The Best $1000 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build – March 2024
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 March 2024, The $1000 Gaming PC Build goes with AMD’s proven Ryzen 5 5600X, a 6-core, 12-thread powerhouse. It’s by far the best gaming value under $200, decimating Intel’s offerings. The 5700X is the perfect CPU to support our GPU of choice, the awesome AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB, which matches Nvidia’s RTX 4060 Ti 8GB, while coming in at a lower price and with 50% more VRAM. Simply put, the 5600X/6750 XT combination provides unbeatable gaming value.
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 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 Nebula 13400F/RTX 4060
$850Start gaming today on this killer pre-built system from Skytech! It features an Intel Core i5-13400F 10-core, 16-thread CPU along with the GeForce RTX 4060 8B video card. Also onboard are 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, a 600W power supply, and wireless networking!This PC is the best option to get you into your games on day one for under $1000 - frankly, we don't know how Skytech hits this pricepoint!
The DIY Option
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CPU –
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
$151 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
$90 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 –
PowerColor Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB Fighter
$350 The Guru’s TipAs fast as the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB, but with 50% more VRAM, this is an easy choice. At this level of GPU, you do not want to be saddled with just 8GB of VRAM, and unfortunately, once this GPU sells out, you will be at this pricepoint!
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Memory –
Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4-3200
$35 The Guru’s TipThis is a great match for the CPU we recommend.
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Solid-State Drive –
TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0
$69 The Guru’s TipA few months ago, we wouldn't dare recommend an ultra-fast Gen 4 drive in a system at this pricepoint, but with this drive being just ~$10 dollars more and up to 3x faster than Gen 3 drives, it's an easy pick.
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Case –
SilverStone PS15 Pro
$75 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 –
MSI MAG A550BN
$50 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 (USB) @Newegg
$139 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
$120 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
$50 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
$48 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: $965
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Option
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ($151)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC ($90)
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB Fighter ($350)
- Memory – Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4-3200 ($35)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – SilverStone PS15 Pro ($75)
- Power Supply – MSI MAG A550BN ($50)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)