$400 Gaming PC Build

 

Are you working with a tight budget, But still want to jump 1080p Gaming. The affordable  $400 gaming PC guide here.

If you’re in the market for a new gaming computer and you’re working with a tight budget, one way to get more performance out of the money you have to spend is to build your computer yourself. In fact, in this guide, we’ll show you what parts to get in order to build a solid gaming PC for under $400.

This $400 gaming computer is perfect as an entry-level system and it will handle pretty much any game on an affordable 1080P monitor, including games like Valiant, COD Warfare, Apex Legends, and Fortnite. No, it’s not the best gaming computer in the world. But, if you are currently using a system that can’t even run your favorite games, this build will at least allow you to start playing those games. And, it will give you a nice foundation that can be upgraded in the future into a mid-range gaming PC that can max out anything you throw at it.

So, if you’re ready to see what the best gaming PC build under $400 looks like, keep reading!

$400 Gaming PC Build Overview

This system is a little different than our $300 gaming computer build because instead of going with an AMD Ryzen APU, we instead opted for a quad-core Intel Core i3-10100 processor and a dedicated RX 560 4GB graphics cards.

And, while you could go with an AMD Ryzen 5 2400G or 3400G APU for this build (and, we have gone that route in past iterations of this build), with the price drop on the RX 560, we felt that you’d get better performance out of the 10100/RX 560 combo.

This system also comes with 8GB of DDR4 2400MHz memory, a budget-friendly 240GB SSD, and a 600W power supply that can easily accommodate an upgrade to a mid-range graphics card in the future. And, finally, we chose the AeroCool Cylon for this build’s case. It’s a very affordable mid tower chassis that has decent airflow, a tempered glass side panel, and will easily fit all of these components, as well as give you room for upgrades in the future.

$400 Gaming PC System Breakdown

Ultimately, in our opinion, the parts above are what will help you build the best gaming PC under $400 (make sure you check for fluctuating prices, though.) However, there are other routes you can go with this build. So, below we’ll discuss what some of those other routes are, as well as what kind of performance you can expect out of this $400 gaming PC, and the types of upgrades you can make to it to turn it into a mid-range 1080P-killing gaming machine.

1. How Will This $400 PC Build Perform?

In terms of how this $400 gaming PC will hold up against today’s top games, you can expect to be able to run less-demanding games on a 1080P monitor on higher settings, and more demanding games on a 1080P monitor at lower settings. But, for an example of what kind of a framerate you can expect to get out of some of today’s more popular games, check out the bullet point list below:

• This build will be able to run games like Rocket League, League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, etc. on higher settings at ~50-60+ frames per second

• This build will be able to run more demanding AAA titles on lower settings at ~30+ frames per second

For just under $400, that’s really pretty darn good performance. You’ll be able to play any game on a 1080P monitor. Yes, on more demanding games you’ll have to turn the settings down, but at least you’ll get to play them. And, for popular eSports/competitive titles that aren’t very demanding, the CPU/GPU combination will be able to handle them with ease.

2. How You Can Cut the Price Further

While this build is pretty barebones as is, you could potentially cut the cost down a bit more. Here are a couple of ways you can save even more money on this system in order to lower the price:

• You could choose a cheaper case and save ~$10. There are cases out there that cost just over $20 that will hold this system fine.

• You could opt for a cheaper power supply and save ~$20. If you drop to too low-end of a power supply, though, it will hurt your ability to upgrade the system in the future.

• You could start with just 4GB of RAM and save ~$30. This wouldn’t be horrible, but if it were me, I’d definitely try and fit 8GB into the build.

And, that’s really about it. You could always shop for used components as well and try to cut down on costs that way. However, if you want a brand new system, those two options would probably be the best way to get the price down a little bit more.

3. Why Does Windows 10 Cost So Much?

One way or another, you’re going to need an operating system to get this build up and running. If you buy a copy of Windows 10 along with this build, that’s going to set you back an extra $100—which, for some of you, will put this build out of reach.

However, there are a few ways around paying $100 for Windows 10:

First, you could install a free Linux-based operating system. You won’t be able to play certain games that aren’t compatible with Linux, but you will save $100.

Second, you could buy a Windows 10 key from a third party marketplace for ~$30. I’ve had good success purchasing Windows keys from Kinguin.net in the past, but there is definitely some risk involved in purchasing a Windows license from a third party source.

Finally, you could just install Windows 10 for free and not activate it. In my opinion, this is probably the best route to go. Essentially, Microsoft allows anyone to install Windows onto their computer without forcing them to activate it. And, for the most part, you can still use Windows normally even when it’s not activated. The only thing you will lose out on is some customization options like setting your desktop’s wallpaper. But, I think in order to save $100, that is not a bad trade-off cost. And, at the very least, you could run the non-activated version of Windows until you can afford to purchase an activation key for it.

4. How to Upgrade This $400 Build

While this $400 gaming computer won’t max out today’s top games on a 1080P monitor, it will give you the potential to upgrade it to be a system that can max games out. In my opinion, this system is only one major upgrade away from being able to max out most games on a 1920 x 1080 monitor, and a couple of more upgrades after that away from being a really solid all-around computer.

Here is the upgrade path I would take for this system

The first upgrade that I’d make would be to add a solid mid-range (or higher) graphics card.

The following GPUs would make for a good upgrade:

• GTX 1660

• RX 5600 XT

Fortunately, the power supply in this build will be powerful enough to accommodate any of the graphics cards listed above. If it were me, I’d try to save up for an GTX 1660 or RX 5600 XT, because for 1080P gaming, those will allow you to max out any game with ease.

You could also upgrade to a high-end graphics card as well (like an RX 5700, 5700 XT, RTX 2070 SUPER, or RTX 2080 SUPER) with the 600W PSU in this build.

Conclusion: $400 Will Get You A Nice Entry-Level PC for 1080P Gaming

If you’re looking for the best gaming PC under $400, you’ll definitely want to consider building your own system rather than buying a pre-built computer. By opting to build the computer yourself, you can avoid the markup cost that comes on pre-built machines, which will allow you to put more money into your system.

In this guide, we’ve given you a solid list of components that will allow you to build an entry-level $400 gaming PC. This build is capable of running pretty much any game (like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Valorant, etc.) on a 1080P monitor on at least lower settings. And, you’ll be able to play less-demanding games on medium or higher settings too.