Is A Gaming PC For 500 Pounds Possible?
Don’t be scared! Building a PC for gaming on a £500 budget is totally doable if you’re smart about your choices and look for bargains. Sure, you won’t be able to crank up the settings on the newest games, but you’ll still have a great time playing.
To save money, consider a budget-friendly processor like an AMD Ryzen 3 or Intel Core i3. Pair that with a mid-range graphics card like an Nvidia GTX 1650 Super or AMD Radeon RX 570 for decent performance without breaking the bank. You can save even more by checking out the used market for things like RAM, storage, and even accessories, or waiting for sales on new parts.
So, with a little planning and some savvy shopping, building a £500 gaming PC is not only possible, it can be surprisingly powerful for the price!
Parts List
When building a gaming PC for 500 pounds, price to performance is extremely important. Getting the most performance out of your machine is essential, as most modern games are heavy to run.
Processor
We chose the Ryzen 5 5500 for its exceptional balance of performance and affordability, making it an ideal choice for our gaming pc for 500 pounds.
The Ryzen 5 5500 packs a punch for a budget CPU. Here’s why it’s a great choice for your £500 gaming PC:
- Strong performance: With 6 cores and Zen 3 architecture, it handles both games and multitasking smoothly.
- Fast clock speeds: These keep games running without slowdowns.
- Easy on the wallet: It stays within your £500 budget while still delivering great performance.
- Future-proof: The Ryzen 5 5500 works well with modern games and leaves room for future upgrades, so your gaming PC will last.
Overall, the Ryzen 5 5500 is a perfect balance of price and performance, making it an ideal CPU for your budget gaming build.
Motherboard
We selected the Gigabyte B550M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 motherboard for its robust features and compatibility with our budget gaming PC build. This motherboard offers excellent value for money while providing essential functionalities required for gaming and everyday computing tasks.
Its AM4 socket ensures compatibility with the latest Ryzen processors, including our chosen Ryzen 5 5500, allowing for seamless integration and optimal performance. This motherboard won’t break the bank but keeps your options open for the future.
- Latest tech support: The B550 chipset includes PCIe 4.0, which means you’ll get the fastest data transfer speeds possible. This future-proofs your system for upcoming hardware upgrades, so you won’t have to worry about bottlenecks down the line.
- Compact size, big potential: The Micro ATX form factor fits well in smaller cases that are typically more affordable. Despite its size, the Gigabyte B550M DS3H still offers plenty of connections for your peripherals and room for adding extra components later on.
Overall, the Gigabyte B550M DS3H Micro ATX motherboard delivers the reliability, performance, and affordability we need to create a powerful yet budget-friendly gaming PC for 500 pounds.
Memory
We opted for the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 memory kit for its stellar combination of performance, reliability, and value.
Packing 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory across two modules, this RAM kit is a perfect fit for your budget gaming build. The ample memory capacity ensures smooth performance for gaming, multitasking between applications, and everyday tasks. The DDR4-3200 speed allows for swift data transfer, keeping your system responsive and games running smoothly.
Reliability and compatibility are key when choosing components, and Corsair’s Vengeance LPX modules excel in both areas. They’re renowned for working seamlessly with a wide range of components, including your chosen Ryzen 5 5500 processor and Gigabyte B550M K motherboard. Additionally, the low-profile design ensures easy installation by fitting comfortably under most CPU coolers, avoiding any clearance issues during setup.
Overall, the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB DDR4-3200 memory kit offers the perfect balance of speed, capacity, and affordability, making it an ideal choice for our gaming pc for 500 pounds.
Storage
We decided on the Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) for its exceptional blend of speed, capacity, and affordability, aligning perfectly with our gaming pc for 500 pounds.
The NVMe interface coupled with PCIe 4.0 technology ensures blazing-fast read and write speeds, significantly reducing load times and enhancing overall system responsiveness. With a spacious 1 TB capacity, the NV2 SSD offers ample storage for games, applications, and media files, allowing users to enjoy a vast library of content without worrying about running out of space.
Kingston’s reputation for reliability and durability further solidifies our choice, providing peace of mind that our storage solution will stand the test of time.
Overall, the Kingston NV2 1 TB NVMe SSD delivers the performance and capacity required for a seamless gaming experience, all within our budget constraints.
Graphics Card
We selected the PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB video card for its exceptional performance-to-price ratio and its suitability for our gaming pc for 500 pounds.
Despite its modest 4 GB of VRAM, the RX 6500 XT punches above its weight class, delivering smooth gaming experiences at 1080p resolution in a variety of modern titles. The Fighter OC variant from PowerColor offers additional value with its factory overclocked speeds, enhancing gaming performance right out of the box without breaking the bank.
Its compact form factor also makes it an ideal choice for smaller PC builds, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of cases. Moreover, the Radeon RX 6500 XT’s energy efficiency and low power requirements contribute to its appeal, making it an economical choice for budget-conscious gamers concerned about both performance and power consumption.
Overall, the PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB video card strikes an excellent balance between affordability and performance, making it an ideal choice for our gaming pc for 500 pounds.
Case
We opted for the Thermaltake S100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case as the housing for our gaming PC for 500 pounds due to its perfect blend of affordability, compactness, and functionality.
This case not only fits snugly within our budget constraints but also offers ample space for our components, ensuring efficient airflow and optimal cooling for our gaming rig. Its MicroATX form factor strikes the right balance between size and expandability, allowing us to accommodate our chosen components comfortably while leaving room for future upgrades.
Additionally, the sleek and minimalist design of the S100 adds a touch of style to our gaming setup without compromising on practicality.
With its sturdy build quality and thoughtful features such as tool-less drive installation and cable management options, the Thermaltake S100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case provides everything we need to house our gaming PC for 500 pounds securely and stylishly.
Power Supply
We selected the Corsair CX (2023) 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX power supply for our gaming PC for 500 pounds due to its reliability, efficiency, and affordability.
With a power output of 550 watts, it provides ample power for our components while offering headroom for future upgrades. The 80+ Bronze certification ensures high efficiency, reducing energy waste and keeping electricity bills low.
Corsair’s reputation for quality and reliability gives us confidence that our system will receive stable and clean power delivery, essential for the longevity and stability of our components. Additionally, the CX series’ affordable price point fits perfectly within our budget constraints, allowing us to allocate more funds to other crucial components without compromising on quality.
Overall, the Corsair CX (2023) 550 W power supply offers the perfect balance of performance, efficiency, and value for our gaming PC for 500 pounds.
Parts List
- Ryzen 5 5500
- Gigabyte B550M K Micro
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB
- Kingston NV2 1TB
- PowerColor Fighter RX 6500 XT
- Thermaltake S100
- Corsair CX 550 Bronze
The parts list for this computer can be found here.
The PC
This meticulously crafted PC packs a surprising punch for just £500. Here’s how each component works together to deliver a smooth gaming experience:
- The Core: The Ryzen 5 5500 CPU with its Zen 3 architecture and 6 cores is the heart of the beast. It tackles both games and multitasking with ease, ensuring smooth gameplay. Paired with the 16GB of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 memory, data access is swift, and even demanding titles run without a hitch.
- Graphics Power: The PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 6500 XT graphics card delivers solid 1080p gaming performance at a budget-friendly price. This efficient card, with its factory overclock, keeps frame rates smooth in modern titles despite its modest VRAM.
- Storage and Speed: Blazing-fast load times and ample storage for games are provided by the Kingston NV2 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD. This combination ensures a seamless gaming experience without sacrificing speed or space for your favourite games, applications, and media files.
- Reliable Power: The Corsair CX (2023) 550W 80+ Bronze certified power supply keeps the system running reliably and efficiently. It delivers clean and consistent power, crucial for component stability and a long lifespan for your PC.
- Cool and Compact: The Thermaltake S100 MicroATX Mini Tower Case keeps everything cool and secure with its thoughtful design and compact size. It’s the perfect home for this powerful yet budget-conscious gaming PC.
This carefully chosen combination of components creates a balanced and capable system that punches well above its weight, delivering impressive gaming performance without burning a hole in your wallet.
