New PC build for $500?

Hey there!

It’s been ages since I last built my own rig, so I’m a bit out of the loop regarding current prices and what actually makes sense to buy...

For a mid-range gaming PC, is it better to hunt for deals, grab a pre-built, or just put one together myself...

Any specific components you guys recommend, and where should I look?
What’s considered the sweet spot right now?

I'm building this for my nephew. It doesn't need an SSD specifically, but I want that perfect balance of price and performance so he's set for a few years...
He won't be playing in 4K or anything crazy like that...

As for hardware, I just need the tower itself. Peripherals will be handled later....

Thanks in advance...

At this budget, you won't even fit an SSD, but you can definitely squeeze in a solid 1080p gaming setup

If you're buying new, something like this would be your best bet from Google; I think they throw in free assembly

You might find a different power supply at another shop for this price, but this Intel Pentium G4560 and GTX 1050 Ti combo is a total steal for what you're spending



Sure, you could save some cash by picking up newer parts, but I wouldn't touch an old motherboard or a Hard Drive—everything else here is a great value.

I’d personally look for a used graphics card with a warranty, maybe a GTX 960, R9 380, or something similar if you can find a deal

P.S.

The CPU choice is based on the fact that it's objectively the best value up to $333. The GPU choice might shift depending on whether your budget goes up or down, but you get what you pay for. There's a decent card for every price point.

You could probably swap out the case for something a bit cheaper on this build.

1 x Asrock LGA1151 H110M-HDV R3.0
1 x Intel Pentium G4560, Kaby Lake, S.1151
1 x Crucial DRAM 8GB DDR4 2133 MT/s (PC4-17000) CL15 SR
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB Hard Drive, 64MB, 7200rpm, High-Performance
1 x MS Helios 3 Case, black 1x12cm+1x8cm fan
1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+
1 x GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GDDR5 4GB/128bit

Total: $1198
futura
different RAM, case, everything else is basically the same. Just gives you options between shops; either way, both builds will run identical.

wiredotter14 said:At this budget, you won't even fit an SSD, but you can definitely squeeze in a solid 1080p gaming setup

If you're buying new, something like this would be your best bet from Google; I think they throw in free assembly

You might find a different power supply at another shop for this price, but this Intel Pentium G4560 and GTX 1050 Ti combo is a total steal for what you're spending



Sure, you could save some cash by picking up newer parts, but I wouldn't touch an old motherboard or a Hard Drive—everything else here is a great value.

I’d personally look for a used graphics card with a warranty, maybe a GTX 960, R9 380, or something similar if you can find a deal

P.S.

The CPU choice is based on the fact that it's objectively the best value up to $333. The GPU choice might shift depending on whether your budget goes up or down, but you get what you pay for. There's a decent card for every price point.

You could probably swap out the case for something a bit cheaper on this build.

I’d change the case, the Hard Drive, and the RAM. Basically, go with the cheapest case possible, a 500GB Seagate Barracuda, and 8GB of RAM.

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Why settle for a cheap case and a 500GB Hard Drive? They’re honestly a waste of money.

Already sitting on 8GB of RAM (2x4)

And why go with Caviar Black? 🤔

Adam Moore3 said:And why go with Caviar Black? 🤔

Probably because it outpaces the Toshiba, plus you get that longer 5-year warranty.

wiredotter14 said:Why settle for a cheap case and a 500GB Hard Drive? They’re honestly a waste of money.

Already sitting on 8GB of RAM (2x4)

Ah... my bad. I didn't realize it was 2x4 RAM.
I'd much rather just grab a computer that hits the mark right out of the box$1167—something I won't feel the need to tinker with or upgrade later on...

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Robert Rodriguez2 said:Probably because it outpaces the Toshiba, plus you get that longer 5-year warranty.

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A 500GB drive as my only storage is going to fill up fast, and honestly, you barely notice the speed boost when gaming. I went with 2x4GB RAM because there's no way I'll need more than that for gaming in the next five years. Besides, I doubt buying a single stick at Best Buy is actually cheaper, so it’d be pointless not to run dual channel.

wiredotter14 said:A 500GB drive as my only storage is going to fill up fast, and honestly, you barely notice the speed boost when gaming. I went with 2x4GB RAM because there's no way I'll need more than that for gaming in the next five years. Besides, I doubt buying a single stick at Best Buy is actually cheaper, so it’d be pointless not to run dual channel.

I’m with you on the 8GB of RAM. I just hadn't noticed if it was configured as 2x4GB or not.
As for the Hard Drive, that's just how I'd build it...
If you ask me, it's the better way to go.

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There are fewer frame drops too; I guess you get a better minimum with an Intel Core i3 when the memory is running in dual-channel mode. A 500GB Western Digital is actually $33 more expensive than some 1TB drives, and it only comes in a 2.5" version... it just doesn't make much sense.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Probably because it outpaces the Toshiba, plus you get that longer 5-year warranty.

crimsonstag84 said:There are fewer frame drops too; I guess you get a better minimum with an Intel Core i3 when the memory is running in dual-channel mode. A 500GB Western Digital is actually $33 more expensive than some 1TB drives, and it only comes in a 2.5" version... it just doesn't make much sense.

^ exactly. BlackRock has absolutely nothing to do with this; it's just total nonsense. $33 When you're working with a tight budget...

Thanks for the info!
So... right now the best value CPU is the Intel Core i3...

Is it actually worth hunting down individual components where they're cheaper, or is the effort of all that tinkering just going to result in minimal savings?

Joshua Johnson5 said:Thanks for the info!
So... right now the best value CPU is the Intel Core i3...

Is it actually worth hunting down individual components where they're cheaper, or is the effort of all that tinkering just going to result in minimal savings?

Sometimes it makes sense, but for these specific parts, you aren't looking at any major savings

I gave you a build from Best Buy
Elon Musk suggested one from IBM

And both end up being pretty much the same. The tiny differences just come down to what two different shops happen to have in stock. Messing around with custom combos won't save you more than $17.

If you grab everything from one place, they'll usually put the whole thing together for free (works for both of those stores). I think IBM even offers free shipping if you buy the full set.

wiredotter14 said:Sometimes it makes sense, but for these specific parts, you aren't looking at any major savings

I gave you a build from Best Buy
Elon Musk suggested one from IBM

And both end up being pretty much the same. The tiny differences just come down to what two different shops happen to have in stock. Messing around with custom combos won't save you more than $17.

If you grab everything from one place, they'll usually put the whole thing together for free (works for both of those stores). I think IBM even offers free shipping if you buy the full set.

Yeah, Microsoft offers free assembly and shipping on orders over $667