Best PCs under 500: In this article, we show you 5 options for the best PCs under 500. There are several options depending on your preferences and needs. Firstly, there is the allrounder Acer Aspire TC-885-ACCFLi5O Desktop. Then the choice for the gamer is the BUYPOWER Enthusiast Gaming PC. Next, is the Intel NUC 8 Mainstream Kit which is suited for television and mini enthusiasts. Another option is an All-in-One PC HP 24-F0047C. Last but not least, for Mac and Apple lovers is the Apple iMac 27-Inch Desktop.
All those options come under 500. Therefore, you can say that 500 is nowadays enough money for most casual needs. If you render 4k videos or play games with ultra settings, then you might have to double or triple your budget.
Acer Aspire TC-885-ACCFLi5O Desktop
Advantage
- Impressive performance due to Intel i5-8400 6-core CPU (Hexacore)
- Comes with a keyboard and a mouse
- Intel UHD 630: This GPU is really for light photo editing, and 4k/UHD video streaming rendering
- RAM: 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4, only 2 slots. Can go up to 32GB on the board, though the CPU can support 128GB
- Runs very cool, and there is quite a good vent performance going on here
- Large vents to the side, and two out of the back
- 2 TB SATA HDD: Maybe replace the HDD with a cheap SDD for further performance
Disadvantage
- Recommend doing a clean install of Windows 10 to get all the pre-installed software off
- Very average looking case
- UHD Graphics 630 has a very low frame rate
- Integrated sound and graphics are a cheap way to go, and while functional they offer no great sound or visuals – just average performance at best.
- Super cheap feel to the wired keyboard and mouse
- 8th Generation Intel Core i5 8400 Processor (Up to 4.0GHz)
- 8GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM Memory and 16GB Intel Optane Memory
- 2TB 7200Rpm SATA hard drive and 8x DVD Writer Double Layer Drive (DVD RW)
- 802.11AC Wi Fi, Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Bluetooth 5.0
- 1 USB 3.1 Type C Gen 2 port (up to 10 Gaps), 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 port, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 4 USB 2.0 Ports and 2 HDMI ports and 1 VGA Port
Last update on 2024-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
BUYPOWER Enthusiast Gaming PC Computer Desktop ARCB 071A
Advantage
- Great entry PC for gaming
- Initial setup is flawless and quick
- Comes with Win10 Pro, not Home
- Powerful enough at least for Steam games: NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2GB & AMD FX 6300 3.5 GHz
- Cool tempered glass chassis panels
- Runs quiet with its 120mm fan
- Stores 8 USB Ports, which makes it even better for gaming
- Comes with a nice Gaming mouse and Keyboard
Disadvantage
- Stripped down chassis has no frames or slots for adding DVD-drive
- Chassis could be smaller for the number of components in it
- Power/reset buttons on top of case where they’re prone to accidental press
- The Graphics card will probably need to be upgraded for high graphic settings gaming
- System: AMD Ryzen 3 Quad Core 3.1 GHz (3.4 GHz Turbo) | 8GB DDR4-2666 RAM | 240GB Solid State Drive | Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2GB Dedicated Gaming Video Card | Display Connectors - DVI-I & HDMI
- Connectivity: 4 x USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 2.0 | 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 | Audio: 7.1 Channel
- Special Add-Ons: Tempered glass Side panel | 802.11AC Wi-Fi included | 16 Color RGB Lighting Remote Controlled Case | Free iBUYPOWER Gaming Keyboard & RGB Gaming Mouse | No bloatware
- Warranty: 1 Year Parts & Labor + Free Lifetime us tech support | Assembled in the U.S.A
Last update on 2024-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Intel NUC 8 Mainstream Kit
Advantage
- Overkill tiny form factor PC
- Easy to assemble and works without issue
- Very fast and responsive
- Plenty of USB ports including a charging port
- Several processor and RAM options depending on budget
- Easily ready for 4K videos
Disadvantage
- Cooling fan can be loud
- 8th Generation Intel Core i5 8259U processor
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
- M. 2 22x42/80 slot for PCIe NVMe or SATA SSD
- 2. 5 inches SSD/HDD bay
- Dual channel DDR4 2400 SODIMM support, 32GB max
Last update on 2024-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
HP 24-F0047C All-in-One Touchscreen PC
Advantage
- Comes with a touchscreen!
- Solid but not great performance due to AMD A9 Dual Core processor and RAM 8 GB of DDR4
- Comes with Windows license
Disadvantage
- This is a renewed version, therefore it is basically second-hand
- Can be noisy
- No SSD as hard drive, consider upgrading
Last update on 2024-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Apple iMac MC813LL/A 27-Inch Desktop (Renewed)
Advantage
- Comes with a keyboard and a mouse
- Mac OS works very efficiently
- 2560×1440 good resolution for 27-inch screen
- Solid performance due to i5 processor and AMD Radeon HD 6770M
Disadvantage
- This is a refurbished version, therefore it is basically second-hand
- 4GB Ram is not enough for 4K video rendering
- Not for gaming
- 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5 processor for optimal performance
- 27-Inch Widescreen display with 2560x1440 native resolution
- 4GB DDR3
- 1TB (1000GB) Hard Drive; AMD Radeon HD 6770M; 4 USB 2.0 ports
Last update on 2020-12-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API