The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $600 Home Office PC Build – February 2026

The Best $600 Home Office PC Build – February 2026

By Ari Altman | Published February 1, 2026 | Updated February 1, 2026

Cooler Master Q300LMaximum Office Productivity for the Minimum Price!

Looking to build the best possible home office PC for around $600? No problem! This guide lists all the parts you’ll need to put together a balanced computer that has the power to handle any office task. And luckily, while low-cost video cards are nearly extinct, this office PC’s built-in video means you can get your system up and running without wasting a dime!

This Month’s Build, Powered by AMD

For February 2026, we’ve been able to pull together a system that sticks to our $600 budget, but with rapidly-increasing RAM and SSD prices, it’s not easy. What we’ve come up with is a system powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 4-core, 8-thread processor, built-in Vega graphics, plus 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and a 500GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. It’s plenty to get you started, with upgrade potential down the line should you want to upgrade any of those components.

To allow expandability, the $600 Home Office PC Build is powered by a 500W power supply and housed in a compact yet roomy micro-ATX Case. These are industry-standard components, meaning you can upgrade for years to come. We’ve listed some of our top recommendations for accessories and upgrades, including a gaming-grade video card, later in this guide!

The DIY vs. Pre-Built Question

In addition to the DIY PC build we profile in this guide, you may wish to consider the pre-built mini PC we list as an alternative. It offers much better performance and takes up just a fraction of the space. The tradeoff is that it can’t be upgraded with new CPUs or video cards, but for home office use, it’s actually quite amazing, and honestly our top pick unless you’re a hobbyist.

Parting Thoughts

Need to accessorize your new Home Office PC? Just scroll down to the end of this guide for our top picks, or check out our dedicated Monitor Buyer’s Guide, Speaker/Headset Buyer’s Guide, and Wireless Networking Buyer’s Guide!

Note that this guide provides direct links to Amazon and Newegg in the US, and our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers in the UK, Canada, and the EU. with automated substitutions where required. If you decide to purchase any of the products we list, please use the links provided, which helps support continued development of these guides.

The Pre-Built Option

  • MinisForum
    Click to Buy
    The Ultra-Compact Small Office PC –

    MINISFORUM UM870

    $583
    Take everything you want in a modern PC and then scale it down, and you get the UM870. It offers a slim and sleek design that allows it to be hidden away or shown off (it’s about 5″ square and 2″ thick). Despite these trim proportions, it’s equipped with the ultra-fast AMD Ryzen 7 8745H 8-core, 16-thread CPU with boost to 5GHz, and built-in Radeon 780M graphics. Supporting this chip is 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB Gen 4 solid-state drive, and built-in WiFi 6E. It has a 5 USB ports in total (including a USB 4 Type-C), and it can simultaneously support three monitors on the Type-C port plus the included DisplayPort and HDMI port. To top it off, Windows 11 Pro is pre-installed and included in the price!

    The Guru’s Tip

    We want to make clear that this pre-built PC is actually much faster than the DIY PC we spec out below (as in about 2x faster). While all PCs are going up in price quickly due to market conditions, OEMs have some inventory of parts available to allow them to hold the price down. So unless you are committed to building your own or need something expandable, we recommend this mini PC.

The DIY Option

  • Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 3400G w/ Vega Graphics

    $81
    AMD’s Ryzen 5 3400G combines the best of all worlds, with its speedy 4-core/8-thread CPU powered by AMD’s Zen+ architecture, along with fast integrated graphics powered by AMD’s Vega design.  It’s the ideal one-stop-shop if you want great CPU performance at an ultra-low price, and don’t want or need a separate video card!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU includes a cooler in the box.
  • MSI B550M
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    MSI B550M Pro-VDH WiFi

    $103
    This micro-ATX motherboard offers a lot in a compact package. There expansion slots, dual M.2 slots, six USB ports, four RAM slots, and built-in 802.11ac wireless networking.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This motherboard uses inexpensive DDR4 RAM, which is the only way to build a budget PC these days!
  • Oloy
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    Oloy 2x8GB DDR4 3200

    $115
    Because games and other applications can take serious advantage of RAM speed on the latest CPUs, we’re spec’ing a fast DDR4-3200 kit for this build. The kit offers a sleek look and comes in at a lower price than all of its competition!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This DDR4 memory kit is a bargain given how much DDR5 kits cost these days.
  • MP44L
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    TeamGroup MP44L 500GB

    $96
    Experience blazing-fast drive performance at a bargain price with the MP44L 500GB solid-state drive. Utilizing the PCIe-interface and the NVMe protocol, it can achieve sequential speeds of up to 5,000MB/s, making it nearly ten times faster than any SATA-based SSD! To install this drive, affix it in the motherboard’s M.2 slot using a jeweler’s-type screwdriver.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This drive comes in a number of sizes, but 500GB is the perfect starter size for a home office PC!
  • Cooler Master Q300L
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Cooler Master Q300L

    $40
    Offering loads of style and performance for the price, the Q300L is by far the best buy in its price class. It features a mesh front panel, a 120mm rear fan, and slick magnetic dust filters on both the top and front. For style, it has a transparent side panel, providing a great look inside the chassis.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is by far the lowest-priced case on the market from a reputable manufacturer - we hope Cooler Master never stops offering this loss leader!
  • Thermaltake 500W
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+

    $40
    With 500W of power on tap, 80% efficiency at load, and a 5-year warranty, this power supply offers exceptional value and plenty of headroom for this system!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is an exceptional deal coming from a major, trusted manufacturer!
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg

    $139
    Windows 11 built on everything people loved about Windows 10, and then took it to 11! It adds significant under-the-hood changes to make it faster and more secure, and of course, the interface is sleek too! Note that we’re linking to Newegg, because Amazon long ago stopped selling this physical USB version of Windows, which is the most convenient one to use.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Windows 11 is the OS you want on your new system!

Optional Products

  • Logitech MK335
    Click to Buy
    The Basic Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo –

    Logitech MK335 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo

    $30
    While you may have an old keyboard and mouse sitting in your desk, treat yourself to a new wireless setup from Logitech, the MK335! The comfortable keyboard has a full range of media shortcut keys, while the ergonomic mouse can run for up to a year on a AA battery. Both are fully wireless and use a single USB receiver to connect to your PC.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This combo uses a single tiny USB receiver to connect both peripherals!
  • AOC
    Click to Buy
    The 24-inch Small Office Monitor –

    AOC 24B2H2

    $90
    This monitor offers a 24″ 1920 x 1080 IPS panel for great colors at any angle, a 100Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth scrolling, a slim bezel for sleek looks, as well as dual HDMI inputs.

    The Guru’s Tip

    To use the built-in speakers, connect the monitor to your PC with an HDMI cable - it will carry both video and audio!
  • Click to Buy
    The Basic PC Speakers –

    Creative Pebble 2.0

    $24
    Because desktop PCs, unlike laptops, don’t have internal speakers, we recommend you pick up Creative’s Pebble kit. Whether it’s music, You Tube videos, TV, or movies, Pebble will sound great.

    The Guru’s Tip

    To connect these, you'll use a 3.5mm cable for audio and USB for power, both to your PC. No connection to the wall required!
  • Click to Buy
    Webcam –

    Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam

    $60
    Need to use your PC for video conferencing? No problem! Just add this high-quality 1080p webcam from Logitech, which includes a built-in microphone. Just remember that if your monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers, you’ll also need stand-alone speakers for web conferencing to work. We’re amazed at the number of people who use headphones for video conferencing when it’s so much more professional to use gear attached to your PC, rather than your head!

    The Guru’s Tip

    We advise you not to buy any Logitech webcams from third-party sellers. They are likely to be used or counterfeit.