Are you looking for a cheap gaming computer that can easily handle your favorite games? Below, you’ll find six different budget gaming PC builds that will serve you well into 2020 (and beyond).

In this day and age of incredible graphics and extremely demanding video games, you, as a PC gamer, must have a capable gaming computer if you want to play your favorite games in the way they were designed to be played. And, although some console gamers might tell you that PC gaming is too expensive to get into, the reality is that even if you are working with a tight budget, you can build (or buy) a budget PC that can deliver excellent performance at 1080P resolution in most games.

And, if you’re willing to spend between $700-$800 you can even get a VR-ready gaming computer that is capable of utilizing an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset.

In this guide, I’ve given you six different budget PC builds that you can use as is, or that you can use as a base to put together your own part list. This will allow you to skip the fine details and get straight to building your new powerful system. These aren’t the best gaming PCs you can build, but for the price their performance is incredible and for the most part, the majority of them will offer a better gaming experience than consoles will.

In the end, you’ll have a plan of action, as well as a number of different components to choose between, and you’ll be well on your way to building a cheap gaming computer desktop that is capable of delivering excellent levels of performance. You’ll also find links to comparable affordable pre-built desktops. So, if you don’t want to build your own system, you can check out the types of desktops you can get for a similar price.

Quick-Look: Our Top Picks for the Best Cheap Gaming PCs

In this section, I’ve taken six different price points ($300, $400, $500, $600, $700, & $800) and I’ve put together affordable gaming PC builds for each budget. These builds can either be used as is, or they can serve as a base that you can customize to your liking.

Each build has a link next to each component that says “SEE PRICE »” and if you click on it it will lead you to that component’s listing on Amazon where you can purchase it. And, if you are looking for a gaming desktop that’s already been assembled, there is also a link that says “PRE-BUILT »” that will take you to similarly-priced pre-built systems.

*I update these builds about once per week and if the total price is over the price range I have set ($30 threshold) then it’s likely that one (or more) of the components included in the build saw a price increase since I had last updated the build. No worries, though! If you browse for similar components you will likely find something comparable performance-wise that will be more affordable and will bring the price down.

1. Powerful $800 Gaming PC (VR-READY)

What if I told you that for ~$800 you could build a computer that could serve as a solid 1080P or 1440P gaming machine? Or, that could support the Oculus Rift?

That’s what this $800 gaming computer brings to the table. Thanks to an Intel Core i3-10100 CPU, an NVIDIA RTX 2060 6GB video card, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, this budget PC build is capable of playing most games on a 1440P 60Hz monitor at medium-to-higher settings with acceptable frame rates. And, if you want to jump into the world of Virtual-Reality gaming, this build meets the requirements to run an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive as well.

Watch me build this $800 gaming PC on YouTube!

And, of course, if you just want to play on a 1080P monitor, this budget system will easily be able to handle that as benchmarks for the RTX 2060 6GB show that it can handle 1080P gaming incredibly well. In fact, pairing this build with a cheap 144Hz gaming monitor would make for a great gaming PC for PUBG, Fortnite, Apex Legends, or any other highly-competitive game.

The build also includes a 480GB SSD, which will offer superior read/write speeds and boot times over traditional mechanical hard drives. You also get a 750W power supply that will handle any upgrades or additions you might want to make in the future. And, while you can choose any case that suits your personal preferences, we’ve included a decent tempered glass case.

Ultimately, for just $800 this budget build can easily handle 1080P gaming, will serve well for 1440P gaming, and can even run games on a 4K monitor on mediumish settings.