Best $500 gaming PC build for 2025

All ninth-generation consoles tend to target the $500 mark, so we got curious about what kind of gaming PC one can build for a similar price. While systems like the PlayStation and Xbox have always won the war in terms of ease of use and well-roundedness, a computer gives users flexibility and upgradability, features consistently missing from other devices.

In this article, we analyzed the current market prices to come up with a gaming PC around the $500 mark. The system specs were chosen in such a way that they can compete with consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions

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$500 gaming PC builds pack a ton of performance these days

The Cooler Master Q300L is a fantastic budget case for entry-level gaming rigs (Image via Cooler Master)

Multiple modern gaming PC parts have been lucratively discounted lately. The holiday season is a great time for gamers to score deals on components, which drives the total price of the right down. Moreover, storage and memory prices have also hit all-time lows, helping us squeeze a great deal of performance on a tight budget.

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Parts list

Here are the detailed parts to consider for a capable $500 gaming PC:

1. CPU: Intel Core i3-13100F 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Processor - $79.00
2. Motherboard: ASRock H610M-HVS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard - $69.98
3. Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory - $30.99
4. Storage: PNY CS900 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive - $25.99
5. Video Card (GPU): ASRock Challenger OC Arc B580 12 GB Video Card - $249
6. Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L MicroATX Mini Tower Case - $36.99
7. Power Supply (PSU): Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply - $39.99

The Core i3-13100F is our CPU of choice for a budget gaming PC. The chip isn't the latest or most capable. However, the single-core performance marks of Rocket Lake processors are enough to handle the latest games without major issues. Moreover, the $79 price tag on the CPU is definitely a selling point.

We recommend pairing the i3 with an inexpensive H610 board. These entry-level options are more than enough for chips like the 13100F and enable us to save some cash for other components. We are aiming to spend at least 50% of our budget on the GPU to maximize gaming potential.

Coming to the memory sticks, we have opted for a pair of TeamGroup T-Force Vulcan Z 8 GB sticks, totaling 16 gigabytes. This is the bare minimum for 2025 and is enough for all video games out there. Do note that our platform is DDR4, so we can't get any newer DDR5 RAM.

For storage, we have listed an inexpensive 500 GB SATA SSD from PNY. This is enough to get you started. The motherboard also has options to add more drives once you max this SSD out.

The B580 12 GB has been a fantastic new launch from Team Blue (Image via ASRock)

Next up is the most important component of a gaming system: the GPU. Given we are operating on a tight budget of $500, getting one of the latest pixel pushers from AMD or Nvidia seemed too audacious. This is where Intel's latest B580 12 GB comes in.

The card is about as powerful as the RTX 2080 Super while costing much less than it. While you'll miss out on ray tracing and upscaling performance, the GPU is pretty good at rasterization workloads. According to theoretical estimates, it is supposed to be slightly faster than the GPU inside the PS5. This makes it a solid option for entry-level gamers.

Coming to the case and power supply, we have opted for standard and reliable solutions from reliable hardware manufacturers like Cooler Master and Thermaltake. You can customize these parts based on the kind of looks you prefer for your gaming PC.

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This is roughly what you should expect from a $500 gaming PC in early 2025. Do note that our list slightly exceeds the target margin by about $30. However, you can offset this by opting for a used CPU and motherboard. The i3-13100F is frequently available for about $50 these days.

In conclusion, setups in the $500 range have gotten super competitive lately and you can easily expect the rig above to outperform consoles in several games. With time, we expect hardware manufacturers to keep pushing performance-per-dollar metrics to the tune where the original PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will fall behind PC hardware.