Budget PC Build: Full Parts Lists for Every Budget (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026 · Prices checked September 30, 2026 · How we pick parts

Pick a budget and get a complete parts list that fits together, with Amazon prices checked every night. In 2026 memory and SSD prices pushed the cheapest new gaming PC close to $1000, so every page tells you plainly whether new parts fit its budget today, and what to do with that money if they do not.

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Builds by budget

$500 Build
Closest new-parts build: $670

New parts do not fit $500 today. The closest build has no graphics card and costs $670.

$500 budget PC build
$800 Build
Closest new-parts build: $986

New parts with a graphics card do not fit $800 today. Two ways to go: stretch to $986, or start with $670.

$800 budget PC build
$1000 Build
Current total: $986

The one budget where new parts still fit: a 1080p gaming PC with the RX 7600 8GB.

$1000 budget PC build
$1500 Build
Current total: $1,451

An 8-core AM4 gaming PC with the RX 9070 16GB and 32GB TeamGroup Elite DDR4-3200 kit.

$1500 budget PC build

FAQ

Is it cheaper to build or buy a PC?

The parts list is $64 cheaper; we have no shared benchmark for the two graphics cards (RX 7600 8GB vs RTX 5060 Ti 8GB). That compares our $1000 parts list at $986 with the cheapest brand-name gaming prebuilt we track at $1,050, both at the last price check.

Is it cheaper to build a PC anymore?

At $1000 our parts list is cheaper than any brand-name gaming prebuilt we track. Below $1000, new parts with a graphics card do not fit today. RAM and the SSD make up 27% of our $1000 list at the last price check.

What is a good budget PC?

One with its own graphics card and 16GB of RAM in two sticks. Today the cheapest list like that is our $1000 build at $986.

Is $700 enough for a gaming PC?

Not with new parts and a graphics card today. The cheapest such build costs $986. Our $800 page shows what to do with $650 to $899 instead.