to $500. You can also visit each of the build pages directly to find upgrades if your budgets fall in the higher ends.
These builds are built to maximize performance per dollar spent, while also giving you alternatives for budgets in between. Also, these builds are budgeted to give you a wide range of expected gaming performances from playing PC games at 1080p to 1080p, 1440p, and 4K at ultra settings, depending on your performance goals.
Every gaming PC is and can be unique to its builder, so feel free to swap things like cases if you have 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 Gaming PC Build of the Month is Right for You Based on Your Gaming and Budget Needs?
The PC 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 with links to the full build pages, including upgrade suggestions (*rough performance guidelines):
- $1400 to $1500 PC Build: For gaming at 2K resolutions into 4K
- $900 to $1000 PC Build: For gaming MAX settings at 2K resolutions
- $700 to 800 PC Build: For gaming at MAX settings 1080p resolutions into 2K
- $400 to $500 PC Build: For being able to game in any game at 1080p.
Bookmark our Best Gaming PC Builds for 2023 Page to Keep up to Date With the Monthly Gaming PC Builds, or subscribe here.
The Best $1400 to $1500 Gaming PC Build of the Month | Updated: October 2023
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 Ryzen 5 7600X and an RTX 4070 Graphics Card
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
The Ryzen 7600X is a newer fantastic gaming CPU. The Ryzen 7600X and AM5 Platform have more upgradability for the future, supporting DDR5 Memory and more.
- Pure gaming performance with smooth 100+ FPS in the world's most popular games
- 6 Cores and 12 processing threads, based on AMD "Zen 4" architecture
- 5.3 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 38 MB cache, DDR5-5200 support
- For the state-of-the-art Socket AM5 platform, can support PCIe 5.0 on select 600 Series motherboards
- Cooler not included
Alternative CPU - Looking to save some $? Then you could consider a Ryzen 5 7600 (non 'X'), cheaper and you can overclock to achieve similar to the stock performance of a 7600X + it comes with a stock cooler saving you even more.
Amazon Price: $249.99
2. Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S Redux
- Streamlined, more affordable redux line version of the award-winning NH-U12S heatsink
- Slim 120mm size for excellent case, RAM and PCIe compatibility: fits most tower cases (158mm height), doesn’t overhang the RAM slots, doesn’t block the PCIe on most ATX and Micro-ATX motherboards
- Quiet NF-P12 redux-1700 120mm fan with PWM for automatic speed control: full cooling performance under load, near silent at idle!
- Pre-applied high-quality NT-H1 thermal paste & SecuFirm2 mounting system for easy installation on Intel LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA2011, LGA2066 and AMD AM4 & AM5
Amazon Price: $54.95
3. Motherboard: MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi Gaming Motherboard
- Supports AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Supports DDR5 Memory, up to 6400+(OC) MHz
- Premium Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink Design and M.2 Shield Frozr are built for high performance system and non-stop works
- 2.5G LAN and Intel Wi-Fi 6E Solution: Upgraded network solution for professional and multimedia use. Delivers a secure, stable and fast network connection
- Lightning M.2: Running at PCIe Gen 4 maximizes performance for NVMe based SSDs
Amazon Price: $217.99
4. Graphics Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace architechture, and full ray tracing
- 4th Generation Tensor Cores: Up to 4x performance with DLSS 3
- 3rd Generation RT Cores: Up to 2x ray tracing performance
- Powered by GeForce RTX 4070
- Integrated with 12GB GDDR6X 192-bit memory interface
- WINDFORCE Cooling System, RGB Fusion, Dual BIOS, Protection metal back plate, Anti-Sag Bracket
Is the RTX 4070 not up to your speed? Check out the alternative graphics card suggestion for the best $1500 PC build on the hardware alternatives page.
Cost (Amazon): $549.99
5. RAM: Crucial Pro RAM 32GB Kit (2x16GB) DDR5 5600MT/s
DDR5 Memory is here! 16GB of RAM is the perfect spot for any high-end gaming PC -- plus this is DDR5.
- Plug-and-play extreme performance. Downclock capable for systems that only support 5200MT/s or 4800MT/s
- Universal compatibility. Compatible with 12th–13th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7000 Series desktop CPUs
- Supports both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO on the same module to recover memory speed if the CPU suppresses it in 4 DIMM configurations
- Game at higher frame rates, multitask better, enhance productivity, save time and money
- ECC type = non-ECC, form factor = UDIMM, pin count = 288-pin, PC speed = PC5-44800, voltage = 1.1V, rank and configuration = 1Rx8
Amazon Price: $79.99
6. SSD: Crucial P3 Plus 1TB PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe
- NVMe (PCIe Gen4 x4) technology with up to 5000MB/s sequential reads, random read/write 650K/800K IOPS
- Spacious storage up to 4TB
- Performs up to 43% faster than the fastest Gen3 NVMe SSDs
- Rated at MTTF greater than 1.5 million hours for extended longevity and reliability
- Backward compatibility with Gen3
Amazon Price: $41,99
7. Power Supply: Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2 Full Modular, 850W, 80+ Gold Efficiency
- 2 EPS Connectors : 2 EPS connectors included with all models for universal current generation motherboard compatibility.
- High Temperature Resilience: The new gen offers an increase in operating temperature to its predecessor to a maximum of 50 degrees Celsius.
- FullY Modular: Modular flat black cables reduce clutter, increase airflow, and improve overall efficiency and thermal performance.
- Hydro Dynamic Fan: The 120mm HDB fan creates less friction, for a smoothly and low RPM operations, while keeping the noise level down.
Amazon Price: $99.99
8. PC Case: Phanteks Eclipse G360A
- High performance front panel with Ultra-fine Performance Mesh that combines high airflow performance and excellent dust filtrations.
- Integrated D-RGB lighting that is easy to control and can be expanded and/or synced to a D-RGB equipped motherboard.
- Three 120mm D-RGB fans and an integrated D-RGB LED strip is included. Storage support with 3x dedicated SSD locations (2 included) and 2x toolless HDD brackets.
- Ready for high-end gaming systems with 360 radiator cooling support in front or top, full-length GPUs and vertical GPU ready with the optional Vertical GPU Bracket.
- Easily accessible front I/O featuring 2x USB 3.0, Microphone/Headphone Combo, Power button, and D-RGB Color and Mode buttons.
Equipped with its own Digital-RGB controller, the Eclipse G360A makes lighting easy. It’s software-free with manual control and programmed with tasteful lighting effects out of the box. Three Digital-RGB 120mm fans are pre-installed and a LED strip is integrated along the tempered glass panel. Like all of Phanteks’ lighting products, the Digital-RGB controller can be expanded with more lighting products and/or synced with motherboards to allow for software control.
Amazon Price: $99.99
ESTIMATED PRICE (October 2023): $1396
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build of the Month for $1400 to $1500
This build is for those gamers who want to crush any game on the market and max it out. The best $1,500 gaming PC build for October 2023 includes one of the best-performing gaming CPUs in the market right now, the Ryzen 5 7600X (or the Ryzen 5 7600 if you want to save a bit of cash). This PC has a great gaming performance, with strong single and multi-threaded performance, leveraging PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory. Not enough CPU juice for you? Then you may want to check out the hardware upgrade suggestions in the full $1500 gaming PC build of the month article.
If you do want to save a bit of cash though with little sacrifice for gaming performance, then you could consider a Ryzen 5 7600 (non ‘X’), cheaper and you can overclock to achieve similar to the stock performance of a 7600X + it comes with a stock cooler saving you even more.
Along with the newer Ryzen CPU comes the capability for this build to have the newest generation of memory, which includes a 16GB kit of DDR5 memory, which is faster and more efficient than the previous DDR4 kits included prior (and DDR5 has come down is cost significantly, making now the time to take advantage of DDR5 and it’s accompanying newer high performing hardware).
This is paired with another powerfully new piece of hardware, the RTX 4070, making this a very powerful gaming pc capable of extreme performance in games at higher resolutions — we’re talking exceptional 4K gaming at well above 60FPS and of course, phenomenal FPS performance at 1440P and 1080p.
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 want to get into seriously high-end 4K gaming, you shouldn’t need much more.
If you still think you need increased performance, you could upgrade your CPU or GPU if you have the excess funds. If that is the case, you could simply consider upping the graphics card, you could check out the upgrade alternatives for this build in the below full overview of the best $1500 gaming PC build page.
$1400 to $1500 Gaming PC Build of the Month Upgrades
If you have more to spend, then you could check out some hardware alternative suggestions. This could be for either upgrading this build before or after you buy it. To do so, visit the full $1500 gaming pc builds overview here:
The Best $900 to $1000 Gaming PC Build of the Month | Updated: October 2023
Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 (HD) resolutions up to Higher Settings at 2560×1440 (2K)
Powered by the Ryzen 5 7600 and the RTX 4060 Ti Graphics Card
1. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600
DDR5 for under $1000, yes PLEASE - the best $1000 gaming PC build now includes Ryzen 7000!
- POWERFUL GAMING STARTS HERE
- 6 Cores and 12 processing threads, based on AMD "Zen 4" architecture
- 5.2 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 38 MB cache, DDR5 support
- For the state-of-the-art Socket AM5 platform, can support PCIe 5.0 on select 600 Series motherboards
- AMD Wraith Stealth cooler included
Amazon Price: $218.98
2. Cooler: AMD Wraith Stealth cooler (*Included with Ryzen 7600)
- The Ryzne 7600 is one efficient CPU, the stock cooler should be decent. If you need an upgrade, then check out the upgrade alternatives at the bottom of the best $1000 gaming pc build page.
Amazon Price: (*Included)
3. Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650M DS3H
This is a great budget B660 motherboard with the following specifications:
Amazon Price: $134.99
4. Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Eagle 8GB Graphics Card, 3X WINDFORCE Fans
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace architechture, and full ray tracing
- 4th Generation Tensor Cores: Up to 4x performance with DLSS 3
- 3rd Generation RT Cores: Up to 2x ray tracing performance
- Powered by GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
- Integrated with 8GB GDDR6 128-bit memory interface
- WINDFORCE Cooling System, RGB Fusion, Dual BIOS, Protection metal back plate
Price: $399.99
5. RAM: Crucial RAM 16GB Kit (2x8GB) DDR5 4800MHz CL40 Desktop Memory
(*DDR5 Memory is here in the best $1000 gaming PC build!) Included is a total of 16GB of DDR5 4800MHz memory.
Amazon Price: $39.99
6. SSD: Crucial P3 1TB NVMe SSD
- NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x4) technology with up to 3500MB/s sequential reads, random read/write 650K/700K IOPS
- Spacious storage up to 4TB
- Performs up to 33% better than the previous generation
- Solid Gen3 performance
- Rated at MTTF greater than 1.5 million hours for extended longevity and reliability
Amazon Price: $42.99
7. Power Supply: Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2 Full Modular, 850W
Amazon Price: $99.99
8. PC Case: Zalman S2
- Full Acrylic Side Panel for 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: $54.99
Estimated Cost (October 2023): $992
Overview | $900 to $1000 Best Gaming PC Build of the Month
The best $1000 gaming PC build of the month hits the sweet spot in terms of budget and performance — and the October $1000 Gaming PC build includes a Ryzen 5 7600 CPU, which comes with its own cooler — however, you could also upgrade this should you feel the need or simply for your own aesthetic appeal to an AIO, such as the one included in the upgrade suggestions on the best $1000 for 2023 pc build page.
The graphics card has also been upgraded for October 2023 to include the new RTX 4060 Ti, which brings in better gaming performance than the previous month and great ultra gaming performance at 1080p and 1440p at 60+FPS.
$900 to $1000 Gaming PC Build of the Month 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 to $800 Gaming PC Build of the Month | Updated: October 2023
Capability: Game Smoothly with High settings and FPS at 1920X1080 resolutions in most games with the best $800 Gaming PC Build.
Powered by the Intel Core i3-13100F and an RTX 6700 XT Graphics Card
1. CPU: Intel Core i3-13100F Desktop Processor
A top-of-the-line gaming CPU is in this price range and for this budget range for a gaming PC -- beating out its competition in gaming performance, even in the higher cost ranges. This CPU is like the Intel i3 13100, but cheaper and without integrated graphics.
- 4 cores (4 P-cores + 0 E-cores) and 8 threads
- Performance hybrid architecture integrates two core microarchitectures, prioritizing and distributing workloads to optimize performance
- Up to 4.5 GHz. 12M Cache
- Compatible with Intel 600 series and 700 series chipset-based motherboards
- Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0, and PCIe 5.0 & 4.0 support. Intel Optane Memory support. Intel Laminar RH1 Cooler included. Discrete graphics required
Amazon Price: $110.99
2. Cooler: Intel Laminar Cooler (Included)
-
This is the stock cooler for the Intel Core i5 12400. It would be recommended that if you want to overclock upgrade this to an after-market CPU cooler (see hardware alternatives for options)
Price: *Included
3. Motherboard: GIGABYTE B760M DS3H DDR4 (LGA 1700 Intel B760 M-ATX
- Intel LGA 1700 Socket: Supports 13th and 12th Gen Intel Core Series Processors
- DDR4 Compatible: Dual Channel DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- Sturdy Power Design: 6+2+1 Hybrid Digital VRM Design
- Comprehensive Thermal Design: M.2 Thermal Guard
- Next-Gen Connectivity: PCIe 4.0, NVMe PCIe 4.0 x2 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- Fast Networking: 2.5GbE LAN
- Fine Tuning Features: RGB FUSION 2.0, Supports Addressable LED & RGB LED Strips, Smart Fan 6, Q-Flash Plus Update BIOS without installing, CPU, Memory, and GPU
4. Graphics Card: PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 12GB GDDR6 Memory
The $800 gaming PC build includes an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, which offers top-of-the-line $800 gaming PC performance, blasting through the previous card offerings in this spot and providing very high 1080p FPS gameplay.
Price: $319.99
(*cost went down!)
5. RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 3600
16GB 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: $44.99
6. SSD: Crucial P3 1TB PCIe Gen3 3D NAND
- NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x4) technology with up to 3500MB/s sequential reads, random read/write 650K/700K IOPS
- Spacious storage up to 4TB
- Performs up to 33% better than the previous generation
- Solid Gen3 performance
- Rated at MTTF greater than 1.5 million hours for extended longevity and reliability
Amazon Price: $42.99
7. Power Supply Unit: Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W
- CERTIFIED GOLD - Supporting 80 Plus Gold efficiency up to 90% and optimized for C6 or C7 States ready
- NON MODULAR CONNECTORS – Main Power (24 pin) x 1/ ATX 12V (4plus4 pin) x 1/ SATA (5 pin) x 6/ PCI-E (6plus2 pin) x 2/ peripheral (4 pin) x 3/ FDD x 1
- ULTRA QUIET 120MM FAN – Dynamic Bearing fan s superior cooing performance and silent operation
- HIGH QUALITY CAPACITORS - High quality capacitors provide superb performance and reliability
- LOW RIPPLE NOISE – Ensure excellent power supply stability Keep performance-critical components such as VGA card to operate reliably for longer
- SINGLE plus12V RAIL DESIGN - Powerful 12Vplus Single rail supports today's GPU demands supporting DC to DC design for stable reliable power
- [INDUSTRY GRADE PROTECTIONS] - (OPP) Over Power (OVP) Over Voltage (UVP) Under Voltage and (SCP) short circuit protections. Input Frequency Range 47Hz - 63Hz
Amazon Price: $64.99
8. PC Case: Zalman S2 ATX Mid Tower Computer PC Case
- Full Acrylic Side Panel for 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: $54.99
Estimated Price (October 2023): $769
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build of the Month for $700 to $800
The best $800 gaming PC build of the month for October 2023 is for those who just want a capable gaming PC capable of high-performance 1080p resolution gaming or even decent gameplay at 1440P. This is truly the ‘every person’ type of build for those who just want gaming on a PC and do it at fairly decent performance settings.
The CPU included this month is a huge upgrade with the Intel i3 13100F CPU, which is a very capable CPU, and if you opted for the Intel Core i3 13100 (non-F), you could also have decent integrated graphics, so what this means is that if you want to wait for a better deal on the graphics card, this that CPU would get you up and running without one in the meantime, and would enable some lower-end gaming. But you shouldn’t have to do this, which is why I simply include the slightly cheaper, but very same CPU, the Intel i3 13100.
The graphics card included is a Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card, which will push games to max settings under a 1080p resolution at higher FPS and even does better at 1440P than before with this budget. This build is probably most of what any very typical “I just want to game” gamers out there as it does max games out quickly at 1080p standard HD monitor resolutions.
$700 to $800 Gaming PC Build of the Month Upgrades
The best $800 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 $400 to $500 Gaming PC Build of the Month | Updated: October 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 5 5600G 6-Core 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon Graphics
Alt CPU (=~5% more performance): AMD Ryzen 7 5700G 8-Core, 16-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Radeon Graphics ($177.10)
(*You don't need a graphics card with this CPU as it comes with Integrated Radeon Graphics for smooth 1080p gaming)
- Features best-in-class graphics performance in a desktop processor for smooth 1080p gaming, no graphics card required
- 6 Cores and 12 processing threads, bundled with the AMD Wraith Stealth cooler
- 4.4 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 19 MB cache, DDR4-3200 support
- For the advanced Socket AM4 platform
Amazon Price: $116.00 (*way down in cost!)
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: $44.99
6. SSD: Crucial P3 1TB PCIe Gen3 3D NAND NVMe
- NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x4) technology with up to 3500MB/s sequential reads, random read/write 650K/700K IOPS
- Spacious storage of up to 4TB
- Performs up to 33% better than the previous generation
- Solid Gen3 performance
- Rated at MTTF greater than 1.5 million hours for extended longevity and reliability
Amazon Price: $42.99
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: $39.95
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: $54.99
Estimated Price (October 2023): $399
(*Using integrated graphics)
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build of the Month for $400 to $500
For the $500 gaming PC build of the month for October 2023 (which is actually closer to $400), 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. If you do have more than $500 to spend though, then I would suggest either checking out the best $500 gaming pc build hardware alternatives section for a CPU and GPU combo option or jumping up to the $800 pc build for consideration.
The $500 gaming PC build is currently powered by the Ryzen 7 5600G CPU (previously the Ryzen 5700G) with integrated Radeon RX graphics. You can still consider upgrading to the Ryzen 5700G, however, I thought it was better to just include the 5600G as it provides 95% of the gaming performance of the 5600G anyhow — and if you want to upgrade, you might as well save for dedicated GPU instead. What this CPU does offer though, is no need for 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 with scaled settings.
$400 to $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:
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 |  |
October 2023 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Overview Video
If you prefer to check out a video overview, then look no further, here’s the best gaming PC builds of the month video update. Please remember if you have any questions or comments on your build, leave them below and I’ll help you out. Best of luck building your next best possible PC build!