I'm planning to buy a gaming PC soon with a budget of about $500. I'll probably build it with help from a local computer technician rather than buying a new prebuilt. I was considering a Ryzen 5 5500, but I'm unsure whether to buy 8GB of new DDR4 memory or 16GB of used DDR4 since RAM is expensive right now. I'd prefer a used graphics card to save money. Around $200 would need to cover the case, motherboard, power supply, fans, and thermal paste, leaving the rest for the CPU, RAM, storage, and GPU. What parts or approach would give me the best gaming performance for this budget?
4 Answers
I’d strongly choose 16GB of used RAM instead of 8GB of new RAM. Eight gigabytes is likely to cause stuttering or force you to close background programs in modern games. Also, don’t overspend on fans or an expensive case—use a basic case with decent airflow and put the savings toward the graphics card. The Ryzen 5 5500 is a reasonable budget CPU, though its PCIe 3.0 support means you should pair it with a sensibly priced GPU rather than an unnecessarily high-end one.
The exact recommendations depend on your country and whether the $500 is in US dollars, since used hardware prices vary a lot. In general, I’d target a Ryzen 5 5500 or similar CPU, 16GB of DDR4, an inexpensive but reputable power supply, and a used graphics card such as a Radeon RX 5500 XT or a comparable model. Keep at least a small budget for an SSD, and don’t use an unknown or poorly reviewed power supply just to save a few dollars.
At this budget, used parts are probably the way to go. Buying every component new will leave very little money for a graphics card. Look for CPU, motherboard, and RAM bundles from people upgrading to a newer platform, and try to put as much of the budget as possible toward the GPU. A used business desktop can also be a good starting point, as long as the power supply and available space can support a graphics card.
My current computer barely runs Minecraft, so I’m hoping to put something together fairly soon even if it isn’t perfect.
A complete used PC may offer better value than buying each part separately at this price. Search locally or through reputable secondhand listings for a system with a Ryzen 5 or newer Core i5, 16GB of RAM, and room for a standard graphics card. Avoid systems with proprietary power supplies or unusual connectors, since they can be difficult to upgrade. If you buy a business tower, check its power supply wattage and whether it has enough physical space for the GPU.
A used prebuilt isn’t automatically a bad deal anymore. Just confirm that the motherboard, power supply, and case use standard parts before buying, and test the system if possible.
Another option is an AMD processor with integrated graphics, such as a 5600G. You could use its built-in graphics temporarily and save for a better dedicated GPU later, although performance will be limited in newer games.