The Tech Buyer's Guru

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

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

By Ari Altman | Published September 3, 2023 | Updated September 3, 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, 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

  • Skytech Blaze
    Click to Buy
    The Mainstream Gaming Desktop –

    Skytech Blaze 3.0 12400F/RTX 3060

    $989
    If 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.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This PC is the best option to get you into your games on day one for around $1000!

The DIY Option

  • Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

    $158
    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

    $360
    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

    This is also our recommendation over the newer RTX 4060 Ti, which inexplicably underperforms the RTX 3070!
  • G.Skill RipjawsV
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x8GB Ripjaws V DDR4-3600 16-19-19

    $44
    To get the most out of DDR4 memory, you want high frequencies, and G.Skill’s Ripjaws V 2x8GB DDR4-3600 CL16 kit delivers! DDR4-3600 is the sweet spot in terms of compatibility with the majority of DDR4-based systems, but most kits have weak timings. This one, on the other hand, is the real deal: 16-19-19 at 1.35V, to be exact.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This system can easily take advantage of high-speed RAM like this kit.
  • WDBlack SN770
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe

    $60
    WD knocked it out of the park with its ultra-high-performance, bargain-priced SN770 PCIe Gen 4 drive. Optimized for excellent real-world performance thanks to WD’s years of SSD development, it easily keeps up with much more expensive drives. This 1TB model can provide sequential read speeds of 5150MB/s and write speeds of 4900MB/s.

    The Guru’s Tip

    A 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!
  • SilverStone PS15 Pro
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone PS15 Pro

    $73
    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

    $60
    The ET550-B offers up 550W of Bronze-rated power, a quiet 120mm fan, and an all-black flat cable design, and comes from one of the respected names in the PC industry.

    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 (Download)

    $130
    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 can be instantly downloaded and installed from any USB stick with 8GB or more capacity. If you don’t have one handy, we recommend you pick up a fast USB 3.1 thumb drive to install it, which can then be re-purposed for backup or file transfer use.

    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

  • E248B-FPT168
    Click to Buy
    The 24-inch 165Hz Gaming Monitor –

    Sceptre E248B-FPT168 24″ 165Hz

    $118
    If you want to pick up a true “gaming” monitor, you want something with a high refresh rate. Luckily for you, Sceptre has been busy breaking down price barriers for high-refresh-rate monitors. This model features a 24″ 1920×1080 IPS panel (superior to TN or VA!), capable of displaying images at up to 165Hz, 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!

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