When it comes to PC gaming, there’s no doubt that you get what you pay for. The best gaming laptops and desktops can easily cost thousands of dollars, but as with most things in life, you can get a good deal if you know where to look.
A prebuilt gaming PC is a desktop computer that comes ready to play games right out of the box. It’s an excellent option for anyone who wants to get into PC gaming but doesn’t want to spend hours or even days configuring and assembling the parts themselves. Prebuilt gaming PCs come in all shapes and sizes, with a wide range of price points to match. You can find a budget-friendly model for as little as $500, or you can go all-out and spend tens of thousands of dollars on the most powerful gaming PC money can buy.
However, if your budget is tight and you don’t want to break the bank, don’t worry – there are plenty of great budget prebuilt gaming PCs out there. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the best budget-friendly prebuilt gaming PCs of this year.
In a hurry? Here are our top 3 favorite picks when it comes to the best budget prebuilt gaming PCs in 2023!
Best Overall
Budget Pick
Best Value For Money
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What is a Prebuilt Gaming PC?
A prebuilt gaming PC is a computer that is specifically designed for gaming. It typically has more powerful hardware than a traditional desktop PC, which allows it to run games at higher settings and with better performance.
There are several benefits to using a prebuilt gaming PC. First, these systems are typically very affordable, especially when compared to the cost of building your custom gaming PC. They also come with all the necessary components already installed, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues or putting together the various parts yourself. Another benefit of using a prebuilt gaming PC is that they tend to be very reliable. Since these systems are designed specifically for gaming, the hardware is usually high quality and well tested.
Prebuilt gaming PCs come in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges. A budget prebuilt PC is an amazing option for those just starting out in the world of PC gaming, while high-end models can offer some of the best performance currently available.
Is a Budget Prebuilt Gaming PC Worth It?
Is it worth it to buy a Budget Prebuilt gaming PC? The answer is an absolute YES. If you buy a prebuilt gaming computer, you will not have to worry about the lengthy task of putting together all the pieces and parts that go into one yourself like memory, processors, motherboards, etc.
Buying these things will help save hours upon hours in time which can be put towards other things in life. The process of getting your own parts would require patience for assembling them correctly and limited expertise when identifying issues if something goes wrong with your build later on down the line.
Plus, buying from brands like CyberpowerPC offers warranties on anything that may break while under warranty, so any defects are covered promptly at no expense. A prebuilt gaming PC is great for a variety of people. Hardcore PC gamers will love the ability to have a machine designed purely for gaming and nothing else. Casual gamers may also appreciate not having to build their own, as this can be a daunting task for those new to the hobby or just don’t have the time for it.
Another group of people who can benefit from prebuilt gaming PCs is students. A powerful machine like this can come in handy for doing school work and taking care of business outside of schoolwork, such as entertainment, social media, and even some light gaming. A prebuilt gaming PC is a wise investment because it offers more than what you would get if you assembled one on your own. You can save money on parts that may not be the best for your needs, or you may not have the time to research what would be the best for you.
Speaking of that, here are our picks for the best budget-friendly prebuilt gaming PCs for 2022:
1. HP M01-f0033W Ryzen — Best Overall
The HP Desktop is a budget-friendly gaming PC that is an excellent place to begin your new gaming career. This setup does not have a dedicated GPU, instead relying on the 3200G’s integrated graphics.
AMD’s Ryzen 3 3200G APU powers the rig, an affordable APU that delivers a fair punch for the price. The CPU operates at a basic clock speed of 3.6GHz and can be turbocharged up to 4GHz. While you won’t achieve multithreading speed with four cores and four threads, this far outperforms Intel’s integrated graphics. The 3200G is equipped with Vega 8 graphics, providing entry-level performance in a variety of games.
The HP Desktop is equipped with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. While this storage option is not exceptionally fast, it is sufficient to get you started right away, with plenty of space for your operating system and favorite games.
This would be a terrific PC for newbies, with a powerful gaming element at its core. Apart from the components, you’ll get a small system with a free keyboard and mouse for immediate gaming.
Why Is This the Best Budget Prebuilt Gaming PC in 2023?
HP consistently produces well-balanced gaming PCs at an affordable price range, and the HP M01-f0033W Ryzen is no exception. The HP M01 is a powerful budget gaming PC loaded with an AMD Ryzen 3200G APU and a slew of other impressive specs. As an HP product, the PC also comes with excellent after-sales support and servicing.
2. Skytech Chronos Gaming PC — Best Value
We selected the Skytech Chronos as our best value pick due to the hardware included and the cost. For little less than $1,500, you can get a PC equipped with the following items: an RTX 3060 12GB GPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. That combo is capable of both 4K gaming and maxing out everything on a 1080P monitor.
The SkyTech Chronos is designed in a way that promises an enjoyable gaming experience. Thanks to the three LED fans and glass side window, it’s an eye-catching gaming PC with an over-the-top gaming design that still manages to seem charming.
When it comes to the components that make up the SkyTech Chronos, it’s clear to understand why this gaming desktop is outclassing the competition. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU with eight cores is the standout component here, as it competes with Intel’s Core i7-9700K processor. It’s a 3.7GHz CPU mounted on a B450 motherboard, more than sufficient for multi-threaded programs.
Even if you’re not a gamer, this is a great benefit for professionals and multitaskers who often need to stream media while also running CPU-intensive applications. Additionally, you’ll get 16GB of RAM and 1TB of solid-state storage, which is more than enough space for your gaming and applications.
In general, the SkyTech Chronos is an outstanding, future-proof gaming rig that looks and feels great in-game. Simply said, it’s a gaming behemoth with enough raw processing power to run any processor-intensive, graphics-intensive AAA game without halting, delivering an entertaining experience.
3. CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR — Best Prebuilt PC Under $1000
If you’re searching for an efficient and cost-effective prebuilt gaming PC, the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR comes in at a little under $1,000.
To begin, the Gamer Extreme Cyberpower PC is one of the most affordable ways to get the integrated components, which include an Intel i5-11600KF CPU and an Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card. The remainder of the specifications is also rather impressive, including 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1 TB hard drive, and a 500GB SSD.
When combined, these components will allow you to run almost any game at 60 frames per second on high settings, as well as a large number of competitive online games at 100 frames per second. Additionally, the PC offers sufficient processing power for streaming and video production, making it an ideal all-around beginner PC for a broad range of users.
Cooling, though, is a place where the savings begin to catch up. When subjected to any form of load, the core temperature quickly rises, and the CPU reaches its maximum temperature almost instantly.
If the thought of doing anything within your computer frightens you, this may not be the best option. On the other hand, if you have even a modicum of experience and a spare $100 or so for updating the case fans and CPU cooler, you’re set.
4. iBUYPOWER Trace 4 MR 225i — Best PC Under $900
The iBUYPOWER Trace 4 MR 225i is meant to impress, and although the budget model we’re reviewing is competent, we’re not sure whether the stage provided by the casing is worth it. With the tempered glass panels, large interior, and several RGB fans, this might be a great option if you need a PC immediately and have a clear plan for future upgrades.
With a quad-core Intel i3 CPU and 8GB of RAM, you do get a decent level of power out of the gate. It’s a rather acceptable level of performance for the price and will handle just about any basic function you want to run on this PC.
While the RAM is enough for the pricing range at 8 GB, the memory capacity is limited to 480 GB. Much of it will be eaten up by system files, even if it is relatively short on bloatware, so you may struggle to bring your game catalog to more than single digits.
As an added bonus, the Trace 4 MR 225i comes with an aesthetically pleasing RGB keyboard and a wired gaming mouse. They’re not the best quality, but they’ll do for some casual gaming.
All things aside, this PC is a great choice for anyone interested in building their own PC but need a basic product that they can use right out of the box. While the quality and appearance are excellent, a significant downside of this PC is its performance.
5. AVGPC Q-Box Gaming Computer PC
While the AVGPC is somewhat more costly than our previous pick, the AVGPC’s key aspects more than compensate for the price difference. This setup is ideal for people interested in pursuing a professional esports or streaming career. It not only looks amazing and performs well but also provides superb cooling thanks to its case.
At the core of this design is AMD’s low-end gaming CPU, the Ryzen 5 3600. The CPU has a base clock speed of 3.6GHz and a peak clock speed of 4.2GHz, which is more than adequate to handle low-end games.
Along with this very competent processor, there is 8GB of DDR4 3000Mhz RAM, 500GB of fast SSD storage, and a 500W power supply to keep everything running smoothly.
Additionally, the GT 710 provides users with a highly powerful standalone GPU. As a result, the AVGPC is a perfect entry-level PC for anybody looking to play low-intensive games while maintaining the ability to upgrade in the future.
While this PC will not win any awards for amazing performance, it is an excellent pick for first-time PC gamers.
6. CUK AsRock DeskMini
The CUK AsRock Deskmini is exactly what it sounds like: a mini desktop gaming machine. However, don’t be fooled by its small size; this beast delivers a significant punch.
It is equipped with the traditional Ryzen 3 2200G processors. When on a budget, you simply cannot go wrong with the 2200G; it is the most powerful and efficient APU in its price category. It is capable of handling AAA game titles well but at lower settings.
Since this PC lacks a dedicated GPU, it must rely on AMD’s VEGA 8 graphics, a fairly capable graphics substitute. It performs well in Fornite, LOL, and CS:GO if the settings are adjusted correctly. 8GB of 2,666MHz RAM is the ideal complement to the 2200G, providing a noticeable performance gain while maintaining within the price.
The CUK AsRock Deskmini is a niche product, so if you’re considering it, you better be looking purely for the mini form factor. It does have certain advantages, but it also has some disadvantages. However, as far as mini form designs go, this is an excellent option.
7. Alarco Gaming PC (Intel i5)
This prebuilt gaming PC from Intel is an excellent choice if you’re looking to get a taste of the Intel series. While not as powerful as Intel’s Core i5-8400, the Intel i5-2400 still manages to give some impressive processing rates.
The GTX 650 graphics card provides playable frame rates in the majority of games available today at 1080p resolution. Gaming on this setup is an investment well worth the money. It comes with 8GB RAM, which improves the already rapid processing rates, allowing video and graphics editing apps to function flawlessly with this configuration.
The GPU is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this build, as it performs well in a variety of different games. Additionally, you’ll be able to use it for light rendering.
In general, this machine is attractive for the price and should provide a reasonable degree of performance.
8. iBUYPOWER Trace 4 Gaming PC
The iBuyPower Trace is not the first pre-built PC to appear in multiple models on our list; however, it is the first to do so consecutively.
The Trace 4 93G730 is somewhat larger than the previous Trace model and has a metal front panel with RGB highlights instead of the tempered glass on the previous one. It won’t be as visually appealing for long-term upgrading, but it may be a little more viable in terms of thermals.
One significant selling point is that you’ll save even more money on the GPU. The GeForce GT 730 costs just more than $50, so you won’t feel bad if it winds up in storage for years, which is our official advice.
As with the previous edition of Trace, the RAM and CPU perform well. The 8GB DDR4 RAM is plenty for the time being, and with six cores and a clock speed of 3.6 GHz, the Ryzen 5 3600 may easily remain in your new rig for the duration of its life. Certainly, there are few builds that might benefit from a higher-powerful CPU.
Besides the GPU, the hard drive is likely the weakest point in this chain, and you’ll almost certainly need to update it in the near future. If you want to play more than a few games while you wait for your replacement parts, the 240 GB will quickly become inconvenient.
Both Trace variants that we’ve discussed here are excellent starting points for gradually upgrading to a more powerful PC. The differences will be determined by cooling capacity, CPU brand, and personal taste for metal vs. tempered glass coating.
The 225i, on the other hand, provides a little more advantageous starting position. Plus, given this PC’s general performance, we can’t suggest it–in comparison to the two options above, this one provides by far the poorest value for money.
9. HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop
HP is well-known for producing powerful but affordable laptops, and the new HP Pavilion exemplifies this. With an Intel Core i3 CPU, an NVIDIA GTX 1650, and 8GB RAM, it’s remarkable that this device is still around $700. And that’s just touching the surface of the PC’s unique capabilities.
This entry-level gaming machine is equipped with the newest Intel Core i3-10100 CPU. This CPU, based on AMD’s Turing architecture, has a four-core, eight-thread design with a somewhat greater per-core performance than rival AMD processors. It has a 6MB cache, a 4.3GHz turbo boost speed, and a 3.6GHz base clock speed. This CPU is capable of running the majority of mid-range games, such as Fortnite and Warzone, without exhibiting the smallest indication of lag.
If you have an Intel Core i3 processor and an NVIDIA GTX 1650, you can play games at 4K resolution with a little lower quality of graphics. At extreme graphics on a 1080p screen, you may expect a continuous refresh rate of more than 60 frames per second.
Storage is both the PC’s greatest strength and worst vulnerability. It includes a 10x faster PCIe NVMe M2 SSD than a normal hard disc. The downside is that it only has a capacity of 256GB. However, HP considered this as well and included additional open slots for easy storage expansion.
Overall, if you’re into entry-level gaming and searching for a robust PC that can provide an outstanding gaming experience while also serving as an ideal workstation, this PC is for you.
10. SkyTech Blaze II
The SkyTech Blaze II earned a spot on our list due to its stunning look and equally impressive performance. If you’re a gamer who is addicted with Valorant, Counter-Strike, or Fortnite, this affordable gaming PC is for you.
When it comes to aesthetics, the SkyTech Blaze II is hard to beat at this price point. It has see-through side panels, multicolor RGB lighting, and other standout design elements.
This PC boasts lightning-fast performance thanks to the iconic AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU operating at 3.8GHz. The Ryzen 5 3600 has a quad-core architecture that supports up to eight threads concurrently.
At 3.8GHz, it easily delivers a solid performance while running the majority of games at 60+ frames per second on a 1080p display. However, when overclocked, it has the power to operate at 4.4GHz.
As with the CPU, this budget-friendly gaming PC’s graphics card comes up to the expectations. This PC has an NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB of DDR6 memory. The GTX 1650 is 50% quicker than its more popular sibling, the GTX 1050, thanks to the Turing architecture.
The GPU’s native clock speed is 1665MHz, although it can be overclocked to 2085MHz with a little tweaking. The best part about overclocking this GPU is that you won’t have to worry about replacing the cooling fans. This is because the existing cooling system has been developed with overclocking in mind.
This is one of the top gaming PCs for Fortnite and Minecraft, since both the GPU and CPU operate at maximum capacity. You can run these games at extreme graphics settings while maintaining a refresh rate of more than 90 frames per second at 1080p.
Pros:
- Compact case
- Pre installed drivers
- Easily upgradable
- Beautiful design
Cons:
- Lacks hard drive bay
- Limited RAM
How to Choose the Best Budget Prebuilt Gaming PCs in 2023?
If you are looking to buy a prebuilt gaming PC, the market can be quite overwhelming. This is because there are now so many different brands and models to choose from. So, how do you know which one is the best for you? Here are a few factors that you should keep in mind when making your decision:
Budget
The most important factor to consider when buying a prebuilt gaming PC is your budget. This will determine the type of PC that you can afford as well as the specs that it will come with.
The Type of Games You Play
Another thing to keep in mind is the type of games you play. If you are into first-person shooters like Counter-Strike and Halo, then you will need a PC with a high-end graphics card. If you are more into strategy games like Civilization and Age of Empires, then a PC with a good CPU is more essential.
RAM
Another important factor to consider is the amount of RAM. This will determine how many programs you can have open at the same time as well as the level of graphics detail that you can play your games at.
Upgradability
One of the main benefits of buying a prebuilt gaming PC is that they are upgradable. This means that you can add new components to the PC as your needs change or as new hardware becomes available.
This is an important factor to consider when making your decision, as it means that you can keep your PC up-to-date for longer.
Storage
The final factor to consider is storage. If you plan on storing a lot of games and movies on your PC, then you will need a large hard drive. If you only plan on using your PC for gaming, then a smaller hard drive will be enough.
Final Thoughts
As we reach the end of our list, it’s important to remember that there are many great gaming PCs out there for those on a budget. No matter which model you choose, make sure to get the most out of your purchase by upgrading key components and software. By doing so, you can ensure that your PC will be able to handle the most demanding games for years to come. We hope that this guide has helped you in making the best decision for your needs!
If you happen to be a beginner, you can check out our list of the best gaming computers for beginners.
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