Best Gaming Computers & PC Builds Under $500 in 2017

Want to jump in to PC gaming, but don't want to break the bank?

Best PC Build for Under $500

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Small PC, big potential.

The Specs:

  • CPU: Intel Core i3-7100 3.9GHz Dual-Core Processor
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX (LGA1151)
  • Case: Rosewill RANGER-M MicroATX Mini Tower
  • Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified Power Supply
  • Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400
  • Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Hard Drive
  • Graphics Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GAMING X 4G
  • Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Burner

This build, which has a PCPartPicker link here, is $488.45 (including applicable mail-in rebates) at the time of this writing.

Let’s briefly talk about the parts you’re looking at in this build.

The Core i3-7100 is a good entry-level dual-core processor that has a technology called “hyper-threading,” which allows it to create two additional virtual cores to help it work faster.

A 1TB hard drive is pretty sizeable. If you were to go out to a store and pick up a PS4 Pro, it would come with a 1TB hard drive. You can fit lots of games on this thing, and you can add a second hard drive down the line or even a solid state drive if you’re feeling like giving your loading times a real kick in the rear.

8GB of memory is enough these days for most games, but can be easily expanded to 16GB in the future, as there are a total of four memory slots and only two being used by this build. If you plan on adding more memory in the future, be sure to add memory which matches the memory used here!

EVGA is notorious for making high-quality power supplies. You can see an in-depth build quality breakdown by jonnyGURU here. 430 watts will be enough to power this build, as well as added storage devices.

The real kicker here, though, is that GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. This card is an absolute beast for the price, capable of running many of today’s games at a good pace, and in many cases hitting over 60 frames per second.

An added bonus of this build is that it’s a MicroATX case, which means it’s pretty dang small! 6.89″ x 13.86″ x 13.78″, to be exact.

Check out the next page to see our choice for the best pre-built PC for under $500.


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Author
Chris Jecks
Chris Jecks has been covering the games industry for over eight years. He typically covers new releases, FIFA, Fortnite, any good shooters, and loves nothing more than a good Pro Clubs session with the lads. Chris has a History degree from the University of Central Lancashire. He spends his days eagerly awaiting the release of BioShock 4.