I'm looking to buy my first gaming PC and found this one listed for around $200–$300. I don't know much about PC hardware, so I'm unsure whether it's worth the price or what games it could handle. The specs are: GTX 1650 graphics card, Intel Core i5-10400F processor, 16GB DDR4-2133 memory, a 466GB SSD, and a 233GB hard drive. Would this be a reasonable entry point for PC gaming, and are there any important things I should check before buying it?
3 Answers
The hardware is fine for older games and lighter titles, roughly around the level of games released up to the mid-2010s. The GTX 1650 and 16GB of RAM are usable, but the storage is limited, so you may need another drive fairly soon if you install several modern games.
At around $200, this would be a reasonable way to get started with PC gaming. It should handle esports games and many older or less demanding AAA games at 1080p, though you’ll need to keep expectations realistic and may have to use medium or low settings in newer titles. Before buying, check the power supply and motherboard, especially if this started as an office PC. Proprietary parts or a weak power supply could make future upgrades difficult.
Whether it’s a good deal depends heavily on the games you want to play. It should be great for games such as Stardew Valley and other lightweight titles, but don’t assume it will run every new game smoothly or at high settings. Ask the seller for the exact power-supply model and test that the PC runs properly before paying.
I’m still figuring out what I want to play, and this would be my first PC purchase. I’ll make sure to test it and get the full parts list instead of relying only on the basic specifications.
That’s exactly what I’m hoping for—I mainly want an affordable way to get into PC gaming. I found it through a local marketplace listing, so I’ll check the power supply and whether the parts are standard before deciding.