The Best $1000 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build – May 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 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
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The High-End Gaming PC –
Skytech Shiva II 12400F/RTX 3060
$1000If 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.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
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CPU –
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
$153 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
$390 The Guru’s TipThanks to a recent price drop, this card is by far the best deal on the market!
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Memory –
Teamgroup 2x8GB Vulcan Z DDR4-3200
$34 The Guru’s TipThis system can easily take advantage of high-speed RAM like this kit.
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Solid-State Drive –
Silicon Power 1TB NVMe
$42 The Guru’s TipBecause this mounts in an M.2 slot on the motherboard, it requires no cables at all!
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Case –
Cooler Master Q300L
$67 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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Case Fan –
Arctic P12 PWM
$9 The Guru’s TipMount this fan inside the front panel of the case to vastly improve overall cooling performance.
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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 (USB)
$136 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 144Hz Gaming Monitor –
AOC G2490VX 24″ 144Hz
$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
$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: $1000
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Option
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ($153)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC ($110)
- Video Card – MSI Radeon RX 6750XT 12GB Mech 2X ($390)
- Memory – Teamgroup 2x8GB Vulcan Z DDR4-3200 ($34)
- Solid-State Drive – Silicon Power 1TB NVMe ($42)
- Case – Cooler Master Q300L ($67)
- Case Fan – Arctic P12 PWM ($9)
- Power Supply – SilverStone ET550-B ($60)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) ($136)