Here’s how to build your own killer $500 Xbox One or PS4 gaming PC

Both the next generation gaming consoles, Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One are out and we’ve seen some really interesting performance comparisons. But what if you want a gaming machine that does more than just gaming and media playback?

The custom AMD GPUs used in the PS4 and Xbox One are close to a Radeon HD 7870 or an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti at best. Meaning that none of these consoles can run games at resolutions higher than 1080p, let alone things like 4K and many games on these consoles still run at 720p or 900p.

Is it possible?I personally prefer gaming machines to consoles, simply because they can run full-fledged desktop operating systems and applications without any restrictions. And, they have the coveted mouse / keyboard gaming combo. First person shooters were made for the PC, despite how excellent the control options are on consoles. Outside of this, there are several other ways PC’s defeat consoles in practical, daily use.

There’s also price to consider. Console games are usually more expensive than PC titles. Also, gaming consoles can’t really be upgraded, outside of the hard drive. In the long run, you might find a gaming PC to be much more affordable and cheaper to maintain than a gaming console because of the cost of the games and upgradability issues.

If you were about to spend US$399 or US$499 on a gaming console, then think again. You can build a better machine than any of those consoles by spending just a little bit more. I’ve done the research and found two PC configurations (varying by budget) which are capable of providing decent to great gaming experiences, which are easily on par with the PS4 and Xbox One.

First, you have to decide on the processor and motherboard. Deciding on other parts such as RAM, storage, case and power supply is a much simpler process.

Yes, of course it isOption 1 – Going the APU way to reduce overall cost

AMD has been making great strides in APUs. These processors come with integrated graphics and things like HSA and hUMA result in excellent system efficiency. The AMD A10-7850K Kaveri APU is one of the best options around if you are looking at a gaming PC on a tight budget.

You can also make use of dual graphics while upgrading the rig and add an AMD Radeon R7 250 later on for performance improvement. Pair it with an Asus A78M-A Micro ATX motherboard and for running the latest games like Titanfall at medium settings on 1080p resolution. If you want more ports, you can have a look at the MSI A88X-G43 Board which costs US$13 extra.

Part	Model	Price
APU	AMD A10-7850K	US$165
Motherboard	Asus A78M-A Micro ATX FM2+ OR MSI A88X-G43 Board	US$70 / US$83
	Total	US$235 / US$248

The MSI A88X-G43 in PS4 blueOption 2 – Conventional CPU and a dedicated GPU combo

If you have room to spend US$100 more, and want to head the conventional CPU and GPU way, I would advise you to pair an AMD Athlon X4 760K which is clocked at 3.8GHz with an MSI A88X-G43 motherboard and an MSI R9 270X graphics card. This combo will give you a higher FPS output and the freedom to ramp up the graphic quality.

Part	Model	Price
CPU	AMD Athlon X4 760K 3.8GHz	US$85
Motherboard	MSI A88X-G43 Board	US$83
GPU	MSI R9 270X	US$179
	Total	US$348

The mighty MSI R9 270XOnce the important bits like processor, motherboard and graphics have been finalised, most of the work has been done. A single 8GB stick of Crucial Ballistix Sport RAM clocked at 1600MHz will take care of multitasking, and a 750GB Seagate Barracuda HDD will be more than enough to store all your games and media files. Keep your film collection on a 1-2TB external hard drive.

Just to remind you, The PS4 only has 500GB of storage by default. A BitFenix Comrade mid-tower case fitted with an Antex Basiq 430W power supply will do justice to your budget gaming rig. You can throw in a basic DVD writer from Asus to complete the package. If you want to watch Blu-ray titles, you can replace it with an LG Black Blu-ray drive for just US$30 extra.

Part	Model	Price
RAM	Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600	US$75
HDD	Seagate Barracuda ES 750GB 3.5” 7200RPM	US$55
Case	BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case	US$50
Power Supply	Antec Basiq 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply	US$45
Optical Drive	Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer	US$20
	Total	US$245

Opting for an APU based configuration with DVD writer will cost you US$480 while a dedicated GPU option will cost you just under US$600 (US$593 to be precise).

Optional upgrades

If you already have a PC, you must have a Windows OS license so you can transfer it to your new computer. If not, you can always buy the no-nonsense Windows 7 for just US$100. Later down the line, you can throw in a CPU cooler, game controller plus a keyboard and mice combo for another US$150.

• CPU Cooler – SilverStone Argon AR01 – US$30
• OS – Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit – US$100
• Keyboard and mouse – CM Storm Devastator Keyboard Mouse Combo – US$30
• Controller – Microsoft XBox Controller – US$40
• Blu-ray Drive – LG Black 12X BD-ROM UH12NS30 – US$50

Remember when these used to cost a fortune? We doSo if you think that consoles offer better gaming at a cheaper cost, you’re only slightly wrong. A PC offers easy upgrades and the cost of games is significantly cheaper (you’ll never see a sale like Steam’s Summer Sale on Xbox or PS4). Start building your own budget gaming rig now and thank us later. Also, we’re well aware that there are countless hardware options for the PC, we’ve just chosen our favourite parts. If you know how to build a cheaper gaming PC on-par with the consoles, let us know.

Lead image via Speedy Freaks