The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $1000 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build – May 2023

The Best $1000 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build – May 2023

By Ari Altman | Published May 2, 2023 | Updated May 2, 2023

Cooler Master Q300LA Mainstream Gaming PC to Grow With!

Looking to build the best gaming PC possible for $1000? This guide will set you up! We recommend components that offer excellent performance, quiet operation, and ease of assembly, all at a great price. If you’re ready to build a PC that can handle any game you throw at it, just follow this guide to get the best component picks.

This Month’s Build, an All-AMD Powerhouse!

For May 2023, The $1000 Gaming PC Build is better than ever. It all starts with AMD’s legendary Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, based on the Zen 3 design. It features six cores and 12 threads, and thanks to a recent price drop, if offers by far the best gaming value under $200, decimating Intel’s latest offerings. The 5600X is the perfect CPU to support our GPU of choice, the awesome AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB, which has hit a new low price and has a huge lead on its Nvidia’s competition. Simply put, the 5600X/6700 XT combination provides unprecedented gaming power for the price.

But this system is about more than a fast CPU and GPU. Keeping this build fed is a full 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and a 1TB PCIe solid-state drive, which provides plenty of fast storage to get your system running. This build is housed in an attractive and affordable Cooler Master micro-ATX case and powered by an efficient, high-output 550W power supply.

Parting Thoughts

If you need a monitor or peripherals, you can check out our dedicated guides, although we also have some great recommendations for you at the end of this guide. Note that we provide dedicated links to Amazon in the US, which will auto-convert for readers in Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with regional substitutions made based on availability. To support this site, please use these links if you purchase any of the products we list.

The Pre-Built Option

  • Skytech Shiva II
    Click to Buy
    The High-End Gaming PC –

    Skytech Shiva II 12400F/RTX 3060

    $1000
    If you don’t want to build your own, Skytech has the answer in its Shiva II gaming desktop! This tower comes equipped with the potent Intel Core i5-12400F 6-core, 12-thread CPU, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 3060 12GB video card, plus a 500GB PCIe solid-state drive and 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This PC will be very comparable to the DIY build we feature below, and it will get you into your games from the moment you crack open the box!

The DIY Option

  • Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

    $153
    AMD’s Zen 3 architecture made a huge splash in the PC industry. Beating Intel on a clock-for-clock basis for the first time in decades, and with far lower power consumption, the Ryzen 5 5600X is the perfect CPU for this build. And it brings along with it an advanced yet cost-effective platform, which will provide upgrade potential down the line should you wish to drop in an even more powerful CPU.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU includes a cooler, and for this build we recommend you use it to save some money!
  • Gigabyte B550M-DS3H
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC

    $110
    This micro-ATX motherboard offers a lot in a compact package. There expansion slots, dual M.2 slots, eight USB ports, four RAM slots, and built-in 802.11ac wireless networking.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Note that we're going with a micro-ATX board here, to match the micro-ATX case in this build.
  • MSI RX 6700 XT
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    MSI Radeon RX 6750XT 12GB Mech 2X

    $390
    This Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB from MSI has impressive gaming power, beating Nvidia’s RTX 3070, while coming in at a far lower price. Plus, it has the added advantage of 12GB of VRAM, which is 50% more than competing Nvidia cards!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Thanks to a recent price drop, this card is by far the best deal on the market!
  • TeamGroup VulcanZ
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    Teamgroup 2x8GB Vulcan Z DDR4-3200

    $34
    You can now squeeze a whole lot of performance and capacity into your system by going with this budget-priced 16GB DDR4-3200 kit. It will help you make the most of your snazzy new system!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This system can easily take advantage of high-speed RAM like this kit.
  • Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    Silicon Power 1TB NVMe

    $42
    You simply can’t do better for the price than this value-packed SSD, which uses the speedy PCIe 3.0 interface and TLC NAND to vastly outperform all the SATA drives that sell for around the same amount! Note that to install this drive, you’ll affix it in an M.2 slot on your motherboard using a jeweler’s-type screwdriver.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Because this mounts in an M.2 slot on the motherboard, it requires no cables at all!
  • Cooler Master Q300L
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Cooler Master Q300L

    $67
    Offering loads of style and performance for the price, the Q300L is by far the best buy in its price class. It features a mesh front panel, a 120mm rear fan, and slick magnetic dust filters on both the top and front. For style, it has a transparent side panel, providing a great look inside the chassis.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Being a micro-ATX case, this will only fit micro-ATX motherboards, which is what we spec for this build.
  • Click to Buy
    Case Fan –

    Arctic P12 PWM

    $9
    Want to cooler your system without a noise penalty? Look no further than the excellent P12 PWM from Arctic. It offers fantastic performance at low noise levels, and comes in at a shockingly-low price, despite a market-leading 10-year warranty.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Mount this fan inside the front panel of the case to vastly improve overall cooling performance.
  • Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    SilverStone ET550-B

    $60
    The ET550-B offers up 550W of Bronze-rated power, a quiet 120mm fan, and flat black cables for extra style and ease of use.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Please avoid no-name PSUs from brands like RaidMax, Apevia, and Aresgame. They are complete junk, but this one is the real deal!
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB)

    $136
    Windows 11 take everything people loved about Windows 10, and then takes it to 11! It adds significant under-the-hood changes to make it faster and more secure, and of course, the interface is sleek too! This version ships on a convenient USB stick, allowing it to be easily installed by just plugging it in.

    The Guru’s Tip

    With the end of support for Win10 having been announced, Win11 is definitely what you what you want on your new PC!

Optional Products

  • AOC G2490VX
    Click to Buy
    The 24-inch 144Hz Gaming Monitor –

    AOC G2490VX 24″ 144Hz

    $120
    If you want to pick up a true “gaming” monitor, you want something with a high refresh rate. Luckily for you, AOC has been busy breaking down price barriers for high-refresh-rate monitors. This model features a 24″ 1920×1080 VA panel capable of displaying images at up to 144Hz, which makes it infinitely smoother than a standard 60Hz monitor that costs just a bit less. And thanks to its FreeSync technology, it will run with zero lag or screen-tearing.

    The Guru’s Tip

    A monitor like this would have cost well over $200 a year ago!
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Gaming Keyboard –

    Logitech G213 Gaming Keyboard

    $45
    Pick up a great keyboard at a great price with the G213. It’s quick, quiet, and responsive, and it also has sweet RGB backlighting, of course!

    The Guru’s Tip

    The lighting on this keyboard can be controlled via Logitech's GHub software.
  • Click to Buy
    The Mid-Range Gaming Mouse –

    Logitech G502 Hero

    $45
    Get a jump on your competition with this awesome gaming mouse from Logitech, which features a next-gen 16,000dpi sensor and a classic ergonomic shape!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This mouse has been copied but never duplicated!
  • HyperX Cloud Stinger 2
    Click to Buy
    The Bargain Gaming Headset –

    HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

    $40
    HyperX absolutely revolutionized the budget gaming headset market with the original Cloud Stinger, and has taken it up a notch with the Stinger 2. It retains the original’s big 50mm drivers, but has an updated rotating cup design and swing-down mic for better comfort and control. It also adds DTS Headphone:X for virtual 7.1  surround sound, making it is an unbeatable value.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This headset's ultralight weight makes it easy to wear all day!

Pin It on Pinterest