Though high-end PCs can offer an unparalleled gaming experience, the price is usually well outside what the average gamer can afford.
This is where budget gaming PCs come in, as they can handle your favorite games without hurting your wallet.
For instance, the HP Victus 15L is a top-notch gaming PC for modest budgets and represents a solid compromise of affordability and power. With 10th-generation Intel Core processors and the best AMD or Nvidia graphics under the hood, it can happily accommodate your latest playthrough. And its compact design means it won’t take up half of your floor space either.
And AMD fans shouldn't feel left out either, as the Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 appeals as both a great budget gaming PC and an efficient productivity machine. Affordability is the keyword here, with AMD’s reliable and cost-effective components driving this PC. You may not be able to run Cyberpunk 2077 on the highest settings, but you’ll enjoy a smooth performance from the bulk of your games.
We're experts in testing budget gaming PCs thanks to our 15 years of experience and reviewing thousands of products, meaning that we can break it down to find the best performance per dollar builds around. We now have a list of the best of the best to choose from, so you can browse our choices with confidence.
The quick list
Best for most people
This small gaming PC so compact that could slot into a TV stand offers plenty of power under the hood for less than the price of its bigger rivals.
Best for AMD fans
Go for the AMD-powered version of this compact tower from Lenovo, and you can still enjoy a great gaming performance on lower settings.
Best compact on a budget
With configurations available at cheaper prices, this thoughtfully-designed Acer gaming PC delivers enough graphical oomph for gaming.
Best for work and play
Even though it's a gaming PC, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (2023) fits just as well in the office, whether at home or at work. Thanks to its more advanced specs it can handle AAA titles as well as creative and editing programs equally well.
Solid-performing minimalist
Despite its glass panel, this gaming PC offers current-gen gaming performance in a minimalist package, giving you the best of both worlds.
The best budget gaming PC in 2024
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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best budget gaming PC options on our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best budget gaming PC overall
✅ You don’t have much space: The compact, simple chassis of the Victus 15L make it ideal for desktop setups with limited real estate.
✅ You need those accessible ports: A wide selection of ports on the front face (rather than the top or rear) is a great inclusion that comes in surprisingly useful.
❌ You can afford something more robust: The chassis of the HP Victus 15L is where its cost-cutting is most noticeable, with some rather budget construction materials.
❌ You want to game at 4K: Even the higher-end configuration of the Victus 15L aren't really powerhouse gaming PCs.
If looking good matters to you as much as power, then you might love the MSI Trident 3 10th, especially if you’re partial to a gaming-leaning aesthetic. The angular tower is roughly the same size as a home console, meaning that it won't take up too much room on your desk and could even slot into a TV stand if you'd prefer to use a controller for some couch gaming instead. It comes with an included removable base if you'd rather mount it upright, too.
It’s not all looks either. This small gaming PC touts plenty of power under the hood for less than its rivals, with 10th-generation Intel Core processors and the best Nvidia RTX and GTX graphics. It’s even cheaper than many of the gaming PCs on this list, with its Intel Core i7 + RTX 2060 Super +16GB RAM configuration setting you back much less than an HP Omen 25L with equivalent specs. If you’re trying to maximize your limited space and budget, this is the best budget gaming PC for you.
Read our full HP Victus 15L review
The best budget gaming PC for AMD fans
✅ You want a smaller PC: Despite offering a fully-fledged feature set, the Lenovo Tower 5 Gen 6 has a fairly small footprint and height compared to many gaming PCs.
✅ You want a solid port selection: With an absolute tonne of ports including multiple USBs, HDMI, and even DVI output, this PC has got you covered.
❌ You want a gorgeous PC: There's not much in the way of flashy RGB lighting and stylized aesthetics here - it's not ugly, but it is a bit basic.
❌ You want to max out settings: At this level of specs, you're not going to be playing the latest games at the highest settings.
AMD fans have a compelling choice in the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD), especially if they’re looking for a budget gaming PC that can be used as a work machine. This cheap option cuts back on many things, including that flashy gaming aesthetic, which in this case works in its favor – that simple design means it’ll fit right in the office and in most spaces. It’s also efficient at not taking up a lot of space, despite the fact that it’s got a nicely varied port selection – although an extra USB-C port would have been nice too.
Despite being a budget option, it proved to be rather impressive during our testing. You can’t expect it to run games like Cyberpunk 2077 on anything higher than low settings, of course, but it admirably ran any PC game we put through it quite smoothly. The trick is to run each one at the right settings thanks to those affordable yet capable AMD components inside.
Read our full Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) review
The best budget compact gaming PC
✅ You want the best value for money: Both sensibly priced and easy to upgrade, the Predator Orion 3000 is a good choice of future-proof budget gaming PC.
✅ You’re just getting into PC gaming: At this price level and offering decent gaming performance, this is the perfect entry-level gaming desktop.
❌ You want cutting-edge hardware: While you should be able to play most games just fine on this PC, it's hardly the highest-end desktop available.
❌ You want a full-size gaming PC: The compact design will be appealing for many, but for those who prefer a beefy full-tower PC, you'll want look elsewhere.
The Acer Predator Orion 3000 comes in a wide range of configurations, the most powerful of which will be out of most budget gamers' price range. However, the base configuration is much more accessible at below $1,000, coming with a GTX 1660 graphics card and Intel Core i5 processor, backed up by 16GB of RAM. This model is no longer available directly from Acer, but can still be picked up from retailers and should provide more than enough graphical oomph for gaming at 1080p, even in a post-RTX 3000 world, without needing to compromise too much in the graphical settings menu.
Despite being a powerful gaming PC with good potential for piecemeal upgrades further down the line, the Predator Orion 3000's chassis isn't oversized like some gaming rigs; it's been thoughtfully designed to fit beside a monitor or beneath a desk, and the vented front and side panels mean that thermal performance is excellent. It's got that much-desired 'gamer aesthetic' too, thanks to RGB lighting and a big, triangular power button that is very satisfying to press.
Read our full Acer Predator Orion 3000 review
The best for both work and play
✅ You want a fantastic 1080p machine: While 4K is out of reach, the Legion Tower 5i gets every last drop of 1080p gaming performance from its components.
✅ You want a good-looking PC: Compared to some of the simpler designs you can see on this list, the Tower 5i is a pretty nice-looking machine without being over-stylized.
❌ You want ray tracing: Ray-traced gameplay still isn't really an option here, unless you're willing to shell out for one of the more expensive RTX 4000 configurations.
❌ You're on a tight budget: While it's still excellent value for money, this is one of the more costly PCs on this list.
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is a gaming PC that fits well as both a dedicated gaming PC and a work machine in the office. It features excellent 1080p performance, which means that even the like of Cyberpunk 2077 managed 77 fps on Ultra settings during our benchmark testing. This also means that the PC is perfect for advanced editing and creative products for the office, which is a boon considering the extremely affordable pricing of just over $1,000.
Even better is that with all this performance, there are plenty of vents around the chassis so you can last longer in more intense gaming sessions without the danger of your PC overheating. We tested this out and found that the ventilation system did indeed hold up quite well. And if you're someone who considers visuals, the Legion Tower 5i is simple yet stunning, with a glass side that exposes beautiful RGB lighting and an impressive component setup.
There are several setbacks, however, including the fact that it simply cannot handle ray tracing, as the framerate and general performance plummets when it's enabled. The port selection is only average and there's a bit too much bloatware installed. But other than these setbacks, the Legion Tower 5i is a great gaming PC at an even better price point.
Read our full Lenovo Legion Tower 5i review
Find the best deals on Lenovo products with our Lenovo coupon codes.
The best minimalist budget gaming PC
✅ You want solid 1080p gaming: Even at the highest graphical settings, the Omen 25L can run most games at 1080p with a smooth framerate.
✅ You want an attractive PC: The white colorway and minimalist design make this a particularly good-looking monolith of a gaming PC.
❌ You want something cheap: While the pricing is still pretty fair, this isn't the most super-budget gaming PC out there.
❌ You won't be able to return it: There have been reports of Omen 25L PCs experiencing debilitating crash issues, so don't buy one of these without a warranty.
Though the HP Victus 15L is a much cheaper and much more compact option, it also features older-generation specs than the HP Omen 25L. The latter also comes with more RGB lighting and a glass panel, which makes it more appealing to those concerned about aesthetics.
Of course, the HP Omen 25L is a bit more capable as well, again due to its newer-gen specs. We found in our review that it delivers the kind of rock-solid performance that will satisfy just about anyone’s 1080p gaming needs. In fact, it maintained an average of 86fps when we played Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra, and an equally impressive 89fps in Total War: Warhammer III, also with Ultra settings on.
We also appreciate its easy tool-less access, and while the port selection on it is just ok, you have enough to connect all your peripherals. Just keep in mind that we're only recommending the base configuration here. Anything above that, and you're already walking into the mid-range category. If you have a bit more flexible budget, then by all means, look into a higher configuration. But if you want this gaming PC at a budget price, you're gonna have to stick with its entry-level model.
Read our full HP Omen 25L review
You could save on HP products with our HP coupon codes.
Frequently asked questions on budget gaming PCs
What’s the best gaming PC on a low budget?
Finding a quality gaming PC on a budget can be a daunting prospect at first, and balancing your needs with the price can be tricky. You’ll need to consider what you want to play, what type of display you’re using, and whether the hardware you’re looking at can keep up.
Our top pick for the best budget gaming PC is the HP Victus 15L, which offers unbeatable value for money, coupled with a powerful processor and graphics up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super. It’s not suitable for gaming in 4K, but more than competent for smooth gaming at 1440p.
Is $500 enough for a gaming PC?
With a budget of just $500, just about your only chance of landing a high-end gaming PC is finding one second-hand. If you're buying or building from scratch, you can forget about gaming in 4K. However, by managing your expectations, and carefully choosing your components, you can still achieve a very decent rig that delivers a smooth gaming experience.
For $500, you can put together a rig that can comfortably handle gaming at 1080p, which still gives you a huge library of gaming fun to enjoy.
How to choose the best budget gaming PC for you
Finding the best budget gaming PC for you can be a difficult prospect, as there's a huge range of manufacturers with an even huger range of configurations available. We look at all different kinds and compare them to other PCs in their class, considering everything from price to performance to build quality.
Be sure to consider what you personally need when it comes to gaming on a PC. If you're planning on mostly playing 2D indie games or esports games (such as League of Legends and Valorant), you likely won't need a super-powerful machine since these titles are usually well-optimized to run on lower-end hardware. On the other hand, if you want to play graphically-demanding triple-A games, you're going to need to spend a bit more to get the best performance.
Resolution is an important factor here too; is the screen you'll be using a 1080p full HD monitor, or a 4K 120Hz display? If you're gaming at a higher resolution, you'll need a more powerful GPU in order to keep your framerates looking steady without compromising significantly in the graphical settings.
How we tested these budget gaming PCs
Here at TechRadar, we believe in rigorously testing every piece of hardware that passes through our hands. If it fails to impress during testing, we'll always let you know; we won't recommend you buy any product that falls short of the performance median for its price range.
Our testing process varies from product to product, but we're always sure to run the most appropriate tests considering the target purpose of whatever we're reviewing. This means we're always sure to run plenty of gaming tests on a gaming laptop, or editing benchmarks for a desktop workstation PC. We also always examine the build quality of a product to see whether it aligns with the attached price tag.
If you want to know more about how we test and rate the computers in this guide, check out our explainer on how we test laptops and desktops to learn more.
Today's best budget gaming PC deals
