Best cheap prebuilt gaming PC under $500 in 2024 – our top budget desktops
On a strict budget then these cheap prebuilt gaming PCs might give you a good start to your enjoyment
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Gaming desktops can cost a lot of money, but did you know you can get an entry-level experience with one of the best cheap prebuilt gaming PCs under $500? That’s right, gaming isn’t just reserved for those with huge budgets for gaming PCs, but you should certainly reign in your expectations, a cheap gaming PC under $500 will struggle with high resolutions or maxed-out graphics settings.
In any case, today, we are going to be finding you the best prebuilt gaming PC under $500, while also talking through a few key areas for your consideration, before finally reviewing each selected model. You can also check out our budget gaming PC page for prebuilt gaming PCs of various budgets. We will update this page with the latest choices but for those in a rush and want a quick look our top picks are the STGAubron Gaming PC, STGAubron RX 580, and Skytech Gaming Mini PC X1.
If you don’t have time to read the full article, we have selected the STGAubron Gaming PC (RTX 2060) as the best-prebuilt gaming PC. This is all thanks to the affordable performance it brings with its RTX 2060 and Core i5-4590 pairing. It might not be the most powerful PC in the world, but it will play AAA titles in 1080p. At $500, it’s not uncommon to see PCs with just an APU in them, however, we have managed to find multiple with a dedicated GPU, skyrocketing your value for money.
Best cheap prebuilt gaming PC under $500
The best cheap prebuilt PC under $500 should suit your needs. It should not be the best looking, or the best performing, but one that does exactly what you need it to do. One of the first things you need to do before getting the best cheap $500 prebuilt is to decide your use case. because we don’t know exactly what you need, we have outlined the PCs that give you the best value for money.
Finding a well-made prebuilt gaming PC under $500 does require some digging around. Luckily for you though, our team of enthusiasts have made sure you can make your budget stretch.
STGAubron Gaming PC (RTX 2060)
STGAubron Gaming PC (RTX 2060)
CPU
Intel Quad Core i5-4590
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
RAM
16GB RAM
Storage
512GB SSD
- Features an SSD for fast performance
- Strong GPU with the RTX 2060
- Old CPU may hold back the performance
In the market for a smaller-sized PC, then STGAubron has you covered with a smaller case. It does also feature older hardware though, with the Quad Core i5-4590 and an RTX 2060. This is a comparatively newer and stronger option (on a budget) that will allow you a great choice of GPU, although the CPU option might hold you back when it comes to performance instead. It’s a small sacrifice to make when you have such a value GPU pushing the pixels.
For its memory and storage, you also get a good speed and capacity. As for the RAM, you have 16GB which will improve the option for playing modern games with higher texture counts. This kind of build is great for competitive games like Valorant, Apex Legends, Fortnite or Counter-Strike. Along with an SSD that gives you fast and responsive performance in general, although it is a more limited capacity these days.
STGAubron Gaming Desktop PC (RX 580)
STGAubron Gaming Desktop PC (RX 580)
CPU
Intel Quad Core i7-4770
GPU
Radeon RX 580
RAM
16 GB
Storage
512GB SSD
- Includes peripherals
- 16GB of memory
- Includes SSD at the price
- Still a relatively strong GPU
- Very old and outdated CPU
There are some prebuilt PCs that will feature discrete graphics cards inside of them. However, you may find some old hardware scattered around, and that includes the STGAubron Gaming Desktop PC with the AMD Radeon RX 580 in it. As in it you also find the Intel Quad Core i7-4770, these are from 2017 and 2013 respectively at end-of-life. So these might not be the strongest or newest options but the GPU should still give you a good alternative over onboard graphics.
The PC also comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD. This means that it is capable of fast storage and loading a lot of information especially when it comes to the graphics and information of a game in which the 16GB of memory becomes standard. The SSD also makes it seem like a much faster experience, although it is on the smaller side of capacity, it is easy to expand with big storage options.
You also get the inclusion of peripherals to try and make up the value of the older hardware included. But you also get a variety of connectivity with the inclusion of WiFi and Bluetooth onboard. Along with plenty of RGB to light up your whole setup across the board.
Skytech Gaming Mini PC X1 (AMD Ryzen 5600G)
Skytech Gaming Mini PC X1 (Ryzen 5 5600G)
CPU
Ryzen 5 5600G
GPU
Radeon Vega 7
RAM
16GB DDR4
Storage
500GB NVMe SSD
- Compact design
- Fast NVMe SSD drive
- Good build quality
- No dedicated GPU
- Not designed to be upgraded in future
Here’s an interesting configuration. Another option is this mini gaming PC from the well-respected prebuilt brand Skytech. This features the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G APU, a pretty modern processor compared to some other options here. It will be much harder to upgrade your rig though given its compact design and lack of a dedicated graphics card to save space. However, the 5600G is a decent performer for lightweight 1080p gaming, similar to dedicated GPUs like the GT 1030 or RX 550.
It also features 16GB of RAM, which is a good capacity these days for larger running games. Despite only having 500GB of storage space, this is stored on a super fast NVMe drive. As such, your speeds will be great and provide a responsive experience, though we’d suggest some external storage as well if you want to install plenty of games.
HP Gaming PC (Intel i5, RTX 2060) Renewed
HP RGB Gaming Desktop PC (Intel i5, RTX 2060) Renewed
CPU
Intel Core i5
GPU
RTX 2060
RAM
16GB
Storage
512GB SSD & 2TB HDD
- Lots of storage space across both SSD and HDD
- Compact build with RTX-level graphics
- Keyboard & mouse included
- Renewed
- Specific CPU model not specified
At this price point, you can also find some refurbished systems. Although they might be used they still provide a good entryway into the space, especially under $500, so this HP Gaming system is a good start. Looks great too with RGB lighting on the case.
It does come with an Intel Quad i5 but it doesn’t suggest the actual model, which could limit what you have and could be on the lower end. It is paired up with an RTX 2060 which is a very budget gaming GPU although it isn’t a top spec, it is good for entry-level 1080p gaming.
However, it still comes with 16GB of memory which keeps it modern and capable of running modern software and keeping it relevant. This is the case for the storage as well as you get both SSD and HDD, with 2.5TB combined, much more than the 1TB or less we see in many budget prebuilt. This means you get fast and responsive usage but with a lot of space for all your games.
Empowered PC Continuum Micro Gaming Desktop
Empowered PC Continuum Micro Gaming Desktop
CPU
Ryzen 3 5300G
GPU
Vega 6
RAM
16GB DDR4
Storage
256GB NVMe SSD
- A more modern CPU choice than other offerings at this price
- Uses a fast NVMe for boot and storage
- No dedicated GPU relying on integrated
- Limited to just 256GB of storage, will require additional installed
This Empowered PC Continuum Micro gaming desktop offers an AMD Ryzen experience for its processing. Featuring a Ryzen 3 5300G, it provides Radeon Graphics in a capable processor.
The graphics are based on Vega 6 and as you might expect from an integrated solution, it does provide just HD support. At 1080p you can expect good performance for the lower requirement games, not anything AAA. 16GB RAM should provide a lot more performance for the onboard graphics and general processing, we’d avoid 8GB RAM these days.
Where it does provide some good opportunity is a 256GB NVMe that will make it feel much faster in boot speed and using applications. However, that is the only storage device, so you’re likely to fill it up with an OS and just a handful of big games. This means it will be best to expand it much like being able to add in a GPU.
Are prebuilt PCs upgradable?
Technically, yes, but sometimes no. It depends on where you get your prebuilt PC. Some major PC manufacturers, such as HP and ASUS (not exclusively these brands) use proprietary components such as the motherboard or PSU to prevent you from upgrading your system. The idea is that you’ll come back and buy another prebuilt when you need more power.
Under normal circumstances, you can upgrade a standard prebuilt, as most 3rd party manufacturers use standard components that can be used with other parts, but there comes a point of diminishing returns. If you’re going to try and upgrade your prebuilt, you have to know exactly which parts you want to swap out, and you have to know both how and why. While the motherboard socket is going to be a limiting factor, especially with Intel.
At this point, you have to ask yourself why you’ve gone for a prebuild in the first place. You’re dealing with someone else’s design concept, and whatever quality level their components are. You can boost various elements of that design concept by carefully replacing some elements. But be sure you understand what it is about the prebuild that you’re spending money on, and what you want to keep, compared to a scratch-build.
Cheap gaming PC alternatives
We would advise you to aim for a prebuilt gaming PC no lower than $800 for a reasonable experience. Everything below will need upgrading sooner rather than later and nobody enjoys lowering settings or resolution when playing.
For those on the fence, with limited funds for the foreseeable future, there are a few alternatives to buying a cheap gaming PC. Firstly, Valves Steam Deck is a seriously good option for the under $500 price point. This tiny machine can run all your favorite games and if you love the odd FPS title, you can hook the Steam Deck up to a PC and use a mouse and keyboard with it.
Not convinced? Well, you could always look into the PS5 and Xbox Series X. These gaming systems are priced at under $500 and can play games in 4K.
FAQs
How long do prebuilt PCs last?
How long a prebuilt PC lasts depends on several factors – not least of which is who built it, and why. You’re probably going to pay more for prebuilds that are as future-proof as self-builds, because high-quality long-life components will naturally be more expensive than lower-quality, shorter-life components.
There is also the question of what you use your prebuild for. Keep running high-res graphics and hardcore RAM-draining games, and you’ll probably notice your machine running slower, giving you less when you play, after anything as little as 2 years, 3 at the most. If your gaming is less demanding, it’s harder to see the drop-off in performance, so you might get away with 5 years.
There is only so much future-proofing manufacturers can do to the components they put into prebuilds because a) the industry moves forward fast, b) their main interest is in remaining profitable, and c) gaming demands new capabilities faster than they can often adjust production lines.
What can you expect from a prebuilt gaming PC under $500?
When buying PCs towards the lower end of the scale it is very important to check out the specifications first. Whether you’re spending thousands or a few hundred, the last thing we want is to waste your cash, and while setting a budget is a great way to do this, the PC still needs to be able to run your chosen games.
But with a lot of these prebuilt under $500, coming in less than some GPUs these days, you can’t expect much. With at most solid 1080p performance that gets good frame rates in esports titles. You would have to rely on any upscaling tech to get some better, which is good as FSR and DLSS tech has been around for a while and included even in many budget-friendly GPUs.
Final word
Finding the best prebuilt gaming PC under $500 is quite challenging but every option we have included offers great value. If you can afford more, then we would recommend you go for an $800 prebuilt gaming PC, with these offering excellent graphics and performance in 1080p, allowing you to play games in high detail with decent FPS results.
Regardless, you are getting a gaming PC here that will be able to play your favorite esports titles with ease. You may have to tweak settings to get your desired frame rate on the more demanding titles, it certainly won’t be the best graphics but it will be super for low-end options. When deciding on one be sure to check the power supply, storage, and motherboard so it is the right fit overall for you. We usually recommend building your PC, but some people have neither the knowledge nor the time, if that is the case, a prebuilt PC might be the best for you.
