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Quick question for you first, what kind of games are we actually talking about here? It would help to know if you mean indie titles or the really heavy stuff because a $500 budget is pretty tight. I generally like to be cautious with my spending and I am usually satisfied if the machine just works well for what I need without any drama. It actually reminds me of when I was trying to save money on my home office setup and spent weeks looking for a cheap ergonomic chair. I ended up finding this older model that was built like a tank and I was so happy with it that I spent the next month reading about office ergonomics and proper spine alignment. I almost bought one of those fancy footrests too but then I realized I could just use a stack of old magazines lol. Anyway sorry I totally went off on a tangent there.

Gaming under $500 is tough for current-gen titles. Older games or esports titles might be okay, but expect lower settings and performance compromises. Check reviews carefully!