By the FlowUP team, gaming PC builder in Genappe (Belgium) · Updated 12 October 2026
In brief: there are four ways to get a cheap gaming PC: used between private individuals (Leboncoin, 2ememain, Facebook Marketplace), the refurbished one sold by a professional, the new pre-built entry- or mid-range PC, and build it yourself. Buying from a private individual is the cheapest, but without any legal guarantee of conformity or a right of withdrawal. A new or refurbished PC bought from a professional costs more, but you keep a 2-year legal guarantee. For a first gaming PC, it’s often that safety net that delivers the real savings.
The 4 options for a cheap gaming PC
"Cheap" doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. For some, it’s the lowest price possible, even if it means taking a risk. For others, it’s the best balance between what you pay and the number of years the PC will run games properly.
Each option has a clear profile. The table below compares them on what really matters: price, warranty, and risk.
An affordable gaming PC is judged not just by its price, but also by what happens if it breaks down.
| Option | Price | Warranty | Risk | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used between private individuals | Lowest | No conformity guarantee, only hidden defects | High: breakdown, scam, worn-out components | Players who know how to test a PC |
| Refurbished (professional) | Low to medium | 2 years in France (minimum 1 year possible in Belgium if that’s advertised) | Low to medium depending on the seller | Tight budget, want peace of mind |
| New pre-built PC | Medium | 2-year legal guarantee + 14-day online right of withdrawal | Low | First PC, no desire to tinker |
| Build it yourself | Medium | Component-by-component warranty | Medium: compatibility or assembly errors | Players comfortable with hardware |
Sources: economie.gouv.fr (warranties for second-hand and refurbished items, legal guarantee of conformity), SPF Economy (legal guarantee in Belgium), consulted on 29 September 2026.
Second-hand: where to look and what the law says
The three most-used platforms are Leboncoin in France, 2ememain in Belgium, and Facebook Marketplace on both sides of the border. You’ll find complete gaming PCs there, often resold by players who move on to a newer setup.
What you should know before buying: when buying between private individuals, the legal guarantee of conformity does not apply, nor does the 14-day right of withdrawal. Only the guarantee against hidden defects remains. In France, you have 2 years from the discovery of the defect to take action, but a seller acting in good faith may exclude it via a clause. In Belgium, you must act "within a short time". In both cases, it’s up to you to prove that the defect already existed before the sale, which is rarely straightforward for a graphics card that fails three weeks later.
7 checks before buying a second-hand gaming PC
- See the PC run. Ideally, do it at the seller’s place, with a game running for 15 to 20 minutes. If the PC crashes or restarts under load, you move on.
- Check the actual components. GPU-Z and CPU-Z (free) show the exact model of the graphics card, its video memory, and the processor. A listing that says "RTX 3060" but hides an 8 GB version instead of 12 GB, yes, that happens.
- Monitor the temperatures. If the graphics card clearly goes above 85 °C while gaming, the cooling may be clogged or the thermal paste may be dried out.
- Check the power supply. Brand and visible model, not an unlabeled unit. It’s the component that can take the others down with it. See how to choose your power supply.
- Ask for the original invoice. It proves where it came from, and some manufacturer warranties may still be valid for a second owner (to be checked brand by brand).
- Open the case. Dust, loose cables, traces of oxidation or liquid: the inside tells more than the listing.
- Pay in a traceable way. Use the platform’s secure payment method when available, and never send a deposit for a PC you haven’t seen.
The graphics card is the most expensive part of a second-hand PC, and the one that may have suffered the most. RTBF (iXPé) looked into second-hand graphics cards:
RTBF iXPé, “Second-hand graphics cards: good deal or scam?”, April 2025.
Refurbished: the price-and-warranty compromise
In France, “refurbished” has been a regulated term since 2022 (Article R122-4 of the Consumer Code, created by a decree dated 17 February 2022): the used product must have been tested on all its functions, repaired if necessary, and the previous user’s data erased. Bought from a professional, it comes with the 2-year statutory guarantee of conformity. The only difference from new: the defect is presumed to exist at the time of sale for 12 months, versus 24 months for a new product.
When it comes to gaming, check especially the graphics card generation: a refurbished PC may include components that are one or even two generations behind, which makes a big difference for recent games. Compare with the exact model, not the category.
New: where the real “cheap deal” is
On a brand-new gaming PC, the savings don’t come from a miracle discount, but from a good balance. Three simple rules:
- The budget first goes to the graphics card, it’s the one that drives the FPS at 1080p.
- A recent 6-core processor is enough to game, there’s no need to pay for a high-end 8-core.
- 16 GB of RAM in dual channel and an NVMe SSD are the minimum, with no compromises on the power supply.
For costed builds, see €1000 gaming PC: the perfect build and best gaming PC for your budget.
At our workshop in Genappe, each PC is assembled and tested before shipping.
And building it yourself? It saves on the assembly cost, but it takes time, the right tools and a bit of experience. We compare the two approaches in build your own PC or buy a pre-built PC. If you’re aiming for a promotion period, also read Black Friday and Cyber Week 2026: how to buy your gaming PC the right way.
Cheap PC gaming: our cheapest setups for equal components
The cheapest gaming PC isn’t the one with the lowest price on the tag, it’s the one that costs the least for the same components. On 12 October 2026, we compared our PCs with equivalent pre-built systems from major French integrators. We’re most aggressive in the entry-level range: the Nova is 22% cheaper than the nearest PC we found, the Corvus 12%, the Spike 8% and the Savannah 7%.
If you’re looking for a cheap, brand-new gaming computer, with 2 years’ warranty and assembled in our workshop, this is the best place to start. And if you want an affordable desktop gaming PC that can handle 1440p, take a look at the Savannah. For Black Friday 2026, the whole of our selection is in Black Friday 2026: our best-priced gaming PCs.
Nova PC: the best budget gaming PC to get started
Core i5 11400F and RTX 3050, under €800: 1080p in esports, 22% below its closest equivalent.
Corvus PC: the current generation under €1,000
Ryzen 5 5500 and RTX 5050 with DLSS 4, 12% below its equivalent.
Spike PC: 8 cores for under €1,300
Ryzen 7 5700X and Radeon RX 9060 XT in 8 or 16 GB, 8% below its equivalent.
Savannah PC: an affordable and powerful gaming PC
Ryzen 7 5700X, RTX 5060 Ti and 1 TB SSD, 7% below its equivalent.
FAQ: cheap gaming PC
Where to buy a cheap gaming PC?
On second-hand sites (Leboncoin, 2ememain, Facebook Marketplace) for the lowest price, from a refurbished seller to keep a warranty, or from a PC builder for a brand-new entry-level PC with 2 years of statutory guarantee of conformity.
Is it risky to buy a used gaming PC?
Yes, between individuals: no statutory guarantee of conformity, no right of withdrawal, only hidden defects. Test the PC while gaming before paying and ask for the original invoice.
What warranty on a refurbished gaming PC?
Bought from a professional in France: 2 years statutory guarantee of conformity. In Belgium, the seller may reduce it to a minimum of 1 year for a second-hand item, provided they state this clearly in the offer.
Building your own PC, does that cost less?
A bit, since you don’t pay for assembly. But you manage everything yourself: compatibility, assembly and warranties component by component.
Which graphics card for a cheap gaming PC in 2026?
New: an RTX 5060 or an RX 9060 XT for gaming at 1080p. If your budget allows, prioritise 16 GB of video memory, since recent games increasingly use more.
What’s the cheapest gaming PC to play in 2026?
Brand new from FlowUP: the Nova PC (Core i5 11400F, RTX 3050). Second-hand, you’ll find cheaper options, but without any legal guarantee of conformity.
What’s an €800 gaming PC worth in 2026?
For 1080p in esports and less demanding games, yes: that’s the Nova PC range. For newer games, the Corvus and its RTX 5050 leave more room.
Not sure whether to go for a cheap offer or a properly built PC? Our guide for the ready-to-play gaming PC (prebuilt) lists what you need to check.
