The Tech Buyer's Guru

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

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

By Ari Altman | Published January 16, 2023 | Updated January 16, 2023

SilverStone PS15 RGBA 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, Featuring all-AMD!

For January 2023, The $1000 Gaming PC Build starts with AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600 CPU. Based on the advanced Zen 3 design, it features six cores and 12 threads. It’s by far the best gaming chip available for under $150, thanks to a huge price cut. The 5600 is the perfect CPU to support our GPU of choice, the awesome AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB. This combination provides unprecedented gaming power for the price!

Keeping this build fed is 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 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

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

    Skytech Blaze 12400F/RTX 3060

    $990
    If you don’t want to build your own, Skytech has the answer in its Archangel 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 1TB 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 5600

    $140
    AMD’s Zen 3 architecture made a huge splash in the PC industry. It beat Intel on a clock-for-clock basis for the first time in decades, and with far lower power consumption. The Ryzen 5 5600 is the perfect CPU for this build, thanks to its 6 fast cores and 12 total threads.
    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.
  • XFX 6700 XT
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    XFX Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB SWFT309

    $390
    It’s time to get gaming again! This Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB has impressive gaming power, going head to head with the RTX 3070, but with 50% more VRAM for better future-proofing! And this model from XFX has a massive triple-fan cooler to keep heat under control while running quietly!
    The Guru’s Tip

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

    Patriot 2x8GB Viper Steel DDR4-3200

    $49
    Because games and other applications can take serious advantage of RAM speed on the latest CPUs, we’re spec’ing a fast DDR4-3200 kit for this build. The Viper Steel set looks awesome and comes in at a lower price than all of its competition!
    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

    $52
    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!
  • SilverStone PS15 Pro
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone PS15 Pro

    $65
    This stylish, modern mATX case offers great performance and flexibility in a compact package. Mesh panels in the front and top provide great ventilation, and the three included 120mm fans (two with ARGB lighting) will make the most of it! On top you’ll find two USB ports plus microphone and headphone jacks, and on the side is a tempered glass panel that offers great views of the interior. It has space for a CPU cooler up to 154mm tall, and a video card up to 12.3″ long.
    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
    Power Supply –

    Silverstone ET550-B

    $56
    This PSU easily beats every competitor in its price class, offering top-notch quality and Bronze-rated efficiency. With 550W of power on tap, this unit has plenty of headroom to keep this system going for years, even with significant upgrades, including more powerful video cards.
    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

    $139
    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!
    The Guru’s Tip

    It took a while for Win11 to arrive at retail after launching as an update to existing users, but now that it's here, it's definitely what you want to load on your new system!

Optional Products

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

    AOC G2490VX 24″ 144Hz

    $131
    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

    $40
    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 Pro Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $35
    Offering cutting-edge performance, there’s nothing like the Basilisk X for anywhere near the price. Ultra-sensitive sensor, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system, and perfect ergonomics. It’s a great mouse!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Given how low the price is on this wireless mouse, there's no reason to go wired!
  • 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