Navigation: CPU • Cooler • Motherboard • Graphics Card • Memory • SSD • PSU • Case
Build Overview
Are you looking for the best $800 Gaming PC build -- one that's updated monthly to give you the best possible hardware per dollar spent?
Here is the best and most up-to-date $800 gaming PC build for 2023 that can crush PC games at 1080p resolutions and even into 1400p resolutions. This may not be the cheapest PC build possible, but it assures quality and performance over anything so that you can jump into PC gaming without scaling everything back all the time.
The hardware below for the $800 gaming pc build is chosen based on two main things, performance, and quality for the best possible price. All of the hardware is conveniently linked to Amazon.
Best of luck when planning your next gaming pc build and should you have any questions feel free to get in touch.
If you are in the market for another budget you can also check out the best 2023 pc builds page.
The Best $800 Gaming PC Build 2023
Capability: Game Smoothly with High settings and FPS at 1920X1080 resolutions in most games.
Powered by the Intel i3 12100F 12th Gen CPU and a Radeon RX 6650 XT Graphics Card.
1. CPU: INTEL CORE I3-12100F DESKTOP
A top-of-the-line gaming CPU is in this price range -- beating out its competition in gaming performance, even in the higher cost ranges. This CPU is like the Intel i3 12100, but cheaper and without integrated graphics (since a graphics card is included anyhow).
- Intel Core i3-12100F Desktop Processor 4 (4P-0E) Cores Up to 4.3 GHz Turbo Frequency LGA1700 600 Series Chipset 58W Processor Base Power
Amazon Price: $106.99
2. Cooler: Intel Laminar Cooler (Included)
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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: ASUS Prime B660-PLUS D4 LGA 1700(Intel 12th Gen)
4. Graphics Card: PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
The $800 gaming PC build includes an MSI Gaming RX 6650 XT Graphics Card, 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: $299.99
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: $48.99
6. SSD: Crucial P3 500GB PCIe Gen3 3D NAND NVMe
- NVMe (PCIe Gen3 x4) technology with up to 3500MB/s sequential reads, random read/write 350K/460K 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 (March 2023): $730
$800 Build Details
In the $800 gaming pc build the CPU included is the Intel Core i3 12100F (replacing the regular 12400 which had integrated graphics, which we do not need for this build, so we save costs), which is a significant upgrade compared to the previous Intel CPU and is a FAST budget gaming PC CPU that performs.
The included cooler is the stock Laminar cooler included with the Intel CPU, which should do you good. If you want otherwise, you can look at the hardware alternatives or go with something like a Cooler Master Hyper 212. air cooler.
The included graphics card is a Radeon RX 6650 XT Graphics Card, which is a significant upgrade this month, yet again and is capable of an average of well over 100FPS in 1080p gaming and even does well over 60FPS at 1440p gaming. Should you want to squeeze even more performance out of this gaming PC build, then you may want to look at graphics card alternatives, such as those in the hardware alternatives table below.
The motherboard included is an ASUS Prime B660-PLUS D4 to go with the newer Intel i5 12400F CPU. Here are the specifications (for the full specifications, please visit asus.com):
- Intel® LGA 1700 socket: Ready for 13th & 12th Gen Intel® processors
- Ultrafast connectivity: PCIe 4.0 slots, three M.2 slots, rear USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C®, front USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C®, Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet and Thunderbolt™ 4 header support
- Comprehensive cooling: VRM heatsink, M.2 heatsink, PCH heatsink, hybrid fan headers and Fan Xpert 2+
- ASUS OptiMem: Careful routing of traces and vias to preserve signal integrity for improved memory stability
The memory included is a kit of 16GB Corsair Vengeance 3600 LPX DDR4 memory, which is enough memory for most gaming pc builds, and fits the bill perfectly for the $800 build as well.
The storage included is a Crucial P3 500GB which is a perfect storage solution for this PC build and provides amazing sequential read speeds of up to 2400MB/s.
The included power supply unit in this pc build is an Apevia ATX-PR600W Prestige 600W, which is a solid budget PSU with enough juice to power the $800 pc build perfectly.
For the gaming pc case for the $800 pc build this month, we have a Zalman S2, which is a fantastic all-type of builder case that's quite affordable, featuring an easy build-in case, full acrylic side panel, dedicated power supply housing and more. Learn more at zalman.com.
Upgrades for the $800 PC Build
CPU Upgrade
- Intel Core i5-12400F Desktop Processor 6 (6P+0E) Cores Up to 4.4 GHz Turbo Frequency LGA1700 600 Series Chipset 65W Processor Base Power
Cost: $164.00
Graphics Card Upgrade
PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
Want that extra gaming performance bump -- then bump up to an RX 6700 XT
Price: $369.99
Storage Upgrade
Crucial P2 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
The $800 pc build includes a 500GB why not double that with a touch more speed with a 1TB Crucial P2 NVME SSD?
Cost: $70.49
The above are upgrades to the best $800 gaming pc build for 2023. That is if you have more to spend than an $800 budget to spend on your hardware. These are some options for you to increase your overall gaming performance now or in the future.
There are some significant upgrades above including the CPU, graphics card, memory speed, or cooling capabilities.
The CPU upgrade suggested is an Intel i5 12400F, which would be a bump up from the included Intel CPU as this could be a significant CPU upgrade in computing power and it overclocks quite nicely.
If you have a bit of extra cash to splurge and are looking for the best and immediate boost to performance, then you could simply upgrade your choice in the graphics card to an RX 6700 XT, which is very affordable right now and will push this build a lot in terms of gaming performance.
Since the $800 pc build only comes with a 500GB GB NMVe SSD, why not bump it up to a faster version, with a 1TB Crucial P2 NVMe SSD.
Best of luck building your best possible $800 gaming pc build this 2023. If you have any questions be sure to leave a comment or simply join our Facebook Group to help grow a great gaming pc build community: Gaming PC Builders Facebook Group.
Looking for a Different Build Budget?
Then check out the best gaming pc builds for 2023: