It’s no secret that GPU prices have trended upwards in recent years, but what if we told you that you don’t need a GPU for a budget gaming PC build? Thanks to AMD, you can put together a perfectly respectable gaming machine capable of handling today’s games at 1080p. If you’re not sure where to start, or if you just need some ideas, we’ve put together a handy budget gaming PC build guide with everything you need.
A few notes about this guide: The goal for this build is a PC that can deliver respectable performance for 1080p gaming with a budget of around $500. However, that price target is contingent on current deals and stock availability, which fluctuate. For each component, we’ve listed some alternatives in case our top pick is out of stock or not available at a good price. We’ve also included upgrade picks for each component if you want to stretch your budget in a certain area. With all that said, let’s dive in!
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The CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8700G
The heart of this budget gaming PC build is the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G, and our price target hinges on this CPU. This piece of hardware is what’s often referred to as an APU (although AMD has retired the term), meaning that it combines CPU and GPU cores onto a single chip. This is not uncommon now, with Apple’s M-series silicon chips. Mobile platforms, such as gaming PC handhelds, also use similar system-on-chip architecture.
The Ryzen 7 8700G is an 8-core, 16-thread AM5 CPU with Radeon 780M integrated graphics (iGPU). It’s built on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture and has a base clock speed of 4.2 GHz. It’s unlocked for overclocking and allows plenty of headroom to do so, should you opt to, with a max boost clock of 5.1 GHz.
So, what kind of gaming performance can you reasonably expect out of the Ryzen 7 8700G? The Radeon 780M iGPU is a major step above the standard Radeon integrated graphics in other AMD chips. It’s roughly on par with the GeForce GTX 1650, so it’s easily capable of handling modern games at 1080p smoothly (and not just older ones like Fortnite). It can also offer reasonable performance with newer, more demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p/30fps at “medium” settings.
The Ryzen 7 8700G launched in 2024 with a retail price of $330, which wasn’t an incredible value. At the time, you could still get a higher-performing CPU and GPU pair for around the same price. Now, however, the 8700G’s street price hovers around $250, which makes it much more enticing. Since it comes bundled with a cooler and doesn’t require a GPU for gaming, it’s hands-down the top choice for our $500 budget gaming PC build.
Another option
- Ryzen 5 8600G – If $500 is a hard ceiling for your build (i.e. after accounting for price fluctuations and sales tax), the Ryzen 7 8700G might put you above that limit. A cheaper alternative is the Ryzen 5 8600G. This 6-core, 12-thread chip is also an APU, and features a Radeon 760M iGPU which is still capable of 1080p gaming. At about $80-90 less than the 8700G, the 8600G is worth considering if your budget is really tight.
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX tower
A micro-ATX tower is a good fit for this build, as it strikes a nice balance between compactness and ease of building. Novice builders shouldn’t have too much trouble working in side the Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L. It looks great and the price is perfect for a budget gaming PC. Plus, you can add a GPU if you decide you want to upgrade your setup later on down the road.
Similar options
- Thermaltake Versa H17 – Similar MicroATX mini tower with a plainer design and no see-through panels.
- Cooler Master N200 – Same as previous. Similar case, plainer design, a little more expensive.
- Thermaltake S100 Snow Edition – A slightly pricier white-colored pick with a tempered glass side panel.
Motherboard: MSI PRO B650M-P Micro ATX AM5 mobo
It’s tempting to go cheap on the motherboard, but we don’t want to cut corners here. A sub-par mobo can cause a lot of headaches down the road. The MSI PRO B650M-P is a better option. This Micro ATX AM5 motherboard comes in at around $100 and offers all the connections needed for this build.
Note: Many motherboards ship with an older BIOS version and may require a BIOS update in order to support newer AMD processors.
Similar options
- ASRock A620M-HDV/M.2 – Cheaper, but some builders report thermal issues. Check reviews.
- Gigabyte A620M S2H – Similar to our pick and a bit less pricey, but has fewer RAM and PCIe slots.
- Gigabyte B650M D3HP AX Wi-Fi – Slightly pricier than our pick, but has built-in Wi-Fi.
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-5200 CL36 RAM
You don’t need to over-think your RAM. Get the fastest, lowest-latency kit that fits your budget. In this case, that’s the Patriot Viper Venom. This DDR5 kit gets you two 8GB sticks, taking advantage of dual-channel RAM speeds. It also boasts an impressive 5200MHz clock speed and CAS latency rating of 36.
Bear in mind that the Ryzen 7 8700G is not compatible with last-gen DDR4 RAM.
Similar options
- Teamgroup Elite 16GB DDR5 Kit – Slightly cheaper, but with a plainer design and higher CAS latency.
- Kingston Fury Beast 16GB DDR5 Kit – A little pricier with a higher 5600MT/s clock speed.
Power supply: Apevia Premier 650W 80+ Gold semi-modular PSU
The estimated wattage for this build is around 160W, so you don’t need to go overboard with the PSU. The Apevia Premier 650W PSU is perfect for this build. Its semi-modular design allows for easier cable management, while its 80+ Gold efficiency rating beats most PSUs at this price. It has some nice RGB lighting, too.
Similar options
- Thermaltake Smart BM3 – Similar semi-modular 650W PSU, but only 80+ Bronze certified and not as inexpensive.
- MSI MAG A650GL – Fully modular upgrade pick (for more cash, naturally).
Storage: Silicon Power A55 512 GB 2.5″ SSD
Storage is another thing you don’t need to think too hard about. For this budget 1080p gaming build, a 512GB SSD should suffice for most users. We’re going with a 2.5-inch SATA drive to keep costs low, but for some affordable M.2 NVMe options, see below.
Similar options
- Teamgroup GX2 – Practically identical. Go with whatever’s cheaper based on current deals.
- Silicon Power P34A60 – M.2 NVME option. It’s only PCIe Gen 3.0, but still offers faster read/write speeds than SATA.
- Kingston NV2 – Upgrade to PCIe 4.0 for a little more cash.
Cooling: Thermalright TL-C12C-S X3 120mm fans (3-Pack)
Our Micro-ATX case supports up to 140mm fans, but this three-pack of 120mm fans is all you should need. The Thermalright TL-C12C-S X3 fans spin at up to 1,550rpm, but cap noise at a reasonable 25.6 decibels. The RGB lighting further adds a little gamer cred to your setup. You’ve got quieter options, though, if you’re willing to pay a little more.
Similar options
- Thermalright TL-C12W-S V3 – Same as above, but in white.
- ARCTIC P12 Slim PWM – Pricier, but has a higher RPM and lower decibel rating. No RGB, though.
And there you have it: a 1080p-capable gaming PC build for around 500 bones. Of course, this is only for the PC itself; you’re still on the hook for a monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, etc. But fret not, because our PC gaming deals roundup features hot discounts on everything you need to complete your battle station.
