How to build a gaming PC with 500 euros
After a hard day’s work, you’ve turned off your cell phone and sat in front of your trusty computer so you can relax with a good video game while you wait for dinner or go to bed for the next workday. Unfortunately, however, that computer you bought a few years ago now feels the full weight of obsolescence and is no longer able to run your favorite games as you would like.
At the moment, the finances to devote to a possible new update are not so large and, even if you want to buy a new gaming computer, you can not spend more than 500 €. Thing? Are you giving up your passion for video games for a purely economic problem? Make yourself comfortable and dedicate just a few minutes of your time to me: in the following guide I will show you, in fact, how to assemble a gaming PC with 500 euros (or so), so that you can “scrap” the current desktop PC and replace it with a new one. computer that can handle your favorite titles decently.
The computer in question will obviously not be a monster of power, but it will offer everything necessary to run, with the minimum settings, a large number of relatively recent titles; Furthermore, keep in mind that the PC in question may be updated in the future: for this reason, as soon as the economic situation allows it, you can add a video card or other more performing components, so you can play without interruptions for the next few years . Ready to go? OK, let’s get started!
Index
- Assembling a gaming PC with 500 euros: fundamental components
- Houses
- Motherboard
- Processor
- Cooling system
- RAM
- Disks and mass memories
- power supply
- Video Card
- Other peripherals for gaming PCs
- Monitor
- Mouse and keyboard
- Controller
- Headphones / Speakers
- Webcam
- How to build the PC
Assembling a gaming PC with 500 euros: fundamental components
While it may seem like too little expense for a dedicated gaming device, in the following chapters I will show you how it is actually possible to build a computer capable of running virtually any modern game (without exaggerating the graphics settings!), Spending around € 500. : a figure lower than that needed for many high-end smartphones.
To succeed in the enterprise, I will go to recommend components that have the right compromise between quality and price and, not to be underestimated, are perfectly compatible with each other: it makes no sense to buy an Intel CPU and try to insert it into an AMD motherboard. ! If you feel that you are not up to the question or that you are unable to choose the right components for the computer you have in mind, do not hesitate to ask friends, relatives or some more experienced technician for a hand: by doing so, you will avoid buying parts. useless or incompatible and you will speed up the assembly process of the gaming PC (which I will tell you about in the last chapter of the guide ).
I warn you that the inevitable fluctuation in prices can lead you to exceed, even if slightly, the budget of 500 € set to buy the essential components for the computer: in order to avoid unwelcome surprises, therefore, make sure you have some extra money available at the at the time of purchase, so as to be able to promptly compensate for any small fluctuations in spending.
At the time of writing this guide, the price of the cheapest configuration is around € 485 : as you can easily guess, it is still destined to change over time (down or up), so better not to use it as an absolute reference. and always calculate the total of all chosen hardware.
Houses
To start, you can immediately choose the case or the “box” in which all the components of the computer are enclosed. On this element you really have a large margin of choice, since there are houses of various sizes, shapes and colors; if you want, you can also opt for spectacular cases with LED lights , slots for additional fans and multiple USB ports on the front (the one normally accessible by simply reaching out).
When it comes to gaming PCs, the choice of the case must not take into consideration only the aesthetic aspect: we must also pay attention to the form factor of the motherboards , which limit the choice to cases with support for the ATX form factor , the most used for configurations of this type.
By opting for a case that supports ATX motherboards, you will have the certainty of being able to insert any modern motherboard, even if it comes with a smaller form factor (microATX for example): gaming houses, in fact, have various points of attack for the most common form factors. The error is around the corner, so be extra careful: don’t buy, for example, a case that only supports the microATX form factor, particularly if you’ve chosen an ATX motherboard, as you won’t be able to mount it to the inside.
Another feature to consider when choosing a gaming case are the presence of a good number of front USB ports ( USB 3.0 type , although some cases are available with USB Type-C ports ), inputs and outputs for headphones and microphone (available as 3.5mm jack) and LED lights (they make a lot of scene, but are not essential for the functioning of the computer).
For the budget gaming computer I’m helping you make, you can consider the Kolink Nimbus -Case RGB Mid-Tower ATX case , which offers the right space for all the necessary components, a good number of ports at the top. and dedicated fan slots, all without breaking the bank.
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If you are looking for something more aesthetically pleasing, I suggest you also take a look at the Noua Cool G7 and the GOLDEN FIELD – Z21 , very large and ready for LED fans and for the most daring cooling systems.
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To learn more about the subject, I suggest you take a look at my buying guide dedicated to houses , in which I have provided you with other valuable tips to keep in mind when choosing.
Motherboard
The motherboard (also called motherboard or mobo ) is undoubtedly one of the most important components of the computer, since it is responsible for distributing the electrical current and passing information quickly between the hardware connected to the computer.
Given the spending limits to which you intend to submit, you will necessarily have to choose a motherboard that has an appropriate price, without going too far back in time: in order to avoid the purchase of obsolete motherboards, make sure that that choice presents support for DDR4 RAM memories , have at least one slot for M.2 memories (i.e. the latest generation SSDs ), have a PCI-e X16 slot (in which the video card is inserted), various PCI-e X1 slots and Finally, check that there are USB 3.1 ports , a USB Type-C port and at least one port used for the transmission of the video signal ( HDMI orDisplayPort ).
If you want to build a computer with an Intel processor, you can get good value for money by choosing a motherboard with socket 1151 and Z390 chipset like the MSI Z390 .
If, on the other hand, you want to use an AMD CPU , be sure to choose a motherboard with AM4 socket and B450 chipset , such as the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite .
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Processor
The processor (or CPU ) is the beating heart of the computer, the one that allows you to perform mathematical calculations and to make the operating system work and any program will be run, including games.
Since I am helping you to assemble a gaming PC with only 500 €, you cannot expect to buy a high-end processor and re-enter the fixed cost: you will have to make a virtue of necessity and focus on powerful but not excessively expensive processors.
Regardless of the type of CPU you are going to choose, make sure that it has at least 4 physical or virtual cores (the core is a processing unit present inside the processor) and that it has a minimum clock frequency of 3 GHz .
Some processors also have a virtual core splitting technology called HyperThreading (HT) , which allows you to virtually double the number of physical cores, thus increasing the number of operations that can be performed simultaneously: this is certainly a solution. to be taken into consideration in order to reach 4 virtual cores even on processors that have only 2 physical ones.
If you have previously opted for an Intel compatible motherboard , you can go for the Pentium Gold G5400 processors or the faster Intel Core i3-9100F . The first boasts two physical cores and 4 virtual cores in HT, with a frequency of 3.7 GHz, while the second has 4 physical cores and a frequency of 3.6 GHz (automatically upgradeable up to 4.2 GHz).
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If, on the other hand, you have focused on the AMD motherboard , I suggest you choose without too much hesitation the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G CPU , which has 4 physical cores, a frequency of 3.6 GHz which can be increased in boost up to 4 GHz and integrated graphics chip Radeon Vega 8, able to independently manage the graphic effects of the operating system or the 3D acceleration of the browser or of the programs that use them.
Cooling system
Given the fixed price, there will certainly be no room for a dedicated cooling system: you will therefore have to settle for the cooling system included in the packages of the processors that I showed you earlier, more than enough to meet the energy needs of the PC.
Also, do not be afraid that the video card will overheat the computer too much: as you will soon discover, the GPUs I am about to suggest have an autonomous cooling system, sufficient to withstand even the heaviest load situations.
RAM
The RAM , as I showed you in my guide dedicated to the subject, is the component that stores data temporarily, until the computer is turned off. This memory, much faster than mass storage (SSD and disk drive), exchanges data with processor and GPU almost directly.
At the time I am making this guide, the most popular RAM memories are DDR4 : they have access and exchange speeds suitable for use with any type of game. Among the parameters to consider when purchasing new RAM banks, we must take into consideration the frequency (which indicates the actual speed of data exchange) and the capacity (the amount of data that can be stored).
To further increase the performance of the computer, it is also possible to combine two RAM modules identical in frequency, capacity and access times, so as to take advantage of the Dual Channel technology , able to offer a significant increase in data exchange speed.
Since the budget is very tight, you can bet on either the 8GB single bank or a kit with two 4GB banks each, so you can take advantage of the Dual-Channel. If you’d rather opt for the single bank, you can consider Crucial 8GB, DDR4 PC memory , or the Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 8GB .
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If, on the other hand, you prefer to opt for a kit with a double bank of RAM, you can opt for the Crucial CT2K4G4DFS824A 8GB (4GB x 2) DDR4 kit .
Disks and mass memories
Since the computer you are designing is designed to run games, I recommend you go for a classic SATA SSD with a minimum capacity of 500GB , so as to have the speed and space necessary to host a lot of games and to run them quickly.
In this regard, you can opt for the Crucial MX500 Internal SSD 500GB or for the Silicon Power SSD 3D NAND from 512 GB .
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If we do not resist the urge to try the new SSD in M.2 format, you can evaluate the purchase of ‘ SP Silicon Power Silicon Power SSD PCIe M.2 NVMe to 256 GB , which has less space but it is much faster than to “traditional” SSD drives.
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If you need some more advice on SSD drives to buy, you can read the specific guide I made on the subject .
power supply
The power supply , also known as the PSU , is the component that distributes electricity to the motherboard and all other hardware in the case.
It has a limit value for the power output (expressed in Watts ), which must always be higher than the power necessary to make all the components of the computer work at the same time: otherwise, the computer could turn off out of the blue, for lack of energy.
In order to avoid problems of this type, it will be necessary to opt for a power supply that provides much more power than that actually required by the rest of the computer hardware and that has an energy efficiency certification of 80 Plus Bronze or higher, so as to be able to manage even games that make the most of the power of the computer and, not least, be able to update it in the future, without risking problems from an energy point of view.
Furthermore, it would be preferable to also consider the modularity of the PSU: by choosing a modular or semi-modular model, it is possible to connect only the cables necessary to connect the peripherals, obtaining a tidy case and with greater air circulation, even if the price rises considerably.
In this regard, you can evaluate the supply purchase Kolink Classic Power of 700W or PSU ITEK Power TAURUS WN700 to 700W , more than enough to handle a gaming computer from medium-high performance.
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For more information on the subject, I invite you to take a look at my guide dedicated to the best computer power supplies .
Video Card
Here we are: the choice of the video card will affect the performance of your future gaming computer in an incisive way to say the least! Even if some modern processors integrate a video chip inside their body, it is always better to focus on a discrete (i.e. dedicated) video card , so that you can play most modern titles without too many sacrifices.
In this regard, make sure that the video card of your choice has at least 4 GB of GDDR5 video memory and that you have the necessary output ports to connect the monitor, namely HDMI and DisplayPort . On the market there are both video cards with NVIDIA chips and GPUs with AMD chips : the differences in performance, on the price range considered, are however minimal, so you can choose one or the other brand indiscriminately.
Finding the right compromise between performance and price is not very easy, as most gaming video cards are priced above 400 €. Given the budget available, therefore, it will be necessary to be extremely selective: a good example of an inexpensive video card is the XFX RX 550 , small in size but with 4 GB of dedicated RAM memory.
If, on the other hand, you are considering investing a few euros more, you can slightly exceed your budget and focus on a more performing MSI Radeon RX 570 ARMOR , which boasts the beauty of 8 GB of GDDR5 video memory , 256-bit bus and clock frequency. at 7000 MHz.
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Other peripherals for gaming PCs
With the fundamental components that I have shown you so far, you can immediately assemble your computer and put it into operation, perhaps even recycling some peripherals you already own, such as the monitor , keyboard and mouse .
If you don’t have them, I don’t think I have good news for you: adding the aforementioned components to your computer and still staying within the € 500 budget is almost impossible.
However, in view of a future purchase, I still intend to point out some examples of add-ons (always at a low price) to be purchased at a later time, thus diluting the expense over a longer period of time.
Monitor
The characteristics of a low-budget monitor, ideally, should be the following: 22 to 24 inches diagonal , Full HD resolution , response time of less than 10ms and HDMI input . With these peculiarities, you should be able to not spend a fortune and still have a good monitor to play.
As an inexpensive PC monitor you can focus on the Philips Monitor 223V5LHSB2 LCD-TFT 21.5 ″ or, alternatively, on the HP 22w 22-inch IPS Full HD PC Monitor , identical in size and quality.
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If, on the other hand, you’d prefer a larger monitor, you can consider this 24 ″ Full HD Samsung S24D330 , which features a 1ms response time and an HDMI cable included in the box.
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In any case, you can always take a look at my buying guide dedicated to gaming monitors , in which I have treated the subject in great detail.
Mouse and keyboard
Mouse and keyboard are essential to be able to play satisfactorily: in principle, as regards the keyboard, you should opt for a model that has customizable keys, to be combined with the sequences that you usually use during your gameplay.
The same goes for the mouse: additional keys, ergonomic grip and customizable sensitivity (DPI) are parameters that should not be missing in an output device of this type.
In the economic segment of the market there are various solutions of this type but, in any case, my advice is to always avoid the purchase of wireless models: they tend to interfere with other wireless networks, they “suffer” from the presence of batteries. (which could download at the most beautiful) and moreover, they could have a relatively high latency.
Personally, if you don’t want to spend a lot, I would recommend the mouse and keyboard kits provided by Trust and Rehomy , which feature an exclusive design, colored LEDs and high reaction speed. In addition, in the Trust kit there is a practical headset with cable.
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If, on the other hand, you want to take a look at more advanced solutions or have a clearer overview of the parameters considered in the selection phase, I suggest you take a look at my insights dedicated to gaming mice and gaming keyboards : I’m sure that you will find what you are looking for.
Controller
The controller is the optimal solution to be able to play those titles originally born for consoles and later adapted on the computer, so you can get the native gaming experience, without having to “settle” for mouse and keyboard.
While it is desirable to have a controller that offers full support for your operating system (such as the Xbox One controller or the PlayStation 4 controller , for example), there are several inexpensive solutions that are compatible with most titles (and operating systems). ) In circulation.
In this regard, I would like to recommend the solutions provided by Trust , Logitech and JAMSWALL , which offer everything you need for an absolutely contained cost.
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Headphones / Speakers
For an immersive and realistic gaming experience, it would generally be preferable to listen to the sounds of the gameplay with some good external speakers which, given the low-budget configuration you are about to create, should not cost an arm and a leg!
A good solution of this type could be the Logitech Z333 2.1 , consisting of two satellites, a large subwoofer and a dedicated volume control device.
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If, on the other hand, you prefer to play the game sounds inside a pair of headphones and / or talk to your playmates, you can consider purchasing a pair of gaming headphones, such as those made available by ALWUP and Cocoda , both aesthetically appealing and equipped with all the necessary material to connect them to the computer (or a game console).
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For further information, I invite you to read my guides dedicated to computer speakers and gaming headsets , in which I have listed a series of interesting solutions of this type.
Webcam
If you are a lover of multiplayer and would like to make group video calls with other players, broadcast your broadcasts on Twitch or, in general, “be seen” while you play, you can consider buying a webcam .
Among the solutions belonging to the low-budget range of the market you can consider those made available by Topcony and LarmTek , both equipped with a sensor capable of capturing 1080p images and a built-in microphone.
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For more information, I refer you to reading my buying guide dedicated to the best webcams .
How to build the PC
Now that you have finally put together all the peripherals for your new gaming computer, all you have to do is do the most important and, in some ways, more fun job: assembling it piece by piece , until the fateful moment when you turn it on for the first time. turn your “creature”.
While this step can be a lot of fun, you need to be aware of what you are going to do: if you have never assembled a PC before and you don’t know half of the cables that stand in front of you, you should ask a computer technician or a professional for help. a friend who has already assembled a computer in the past, so that we can achieve the goal together while minimizing the risks.
If, on the other hand, you want to continue alone, make sure you have a properly supplied screwdriver kit available and that you work from a stable, flat, insulated work surface (preferably made of wood or covered with cardboard or clean plastic) but, above all, away from direct light and / or external environmental factors.
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I also advise you to work “armed” with latex, nitrile, vinyl or other insulating material gloves , so as to avoid any accidental electric discharges and, not least, to touch the chips and connectors of the various peripherals with your hand, risking to ruin them. .
Having said that, roll up your sleeves and carefully follow the instructions below.
- Place the motherboardon an isolated plane, with the slots and connectors facing up.
- Remove the processorfrom its box (paying attention to the lower contacts, which are very delicate) and install it inside the motherboard socket , following the instructions in the manuals supplied with the motherboard and CPU. After positioning, lower the lever next to the socket, if required, to secure the processor in the right position.
- The next phase involves connecting the CPU, the heatsink and the relative fan above the socket , making the pins coincide on the appropriate slots on the motherboard: once this has been achieved, press the heatsink discreetly to lock everything in the correct position. The heatsinks included in the processor box typically have a layer of thermal paste pre-applied, so you won’t have to worry about applying the paste directly to the CPU.
- Place the bank or banks of RAMin the appropriate slots, usually placed next to the one in charge of hosting the CPU. I advise you to do this when you still have a lot of space available in the case, in order to facilitate the correct installation of the modules. If you’re betting on a Dual Channel setup, be sure to place the first bank of RAM in slot 1 and the second in slot 3.
- The motherboardis almost ready, so you can leave it aside for a moment to focus on the case . Take the latter out of the package and remove all the side panels, including the one that will act as a “back” for the motherboard: this will facilitate the positioning of the cables and internal components. Make sure you face up the side on which the motherboard will rest and take the opportunity immediately to install any fans supplied with the case, if available.
- At this point, insert the power supplyinto the dedicated housing of the case (which, generally, is located at the top), making sure to correctly fix the screws supplied. If necessary, untangle the power cables to dedicate to the various internal peripherals.
- Now place the motherboardinside the case, making sure to place the CPU upwards and the external connection ports on the left side (they must face towards the back of the case). Make it all coincide with the appropriate slots present (the measurements are standard, so you shouldn’t encounter any problems) and, once the positioning is complete, secure the motherboard with the supplied screws and hooks.
- Connect the power supply cablesto the motherboard (24 and 4 pin cables) and also connect the processor fan (8 PIN cable) and all the cables necessary to operate the elements on the front of the case ( internal speaker, any fans, power button, audio jack / USB ports already present, LEDs, etc.). If necessary, consult your case and motherboard user manuals to find the correct slots.
- Place the diskin the appropriate slot and connect it to one of the SATA ports on the motherboard, remembering to power them through one of the special cables that come out of the power supply. If you have opted for an 2 type memory , instead, simply identify the appropriate slot, insert it into it and fix everything with the screws supplied.
- Now it’s up to the discrete video card: insert it into the PCI-e X16 slot and gently secure it inside it, making it “click”.
Finally here we are! At this point, close all the panels of the case and finalize the assembly of the computer by placing it where you prefer and connecting the external peripherals to be used (monitor, mouse, keyboard, headphones / speakers and so on).
Finally, connecting the power cord to the PSU , enter it into the mains plug and, if necessary, move on ON the power switch. Now, press the power button on your computer and that’s it: if everything went the right way, you should see the first boot of the computer, during which you will be asked to configure the current date and time.
At the end of this sequence, you should find yourself face to face with an error message related to the absence of the operating system: if this happens, you can be satisfied with your work! So you just have to install a copy of Windows on the disk, following the instructions I gave you in this tutorial .
If you need further clarification regarding the steps I have shown you in this section and need visual feedback on what you need to unscrew and assemble, you can rely on one of the many video tutorials on YouTube .