The Best $1000 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build – September 2023
A 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 September 2023, The $1000 Gaming PC Build starts with AMD’s legendary Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, based on the Zen 3 design. It features six cores and 12 threads, and continues to offer by far the best gaming value under $200, decimating Intel’s offerings. The 5600X is the perfect CPU to support our GPU of choice, the awesome AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB, which has a huge lead in price/performance versus the competitors from Nvidia. Simply put, the 5600X/6750 XT combination provides unprecedented gaming value.
But this system is about more than a fast CPU and GPU. Keeping this build fed is a full 16GB of DDR4-3600 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, which provides plenty of fast storage to get your system running. This build is housed in an attractive and affordable SilverStone 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
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The Mainstream Gaming Desktop –
Skytech Blaze 3.0 12400F/RTX 3060
$989If you don’t want to build your own, Skytech has the answer in its Blac 3.0 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.This PC is the best option to get you into your games on day one for around $1000!
The DIY Option
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CPU –
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
$158 The Guru’s TipThis CPU includes a cooler, and for this build we recommend you use it to save some money!
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Motherboard –
Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC
$110 The Guru’s TipNote that we're going with a micro-ATX board here, to match the micro-ATX case in this build.
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Video Card –
MSI Radeon RX 6750XT 12GB Mech 2X
$360 The Guru’s TipThis is also our recommendation over the newer RTX 4060 Ti, which inexplicably underperforms the RTX 3070!
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Memory –
G.Skill 2x8GB Ripjaws V DDR4-3600 16-19-19
$44 The Guru’s TipThis system can easily take advantage of high-speed RAM like this kit.
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Solid-State Drive –
WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe
$60 The Guru’s TipA few months ago, we wouldn't have dared recommend an ultra-fast Gen 4 drive in a system at this pricepoint, but with the current discount on this drive, it's an easy pick!
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Case –
SilverStone PS15 Pro
$73 The Guru’s TipBeing a micro-ATX case, this will only fit micro-ATX motherboards, which is what we spec for this build.
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Power Supply –
SilverStone ET550-B
$60 The Guru’s TipPlease avoid no-name PSUs from brands like RaidMax, Apevia, and Aresgame. They are complete junk, but this one is the real deal!
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Operating System –
Windows 11 Home (Download)
$130 The Guru’s TipWith the end of support for Win10 having been announced, Win11 is definitely what you what you want on your new PC!
Optional Products
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The 24-inch 165Hz Gaming Monitor –
Sceptre E248B-FPT168 24″ 165Hz
$118 The Guru’s TipA monitor like this would have cost well over $200 a year ago!
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The Budget Gaming Keyboard –
Logitech G213 Gaming Keyboard
$45 The Guru’s TipThe lighting on this keyboard can be controlled via Logitech's GHub software.
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The Mid-Range Gaming Mouse –
Logitech G502 Hero
$45 The Guru’s TipThis mouse has been copied but never duplicated!
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The Bargain Gaming Headset –
HyperX Cloud Stinger 2
$40 The Guru’s TipThis headset's ultralight weight makes it easy to wear all day!
Total Cost: $984
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Option
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ($158)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC ($110)
- Video Card – MSI Radeon RX 6750XT 12GB Mech 2X ($360)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x8GB Ripjaws V DDR4-3600 16-19-19 ($44)
- Solid-State Drive – WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe ($60)
- Case – SilverStone PS15 Pro ($73)
- Power Supply – SilverStone ET550-B ($60)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (Download) ($130)