You might be looking to upgrade your current gaming PC to be able to play PC games at higher presets, you might be looking to delve into the gaming PC building market for the first time, or perhaps you are trying to build a Gaming PC under the guise of a new computer for the start of the school year — well you’ve arrived at the right place. Whichever it is, you probably have a budget to adhere to and gaming performance ambitions in mind, well…
September 2023 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Navigation:
- Best $1500 Gaming PC Build of the Month
- Best $1000 Gaming PC Build of the Month
- Best $800 Gaming PC Build of the Month
- Best $500 Gaming PC Build of the Month
Welcome to the best gaming PC builds of the month for September 2023 — bringing you all the FPS! There are some updates this month with each of the budget categories, with some minor performance improvements, and huge cost savings overall in comparison to last month.
These gaming PC builds are updated monthly, so you can be rest assured that these are up to date to showcase the best-performing gaming PC builds for September 2023 — built for the best on-par performance per dollar spent.
September 2023 Gaming PC Builds of the Month Update:
For those tuning in for another month, well September only includes some smaller refinements, which favor your budget more than last month by a bit, but the overall hardware and performance is about the same. For September’s best $1500 gaming PC build, it’s even cheaper than last month and is more realistically close to $1400, and the type of performance you can get out of this build has historically been closer to $1500, so I’ll leave it at that for now — but score for those in that budget range. September’s $1000 build also saw cost improvements and was the only build that was over budget last month and now it’s pretty close to on par with budget. For the $800 and $500 builkds, well check those out as they are also under budget! Making September the best gaming PC builds of the month…well under budget!
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, I post these Gaming PC Builds of the Month. Here you will find the best PC builds for the month up to date for September 2023, and includes the best $1500, $1000, $800 and $500 gaming PC builds.
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.
For September 2023, these monthly builds have all been amalgamated into this single update to make it easier for budget pc builders to see all the updates in one place. if you want to dive deeper into any of the builds, you can also check out the dedicated pages for each budget below as well, which provide more details on the individual hardware and include upgrade alternatives if you have a bit more to spend or want ideas for upgrades.
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):
- $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.
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 $1500 Gaming PC Build of the Month | September 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
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: $219.99
*On sale right now (start of August)
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 PRO B650-P WiFi ProSeries Motherboard (AMD AM5, ATX, DDR5)
- Supports AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Supports DDR5 Memory
- Core Boost : With premium layout and digital power design to support more cores and provide better performance
- Memory Boost: Advanced technology to deliver pure data signals for the best performance, stability and compatibility
- Premium Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink, MOSFET thermal pads rated for 7W/mK, additional choke thermal pads and M.2 Shield Frozr are built for a high-performance system and non-stop work
Amazon Price: $184.00
4. Graphics Card: ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070
- Powered by NVIDIA DLSS 3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace arch, and full ray tracing
- Boost Clock 2490 MHz, 12GB GDDR6X, 192-bit, 21 Gbps, PCIE 4.0
- IceStorm 2.0 Advanced Cooling, SPECTRA RGB Lighting, 2x 90mm fans, FREEZE Fan Stop, Active Fan Control, Metal Backplate
- 8K Ready, 4 Display Ready, HDCP 2.3, VR Ready
- 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1a, DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan RT API, Vulkan 1.3, OpenGL 4.6
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): $599.99
5. RAM: Crucial RAM 32GB Kit (2x16GB) DDR5 4800MTs
*Double the memory this month!
DDR5 Memory is here! 16GB of RAM is the perfect spot for any high-end gaming PC -- plus this is DDR5.
- Harness blazing speeds up to 5600MT/s — 1.5x faster than DDR4
- Game at higher frame rates and run demanding software with nearly 2x the bandwidth of DDR4
- Empower your system for the next-generation multi-core CPUs
- Intel XMP 3.0 enabled for easy performance recovery
- ECC Type = Non-ECC, Form Factor = UDIMM, Pin Count = 288-pin, PC Speed = PC5-38400, Voltage = 1.1V
Amazon Price: $78.51
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: $39.99
7. Power Supply: CORSAIR RM Series (2021), White, RM850, 850 Watt
- Fully modular, so you only connect the cables your system needs.
- Triple EPS12V connectors for full compatibility with modern graphics cards and motherboards.
- A 140mm rifle-bearing fan with a specially calculated fan curve ensures that fan noise is kept to a minimum, even at full load.
- Zero RPM fan mode for near-silent operation at low to medium loads.
- Industrial-grade, 105°C-rated capacitors deliver solid electrical performance and reliability.
Amazon Price: $124.99
8. PC Case: Corsair 4000D
- Combining innovative cable management, concentrated airflow, and proven CORSAIR build quality, the 4000D is a fitting choice for an immaculate high-performance PC.
- The CORSAIR RapidRoute cable management system makes it simple and fast to route your major cables through a single channel, with a roomy 25mm of space behind the motherboard for all of your cables.
- Includes two CORSAIR 120mm AirGuide fans, utilizing anti-vortex vanes to concentrate airflow and enhance cooling. Motherboard will fit in our 4000 Series cases without any issue. Mini-ITX, micro-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX form factor motherboards are all supported.
- A spacious interior fits up to 6x 120mm or 4x 140mm cooling fans, along with multiple radiators including 360mm in front and 280mm in the roof (dependent on RAM height).
- Put modern connections within easy reach with a front I/O panel including a USB 3.1 Type-C Port, USB 3.0 port, and a combination audio/microphone jack.
Amazon Price: $89.99
ESTIMATED PRICE (September 2023): $1417
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build of the Month for $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 September 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.
$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 $1000 Gaming PC Build of the Month | September 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: $219.99
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 (AM5 LGA 1718 AMD B650 Micro ATX)
This is a great budget B660 motherboard with the following specifications:
Amazon Price: $144.50
4. Graphics Card: ASUS Dual GeForce RTX™ 4060 Ti OC Edition 8GB GDDR6
The 4060 Ti gives you tremendous and ultra 1440p and 1080p performance in gaming and is a very efficient gaming GPU, that beats out the 3060 ti.
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: $39.99
7. Power Supply: EVGA 220-G5-0650-X1 Super Nova 650 G5, 80 Plus Gold 650W, Fully Modular PSU
The sweet spot for this build is 650W of juice -- and I'm a big fan of be quiet!'s pure power line of PSUs.
Amazon Price: $109.99
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: $59.99
Estimated Cost (September 2023): $1014
Overview | $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 September $1000 Gaming PC build includes 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 September 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.
$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 $800 Gaming PC Build of the Month | September 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: $111.99
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: $349.99
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: $39.99
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: $39.99
7. Power Supply Unit: Apevia ATX-PR600W Prestige 600W 80+ Gold Certified, RoHS Compliance, Active PFC ATX Gaming Power Supply
- Supports Dual/Quad/multi-core CPUs. Supports single 12V output for higher power usage
- Dc to DC converter design, provides superior dynamic response, greater system stability and maximizes the 12V DC rail output
- Multi-gpu technologies supported; 6 pin and 8 pin PCI-E connectors support all GPU platforms. Built in 1 x auto-thermally controlled black 135mm fan
- Connectors: 1 x 20/24pin main power, 1 x 4/8pin 12V, 2 x PCI 6+2pin, 4 x SATA, 4 x peripheral. All protections
- Apevia ATX-PR600W Prestige 600W 80+ Gold Certified, RoHS Compliance, Active PFC ATX Gaming Power Supply, 3 Year Warranty
Amazon Price: $51.99
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: $59.99
Estimated Price (September 2023): $774
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build of the Month for $800
The best $800 gaming PC build of the month for September 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.
$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 $500 Gaming PC Build of the Month | September 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: $145.14
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: $39.99
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: $39.99
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: $59.99
Estimated Price (September 2023): $407
(*Using integrated graphics)
Overview | Best Gaming PC Build of the Month for $500
For the $500 gaming PC build of the month for September 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.
$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 |  |
Gaming PC Builds of the Month (Best for September 2023) 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!