Did you know that building your Gaming PC has many benefits? it’s way more fun, allows you to upgrade easily in the future, saves you money, makes fixing things in the future simple and girls love guys who build their own Gaming PC’s. Okay, that last one was a lie, but everything else I wrote is true!
What is the best cheap gaming PC?
Our Favorite Prebuilt Gaming PC under $300:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen(TM) 3 2200G Processor, Quad-Core, 3.50GHz.
- Memory: 4 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable to 32 GB).
- Hard drive: 1 TB 7200RPM SATA.
- Operating system: Windows 10 Home.
Can you build a gaming PC for $300? Here's our custom build:
No money, no honey
If you are reading this, I’m going to take a wild guess that you’re broke or don’t have a lot of cash to part with. That’s fine; I understand people in that position because I used to be there myself growing up. That's why I have written this guide. The truth is that building a gaming pc for under $300 really isn’t going to give you a super amazing great build (something other guides won’t tell you) and in fact if you ask some people if it’s possible to build a gaming pc for 300 dollars then they might even just start laughing uncontrollably in your face. Those people can suck it; this build will let you play games like PubG, Fortnite, Dota and League. Just make sure to turn your in-game settings down to about 720p or 60 FPS, and you’ll be good to go.
Best Gaming PC Under $300
This build features an AMD processor, MSI motherboard and sexy glass panel AeroCool case to wrap around your budget hardware. Also keep in mind that since you’re building your own build, you can easily take out parts in the future and sell them on eBay for example. When you’ve got a bit more spending money, then you can buy more powerful components to replace them which is a beautiful thing. If you are an individual who is extremely fat, lazy or technologically inept, then I would suggest scrolling to the bottom of this page and checking out the refurbished pre-built PC. If you are none of these things then keep on reading, we are about to go on an epic journey together and I'm going to be more serious about things.
Not Ready to Tackle a Custom Build? Take this Prebuilt Gaming PC Instead
- Processor: AMD Ryzen(TM) 3 2200G Processor, Quad-Core, 3.50GHz.
- Memory: 4 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable to 32 GB).
- Hard drive: 1 TB 7200RPM SATA.
- Operating system: Windows 10 Home.
$300 - $337 Estimate
Price fluctuates daily. Check the latest most up to date price on Amazon.**
1) MSI ProSeries AMD Ryzen 1st
- Supports 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen/ Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics and 2nd...
- Supports ddr4 memory, up to 3466+(oc) MHz
- Ddr4 boost: advanced technology to deliver pure data signals for the best...
- Audio boost: reward your ears with studio grade sound quality
Our choice of a motherboard is entry level but will still give you excellent performance and at the most economical price possible considering our budget for gaming. The manufacturing company MSI does not only sell motherboard's but offers after sale services and technical support in case anyone has issues with their tech. The design of the MSI ProSeries motherboard allows for upgrades and can support other processors if you wanted to install them in future upgrades. By choosing this motherboard we can also avoid needing to have a BIOS setup when making future upgrades which is another reason I chose it.
2) AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Processor
- Built In Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- 4 Cores Unlocked
- Frequency: 3.7 GigaHertz Max Boost; Thermal Solution: Wraith Stealth Cooler
- Socket Type: AM4; Max System Memory Speed : 2667 MegaHertz
Considering the 300$ budget, this is the most ideal and best value money component to power our graphics. It really is an excellent graphics card. On a more negative note, the integrated GPU and the overall effect it has had on the prices have hindered the device from attaining parity with other devices in the market. Like I mentioned previously, to get optimum functionality on these budget graphic cards, you are going to need to lower the settings to maximize the performance. To cut down on costs, you could also consider acquiring a second-hand since it will give you the same level of performance. Just head over to Amazon if you want to do that.
3) Corsair CX Series
The Corsair cx series packs some serious power under the hood. For a device with such excellent craftsmanship, it only incorporates the use of basic modularity features. Due to the basic modularity features, it does unfortunately emit some extra heat and also consumes more power while in operation. The heating issue can, however, be resolved with the use of dual case fans. The installation process may also prove to be tedious when having to sort out the mass of cables that come with this component. If you want to avoid that, choose the pre-built option at the bottom of this guide.
Compared to other companies, the EVGA is a cheaper alternative. The low price is however not an indicator of inferior quality. Over the years the company has built a reputation for manufacturing powerful and durable GPU and PSUs. The component also comes with a Bronze certified power supply unit.
4) XPG Z1 DDR4 3000MHz
- PC4-24000 CL16-20-20 1.35V
- Consume less power than DDR3
- Overclock compatible
- 2 oz copper for better cooling
I intentionally settled for a basic DDR4 RAM and a motherboard that had enough room to allow for future upgrades. The basic 16 GB RAM that comes with the device is sufficient enough for basic multitasking tasks but will fall short on a 4k gaming performance. Here is a tip though, to improve the overall performance, you could add to the RAM by purchasing extra RAM sticks. Even with the slight dip in performance when using a single RAM stick, the XPG 8GB RAM is quite reliable and comes at a very cheap price which as you have guessed by now is a huge factor with this build.
5) Crucial BX500 240GB
- PC4-24000 CL16-20-20 1.35V
- Consume less power than DDR3
- Overclock compatible
- 2 oz copper for better cooling
When coming up with the CPU the cost of storage was way cheaper compared to the last time I planned an upgrade. With the pricing in mind, a smaller 240 GB hard drive was the ideal storage capacity to settle for. Such storage capacity is sufficient and gives you enough space to store games and other media you may have. It may fall short of the newer ones on quality but based on the budget it will be sufficient to start with.
6) AeroCool Cylon RGB Mid Tower
- Full Acrylic Side Window RGB ready Mid Tower case. Elegant backslash LED with 13...
- Supports liquid cooling: 240mm radiator in the front panel. Supports air...
- Supports VGA fan bracket design: two 120mm fans for superior cooling performance...
- Removable PSU dust filter for easy cleaning. Steel Thickness: 0.5mm....
I really love this case, it’s not the most flashy or expensive but there is a lot to like. It has a very efficient cooling mechanism that relies on two fans that control the intake and the exhaust of the cooling system. The case is quite unique in the sense that it is very compact while still boasting gorgeous aesthetics. As an addition, the case has a side window panel that gives a clear view of the interior. With all those features it is worth every penny. If you are still here reading this, thank you. If you get stuck building your PC with the components in this guide, you can let me know in the comments.
BONUS: Pre Built HP Option
- Processor: AMD Ryzen(TM) 3 2200G Processor, Quad-Core, 3.50GHz.
- Memory: 4 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable to 32 GB).
- Hard drive: 1 TB 7200RPM SATA.
- Operating system: Windows 10 Home.
If you aren't interested in building your own Gaming PC, due to the complexities or length of time it takes, that is entirely understandable, and you should know that you are not alone. Sometimes for a lot of people a one-time payment and receiving a plug and play PC is the best option. I have decided to include the HP Z210 here in this guide due to the massive amount of quality you get for the price. It is quad core i7, has 16gb of DDR3 Ram, warranty and even comes with a mouse and keyboard. The one thing I will be upfront about is that it is a refurbished PC.
Don't let that put you off however because the fact is that for this budget it is going to hard, if not impossible to find a pre-built gaming PC with better specs for the price. Be quick though, the stock is limited, and with Christmas around the corner, this PC will be gone in no time.
Wow thanks for this! Didn’t even think it was possible to build a gaming pc at such a low price. To be honest I don’t think I’ll copy this build 100% but I’m definitely going to use the majority of it 🙂
What parts did you swap out?
I swapped out the motherboard
The motherboard in this build is fine imho. Don’t see why you would swap it out and don’t think you can find one better.
Feel free to add and change your own parts. This should give you some great ideas to start with.
Can I still build this for 300 dollars? I see that the prices are constantly changing. I need a good a gaming PC but I’ve not got a lot of money right now.
You can check the latest price by clicking on the “Latest Build Price” button at the bottom of this post. It will show you the checkout price. The price does fluctuate quite frequently but as I am sure you know, that is out of our control. We will try to keep this guide as up to date as possible and as close to the 300 dollar budget as we can.
How often is this build updated?
Every month 🙂
What would be a good SSD to use instead of the hard drive you have picked?
Hi David, I would recommend the ADATA SU800 SSD to replace the Hitachi Ultrastar.
I updated the build today November 13rd swapping in a Western Digital Hard Drive and EVGA PSU keeping the cost closer to $300.