The $600 Gaming PC Build (2025)

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Here’s a balanced $600 gaming PC that targets smooth 1080p performance in today’s games, with sensible paths to upgrade later. Prices fluctuate—so I list a primary pick and solid alternatives for each part to help you stay on budget without buying junk.

Quick Build — Target: $600 (street prices)

Part	Primary Pick	Street Price*	Alternatives (similar $)
CPU	Ryzen 5 5600 AMD Amazon Newegg	$105–$120	Ryzen 5 5500 — AMD · Amazon · Newegg Intel Core i3‑12100F — Intel · Amazon · Newegg
GPU	Radeon RX 6600 8GB AMD Amazon Newegg	$170–$200	RX 6650 XT — AMD · Amazon · Newegg
Motherboard	MSI B550M PRO‑VDH WiFi (mATX) MSI Amazon Newegg	$100–$110	Any reputable B550 mATX board in this range (ASUS, Gigabyte, ASRock).
Memory	16GB (2x8) DDR4‑3200 Crucial Corsair TeamGroup Amazon	$30–$40	CL16–22 kits; dual‑channel only (2×8GB).
Storage	1TB NVMe (PCIe 4.0) — WD Black SN770 WD Amazon Newegg	$55–$70	Crucial P3 Plus / P5 Plus — P3+ · P5+ · Amazon
PSU	550W 80+ Bronze — Corsair CX550/CX550M Corsair Amazon Newegg	$45–$65	EVGA 600 BR — EVGA · be quiet! System Power 10 550W — be quiet!
Case	Montech X3 Mesh Montech Amazon Newegg	$60–$70	Any mesh‑front budget case with at least 2 intake + 1 exhaust fan.

*Prices vary by color/retailer and frequent sales. Totals hover around $580–$620.

CPU Options

Primary: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 — 6C/12T, excellent gaming value; includes Wraith cooler. ~$110

AMD Amazon Newegg

Cheaper: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 — best under ~$100 if you must save. ~$95

AMD Amazon Newegg

Intel route: Core i3‑12100F — strong 4P/8T gaming chip; pair with B660/B760 DDR4 board. ~$100

Intel Amazon Newegg

5600 performs better than 5500 thanks to more cache and PCIe lanes; all three are great bang‑for‑buck for 1080p.

Graphics Card

Primary: AMD Radeon RX 6600 8GB — the 1080p budget king; often dips below $190. $170–$200

AMD Amazon Newegg

Stretch: RX 6650 XT — ~10–15% faster; grab if close to $200–$230. $200–$230

AMD Amazon Newegg

Either card pairs perfectly with the 5600/i3 tier without CPU bottlenecking at 1080p High.

Motherboard

Primary: MSI B550M PRO‑VDH WiFi (mATX) — PCIe 4.0, M.2 heatsink, decent VRM, Wi‑Fi. $100–$110

MSI Amazon Newegg

Also good: Any reputable B550 mATX board from ASUS, Gigabyte, ASRock in similar price.

AM4 is a value platform in 2025 with mature BIOS and plentiful boards.

Memory

Primary: 16GB (2x8) DDR4‑3200 CL16–22 — Crucial/Corsair/Team kits frequently $30–$40. $30–$40

Crucial Corsair TeamGroup Amazon

Upgrade: 32GB later if you edit video or multitask heavy.

Dual‑channel is key; avoid mixing random sticks.

Storage

Primary: WD Black SN770 1TB (PCIe 4.0 NVMe). $55–$70

WD Amazon Newegg

Alt: Crucial P3 Plus/P5 Plus 1TB at similar pricing.

P3 Plus P5 Plus Amazon

1TB is the sweet spot; add a cheap 2TB SATA HDD only if you need mass storage.

Power Supply

Primary: Corsair CX550 / CX550M — 80+ Bronze, solid OEM, long‑running budget favorite. $45–$65

Corsair Amazon Newegg

Also good: EVGA 600 BR; be quiet! System Power 10 550W.

EVGA be quiet!

550W is plenty for RX 6600/6650 XT + Ryzen 5; avoid no‑name PSUs.

Case & Cooling

Primary: Montech X3 Mesh — great airflow + 6 included fans. $60–$70

Montech Amazon Newegg

Also good: Any mesh‑front budget case with at least 2 intake + 1 exhaust fan.

Use the stock Ryzen cooler; add a $20 tower cooler only if noise/temps bother you.

Smart Upgrades Later

GPU: Jump to an RX 7600/7600 XT if prices drop — instant 1080p+ uplift.
RAM: 32GB (2x16) if you stream, mod heavily, or keep many Chrome tabs.
Cooling: A $20–$30 120/140mm tower cooler to quiet sustained loads.
Storage: Add a second 1TB NVMe when games pile up.

All prices are typical US street prices as of August 25, 2025. If you’re outside the US, swap to local retailers but keep the same tier of parts.

Quick Build — Target: $600 (street prices)

CPU Options

Graphics Card

Motherboard

Memory

Storage

Power Supply

Case & Cooling

Smart Upgrades Later

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