The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $750 Budget Gaming PC Build – September 2021

The Best $750 Budget Gaming PC Build – September 2021

By Ari Altman | Published September 1, 2021 | Updated September 1, 2021

Critical Update:

Due to the ongoing cryptocurrency mining craze, it’s currently impossible to buy video cards at retail prices. For this build, it’s currently impossible to buy any video card and still remain within budget, so we therefore recommend a pre-built PC, which you can see if you scroll down below. For reference, we provide our recommended DIY build, which you’re free to purchase if you already have a video card. Based on current market conditions, we do not believe this generation of GPUs will ever return to MSRP, so lower prices will have to wait until late 2022 when the next generation arrives!

Game Hard on a Budget!

Looking to build a budget gaming PC that’s anything but “cheap?” Then our $750 Budget Gaming PC Build is the one for you! While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’ll find in higher-priced systems like liquid cooling or fancy RGB lighting, for pure gaming purposes, this build offers the best bang for the buck you’ll find. That means fantastic performance in all of today’s latest games without breaking the bank!

This Month’s Build, Featuring Intel and Nvidia!

For September 2021, the $750 Budget Gaming PC Build features the awesome Intel Core i3-10100F, a budget-friendly Core i3 processor offering gaming performance that matches the big guys. That’s thanks to its four cores and 8 threads, along with a high clockspeed. We suggest you pair it with the GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, which is the best bargain gaming GPU available. Note that due to product shortages, all GPUs are marked up right now, so this build is a bit over budget. You can actually get a better deal buying a pre-built OEM machine, so definitely consider the one we list in this guide.

In terms of storage, the $750 Budget Gaming PC Build sports a 500GB solid-state drive. Most other “budget gaming PCs” you’ll find on the ‘Net still use hard drives, which is a big mistake! An SSD ensures that the $750 Budget Gaming PC Build doesn’t feel budget at all – it’s going to launch your games and everything else in a flash! Another important upgrade the $750 Budget Gaming PC Build has over others on the ‘net is 16GB of RAM, enough to run any game. The $750 Budget Gaming PC Build is powered by a high-output power supply and wrapped up in a stylish, compact mATX case.

Parting Thoughts

If you’d like to accessorize the $750 Budget Gaming PC Build, browse our recommendations for budget-friendly PC accessories at the end of this guide, including our favorite low-cost 144Hz monitor and a great budget gaming mouse. You can also feel free to jump over to our Monitor Buyer’s Guide and Peripherals Buyer’s Guide.

We update this build monthly, as prices and components in this market segment change frequently, and a few dollars here or there could buy you (or cost you) a lot of speed! Throughout this guide, we provide links to Amazon and Newegg or B&H for US readers. Our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers located in the Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with substitutions made automatically based on regional availability. Your use of these links is the only thing that keeps this site on the ‘net!

The Pre-Built Option

  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Gaming PC –

    HP Pavilion Gaming PC 10100/1650 Super

    $705

    HOT DEAL! In the midst of a very challenging gaming PC market, HP is delivering the goods with this sleek Pavilion gaming desktop, which features a speedy Intel Core i5-10100 4-core, 8-thread processor, along with Nvidia’s impressive GeForce GTX 1650 Super 4GB video card, the fastest GPU in its class. Also onboard are 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and a fast 256 GB PCIe SSD, along with Windows 10 Home. Completing the system is a USB mouse and keyboard along with built-in wireless networking and Bluetooth.

    The Guru’s Tip

    A couple of easy upgrades you might consider as your needs expand would be 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, both of which would come in under $50. As a starting point, though, this system is a stellar value!

The DIY Build

  • Click to Buy
    CPU –

    Intel Core i3-10100F

    $102

    While AMD ruled the budget sector for a while, Intel has come roaring back, and its Core i3-10100F is simply unbeatable at the price, thanks to its 4 cores, 8 threads, and high clock speed. It’s by far the best gaming CPU at its pricepoint.

     The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU comes with a cooler, which you'll be using in this build. Also take note that this CPU does not have built-in graphics, so you'll need to use a GPU to boot up the system.
  • Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte B460M DS3H v2

    $87
    This board is the perfect choice for a low-cost build. With four PCIe slots, five USB ports, four RAM slots, and six SATA ports, it gives the system room to grow. Plus it has a PCIe M.2 slot, which you’ll be taking advantage of with this build’s SSD!
    The Guru’s Tip

    While this board has video outputs, they will not be enabled with the 10100F processor we recommend. CPUs with built-in video are sold out everywhere, and really wouldn't serve much purpose in a gaming system.
  • Zotac GTX 1650 OC
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 OC 4GB

    $300

    This powerful and efficient GPU offers 4GB of fast GDDR6 VRAM and an efficient cooler to keep noise and temps down, making it perfect regardless of how much you push it!

     The Guru’s Tip

    The price of this GPU is marked up beyond MSRP, but that is simply a reality in this market, and in fact most of the time it's sold out. That's why we suggest you consider the pre-built PC listed earlier in this guide.
  • Silicon Power
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4 2666 Grey

    $58
    This cost-effective 16GB RAM kit will give you plenty of capacity to use your PC to its fullest! While 8GB is passable, there’s a good chance that modern apps will use the entire amount, leaving nothing for your OS and slowing the system down to a crawl.
    The Guru’s Tip

    The fastest RAM speed supported by the Core i3 CPU chip is 2666, so that's what we go with here. 
  • Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    Samsung 980 500GB

    $60

    There’s lots of competition in the SSD market, but SSD pioneer Samsung has put all the other mid-priced offerings to shame with its 980 500GB, launched in early 2021. You simply can’t do better than this awesome SSD, which uses the speedy PCIe 3.0 interface and Samsung’s superior TLC NAND to vastly outperform every other PCIe 3.0 drive! Note that to install this drive, you’ll affix it in an M.2 slot on your motherboard using a jeweler’s-type screwdriver.

     The Guru’s Tip

    Yes, you give up a little capacity going with an SSD, but consider that this drive is about 10x faster than any hard drive, and you'll understand that the tradeoff is worth it. So load up Windows and a bunch of your favorite games, and prepare to be blown away!
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Thermaltake Versa H18 Tempered Glass

    $55
    The H18 offers plenty of features plus a sleek style at a bargain price. With extensive venting, a 120mm exhaust fan, and a glass side panel, you get performance and looks, plus a whole lot more convenience than typical budget PCs!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This is a micro ATX case, which means it requires a micro ATX motherboard like the one listed earlier in this guide.
  • Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Gigabyte GP-P450B

    $29
    This model is an awesome pick for the Budget Gaming PC Build. With 450W of power and dual PCIe power cables, it can easily handle this system, and will even power up any high-end GPU upgrade you want to add down the line!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Don't go for a no-name power supply. It can cost you more than just your PSU!
  • Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive

    $130
    Windows 10 was a big step up from Windows 8.1, and Microsoft continues to support Windows 10 users not only with regular security updates, but with major content releases every six months. And the USB version installs in under 5 minutes, meaning you can get right into using your system!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Windows 10 on USB sells out often. If you prefer, you can go for the downloadable version and save some money, as long as you have an 8GB+ USB drive laying around.

Optional Products

  • Click to Buy
    Wireless Card –

    TP-Link Archer T5E AC1200/Bluetooth 4.2

    $35
    Need wireless networking? Look no further than this ultra-high-speed 802.11ac PCIe-based card!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This even has built-in Bluetooth, perfect for use with Bluetooth accessories
  • Click to Buy
    Hard Drive –

    Seagate BarraCuda 2TB

    $55
    If you need extra space for bulk storage of media like photos, videos, and music, add this bargain-priced 2TB hard drive to your build. Coming in at just $10 more than most 1TB drives, it’s a tremendous bargain.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember, you do not want to use this for your OS installation, which should be on an SSD. A hard drive should only be used as secondary storage capacity.
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Gaming Keyboard –

    Logitech G213 Gaming Keyboard

    $47
    Pick up a great keyboard at a great price with the G213. It’s quick, quiet, and responsive, and it also has sweet RGB backlighting, of course!
    The Guru’s Tip

    There are a lot of knock-off keyboards on the market selling for around the same price - our advice: avoid them!
  • Click to Buy
    The Mid-Range Gaming Mouse –

    Logitech G502 Hero

    $47
    Get a jump on your competition with this awesome gaming mouse from Logitech, which features a next-gen 16,000dpi sensor and a classic ergonomic shape!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This has been the world's top-selling mouse since 2014!
  • Click to Buy
    The 24-inch 144Hz Gaming Monitor –

    Acer XFA240

    $190
    If you want to pick up a true “gaming” monitor, you want something with a high refresh rate. And this is the very best value out there in high-refresh-rate monitors. It features a 24″ 1920×1080 IPS panel capable of displaying images at up to 144Hz, which makes it infinitely smoother than a standard 60Hz monitor that costs just a bit less. And thanks to its FreeSync technology, it will run with zero lag or screen-tearing. Another nice feature of this model is the height-adjustable stand, which allows you to dial in just the right setup!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Freesync was once an AMD-exclusive, but it will now work perfectly with an Nvidia GPU, which is what we recommend for this build.
  • Click to Buy
    The Mainstream Gaming Headset –

    Corsair HS35 Stereo

    $35
    Assuming you actually want to hear the bullets whizzing by you in your games, you’re going to need a great audio source, and there’s no better budget gaming headset on the market than the HS35 from Corsair! With 50mm drivers and a comfortable fit, it’s the real deal, where all the other headsets in its price range are just pretending.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This headset weighs just 250g, making it virtually disappear once you put it on!

Pin It on Pinterest