How to Build a $70 Gaming PC That Can Run Cyberpunk & Baldur’s Gate 3
Everything is getting more expensive, and if you thought building a gaming PC was out of reach, think again.
What if I told you that you can build a fully functional gaming PC for just $70—less than the price of a AAA game? It sounds impossible, but with the right approach, it’s doable.
This guide will show you exactly how we did it, the mistakes to avoid, and how you can build your own ultra-budget gaming PC.
Step 1: Buying a Used PC – The Smart Way
Since new parts are way too expensive, we’re going fully secondhand gaming PC.
The Strategy:
- Look for old pre-built office PCs or workstations – They’re cheap and usually have a decent CPU & RAM.
- Target four-core CPUs and 8GB RAM minimum – This is the bare minimum for modern gaming.
- Be flexible on brands – You won’t get your dream setup, but you can still get great performance.
- Buy component bundles – These offer better deals than buying individual parts.
🔍 What We Found:
We landed on an HP Office PC with:
✅ Intel Core i5-2500S
✅ 8GB DDR3 RAM
✅ 500GB HDD
✅ DVD Drive (lol, but hey, it was $17.50)
💡 Pro Tip: If possible, find a PC with a newer CPU to allow for better upgrades later.
Step 2: Power Supply Problems (and the Sketchy Fix)
Older pre-builts aren’t designed for gaming, and their weak power supplies reflect that.
⚡ Our system’s power supply? 240W.
That’s not enough for a dedicated GPU.
Our Fix:
- We bought a second PSU for $10 (an old 400W Seasonic).
- Instead of replacing the stock PSU, we kept both in the case.
- Used a paperclip jumper wire to power the GPU separately.
🎭 Is this sketchy?
Yes. The ideal solution is to buy an adapter cable that lets you use a standard power supply with HP/Dell motherboards, but we were on a strict budget.
Step 3: The GPU Struggle (And How We Got Scammed)
A gaming PC needs a dedicated GPU, and our goal was to spend $30–$50 on a card that fits between a GTX 1060 and a Radeon 980 Ti.
What We Got:
1️⃣ Radeon RX 570 (4GB) – $28 → Too little VRAM for modern gaming.
2️⃣ Radeon RX 580 (8GB) – $34.90 → Ideal choice, but broke our $70 budget.
❌ Scam Alert: We thought we’d get an RX 580 that was used for crypto mining (which are usually dirt cheap). Instead, we got a normal secondhand RX 580, and we overpaid. Lesson learned.
💡 Pro Tip: Always confirm VRAM size and condition before buying a secondhand GPU.
Step 4: The “Case Mod” (AKA Cutting a Hole in It)
🚨 Problem: Our GPU didn’t fit in the case.
🔧 Solution:
- We grabbed a saw and cut a hole in the side of the case.
- This let the GPU fit without crushing other components.
- Bonus: Now we have built-in airflow! 😂
Sometimes, you just have to get creative.
Step 5: Storage – The SSD Boost
A mechanical hard drive (HDD) is painfully slow.
- Boot times? Forever.
- Game loading? Awful.
🚀 The Fix:
- We bought a 120GB Patriot P210 SSD for $14 (for Windows & games).
- We kept the old 500GB HDD for extra storage.
💡 Pro Tip: If your motherboard supports M.2 SSDs, buy one instead—they’re cheaper and faster than SATA SSDs now.
Final Cost: Did We Stay Under $70?
| Component | Cost |
| Used HP Office PC (i5-2500S, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD) | $17.50 |
| RX 570 GPU (4GB) | $28 |
| 400W PSU (Seasonic) | $10 |
| SSD (120GB) | $14 |
| Total Cost | $69.50 ✅ |
🎉 Yes! We built a working gaming PC for under $70!
Can It Actually Play Games?
🔻 Competitive Games (Runs Well)
✅ Counter-Strike 2 – Playably smooth, but low settings recommended.
✅ Indie Games (Dead Cells, Hades, etc.) – Runs flawlessly!
✅ Brotato (Roguelike Shooter) – No issues at all.
🔻 Modern AAA Games (Playable, But With Issues)
⚠️ Cyberpunk 2077 – Runs, but dips in FPS due to 4GB VRAM.
⚠️ Baldur’s Gate 3 – Playable, but stutters with slow load times.
💡 Solution? Upgrade the GPU to an 8GB card (RX 580 8GB or GTX 1070).
Should You Build a $70 Gaming PC?
💰 Yes, if:
✔ You’re on a tight budget but still want to game.
✔ You enjoy tinkering & upgrading later.
✔ You play indie, older, or competitive games.
🚫 No, if:
❌ You want plug-and-play performance (this takes effort).
❌ You only play AAA games at high settings.
❌ You hate modding cases & using paperclips as solutions.
How to Upgrade This PC for Even Better Performance
Want a little extra power? Here’s what to upgrade next:
| Upgrade | Estimated Cost | Why? |
| RX 580 8GB or GTX 1070 | $40-$50 | More VRAM = smoother gaming |
| Core i5-3570 | $5-$10 | Faster CPU, better multitasking |
| 240GB+ SSD | $20 | Faster load times |
| 16GB RAM (DDR3) | $10-$15 | Helps with newer games |
If you have $169 or $269, we can push this build even further. Let us know if you want a mid-tier budget PC build guide!
Final Thoughts: A $70 Gaming PC? Absolutely Possible!
Even though this wasn’t the prettiest build, it was a fun experiment that proved:
✅ Old parts can still game
✅ Secondhand deals = huge savings
✅ Creativity + flexibility = budget gaming success
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