For anyone setting foot in the world of PC gaming for the very first time, it can be a daunting experience. It also shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg. Unlike picking between Playstation or Nintendo, where your choices essentially boil down to what system-exclusive games you want to play, PC gaming is a very different beast. Customization is through the roof, with all sorts of different graphics cards, RAM, and processors to think about. All of these choices will carry over to the games you play in terms of performance and graphics output depending on your setup. It’s also extremely important you pick the right computer if you want to run Skyrim with every mod available or your kids want to run “graphically intense” games like Minecraft & Roblox at super max settings.
Personally, I’ve always bought my gaming PCs prebuilt. My PC friends shame me for this, but that’s just how I roll. Building your own PC or watching Henry Cavill build his own can be a satisfying experience, but not everyone wants to do that. If you’re like me and just want something affordable, reliable, and ready to go, the list of PCs here are great options for diving into the PC gaming scene right away.
However, if you do end up deciding to go down the route of building your own PC, there are some PC gaming cases included on this list to help you get started.
Best Cheap Gaming PCs
Shinobee SSD Ultra 8-Core Gaming PC
- CPU: AMD FX 8300 8 Core
- GPU: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050
- RAM: 16GB DDR3 PC-1600 (Dual Channel)
- STORAGE: 1TB SATA III HDD
First up is the Shinobee SSD Ultra 8. This model of the Shinobee comes equipped with an octa-core processor, 240 GB SSD + 1 TB of hard drive space, and 16GB of DDR3 memory. It also has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 that will really bring out those beautiful graphics in your games.
Skytech Chronos Mini Gaming PC
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 4-Core 3.6 GHz
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1660 6GB GDDR6
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- STORAGE: 500 GB Flash Memory Solid State
The Skytech Chronos Mini Gaming PC not only looks cool, but it’s capable of running your favorite games at High to Ultra settings, with crisp 1440p QHD resolution and smooth 60+ FPS gameplay. This PC also features a 500GB SSD that is up to 30x faster than a traditional HDD.
iBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6GHz
- GPU: NVIDIA GT 730 2GB
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- STORAGE: 240GB SSD
If you’re looking for an entry-level gaming PC for your kids or yourself, the iBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC is a great place to start. This PC comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 alongside the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 graphics processor, which is a GPU for gamers who enjoy less graphically demanding games (Roblox and Minecraft, I’m looking at you). You can also add your own additional storage via the open M.2 or SATA ports.
HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- GPU: GeForce GTX 1650
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4
- STORAGE: 256 GB
The HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop features loads of customization features with interchangeable LED lights and system optimization from the OMEN Command Center. Outstanding performance with 4K visuals courtesy of the 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10400F processor. This PC also comes equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card that features all-new NVIDIA Turing architecture and 4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory.
Acer Nitro Gaming Desktop
- CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10400F Processor
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics with 4GB GDDR5 Video Memory
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4
- STORAGE: Flash Memory Solid State
This might be the most expensive PC on the list, but in the world of computers, this is still a very affordable price for a solid gaming PC. I personally own this one, so I figured I’d throw it on here. I’ve had no issues and it runs new games extremely well. I did upgrade my RAM by purchasing an extra 8 GB. Some owners claim to have put in upwards of 32 GB of RAM, but that’s totally your call.
Best PC Gaming Cases
For those of you that have decided to go out and build your own, here are a few PC gaming cases to help you get started. How you build the rest is entirely up to you.
MUSETEX ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case
This excellent ATX Mid-Tower Gaming computer case supports motherboards up to ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX. It also features mounts for up to 2 x HDD’s and 3 x SSDs. This PC case comes equipped with 2 Galaxy dark 4mm thickness translucent tempered glass, allowing you to show off what is running your precious new gaming desktop.
NZXT H510 Compact ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case
The NZXT H510 Mid-Tower PC case features front I/O USB Type-C Port and tempered glass side panel with single screw installation. Other features include a patented cable routing kit with pre-installed channels and straps which will make wiring easy and intuitive. Seriously, cable management is always important. You don’t want to show off your new PC and have cables everywhere, it’s the ultimate sin.
Corsair iCUE 4000X RGB Mid-Tower ATX PC Case
The Corsair iCUE Mid-Tower combines stylish tempered glass, customizable RGB lighting, and innovative cable management into one nicely packaged PC case. Each fan is equipped with eight individually addressable RGB LEDs for your very own customizable lighting. You can also fully control and synchronize the RGB lighting for up to 6 fans with the included iCUE Lighting Node CORE and CORSAIR iCUE software.