The 5 best cheap gaming PCs: Pro-level builds for less

You don’t have to pay a fortune to have a decent setup when you buy a prebuilt gaming computer. Affordable solutions from companies like Alienware, Omen, and HP are still stocked with powerful parts. The Alienware Aurora Ryzen R10 is our top choice due to its 1TB of storage and reasonably priced configuration options.

Finding a cheap gaming PC is becoming more and more difficult as a result of chip shortages driving up the cost of parts like GPUs and CPUs. But there are affordable solutions from companies like Alienware, Dell, and MSI that offer a lot of value for the money. You may still play well-known games like Fortnite, God of War (2018), and Dead by Daylight even though their setups aren’t on pace with those of their top-tier competitors. And choosing a cheap gaming PC doesn’t mean you have to use those components indefinitely; since PCs are modular by design, you can take advantage of component deals and swap out different components as your demands and budget change.

To assist you pick the finest gaming PC that meets your demands and your budget, I’ve compiled a list of the top affordable options and deconstructed each one’s features and construction.

Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10

Best cheap gaming PC overall

You can get the Aurora R10 Ryzen Edition desktop from Alienware, one of the leading brands in PC gaming, for less than $1,200. It has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, a 1TB HDD for lots of storage, and 8GB of RAM that can be expanded as your needs evolve. Even though it’s an outdated graphics card, it can still play the most recent games; however, for an additional $98 you can upgrade to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060.

If your budget allows, you can add a second solid state drive to the tower for speedier application startup and boot times for just $49 extra, bringing the final cost to just under $1,250. Or, for only $30, you can add liquid cooling to your design if you prefer it for your components. The base configuration includes dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 for quick internet rates for playing online games and connecting wireless accessories like mice, keyboards, and headphones.

Pros:

Great base build
Configurations are affordable
Bluetooth

Cons:

Wi-Fi 6 costs extra
No keyboard or mouse included

HP Omen 30L

Best cheap AMD build gaming PC

The gaming desktop line from HP is called Omen, and it debuted back in 2006 under the moniker VooDoo. And the Omen 30L is a wonderful choice if you’re looking for a cheap gaming PC with an AMD processor. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB NVMe SSD, and an AMD Radeon RX 5500 GPU make up the system’s basic setup. You do have a few alternatives to improve while still keeping the overall cost of the machine within reason, just as with any reconfigurable gaming desktop.

The overall cost of the project may be increased by adding a second storage drive for roughly $50, bringing it to just under $1,000. Alternatively, for an additional $40, you can upgrade to an 800W power supply if you want to be able to add components like RGB lighting or a liquid cooling system. Wireless connectivity is provided through dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in the base version, however upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 will cost you extra.

Pros:

Great GPU
Affordable configurations
Wireless connectivity

Cons:

Wi-Fi 6 costs extra
No keyboard or mouse included

MSI Aegis SE

Best cheap gaming PC for storage

The MSI Aegis SE is an almost ideal choice if you want greater storage space without having to fiddle with building a computer. Large game downloads won’t take up too much space on the device because it has a 512GB SSD, and the 16GB of RAM guarantees that apps and games run more quickly. Despite being an older card, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super is more than capable of handling titles like Red Dead Redemption II and Apex Legends.

The tower case’s RGB lighting is fully programmable, and the 10th generation Intel Core i5 CPU can be overclocked to 4.3GHz for all the power you need for long gaming sessions.

Pros:

CPU can be overclocked
Customizable RGB lighting
A good amount of storage for the price

Cons:

SSD is SATA
No Wi-Fi 6 option

HP Pavilion

Best ultra-budget gaming desktop

If you have an extremely tight budget and want to start off with a respectable setup, the HP Pavilion gaming desktop is a fantastic option. When it comes to prebuilt gaming PCs, the base setup, which retails for about $700, is dirt inexpensive. It includes an AMD Ryzen 3 5300G CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon RX 5500 GPU.

Even a simple keyboard and mouse are included, so all you need to do is connect it to a monitor to start playing your favourite games right away.If your budget allows, you may upgrade the construction by adding a second 1TB HDD storage drive for $49 or by replacing the included keyboard and mouse with wireless models for an additional $20.

Pros:

Extremely affordable base build
Keyboard and mouse included
Good components for the price

Cons:

No Wi-Fi 6 option
RAM and CPU upgrades are expensive

Razer Core X

Best for boosting your current cheap gaming PC

When it comes to PC gaming, the Razer Core X is a little bit of an oddball. It’s not a full desktop construction, just a chassis for a dedicated GPU. The Razer Core X enables you to increase performance without having to spend a lot of money if you just bought a low- or mid-tier prebuilt tower or your gaming laptop has an integrated GPU. The drawback is that a GPU must be purchased separately to be installed in the chassis, but even with the price of a new card like the MSI Radeon RX 6600 Armor added to the Core X, it’s still less expensive than many prebuilt tower systems.

The chassis has mesh grates and cooling fans for heat dispersion in addition to an all-metal construction for strength and aesthetics. The Thunderbolt 3 connection can also keep your gaming laptop charged as you play. It also includes a 650W power supply to accommodate just about any GPU you can throw in there. The chassis is available in white, flat black, or RGB illumination for an additional cost of around $100.

Pros: