This year, you can put together a Ryzen-based gaming PC for just $370—and yes, it includes Windows.
The one thing we like more than building our own PCs is doing so for very little cash. Now’s the best time for that: Black Friday deals often include amazingly low prices on components, fantastic combo and bundle deals, and extras like a copy of a video game.
Last year, I decided to see just how low you could go using Black Friday deals. I came up with three budget gaming builds, all based around a Micro Center combo deal on AMD’s FX-8350 and a compatible AM3+ motherboard. The cheapest of them was $350, inclusive of the Windows license.
It was great fun, and I wanted to do it again for this year. But since good deals and discounts have been launching throughout November, I structured the effort a little differently this go-round.
Because the deals have been trickling out, the first version of this article listed all the worthwhile component deals. That way, if you saw something particularly cheap, you could buy it while it was still available.
Now that most everything’s known, I’ve assembled the build lists. With the exception of the Thermaltake PSU in Build #3, the deals are still available. (As for that PSU, there is an alternative for $5 more. See the parts list.)
Other things to keep in mind:
Finally, if this is your first build, you can read up on how to put everything together in our step-by-step guide .
In order to get this build for the prices I’ve listed, you have to live near a Micro Center. You’ll also need to be meticulous about filing and tracking mail-in rebates. (I recommend starting a spreadsheet and setting reminders for filing deadlines.)
But if you’re willing to put in the work, you get an extremely affordable FreeSync -ready system. Sure, this year’s build is $17 more than 2016’s, but it has better longevity. You get a modern processor—and more importantly, a modern motherboard that supports faster storage and CPUs, should you ever choose to upgrade down the road.
This particular rig does have slower storage than last year’s: To get the absolute cheapest build, I had to go with a hard-disk drive. If you’re willing to pay an additional $5, you can get a 128GB SSD instead. Personally, I’d recommend that upgrade for a far more pleasant experience, though you will be constrained in storage space. (You can of course just splurge and just buy both drives: The SSD to serve as the boot drive, and the 1TB HDD for data storage.)
Other areas I’d spend extra cash on would be a nicer case and power supply. (See below for a build featuring these upgrades .) I might also choose to complete the build with a FreeSync monitor. Staples has a 27-inch Dell IPS 1920×1080 FreeSync monitor for $100, which is really damn nice. While a display of its size has less pixel density at that resolution, you’re getting a 75Hz IPS panel that supports the joy of variable refresh rates for dirt cheap.
Adding in the monitor brings the cost of the system up to $469. (Or $445, if you take advantage of that Visa Checkout promotion.) Not too shabby at all for a upgradable gaming PC with some bells and whistles.
If you prefer buying software from only reputable sources, you can purchase a Windows 10 Home 64-bit OEM license from Newegg for $85 . (Sale begins 11/20; use coupon code BF17FLYER10 at checkout.)
Turns out you don’t need to live near a Micro Center to build a cheap gaming PC: It’s just $10 more for this Black Friday build. Heck, you could even argue it’s only $5 more, since the price of Build #1 goes up if you put an SSD into it.
(If you’ve already purchased the Ryzen 3 1200, you should be able to return it if you bought it through Amazon or Newegg. However, doing so may involve return shipping costs.)
You do get minimal storage in this rig, though. Adding on a 1TB HDD will be about $10 to $15 more expensive than Micro Center—unless Amazon comes through with a sale over the weekend.
Like with Build #1, I’d upgrade the case, power supply, and RAM configuration if I had a little extra cash to spend. (See below for a build featuring these upgrades .) I’d also add on a FreeSync monitor. You can buy a 27-inch 75Hz IPS FreeSync monitor through Staples for $100 right now—or possibly less, if you’re eligible to use Visa Checkout.
Total with the monitor: $479 (or possibly $455). Not bad at all.
If I were going to build a dirt-cheap gaming PC using Black Friday deals, I wouldn’t slash every single penny I could. Instead, I’d strike a balance between “cheap as possible” and “easy upgrading in the future.”
So, assuming I lived near a Micro Center, I’d mostly keep the structure of Build #1 but upgrade the storage, case, and power supply. (You can do this with Build #2 as well, but it’ll cost about $10 to $15 more because of the hard drive.) The SSD as a boot drive will give me a much more pleasant day-to-day experience when using the system, while the power supply will support a broader range of graphics card upgrades down the road. And the case has a more attractive look and a better layout.
I would also still add on that 27” Dell FreeSync monitor, too, which brings the grand total to $514 if I buy it through Staples . (Or even $489 if I use Visa Checkout and snag the automatic $25 off $100 promotion .)
If these suggested builds don’t quite suit your taste, you can peruse this curated list of component deals and swap in your preferred parts. We’ll do our best to keep the information up to date through the end of Thanksgiving weekend, but prices can change fast.
If you decide to mix and match to create your own custom build, double-check that your CPU and motherboard are compatible with each other. Here’s a handy cheatsheet:
(Kaby Lake CPUs can also be used with 100-series chipset motherboards after a BIOS update.)
