I tried to build the cheapest brand new gaming PC last month. It can play ESPORTS and PvE games well enough with the right settings; but it did leave me a little frustrated. For nearly the exact same price, you can double your performance by purchasing a second hand CPU and a second hand GPU. That inspired this PC build. Here’s what I recommend.

Parts List

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CPU	Ryzen 5 3600 USED	$62	[Aliexpress, Ebay]
CPU Cooler	Wraith Stealth	$9	[Amazon]
Motherboard	AsRock B450M HDV R4.0	$60	[Amazon Newegg]
RAM	2x8GB DDR4 3200 CL16	$35	[Amazon, Newegg]
SSD	500GB M.2 PCIe	$40	[Amazon, Newegg]
GPU	GTX 1660 6G USED	$100	[Ebay]
Case	SAMA S88 BK	$41	[Amazon, Newegg]
Power Supply	TT Smart 500 W	$40	[Amazon, Newegg]

Total: $387

Why These Parts

CPU — Ryzen 5 3600

The 3600 is great value at $60 used. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, which is especially helpful for UE5 games like Fortnite that like a lot of cores. It also supports PCIe 4.0 x16 and is only 65 watts; so it works great with weaker CPU coolers like the $9 Wraith Stealth.

MOBO — AsRock B450M HDV R4.0

The price makes this motherboard a great purchase. $60 for overclocking, undervolting, and unlocked PBO control. If you upgrade to a Ryzen 5000 CPU in the future, you will find these features useful.

RAM — 2x8GB DDR4 3200 MT/s CL16

Get the cheapest 16GB kit that has a memory access latency of 10 ns or less. You can put the RAM specs in this calculator to figure it out. I generally recommend 3200 MT/s with a CAS latency (CL) of 16 because it’s cheap and well tested.

SSD — 500GB M.2 NVME

You want at least 500 GB. M.2 is the form factor, basically a large stick of gum. It requires 0 wires so that helps with cable management and keeps the build process simple. PCIe interface is WAY faster than SATA, and it’s only a few dollars more.

GPU — GTX 1660 6G

This is the fastest GPU I can find around $100 on the used market that’s readily available. Always check your local markets first, but the 1660 is a generalized recommendation. I

Case — SAMA S88 BK

This case has two 120mm front fans and one rear 120mm fans for $41 with shipping on Newegg right now. It has a power supply basement, good cable routing holes, and decent airflow. It’s just super functional.

PSU — Thermaltake Smart 500W

I’ve used this power supply maybe a half-dozen times now, and it has worked fine for every budget build.