It is quite common for you to have to spend well to buy a game console, PC, desktop or laptop regardless of what you are planning. But what if you have a budget of less than $ 500? Don’t worry as there are options for that too. Manufacturers come with devices with all in mind. Therefore, you will definitely get the things you are looking for on a strict budget. If you plan to buy one of the Gaming PCs under $ 500, this article is for you.
You will be amazed at the number of gaming PCs available and also under $ 500. Today’s competitive market and cutting-edge technology leave no stone unturned to make your dream come true without burning a hole in your pocket.
However, it cannot be denied that you will need to compromise on some features to balance the cost. However, it won’t stop you from pursuing your passion in a delicious way.
The following are the main factors to consider and weigh when you want to buy a gaming PC:
- Processor: This is the heart of the PC, and therefore an important deciding factor. The processor regulates the performance of the PC while you play.
- Graphics card: This is the second most important factor and is in fact almost as important as the choice of processor. The gaming experience is completed only when the game images are pleasant and realistic for the player. The graphics card’s job is simply to do this. It works to render beautiful graphics on your screen.
- RAM: A good amount of random access memory contributes greatly to the smooth running of your games. So a certain amount of RAM is definitely a factor to consider.
You also have another important decision to make when buying a gaming-specific computer – and that’s between a desktop and a laptop. Laptops give us the convenience of portability and take up less space. However, when the computer is used for gaming, the processor needs to work at full efficiency that causes heating of the device. The laptop’s cooling system is generally not equipped to handle such heat. The desktop, in such a case, works better and lasts longer. However, this choice varies from person to person. There are good options for strong laptops and desktops on the market. We are going to list desktops and laptops in separate sections.
With the above factors in mind, let’s browse the wonderful gaming PC options under $ 500.
See also: The best Lenovo gaming laptops
The best gaming PCs under $ 500
Desktops
Best PC under $ 500
-
Acer Aspire Desktop TC-780-ACKI5:
The Acer Aspire line of desktops is best suited for your gaming needs and fits your budget. The tower measures 15.6 “x 6.89” x 17.4 “(H x Wx D) and weighs around 8.3kg. It does not take up much space and is suitable for demanding users who have high processing demands.
Performance is powered by Intel Core i5-7400 processor with 12GB RAM. The processor is quad-core and is an entry-level processor in Kaby-Lake i5 processors. With turbo boost in the processor, it can also offer additional processing when needed. With 12 GB RAM, multitasking can be done very easily without slowing down the machine. When it comes to the graphics card, it’s got the Intel HD 630 card built in and it doesn’t have a separate graphics processing unit. Among the integrated graphics card, this Intel offer is the best. It is highly capable of handling tons of old games. However, with modern AAA games, the performance of the built-in graphics card degrades somewhat. But not all is lost, as a slot is provided to connect a dedicated graphics card.
Other hardware features include HDMI, USB, LAN, and DVD R / W. There are two 3.5mm jacks for plugging in headphones and microphones. The machine comes with 2TB of storage.
This Acer desktop is best for mid-range gaming and great for multi-tasking. However, the built-in graphics card has problems with graphics intensive applications.
Acer Aspire Desktop TC-780-ACKI5 comes with a price of $ 429.99.
Recommended for:
- Entry level for mid-level players
- Anyone who plays older games that are less graphics intensive
Stylish but packed with performance
-
Lenovo Ideacentre 310s:
This desk makes you believe in the saying, “Don’t judge anyone by their looks.” Measuring almost half the size of ordinary PCs, this device is packed with features. The tower dimensions are 13.54 “x 3.54” x 11.69 “(H x W x D) and the weight is only 4.3kg.
The Lenovo Ideacentre 310s has a powerful dual core processor, AMD A9-9430 7th generation with 8GB RAM DDR4. The graphics card present in the system is the AMD Radeon R5 triple core. The performance of this chip in combination with the graphics is very good and surpasses even the i3 and i5 processors. Other hardware features include two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, and RJ45 Ethernet. It also has an SD card reader and a DVD R / W drive. The system consists of 1TB HDD Storage. The system gets hot during intense gaming and this could be a concern for some users.
Lenovo Ideacentre 310s comes with a price of $ 465.
Recommended for:
- Occasional players who need compact systems
- Any player who plays entry level games
Better performance/price ratio
-
Acer Aspire Desktop TC-780-ACKI3:
This is Acer’s second appearance on the list. This system is the predecessor of Acer Aspire Desktop TC-780-ACKI5. In design, it is similar to the previous machine with dimensions 15.6 “x 6.89” x 17.4 “(H x W x D) and a weight of around 8.3 kg.
The Intel Core i3 dual – core CPU 7th generation Intel architecture Kaby-Lake. There is no turbo boost, unlike the successor. The system has 8GB RAM, but you can add additional RAM on the provided ports. It has an integrated Intel HD 630 graphics card and no separate graphics processing unit.
Other hardware features include 3 USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and VGA outputs, and a DVD R / W drive. Storage is also a step away from the successor in 1 TB HDD. The system, however, is mediocre in 3D games due to lower RAM. The advantage of the price-function ratio of the system is really great.
Acer Aspire Desktop TC-780-ACKI3 comes with a price of $ 359.99.
Recommended for:
- Entry-level players as the processor is suitable only for less intensive games
- Hobbyists on a tight budget
Laptops
The best gaming laptop under $ 500
-
ASUS VivoBook F510UA:
This is the last participant in the low budget notebook category and it is here to stay.
The design of the laptop is very elegant and only 0.8 inches thick. It is also extremely light and weighs just 3.7 pounds. The entire body is made of plastic with a shiny exterior. The keyboard is quite large and comfortable to use. The mouse pad is precise and responsive.
Vivobook has the Intel Core i5-8250U processor with the latest Kaby Lake-R architecture with 8GB RAM. It also has a turbo boost, which it supports in case of additional processing requirements. This 8 th generation processor offers powerful performance. The laptop has integrated UHD 620 graphics. Graphics are not good for a 3D game. Games that don’t require a lot of hardware are good to play on the laptop. There are Vivobooks that have a dedicated graphics card and are more suitable for gaming, but are priced higher than this model. The laptop has a 1TB HDD storage unit.
The 15.6 ”screen has a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. It is an IPS NanoEdge screen with an amazing 80% screen-to-body ratio. The brightness of the screen is not very high. The speakers on the laptop are really good and handle a high volume really well. The other hardware features include a USB 3.1 (Type C) port, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI port. It also has an SD card reader and a 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack. The battery lasts 4-5 hours from a medium-use charge. If usage is low and basic, the laptop can run all day.
Asus Vivobook F510UA is available with a price of $ 479.
Recommended for:
- Suitable for entry level games that are not hardware intensive
- Users who need a powerful battery
Best for light games
-
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM:
The design of this laptop is definitely robust. It is made of black plastic and lightweight design on the lid and inside. The laptop is 5.06 pounds in weight and 10.2 “x 1.5” x 1.2 “is its dimensions.
The Aspire E15 houses an Intel Core i3-7100U processor with 4GB of RAM. The setup is very good and the machine is suitable for light multi-tasking. The laptop comes with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics card. The integrated graphics card is good enough to run games like Counter Strike Go in high settings. It has 1TB of storage space.
Aspire E15 has a 15.6-inch screen with a screen resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels. The color quality of the screen is moderate and has clear brightness limits. The laptop keyboard is illuminated and includes a numeric keypad. The touchpad response is quite accurate and responsive. It comes with a DVD-RW drive. It has two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 ports, VGA and HDMI outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, SD card slot and Combo-microphone headphone jack. The Aspire E15’s speakers offer a fairly accurate output and high enough to fill a medium-sized room.
Acer claims the battery lasts for 8 hours, which is enough for the laptop with this setup.
Acer Aspire E15 E5-575-33BM is available priced at $ 359.99.
Recommended for:
- Suitable for beginners in games
- Games where the RAM requirement is not very high
Other models worth buying
The best gaming PC with great features
CybertronPC Patriot One Gaming Desktop
This is one of the best gaming PC for 500 bucks which is designed to run all kinds of games smoothly. This PC allows you to enjoy not only games, but also movies, videos, programs and other things. With AMD A4-6300 Dual-Core 3.7GHz processor with 8GB DDR3 memory, 1TB HDD, AMD radeon HD 8370D graphics card, it guarantees you can enjoy games without problems. Although the processor is not quad-core, other powerful features, such as high-capacity RAM and solid graphics card, can provide the necessary performance for gaming. So this is a great option that runs on original Windows 10 so you can enjoy all the recent features and functionality.
Best gaming PC under $ 500 with a wide viewing angle
HP Pavilion 550-110 Gaming Desktop
Another good gaming PC under 500 that you can consider taking your gaming experience to a great level. The powerful Intel HD Graphics 4400 processor makes video games really fun and while the wide viewing angle allows you to enjoy the game from any point of view. The features that are responsible for providing such a nice performance are the 4th generation of the Intel Core i3 4170 processor at 3.7 GHz, 8GB RAM DDR3 , 1TB hard drive, 1TB SATA at 7200 RPM, etc. In addition to fast performance, other things to include are a great multitasking opportunity, stunning visuals, enhanced and maximum security, while the Super Multiple DVD Drive has an added bonus. It runs on Windows 10 Home.
The best gaming PC under $ 500 with a powerful processor
CybertronPC Borg-Q Gaming Desktop
An excellent gaming PC where the highest performance can be expected due to the presence of a quad core processor. Yes, this gaming PC includes Quad-Core MD FX-4130 processor at 3.80GHz to give you the best gaming experience. Along with this 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB SATA II, the NVIDIA GeForce GT610 graphics card are the specs that guarantee you will never face any kind of lag while working or playing any game on PC. When it comes to connectivity, you will be flooded with various options, as this PC includes a 4 USB 3.0 port, a 2 USB 2.0 port, HDMI, VGA, RJ-45 Ethernet network, etc.
One of the best cheapest board games under $ 400
CybertronPC Trooper-X6 Gaming Desktop
If you are very tight on the budget but want to have a PC gambling in some way, this could be one of the best options to look for that you will get less than $ 400. But the price does not indicate the quality, it is also full of all the high-end specs such as AMD A4-6300 dual-core 3.70GHz processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB HDD, Radeon graphics coprocessor, AMD A58 chipset, etc. For connectivity, users are left with as many options as USB 2.0 port 6, HDMI port 1 and more. It is available on Amazon.
Lenovo’s $ 500 Best Gaming PC
Lenovo Ideacentre 300s Slim Gaming Desktop
A more affordable gaming PC under 500 to put on Lenovo’s list. What we are talking about, from the visual quality to the excellent performance, watching high quality videos, an excellent configuration and a perfect package, this desktop will leave you breathless. Specifications include a powerful 2.9 GHz Intel Core i5-4460 processor that can go up to 3.4 GHz with Turbo Boost technology. In addition, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive, Intel HD graphics, and HDMI port are other features. The inclusion of the DVD drive allows you to stack and view DVD or CD recordings.
Best gaming desk under $ 500 with high-end features
SkyTech Shadow AMD-730 Gaming Desktop
This gaming desk is definitely a great search option that you would get at a very reasonable price and would really have to work hard to get similar PC video games at the same price. It is powered by high-end specs like AMD FX-4300 4-Core 3.8GHz processor, AMD 760G chipset, 1TB hard drive, 8GB DDR3 graphics card, 2GB GeForce GT 730 GDDRXNXX, watts and radio effects, watts and effects. This desktop computer is Wi-Fi ready, while for connectivity there are HDMI, 3 USB 430 and VGA. Windows 7 Professional is the operating system offered with this gaming PC.
The best gaming PC with a great look
CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA880 Gaming Desktop
This is the last gaming PC on our list that gamers around the world love. Packed with some pretty impressive specs like the AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core 3.80GHZ processor, AMD 760G chipset, 1TB HDD, and 8GB DDR3 RAM alongside Windows 10 Home, this gaming PC is available at a very reasonable price at $ 500. For connectivity, it offers 1 HDMI, VGA, DVI and 6 USB 2.0 ports. With all this, the appearance is also attractive.
The best $ 500 gaming PCs are listed in the article. They are from different manufacturers and have powerful configurations. Its high-level specifications ensure that playing any type of games on those PCs will truly deliver an incredible experience.
See Also: Best Portable Monitors To Buy In 2019