Best gaming PC under $800 in 2023 – our top budget picks

If you’re looking for the best gaming PC under $800 we’ve got you covered with our top picks.

It’s safe to say that finding a pre-built gaming PC for under $800 is the cheapest, simplest, and fastest way to into PC gaming.

Indeed, gaming components can cost a pretty penny. And that’s before you get onto building the thing which costs you time (and expertise). Even if you’ve conducted thorough research for the best GPU for ray tracing, you’ve still got to find the appropriate CPU and avoid bottlenecks. Then of course you’ve got a motherboard and PC case to consider.

Unless you like the challenge, it’s much easier to buy a PC that’s been built by the manufacturer. Every component has been expertly built with components that complement one another, just like how a good wine can complement a tasty cheese.

While we all want a combo that delivers the best performance at a great value, it’s worth remembering that a gaming PC under $800 will not deliver the best performance. It’s absolutely fine, but it’s just something to bare in mind. You won’t be seeing the best RX 7900 XTX prebuilt gaming PCs, for example.

So, with that spiel out of the way, let’s jump to it – here are the best gaming PCs under $800.

Best overall gaming PC under $800 – Skytech Blaze 3.0 GTX 1650

So, if you’re just wanting to know what the number one pick for a great, reliable gaming PC under $800 is, it has to be the Blaze 3.0 from Skytech. Combining a very competent array of parts with a beautiful aesthetic, it’s well worth the price being asked and very capable of AAA gaming.

For a CPU, this PC has the i3-10100F processor. Part of the Comet Lake architecture, it combines a 3.6 GHz clock speed (boostable to 4.3 GHz) with 4 cores and 8 threads. It’s also compatible with PCIe 3.0 and DDR4 ram, meaning you can still pair it with some very recent components. Admittedly DDR4 is not as advanced versus DDR5 RAM, but it still does perform well and you are unlikely to see DRR5 in this price range.

The graphics card is a GTX 1650, which – even though slightly older now – remains an absolute beast in terms of its graphical capabilities. With 4GB of GDDR5 ram running at a base frequency of 1,485 MHz and a bandwidth limit of over 128GB per second, you’ll still be able to play modern titles at respectable settings.

Speaking of memory, there’s 8GB of GDDR4 RAM here, though the motherboard is a full ATX unit with three empty DIMM slots. So, as time goes on, you can continue to improve the capabilities and upgrade the rig.

Likewise, SkyTech has included a 500GB SSD here, meaning that you can store a very decent Steam library to go along with this build. There’s also 802.11ac Wi-Fi compatibility out of the box, meaning you’ll be good to connect and start downloading games right away.

The machine is beautiful, with a unique case combining a silver exterior with a mesh front-panel. The case has a vented top, too, meaning that the very adequate cooling setup has even more room to breathe, and the beautiful customizable RGB lighting can really shine in your gaming room.

We really can’t say enough good things about this machine. If a strict budget is your main problem, a build like the Blaze 3.0 is a beautifully designed gaming build that’s going to allow you to play AAA games with very good performance.

Best value gaming PC under $800 – Skytech Chronos Mini Gaming PC (GTX 1650)

Next up, we’re looking at the much more compact Skytech Chronos Mini Gaming PC. This tiny build offers fantastic bang for your buck, and will allow you to add a very nice-looking piece of tech to your gaming cave or bedroom for a price that we feel is extremely fair.

To start with, again, we have the Intel Core i3 10100F. The core clock speed (3.6 GHz) can boost by around 20% as and when the operating system requires it, allowing for more capacity to process those intense titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Stranding.

Plus, the lovely dual-slot GTX 1650 comes with 4GB of GDDR5 RAM. Even though it’s a PCIe 3.0 x16 device, it still packs a heck of a bunch. The base clock speed of 1,485 MHz can boost by over 10% under load, which is pretty good going for such a small GPU.

Plus, playing AAA games from 2018 and before on the highest settings possible is going to be very possible here, meaning that you can still fly through titles like Dark Souls III and Sekiro using this lovely little build.

Speaking of its size, this mid-sized tower is unobtrusive enough to be placed on your desk or the floor without taking up much room. The lovely RGB fans also add a very nice touch, as they can be seen both through the temper-glass side-panel and the front mesh panel. We also really like the I/O panel for additional devices along the top of the case.

If you’re needing to get the PC at the best price-to-performance ratio out there, this SkyTech build is one that you absolutely have to consider. With a great price tag, beautifully put together components, and enough power to play some impressive modern titles, we can’t recommend it enough.

Best compact gaming PC under $800 – HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop RTX 3060 Ti

Even though we are big fans of the above SkyTech build, we wanted to try and find the best compact build available for under $800. With its next-gen CPU, GPU, and generous memory and storage configuration, we think the HP Pavilion TG01 has to be the first choice for anyone wanting a small gaming rig.

Let’s talk about that CPU: it’s an eleventh-generation i5-11400, which combines a pretty mighty 6 cores with 12 threads. It runs at a base frequency of 2.6 GHz but can boost by nearly 70% to 4.4 GHz when needed. This is going to be really useful during AAA gaming sessions.

Another thing that’s going to make those gaming experiences even more enjoyable is the RTX 3060 Ti, a GPU with eight gigs of GDDR6 memory and a base clock speed of 1410 MHz (boosting to 1665 MHz when your CPU requires it), this is a graphics card capable of delivering great visual fidelity.

It’s also equipped with some of the latest compatibility standards, including DirectX 12 Ultimate specification, as well as 38 ray-tracing cores, meaning that for a very reasonable price, you’ll be getting access to some truly next-gen visuals.

Memory-wise, there’s 16GB of DDR4 RAM here, which is enough to play even the most demanding titles – like Hogwarts Legacy and Cyberpunk 2077 – at higher settings. Plus, the 256GB SSD provides ample storage for your games and other media.

The case the PC comes in is somewhere between conventional and modern, with a plain (though vented) side-panel, and a ridged pattern on the front-panel. The USB, audio, and memory card ports are actually rotated forty-five degrees and run down the side of the front-panel, which is a nice touch.

We’re also big fans of the subtle internal lighting, which bleeds through just a couple of spots on the case, creating a very nice finish that combines the traditional gamer PC aesthetic with something a bit more mature.

We really feel that this makes the perfect compact gaming PC for someone who wants a small physical footprint with their new rig, but who also wants to get the best performance possible on a budget. For well under $800, we’re struggling to find a better option than this.

Frequently asked questions

Is $800 good for a gaming PC?

Though spending $800 is a significantly lower price than premium gaming pc builds, you can still get superb options capable of running AAA games.

What is a decent budget for a gaming PC?

You can get gaming PCs with RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards for less than $800, though the sweet spot is definitely around $1000-$1500 if you want to nail frame rates at a decent resolution.

Is HDD storage better for gaming?

No, HDD is slower than its rival SSD. This will make for longer load times.