Is it even possible to build a PC that can play all of the latest games for less than $500? The guys at ExtremeTech think so, and they’re reviving their iteration of the $500 gaming PC build with some updated parts and components. Surprisingly, they managed to come in under budget (sorry if that’s a spoiler) and they have enough horsepower under the hood of their rig to power some of the most system intensive games out there.
They didn’t do like I did and blow a whole lot of cash on a massive Core i7 system or anything, so the parts aren’t absolutely top of the line, but that’s the point – you don’t HAVE to have absolutely top of the line parts to play the hottest games right now at excellent quality – and that’s the tradeoff. Some of the games they tested have super-extremely-high-end features that can only be turned on if you’re running some of that top of the line hardware, but if you’re willing to turn the graphics settings down just a smidge and deal with not cranking everything to 11, then you can get really serious performance without having to spend a ton of money.
The new $500 gaming PC is backed by an AMD Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition, which only cost the guys $69. See what I mean? There are some seriously powerful components out there for little to no money if you’re willing to step back a little bit and don’t need to be on the bleeding egde. Me? I prefer that edge, but if you’re looking to upgrade on a budget, there’s nothing wrong with hanging back a bit!
Read on, and plan your new rig today!