Best PC Build Under $800 (Full Parts List)
An $800 budget won’t get you 4K ultra settings, but it’s more than enough for smooth 1080p gaming with room for some 1440p titles at medium-high settings. Here’s a balanced build that avoids the classic budget-build trap: overspending on one flashy part while starving the rest of the system.
The Build Philosophy
At this price point, the goal is balance. A budget build with a great GPU paired with a weak CPU will bottleneck; the reverse wastes money on a CPU your games won’t fully use. Aim to split spending roughly: 30% CPU, 35% GPU, 15% storage/RAM, 20% case/PSU/motherboard.
Sample Parts List
Component | Suggestion | Approx. Price |
CPU | Mid-range 6-core current-gen processor | $150–170 |
GPU | Mid-tier current-gen or last-gen discounted card | $250–280 |
Motherboard | Budget B-series board | $90–110 |
RAM | 16GB DDR5 (single kit, dual-channel) | $50–60 |
Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | $55–70 |
PSU | 80+ Bronze, 550-650W | $55–70 |
Case | Budget mid-tower with decent airflow | $50–65 |
Where to Spend and Where to Save
Spend on: the GPU and PSU. A cheap power supply is the one place budget builders regularly get burned — an underrated risk to your entire system if it fails or delivers unstable power.
Save on: the case (looks don’t affect performance) and RGB lighting, which adds cost without adding frames.
Expected Performance
This build handles most competitive esports titles (Valorant, CS2, Fortnite) at high settings well above 100fps at 1080p. Heavier AAA titles will typically run at high settings, 60+fps at 1080p, or medium settings at 1440p
Where This Build Can Grow Later
Because the motherboard and PSU have headroom, this build upgrades cleanly:
• Add a second RAM stick to reach 32GB
• Swap in a higher-tier GPU when your budget allows, without replacing the PSU
• Add a second NVMe drive for extra storage