Top 10 Best Cheap Gaming PC

John Doe May 02, 2022

When it comes to gaming, budget PCs haven’t always been shoo-ins. The more powerful the components are, after all, the more expensive they tend to be. Or at least, they used to be. With AMD changing the GPU and CPU scenes thanks to its capable yet affordable offerings like the bargain AMD Radeon RX 5700 and value-oriented Ryzen 3rd Generation CPUs, graphics cards and processors are more affordable than ever. This has allowed budget PCs to hit the gaming arena with some pretty impressive contributions of their own.

Our first recommendation for PC gamers is always to build your own PC, because it's a fun process that will almost always save you some money in the long run.

But that process does that does take time and patience. And with the right cheap gaming PC deal, you can avoid that barrier, and maybe even end up saving a bit of money over building your own. At the very least, it's a whole lot more convenient. And if you'd rather stay portable we've got the best cheap gaming laptop deals to keep you covered too.

1. HP Omen Gaming Desktop

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X â— GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti â— RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2 x 8GB) â— Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD â— Weight: 32.5 pounds â— Size: 8.23" x 18.82" x 18.62" (W x D x H)

You can get a lot of machine for $1700 when you go for the HP Omen Gaming Desktop. The model we’ve got picked out comes with plenty to get you gaming at 1080p or 1440p alongside high framerates. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is a beast of a CPU and should hold up for a good while. Meanwhile, the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti offers heaps of performance for its price.

The system comes with a fast SSD for the operating system, apps, and your favorite games. That drive is also bringing a full terabyte of space. If you need more storage, though, it’s easy to add extra. Surprisingly, for a budget-friendly gaming PC, HP has actually opted to use an AIO liquid cooler for the CPU.

2. HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 5300G â— GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 â— RAM: 8GB DDR4 â— Storage: 256GB SSD â— Weight: 13.14 pounds â— Size: 6.10” x 11.42” x 13.27" (W x D x H)

These days, HP is better known for its value PCs that offer decent power at affordable prices. So, when it comes to budget PC gaming, it’s hardly a surprise that HP has something that’s much cheaper than its rivals. For $1400 (or $1200 with a current deal), you can get a Pavilion gaming desktop with a quad-core AMD Ryzen 3 5300G processor under the hood. Meanwhile the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 is a solid 1080p performer for competitive online games – like Apex Legends and Valorant – and AAA experiences.

The downside to paying that low price? You’re getting a boxy desktop PC with an unimaginative design and hardly any RGB lighting. The 256GB SSD also won't hold a ton of games, but you should have no trouble adding in a cheap hard drive after the fact. If that’s not a deal-breaker for you, then you’ve got a winner here.

3. CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme

CPU: Intel Core i5-11400F â— GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT â— RAM: 16GB DDR4 â— Storage: 500GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, 1TB HDD â— Weight: 32.5 pounds â— Size: 6.5" x 16.6" x 17" (W x D x H)

Quality 1080p gaming is easy to achieve. You just need a speedy CPU and a modest graphics card. That’s just what the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme we’ve picked out delivers. Inside, you’ll find an Intel Core i5-11400F, which isn’t exactly a beast but is more than enough to get the job done while keeping the price down. That’s paired with a very competent AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics processor that might not be a champ for ray-tracing or 4K but can fly at 1080p.

The system comes running on a 500GB SSD to keep the OS and your most-played games zippy, but it also includes a 1TB hard drive you can use to store files and your extended game library. An added bonus: The system comes with four RGB fans pre-installed.

4. SkyTech Shadow 3.0

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 â— GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 â— RAM: 16GB DDR4 (3,000MHz) â— Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD â— Weight: 33.2 pounds â— Size: 8.3" x 17.9" x 16.4" (W x D x H)

Nvidia's RTX 3060 is a great partner for 1440p gaming, but it's unfortunately difficult to get your hands on directly from retailers. But, if you're looking for an entire computer that can give you that 1440p gaming greatness, then the SkyTech Shadow 3.0 is an excellent option.

This PC comes pretty well kitted out, boasting an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with 16GB of DDR4 memory clocked at 3,000MHz. That's definitely enough horsepower to keep your system running smooth. Factor in the RTX 3060, and you'll be gaming with the best of them. The CPU might not hit 300fps at 1080p and the GPU might not fare much better at 4K, but they'll strike a great balance in 1440p that can net you quality visuals and smooth frames for a great gaming experience.

5. NZXT BLD Starter Pro

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400F â— GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 â— RAM: 16GB DDR4 (3,000MHz) â— Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD â— Size: 7.91" x 16.85" x 18.11" (W x D x H)

NZXT’s BLD Starter Pro not only provides a powerful machine but also simplifies the process of getting a computer that will deliver the performance you need. With NZXT’s BLD series, you’ll be able to see the frame rates you can expect from your pre-built system based on the hardware configuration. No more wondering if one CPU and another GPU will combine to give you a steady 144fps in Fortnite at 1080p (hint: it’s 168fps in Fortnite on this build).

The NZXT BLD Starter Pro comes running an Intel Core i5-11400F — a true mid-range champ — and an Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card. That’ll manage all but the most demanding games and should provide ample performance at 1080p and 1440p. There’s also 1TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage for a quickly accessible game library. Another big perk of NZXT’s BLD systems is that the company plainly lists the brand-name components used, so you get a clear picture of what’s coming in the build. Plus, it all comes in a NZXT H510 case – the compact version of one of our favorite mid tower PC cases.

6. SkyTech Archangel

The best bang for your buck

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 Series | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 1TB HDD 7200RPM

Great value

Easy to upgrade

The design isn't for everyone

No included SSD

SkyTech PC isn't the most recognizable name in the game, but this company has some of the best deals we've seen on prebuilt gaming PCs. The Ryzen edition of the SkyTech Archangel desktop is the perfect place to start for new PC gamers. The Archangel is already capable of running most games in 1080p on high settings, but it's also easily upgraded.

Since the PC doesn't include an SSD, that would be an obvious choice for an upgrade. The Ryzen 3 1200 that's included is a budget AMD CPU that offers great performance but could easily be upgraded to a 5 or 7 series further down the line. Unlike some of the bigger name brands, SkyTech's PCs don't have any built-in bloatware to worry about. If you don't mind the aesthetic and have a budget in the $600 range, the Archangel is one of the few choices that rival building it yourself.

7. Acer Gaming Desktop Aspire TC-780-UR1E

Great for newcomers to PC gaming

CPU: Intel Core i5-7400 | GPU: AMD R9 360 | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 256GB SSD

Includes 256GB SSD

Easy to upgrade

Great performance for the price

Older components

If you're on an even tighter budget or just looking to get your foot in the door for PC gaming, Acer's Aspire Gaming Desktop TC-780 is a solid place to start. The desktop features Intel's Core i5-7400 for a CPU and AMD's older R9 360 for a graphics card. These are older generation components, but the combination is still capable enough for 1080p gaming on medium settings. It won't get you much further than that but it's a great place to start and can be easily upgraded down the line.

The system already comes with a 256GB SSD installed, which is great at this price point. A new graphics card further down the line will make this PC even more viable for modern gaming. Acer also offers great support which can be handy for users that are new to PC gaming.

8. ABS Simpli

One of the cheapest entryways to PC gaming

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 | GPU: Nvidia GT 730 2GB | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 1TB HDD

Great for beginners

Stable 30-40fps on medium/low settings

Easy to upgrade

GPU could definitely use an upgrade

If you're reading this, chances are you've probably heard of a site called Newegg before. What you may not have known is that Newegg actually came from a PC company called ABS Computer Technologies. The company is much busier now being one of the top PC retailers, but it hasn't forgotten its roots and is still making and selling ABS computers today.

One of those prebuilt systems is the ABS Simpli. As the same suggest, the Simpli is a simple prebuilt PC that doesn't offer a whole lot out of the box. The graphics card will only allow you to comfortably play games on lower settings, but the system can easily be upgraded over time without costing a whole lot. A simple upgrade to an SSD and a better graphics card will go a very long way towards making this a viable PC for high end gaming.

9. Acer Predator Orion 3000

Affordable gaming at its best

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660

Graphics: 10th-gen Inte Core i5

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 512GB SSD

REASONS TO BUY

+Cool gamer aesthetic+Great cooling solution

REASONS TO AVOID

-Higher configurations are pricey

Although the Acer Predator Orion 3000’s higher configurations are out of most budget gamers’ price range, its base configuration is very much accessible, sitting at under $1,000. There’s still very much to love here, however, that GTX 1660 graphics card is still an excellent 1080p gaming contender even in the RTX 3000 world. Its RGB lighting and cooling solution only add to its value.

10. MSI Trident 3 9th

A great performer

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: up to 9th-generation Intel Core i7

Graphics: up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super

RAM: up to 16GB

Storage: up to 1TB

REASONS TO BUY

+Lots of power+Compact

REASONS TO AVOID

-Come with bloated software

If looking good matters to you as much as power, then you might love the MSI Trident 3 9th, especially if you’re partial to a gaming-leaning aesthetic. It’s not all looks either. This small gaming PC touts plenty of power under the hood for less than its rivals, with 9th-generation Intel Core processors and the best Nvidia RTX and GTX graphics. It’s even cheaper than many of the gaming PCs on this list, with its Intel Core i7 + RTX 2060 Super +16GB RAM configuration setting you back much less than a HP Omen 25L with equivalent specs. If you’re trying to maximize your limited space and budget, this is the best budget gaming PC for you.