Best gaming PC build under $400 2024 – build the best $400 PC
Built & Tested By Our Team
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Best gaming PC under $400
We’ve updated our best gaming PC build under $400 with one of AMD Ryzen APUs, a capable processor with integrated graphics, which negates the need for a dedicated GPU. While newer 8000 series Ryzen APUs have been released, none of them fit into our very tight budget. The older SKUs still offer semi-decent performance and make sense in a build for less than $400. You don’t need the latest platform to get lower-end performance. We’ve also updated our prebuilt computer recommendations for those who prefer to purchase rather than build, although we strongly advise you to build.
With the 400-dollar gaming PC, our main focus was to extract as much performance as possible from every penny. While we aren’t at the price range where value is at its absolute best, we have enough wiggle room in the budget to make 1080p gaming very playable. While this may not be our cheapest gaming PC build, it’s still extremely affordable with a slightly stronger processor and graphical power. We consider this build entry-level for both performance standards and build difficulty, making it the perfect gateway into PC building. However, you should limit your expectations. This does not come with a dedicated GPU but is set up so you can continue to save for one and then install it without issue.
$400 gaming PC build of the month
The $400 PC build we have set up today offers the best price-to-performance ratio we can achieve with just $400. This PC is equipped with a Ryzen 5 5600G, which will serve the purpose of both the CPU and GPU in this gaming machine. Because of this, the performance is limited to 1080p but can be further improved with the likes of AMD’s FSR. To make sure the 5600G has everything it needs, we paired it with an A520M motherboard and 16GB of DDR4 @3200MHz. Giving the 5600G the best chance of processing high frame rates. We’ve managed to do what many cannot when building a budget PC, we’ve included an NVMe WD Blue SN580 in the components list, ensuring long load times and laggy operating systems won’t be an issue in this build. That’s more than you can say for some more expensive PCs out there.
How we test
We carefully build each of our recommended PCs to ensure the best performance and compatibility. Our PCs are thoroughly tested with everyday use and various games to ensure they can handle demanding tasks, all the while recording temperatures to ensure overall system health and stability. We also test for overclocking capability, but please be aware that overclocking has risks and may void warranties.
The WePC experts that worked on this build
Seb is a Mechanical Engineering Graduate who has always been passionate and involved in gaming and computers. Ever since tinkering with the family computer and being the tech wizard in the family, he’s had an interest in PCs and all things tech. So while at University build his own computer, became tech support for others and finally found a career working with them daily.
Shaun is a gaming enthusiast and computer science graduate who has been working with computers for the last 15 years. He took a shine to competitive FPS back in the mid-2000s and hasn’t looked back since.
Prebuilt gaming PC under $400
NSX GAMING 5600G Desktop PC
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
GPU
Radeon Vega Graphics
RAM
16GB
Storage
512GB NVMe SSD
NSX GAMING 5600G Desktop PC
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
GPU
Radeon Vega Graphics
RAM
16GB
Storage
512GB NVMe SSD
It is always a great idea to build your own desktop computer, especially if you’re restricted on how much you can spend. Nonetheless, not everyone is fond of building their gaming computer due to the hassle that comes with it. If you’re someone who isn’t overly keen on the idea of building their own, then you’ll be happy to know we’ve searched the web for the best-prebuilt gaming PC for around $400.
Our custom gaming PC build under $400
- Last Updated - Mar 6, 2024
Considering this $400 build? We’ve outlined all the components below to help make this process as easy as possible.
Our $400 Custom Gaming PC Build
Our best custom-built gaming PC for under $400 is an excellent example of entry-level gaming performance when sticking to this price. This PC is designed to give you an entry point into gaming, with the idea of leaving room for future upgrades and the addition of a dedicated graphics card down the line.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Speed
3.9GHz - 4.4GHz
Core (threads)
6 (12)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 7
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Speed
3.9GHz - 4.4GHz
Core (threads)
6 (12)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 7
While keeping the price relatively low, we can still squeeze in the 5600G, 6 core/ 12 thread APU with Radeon Vega graphics, and a base clock speed of 3.9GHz, with a max boost of 4.4GHz. The 5600G provides enough power to play low-intensive games such as CS2, Fortnite, DOTA 2, and Rocket League at 1080p while maintaining smooth, playable FPS. It may not be the best CPU in the world, but it’s certainly capable.
The motherboard is an area where we can save some money for this budget, that’s why we’ve opted for the ASRock A520M. This board offers enough in terms of features and offers out-of-the-box compatibility with Ryzen CPUs. That being said, it’s still effectively an entry-level board but slots nicely into this $400 build. Ultimately, if you’re looking for an affordable board that’s going to achieve everything you’d want from a gaming motherboard, then look no further.
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The Ryzen 5 5600G comes with a stock cooler that we will be taking advantage of in this build to save some money.
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz
Capacity
2X 8GB (16GB)
Frequency
DDR4 3200MHz
memory Timing
16-18-18-36
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz
Capacity
2X 8GB (16GB)
Frequency
DDR4 3200MHz
memory Timing
16-18-18-36
Corsair is a trusted and reliable brand that brings some of the most affordable hardware offerings to our shelves. For that reason, we’ve opted for 16GB of their DDR4 Vengeance LPX Series 3200MHz RAM kit in our $400 build. This Memory leaves your PC in a good spot for any future upgrades and allows you to make the most of the 5600G we feature in this build. Remember that the CPU RAM and the VRAM become one when using an APU. So it’s not only the CPU that is dependent on this memory.
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As we mentioned before, this $400 build takes advantage of the iGPU inside the Ryzen 5 5600G, so there is no need for a dedicated GPU.
WD Blue SN580 500GB
Read/Write
4,000MB/s / 3,600 MB/s
Capacity
500GB
Interface
NVMe
WD Blue SN580 500GB
Read/Write
4,000MB/s / 3,600 MB/s
Capacity
500GB
Interface
NVMe
You’ll be glad to hear that this build makes use of a super-fast SSD storage solution. If you aren’t familiar with SSDs and how they work, in basic terms, the technology inside an SSD differs dramatically from that of traditional HDDs. This means they can read/write data much, much faster. We’ve gone for Western Digital’s 500GB SN580 SSD in this build as we think that’s enough to get you up and running. You might need to expand your storage capacity down the road to keep up with demand, but for a start, this is a great SSD to go with.
Of all the entry-level cases we’ve recommended here on WePC, this is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing. It also has great out-of-the-box cooling, a clean design, great airflow, and plenty of room for a GPU or a few extra hard drives down the line. The Q300L currently showcases superb value for money and is the perfect option for this $400 gaming build. This PC case comes with one pre-installed 120mm fan, providing your system with some airflow out of the box. If you add a dedicated GPU to this build we recommend buying another case fan.
Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU
Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ White Certified PSU
When buying a cost-effective PSU, we always recommend buying from reputable, reliable manufacturers. If you don’t, you run a serious risk of hardware malfunction down the line. For that reason, we’ve gone for a Thermaltake Smart 500W white-rated PSU. It isn’t going to win any awards for the most outstanding PSU, but it certainly does the job and will provide your components with efficient and safe power for years to come.
