Navigation: CPU • Cooler • Motherboard • Graphics Card • Memory • SSD • PSU • Case
The Best $500 Gaming PC Build
Capability: Game Smoothly at 720p - 1080p resolutions with settings scaled back for under $500.
Powered by the Ryzen 7 5600G CPU and with integrated Radeon RX Graphics
Build Overview
Budget PC Builders unite - here's the best $500 gaming PC build money can buy. If you are in the market for the best $500 gaming pc build -- one that's updated monthly, then you have come to the right place. If this is the case, you will get the most affordable gaming PC that gets you up and running with your favorite pc games at half-decent settings and with smooth gameplay.
The best possible $500 gaming PC build will get you up and playing at standard HD 1080P resolutions with game settings scaled back for optimal FPS gameplay. So if you are looking for the best bang for your buck $500 builds, the following are updated monthly here at Newb Computer Build.
This gaming PC build is a back-to-the-basics type build that focuses solely on getting as much performance as we can out of each dollar spent. That means no bells and whistles, only pure performance and concentration on the necessities of our build.
Best of luck when planning your next gaming PC build and should you have any questions feel free to comment below.
If you are in the market for another PC budget you can also check out the BEST GAMING PC BUILDS page.
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 ($169.99)
(*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: $139.99
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: $49.99
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: $57.99
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 degrees. Compliance with Intel ATX 12 Volt 2.31 and EPS 12V 2.92 standards
- 80 PLUS Certified, 80 percent 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 and top Magnetic Dust Filter
Amazon Price: $54.99
Estimated Price: $432.91 (Updated for February 2024)
(*Using integrated graphics)
The Best $500 Gaming PC Build Details
The best CPU for the $500 pc build is the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU. This CPU features integrated Radeon RX Graphics, so you don't need a graphics card to get started gaming - with the option to always add one in the future (which may be great since graphics cards are so hard to come by these days!).
With the integrated Radeon RX graphics, you should be able to squeeze some decent 720p - 1080p gameplay, scaling back settings where you need to. The best part is that when graphics cards become more widely available or cheaper in cost, you can pop one in and immediately upgrade your gaming experience to a high-end 1080p gaming beast.
If you feel you DO have a bit of room for upgrades, then you could consider adding in a graphics card and spend between $500 and $600 instead, and get a significant gaming performance boost immediately. Check out the upgrade alternatives section below if this is the case.
The motherboard chosen is a budget board that does everything you need in this $500 budget PC build — it's an ASUS TUF A520M-PLUS (for the full specifications please visit asus.com):
- AMD AM4 socket: Ready for Ryzen™ 5000 Series/ 4000 G-Series/ 3000 Series Desktop Processors
- Comprehensive cooling: PCH heatsink and Fan Xpert 2+
- Ultrafast connectivity: M.2 support, 1 Gb Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
- 5X Protection III: Multiple hardware safeguards for all-around system protection
The RAM included is all you’ll need for this build, which is 16GB of DDR4 RAM with a kit of Corsair LPX 16GB (2x8GB) 3600Mhz RAM. This kit has been recently upgraded from only 8GB as the 16GB kits are so close to the same cost at the moment. With that being said if you can get away with 8GB for cheaper -- that should suffice for this gaming pc build.
For storage, this build includes a Crucial P3 1TB NVMe SSD - which is plenty of starting storage for any PC, never this less this $500 gaming PC build, but you could upgrade for not much more or likewise, downgrade to 500GB to save even more cash.
The power supply we have this month is an affordable Thermaltake Smart 500W - a budget PSU that offers just the right amount of juice for this $500 pc build.
The included gaming PC case is the Zalman S2, a case that is small in size but big in performance. This is a high-quality case with high performance. To learn more visit zalman.com.
Upgrades for the Best $500 PC Build
The following are some of the best upgrades for the $500 gaming pc build -- these are for those that have a tad more than a $500 budget for their build or for those who want future upgrade ideas.
CPU Upgrade
AMD Ryzen 5 5600
Amazon Price: $134.99
The biggest upgrade to the $500 Gaming PC Build would be to get a dedicated CPU and Graphics Card, but it will knock you a bit over $500.
*NOTE: You will NEED a dedicated Graphics Card with this CPU -- see below for a graphics card suggestion for the $500 PC Build.
Graphics Card Upgrade
Sapphire 11314-01-20G Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Gaming OC Graphics Card
- Boost Clock: Up to 2825 MHz
- Game Clock: Up to 2685 MHz
- Memory Interface: 64-bit DDR6
- External Power: 1 x 6 pin
- PCI-Express 4.0
Amazon Price: $199.99
Memory Upgrade
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 X 16GB) DDR4 3600
The memory included in the base $500 gaming PC build is already 16GB, however, if you want more memory, you could consider beefing this up to 32GB (Keeping in mind there are only two RAM slots on the included motherboard).
Cost: $81.99
Storage Upgrade
- 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
Cost: $104.99
The above are options should you have a greater budget than $500, or if you want future upgrade ideas when you eventually feel the need.
For a CPU upgrade, you could consider something like a Ryzen 5 5600, which is a much higher performing CPU, however, you will NEED a graphics card paired with this -- so if you are considering this CPU upgrade for the best $500 gaming PC build, then you I suggest you also consider the below graphics card upgrade suggestion to pair with it. Alternatively, you could also consider upping your budget and check out the best $800 gaming PC builds of the month.
If you simply want the biggest bump performance-wise, then you could consider upgrading the graphics card to a Radeon RX 6500 XT graphics card -- this would enable higher-end gaming.
If you feel a bump in memory is for you, then you could easily bump it to 32Gb with a kit of Crucial Ballistix 3600 MHz DDR4 memory -- a higher quality kit of memory with faster speeds.
Or possibly you are looking for more storage space, then double it with the 2TB Version of a Crucial P3 NVMe SSD.
The under $500 gaming PC build brought to you by Newb Computer Build is the perfect budget PC build for those who just want to get a cheap gaming PC and get up and play their
Best of luck building your best possible $500 gaming PC build. If you have any questions, leave a comment below.
Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them below!
Looking for a Different Build Budget?
Then check out the best gaming PC builds for other budgets:
Comments 6
Can i play tf2 on this at normal graphics
Author
Yeah, it’ll play Team Fortress alright at medium – low settings assuming 1080p or lower resolutions.
Hey! I’ve never gotten into building my own computer but I finally would like to! The use I need for mine is to run VR games for my quest 2! Would the $500 dollar July build be capable of running the Quest Link and pc Quest app? After a little research, all I’ve found is I’d need to add a GPU with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700g shown above, will that be necessary?
Author
Hey – awesome that you’re interested entering the PC build market. Sorry for the delay on my end. To be honest, I don’t think going with just this $500 pc will be sufficient, I would go with a build that has a dedicated GPU, and depending on how high of performance you want, scale from there. With that being said, I’d probably recommend something like the $800 build here as a reference point: https://newbcomputerbuild.com/the-best-800-gaming-pc-build-2023/
You can probably save some money and go with a cheaper GPU, like a Radeon RX 6650 XT or search for some cheaper older cards to save some more $ and you should be ok — that would bring that build down closer to $700. Hope this helps!
Hello, thank you for these articles they’re so helpful! Would a Asus TUF Gaming B550M-Plus WIFI II (AMD AM4) B550 Micro-ATX Motherboard be a good alternative to the one mentioned here?
Author
No problem! The Asus Tuf Gaming B550M-Plus would work for sure, and technically is a better board, will be more expensive though. Best of luck!