Our best $1000 gaming PC build of 2023
Built & Tested By Our Team
Best gaming PC under $1000
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With this build, our main goal was to provide the best gaming PC for under $1,000! It’s at this price range that you start to make fewer and fewer compromises and can instead focus on gaming performance. You’re now officially at the higher end of the mid-range category where maxing out AAA titles at 1080p becomes a doddle, with plenty 1440p performance too.
The great thing about this build is that the GPU and storage will be sufficient for years. While the CPU and motherboard offer reliability and solid performance too – they are form the previous generation and may be the first part of the build you want to upgrade in the future. Overall, we believe this is one of the best all-around builds for around the 1000 dollar mark. Please note that prices of the hardware do fluctuate daily, our team works tirelessly to try and ensure the price is as close to $1,000 as possible.
What you get for your $1000
At this price point, there is a little bit more planning required to get the absolute best experience out of the system. That being said, you are still going to get a high-end gaming PC for your $1000. Nvidia’s RTX 4070 graphics card brings with it ray tracing and DLSS 3, plus exceptional results for gaming in all resolutions.
Performance
You could easily go for AMD or Intel CPUs in this build, however, AMD’s 5000-series still offers excellent price to performance. Graphically, you can expect excellent results in 1080p and 1440p while playing in max settings or with a high refresh rate monitor. Settings may need to be tweaked in certain situations but there is even room for some gameplay in 4K – although we recommend this build for those with a 1440p monitor and below.
With this build you are going to get a 1TB NVMe SSD, which is more than enough to store your operating system and games on. This SSD will not only give you quicker boot times, but it will also improve the gaming performance too. While we are talking about performance, it is important to mention the 16GB RAM kit in this build too. A high-capacity memory kit is essential, and while this kit only features a clock speed of 3200MHz, it will still increase your gaming performance and serve you well for years.
How we choose
Our team has years of experience behind them building PCs for a range of needs and budgets. All this knowledge combined with hours of research, user feedback, and onsite benchmarking is what goes into choosing the best components for our builds. We look for value for money, how the components perform together, and focus on gamers’ needs to make sure our builds are the best your budget can buy.
We build all these PCs ourselves, in-house, so trust us when we say we want to make them as good as possible. We actually use all these builds ourselves day-to-day in the WePC offices.
How we test
We build each of our selected PC’s from scratch to make sure all the parts we recommend work well together, fit into the selected case, and provide the best performance possible for the price range. Once built, the PCs are used in the office for everyday work as well as a range of games from light to heavy-duty. While we test, we also run benchmarking tests to see how well our builds perform, all while keeping an eye on the temperature of the components themselves.
We know how much some of our readers enjoy overclocking their PCs, so we made sure to test that out too. So, you can feel safe knowing that these machines can be pushed beyond their basic capabilities. But, please make sure you know how to overclock before trying to over-task your builds.
Advantages to opting for a pre-built over building one yourself.
Opting for a pre-built PC can be advantageous in several ways. Firstly, it is a convenient option as you do not have to spend hours researching and selecting individual components or worry about compatibility issues. Secondly, it saves a lot of time as building a PC can be a time-consuming process, especially for those who lack experience. Thirdly, pre-built PCs come with technical support and warranty coverage, making it easier to resolve issues. Fourthly, pre-built PCs offer customization options to suit different needs and budgets. Lastly, pre-built PCs can often be more cost-effective, especially when taking into account the cost of individual components and the time spent assembling them. Ultimately, the choice between pre-built and self-built PCs depends on the individual’s needs and preferences.
Prebuilt gaming PC under $1000
Skytech Blaze 3.0 Gaming PC (RTX 3060 Ti)
CPU
Intel Core i7 11700F
GPU
RTX 3060 Ti
RAM
16G
Storage
1TB NVME SSD
Not everyone is fond of building their own PCs; this is where the prebuilt gaming PC comes in. Whether you can’t find the time, worry about breaking your new components, or just want to take advantage of those company warranties, a prebuilt can be a good option.
The team at WePC always encourages you to build your own as you will benefit from better components and the building experience, and save a lot of money. Below are our recommendations for the best-prebuilt gaming PCs under $1000.
As it stands, this prebuilt with an RTX 3060 Ti is going to give you some reasonable in-game results for the price. Nowhere near the power of our recommended build but this PC will still blast through any game in 1080p, with some decent 1440p performance too.
Our Recommended Custom Build Details
- Last Updated - Aug 3, 2023
We’ve talked about what this build can do and what the requirements are. Now, let’s talk about what makes up the insides of this $1,000 gaming computer.
Our best custom gaming PC for under $1000 offers a great combination of performance and value. This is an excellent example of well-invested cash, with solid gaming capability at an affordable price. With this RTX 4070 build we need to squeeze in an older generation CPU, however, you are getting one of the best gaming CPUs on the market.
We are trying to keep the price of this build as close to the $1000 mark as possible while also still recommending components we ourselves would choose. This means we have had to stick with AM4 and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU. Just to be clear, it is a fantastic CPU all-round, however, it is from the previous generation.
Regardless, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a solid price to performance CPU and comes with a max boost speed of 4.6GHz. We’ve run various benchmarking tests on the new-gen lineups and found the Ryzen 56/56X variants offer the best performance for the price.
MSI B550M PRO-VDH WiFi
Intended Build
Entry-level
Form Factor
mATX
Overclock Support
Yes
Socket
AM4
Chipset
X570
We have decided to go with the MSI B550M PRO-VDH Wifi motherboard, a budget motherboard but still a solid pairing for the Ryzen CPU. We compromised on the motherboard to squeeze in the powerful GPU but there are still enough features behind this board to complete the build. This board features some room for future expansions and storage upgrades, M.2 compatibility, wifi, and fast RAM support.
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Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz
Capacity
4GB - 16GB
Frequency
DDR4 2400Mhz - 4000Mhz
CAS Latency
16
A powerful gaming PC is going to need a fast, reliable memory kit. This RAM from Corsair is just that, with a 16GB capacity and speeds of 3200MHz. The performance of this RAM kit has been proven to enhance the PC’s gaming potential, especially when paired with an AMD processor.
PNY RTX 4060 Verto Dual Fan
Core clock speed
1,830MHz base, 2460MHz boost
CUDA cores
3,072
Memory size
8GB GDDR6
Dimensions
210.1 x 225.0 x 39.9 mm / 8.27 x 8.86 x 1.57 inches (2-slot)
PSU required
550W
TBP
115W
The RTX 4070 graphics card hails from Nvidia’s most recent RTX 40-series, offering exceptional performance in 1080p and 1440p. Furthermore, with graphical tweaks there is some room for 4K , although this GPU is at its best in the lower resolutions. This model sports 12GB of GDDR6X VRAM and an efficient cooling solution. This GPU will enable you to play any modern title, while also providing those who love esports with high FPS counts for high refresh rate monitors.
As most will know by now, an SSD is the way to go if you want to decrease the boot and loading times of your rig dramatically. This 1TB NVMe SSD is renowned for being extremely reliable, meaning you won’t be worrying about a failed drive after a few months with this one. Furthermore, the size is more than enough to house windows and your favorite games.
Corsair 4000D Airflow
Type
Mid-tower
Motherboard Support
ATX, mATX, Mini-ITX
Dimensions
17.83 x 9.06 x 18.35 inches
Included Fans
2 x 120mm AirGuide fans
Corsair’s 4000D Airflow PC case is one of the best sub-$100 options out there. There is no compromising with this case, it is read to go straight out of the box, with 2 x 120mm fans pre-installed for cooling and tempered glass to style.
Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 750W
Wattage
750W
Efficiency
Gold
Modularity
Fully modular
ATX 3/ PCie5 support
Yes
Now, you are going to need a reliable PSU to power this high-end gaming PC, that is where the Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 comes in. Aside from being a brand you can trust, this PSU also comes with a gold efficiency rating, features ATX 3.0/ PCIe 5 compatibility, and is built to last.
Things To Consider
Budget
Of course, we know the budget, in this case, is around $1000, but it is still important to make sure its the right budget for your gaming needs. For the hardcore gamers out there, it could be worth considering the next step up to truly enhance your overall gaming experience in those AAA games. It is worth mentioning, at the $1000 mark, you’re getting an excellent price to performance and great value for your hard-earned cash. The cost of this build may slightly change from time to time as the prices on Amazon can fluctuate, but in any case, it’s a top gaming build.
Upgradability & Future-Proofing
While this is still regarded as a high-end gaming PC, at $1000, there is plenty of room for improvement. Of course, any hardware upgrade is going to significantly increase the cost, but the performance will match that increase too. Whether you have chosen the AMD or Intel path, the build is ready to go with the selected upgrades if your budget can accommodate it.
Overclocking
This may not feature the same level of components you would see from the $2000 gaming PC, but it is still high-end and features plenty of overclocking room. Squeezing extra power out of your PC becomes a bit more important for some, especially when the budget is tight. With that in mind, we have selected products we know can handle overclocking.
Both processors are ‘unlocked’ and ready to roll with a clock boost if you fancied it. To back up the CPUs, we have selected motherboards that can handle such tweaks. It is also worth noting that you will need to XMP overclock your RAM to get it running at its advertised speed of 3600MHz. This can be done in the BIOS, and manufacturers have simplified the process.
Ease Of Building
This is a very straightforward build, so when it comes to the physical process, you have nothing to fear. The case has ‘ease of building’ in mind and gives you zero clearance issues to worry about. When it comes to the matter of building, you should have a screwdriver to hand, as most components are installed with screws. The featured case also made cable management extremely easy, allowing you to achieve greater airflow and an excellent-looking PC build. You may want to consider buying cable ties and tie bases to take your cable management to the next level.
While some don’t consider anti-static equipment a necessity, some builders would rather take the risk away entirely as it is better to be safe than sorry. Both the AMD and Intel CPUs come with stock coolers. These coolers will have pre-applied thermal paste on so you can use them straight out of the box without issue. If you can afford the extra few dollars, it is worth investing in a more premium thermal paste as this will improve your thermal results, and it will need replacing down the line anyway.
Non-Gaming Performance
So how do these powerful gaming builds stack up for non-gaming performance? While the Intel CPU features strong single-core performance and will surprise you when stressing it with tasks, it doesn’t fare well against the AMD chip. The AMD CPU and its twelve threads make light work of multitasking and give you great workstation potential. That being said, both paths will handle what you throw at them. However, the AMD build path provides you with greater flexibility overall.
Aesthetics
This gaming PC features a sleek case and gives you some fantastic aesthetics out of the box. Of course, if you desire a bit of extra style, then you can always add touches of RGB here and there. Not everyone wants to pimp out their PC, but RGB fans or even lighting strips can make a tempered glass case look even better.
Build A Gaming PC By Price
Check out some of our price-focused custom PC build guides below.
- Best Custom Gaming PC under $300
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- Best Custom Gaming PC under $1500
- Best Custom Gaming PC under $2000
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- Best Custom Gaming PC under $5000
Other Related Custom PC Guides:
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Build A Gaming PC For Specific Games
Check out some of our game-focused custom PC build guides below.
- The Best Gaming PC For Valorant
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- The Best Custom Gaming PC For Cyberpunk 2077
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Related Prebuilt Gaming PC Guides
Check out some of our related prebuilt PC guides below.
- Best Prebuilt Gaming PC
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- Best RTX 3080 Prebuilt Gaming PC
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- Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Under $2000
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Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Brands
Every recommended prebuilt gaming PC in this article is from a reputable manufacturer. You are probably wondering how we know what the best gaming PC brands are? Well, we have done our research and purchased PCs from these brands.
Most notable brands:
Alienware
Corsair
CyberPowerPC
SkyTech
iBUYPOWER
Thermaltake
MSI
Scan 3XS
Overclockers UK
Calculating The PSU Wattage
Making sure your PSU provides the correct amount of wattage to your custom build PC is an essential part of the build process. For that reason, we’ve created a handy PSU calculator that will work out exactly what PSU wattage your components require – no matter how many changes you make.
- Last Updated - Aug 3, 2023
Upgrade options for this $1000 custom gaming PC
At the $1000 mark, there is always going to be room for upgrades. While this gaming PC performs brilliantly, there is nothing wrong with boosting the build to further future-proof it for the years ahead. Below we have outlined the necessary upgrades to take this build to the next level.
Note: These will raise the price of the build!
Corsair Hydro Series H100i Pro RGB
Air or Liquid?
Liquid
Max RPM
2400 RPM (+/- 10%)
Max Noise
37 dBA
Dimensions (with fan/height x width x depth)
276 x 120 x 27mm (radiator)
Samsung 970 EVO – 2TB
Read/Write
3500 / 2500MB/s
Capacity
2TB
Interface
NVME PCIe m.2
Related Custom PC Builds
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Operating System & Peripherals
Now, ideally, you’ll already have a pre-existing OS and peripherals to transfer over from your old machine to your new one. But, in case you don’t, we’ve included this section on peripherals for this 1k rig.
Note: These will raise the price of the build!
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Building Tips
This $1000 rig might be nice, but the act of physically placing the components together is just as important as carefully choosing the right components.
For first-time builders, it is important to be aware of the common mistakes that newbies make. It’s also not unusual to have some questions about PC building common, so don’t feel silly for needing the extra help.
$1000 Gaming PC FAQs
Should you consider newer generation parts?
When it comes to the newer generations, there comes a higher cost with this new hardware. AMD’s platform of AM5 has inflated costs with DDR5 only that is yet to come down. Whilst Intel or GPU’s newer hardware is more expensive overall with the improvements they bring. So there is nothing wrong with looking back to get some parts.