Best $1,000 Gaming PC Build: Max Out Any Game Easily

Part List for $1,000 PC Build

Grand Total: $970-$1,030

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*PC component prices fluctuate on a daily basis. For the most up-to-date rates, go here.

**The ‘Grand Total’ pricing only covers the computer’s components. You’ll need an operating system, and an activation key for Windows 10 costs $100. However, you can still install Windows 10 for free and use it indefinitely without having to activate it—all you’ll see is a watermark in the bottom left corner of your screen requesting you to activate it.

II. Component Breakdown

Each of these components was chosen for a reason, although there are other options. We’ll go over why we chose the components indicated above for this construction, as well as what additional options are available…

1. Is it better to use an AMD or an Intel processor?

Listen, no one loves Intel more than I do. When it came time to finalise this part list, however, I believed that AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600X offered greater value. There are several reasons why I prefer the 3600X to the Intel equivalents…

1. Overclocking the Ryzen 5 3600X is possible.
2. A better stock cooler is included with the Ryzen 5 3600X.
3. The Ryzen 5 3600X is superior for creating content.

The Ryzen 5 3600X is priced at just under $200. It’s thus a direct competition to Intel’s i5-10400, which costs $180.

While the i5-10400 has superior single-core performance, the difference between the Ryzen 5 3600X and the i5-10400 in real-world performance at stock speeds will be minimal at best. The truth is that nowadays, gaming is so GPU-dependent that the i5-advantage 10400’s over the Ryzen 5 3600X won’t matter much.

So, certainly, you could use an i5-10400 in this case—and it would be less expensive. The Ryzen 5 3600X, on the other hand, has a better stock cooler—both in terms of performance and aesthetics—and it can be overclocked, whereas the i5-10400 cannot.

Also, with so many gamers creating gameplay videos and streaming these days, having a machine that can also be used for editing and content creation is a huge plus. And, because the Ryzen 5 3600X outperforms the Intel Core i5-10400 in those types of jobs (editing, rendering, and so on), it merely adds to the 3600X’s advantage.

Of course, you could also use the i5-10600K or the older Ryzen 5 2600. The 10600K, on the other hand, is currently $250 and will require a more expensive motherboard as well as a third-party cooler. While the Ryzen 5 2600 is still relatively reasonable and performs admirably, a $1,000 budget allows you to comfortably upgrade to the newer Ryzen 5 3600X.

So, given the exorbitant costs of the i5-10600K and the poorer performance of the Ryzen 5 2600, I believe the Ryzen 5 3600X is the best option.

2. RX 5700 XT: Right Now, Perfect for This Budget

At the time, I believe an RX 5700 XT is the best option for this design. I believe an RTX 2070 SUPER could be installed, but you’d have to replace the 1TB SSD with a smaller SSD (or a regular HDD), use a lower-tier casing, and possibly reduce the CPU and motherboard as well.

The performance difference between the RX 5700 XT and the 2070 SUPER isn’t significant enough for me to justify making those concessions, especially when you consider the real-world difference between the two on a 1080P display.

However, the cheapest RTX 2070 SUPER right now costs just under $500, so you’ll need to free up a lot of cash to change your GPU. However, if you can afford to push your budget that far, it would be worthwhile—especially if you plan on playing games on a higher resolution monitor or using NVIDIA’s raytracing technology to its full potential.

3. Is it better to have 8GB or 16GB of storage?

While there is a growing agreement among gamers that “you will need 16GB of RAM in 2020,” in my testing and benchmarking, the extra 8GB of RAM does not deliver a significant performance boost in most circumstances.

However, since memory and GPU prices have returned to more normal levels, there is now enough room on a $1,000 budget to cram 16GB of RAM into a PC. While there isn’t much of a performance difference between running 8GB of RAM and 16GB of RAM in most games, adding 16GB of RAM today will put you ahead of the curve when games can fully utilise that extra memory.

4. Storage Alternatives

We used a 1TB SATA SSD for this construction. This should provide you with ample storage for the foreseeable future. If you need a secondary drive, a 1TB hard drive can be added for $40.

5. Numerous Case Options

There are a plethora of gaming cases in the $45-$75 price range that would be suitable for this setup. However, due of its pricing, air flow capabilities, and aesthetics, we chose the Corsair 275R Airflow mid tower case.

Although the case is small for a mid tower, it has enough of capacity for the components in this design. It also has two tempered glass side panels (which means you’ll need to pay attention to cable management behind the motherboard), a full length PSU shroud, and a grilled front panel with three 120mm fans for optimal airflow.

6. What is the size of the power supply?

The power consumption of each of our designs is calculated using Outervision’s PSU calculator. Even in the most extreme conditions, according to Outervision, this $1,000 gaming PC will require a robust 450W power supply.

So, with the Corsair CX 650M, we went with a little more headroom to assure there would be no issues down the line. This will not only readily accommodate this setup, but it will also allow for future GPU upgrades without requiring a power supply upgrade.

III. Complementary Peripherals and Accessories for Your New Gaming PC

You’ll definitely need a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to pair with your new machine if you don’t already have them. You’ll also want matching accessories if you’re spending $1,000 on a high-end gaming machine.

So, for each peripheral, we’ve provided you with a few alternative options to pick from: