For years, the world of PC gaming has followed a golden rule: more money equals more power. The more powerful your GPU, the better your frames, right? That's no longer the case. Thanks to intelligent optimization, modular components and more discerning gamers, inexpensive gaming PCs now offer sufficient performance for most people. In 2025, the real achievement won't be spending €3,000 on a piece of equipment, but building one that costs half as much and performs almost as well.
The end of the "bigger is better" era
It used to be simple. You wanted to play in 4K with ray tracing? You bought the most expensive graphics card you could find. But things have changed. Games are now better optimized, engines are more efficient, and even cheap components achieve frame rates that used to be reserved for high-end products.
Take the rise of AMD's low-cost processors and NVIDIA's mid-range GPUs: they're designed to run AAA games at high settings without emptying your wallet. Add to that smarter software tuning and cloud-based updates, and suddenly affordable no longer means underperforming.
Best of all, gamers who use platforms like Refilled can make the most of their setup by getting deals on e-currencies, gaming gift cards and reloads, saving money to upgrade later.
Cheap PCs: the real winners of the connected world
Today's "budget" gaming configurations are not discount setups. They seek to maximize the price/performance ratio.
The Smart Build philosophy
Instead of acquiring the latest high-end models, gamers are opting for clever assemblies, with balanced hardware that doesn't create bottlenecks. Example:
- A Ryzen 5 processor combined with an RTX 4060 Ti graphics card delivers outstanding performance in 1080p and 1440p.
- A 1TB SSD guarantees ultra-fast loading times without spending too much money on sophisticated storage.
- DDR5 RAM is optional; the more economical DDR4 RAM still delivers excellent performance for most games.
By being selective, you save hundreds of euros that you can invest in peripherals, better cooling or a larger games library.
© AMD
Optimization is the new overclocking
Remember when gamers used to spend hours adjusting voltages and clock frequencies to get the best out of their systems? Today,software optimization has taken the place of hardware flexibility.
Recent OS and game launchers automatically manage the performance/efficiency balance. Windows Game Mode, NVIDIA's DLSS and AMD's FSR are changing the game in terms of what you can achieve with mid-range parts.
And let's not forget cloud gaming, an increasingly popular backup solution for low-end PCs. With a fast Internet connection, you can stream games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Starfield without the need for a powerful GPU.
The secret weapon: community and modding
Budget gamers also have another secret weapon at their disposal: the community. Sites, subreddits and Discord channels abound with enthusiasts sharing tips, driver updates and DIY cooling solutions.
Here are a few cost-effective tips:
- Subvolve GPUs to increase efficiency and reduce heat.
- Use open source performance tools to eliminate unnecessary background elements.
- Install lightweight Linux distributions for purely gaming configurations.
Thanks to this collective knowledge, even a €700 piece of equipment can outperform systems costing twice as much in some games.
Psychological change: value rather than vanity
We're also witnessing a cultural shift. The era of flashy, RGB-saturated, water-cooled setups is coming to an end. Gamers care less about aesthetics and more about value : they want to be able to play their favorite games without breaking the bank.
And frankly, that's refreshing. The new generation of gamers is looking for practicality. They're proud to be able to play Baldur's Gate 3 at 120 FPS on a system they've built for half the price of a high-end GPU alone.
Outsmarting the system
Cheap gaming PCs aren't just surviving, they're thriving. They prove that performance doesn't depend on price, but on creativity, knowledge and smart spending. A well-optimized configuration can rival or even surpass machines costing twice as much, especially when you know where to cut costs without compromising quality.
The future of gaming lies not in owning the most expensive hardware, but in getting the most enjoyment out of every euro spent.
