Best cheap gaming PC deals

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Under $1000
$1,000 - $2,000
$2,000+
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Gaming PC deals

Gaming PC group shot — (Image credit: Future)

1. Quick links
2. Under $1,000
3. $1,000 – $2,000
4. $2,000+
5. UK deals
6. GPU hierarchy

If you're seeking the ultimate PC gaming experience without breaking the bank, these cheap gaming PC deals could be precisely what you need. They balance performance and affordability perfectly, ensuring you can enjoy immersive gameplay no matter the budget.

There's no getting away from it; PC gaming is an expensive hobby and though the games can be cheap the systems themselves rarely are. And that's where the guidance of expert tech bods proves invaluable. That's precisely where we come into play—we've scrutinized the newest systems on sale this week, allowing you to make informed decisions about where to invest your hard-earned money.

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Our gaming setups are categorized into three clear tiers: entry-level, sweet spot, and luxury. The sweet spot, nestled within the $1,000 to $2,000 price range, is where you'll encounter numerous gaming systems that deliver exceptional value. However, regardless of your budget, we aim to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

RTX 50-series and RX 9000-series graphics cards are now with us, and we're finally seeing prices on these new GPUs that make previous generation builds seem pretty redundant. Occasionally there's a good RTX 40-series build that pops up, though. If you want more guidance, check out our picks for the best gaming PCs. It'll give you a good idea of how the rigs we've spotted on sale stack up in terms of performance.

Five things I always tell people before they buy a new gaming PC

1. Start by choosing a graphics card

2. 16 GB of RAM is fine on a budget, but try to get DDR5

3. Make sure it has an NVMe SSD with 1 TB capacity or more

4. Consider your CPU's general performance and socket upgradeability

5. Remember you can always upgrade later

What does 'price watch' mean?

We've added a new "price watch" qualifier to all our individual deals, making it easy to see whether a price has gone up 🔼 or down 🔽 since we last checked it out. It's important to note that any deal in this guide (even if it's slightly risen in price) is still one of our top picks, as we only show you deals that are actually worth buying.

Nvidia GeForce-powered gaming PCs

RTX 5050 - Zotac Mek | $750 @ Newegg
RTX 5060 - MSI Codex R2C | $889 @ B&H Photo
RTX 5060 Ti - Yeyian Yumi | $949 at Newegg
RTX 5070 - Skytech Azure | $1,380 at Newegg
RTX 5070 Ti - iBuyPower Y40 Pro | $1,900 at Best Buy
RTX 5080 - Skytech Eclipse Lite | $2,300 @ Newegg

AMD Radeon-powered gaming PCs

RX 9060 XT (8 GB) - Cobratype Canebrake Elite | $850 @ Newegg
RX 9070 - Skytech Shadow | $1,537 @ Newegg
RX 9070 XT - Cobratype Pilot | $1,610 @ Newegg

Under $1000

This gaming PC might not have a graphics card, but with that 5600GT's integrated graphics you should be able to do some lite 720p gaming just fine, and even perhaps some 1080p. Then, when you're ready to upgrade, all you'll have to do is slap a discrete GPU in somewhere down the line (maybe an RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT) and you'll have a PC capable of some full-fat 1080p and 1440p gaming.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 5600GT | 16 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

The cheapest RTX 50-series graphics card is now with us, and it's giving gamers a genuine option around $800. To be clear, this is a GPU with fewer cores than the RTX 4060, but the benefit is you get to use Multi Frame Gen. Latency will be poor if you start at a low frame rate—so don't get trying to max out your settings in most modern titles—but if you start off with your frame rate above, say, 60, you should be on solid ground. For a cheap cost, this is a decent entry into PC gaming, just don't expect the world. It also has a lovely fish tank chassis, which is nice to see in this price bracket.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 5500 | RTX 5050 | 16 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

Who said you can't get decent gaming performance for cheap in 2025? This RX 9060 gaming PC is here to put an end to such thoughts, because for just $850 you're getting a build with a current-gen GPU that trades blows with the RTX 5060 Ti. Sure, you're getting an older CPU and 1 TB SSD, but this is a seriously great entry into PC gaming. You can upgrade everything else and keep that 9060 XT in there down the line if you need to start using this rig for productivity tasks.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 5600X | RX 9060 XT 8 GB | 32 GB DDR4 | 1 TB SSD

This is a great entry into current-gen PC gaming for a reasonable price. It cuts few corners, too, with a pretty recent CPU and some fast DDR5 RAM. 32 GB would be better, but 16 GB is a good start, and you have a platform that you can upgrade from, here, too. The RTX 5060 in this machine should be capable of churning out frames at 1080p and even 1440p in many cases, especially with that fancy new Multi Frame Gen enabled.

Key specs: Core i5 14400F | RTX 5060 | 16 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB SSD

$1,000 - $2,000

We're now properly in the swing of the current GPU generation, and you can tell because we're finally seeing some decent current-gen builds that aren't sitting at astronomical prices. This Cobratype RTX 5060 Ti gaming PC is not only rocking a current-gen GPU capable of the latest Multi Frame Gen tech, but also comes with a decent six-core AMD CPU and 32 GB of RAM. You'll probably want to add another terabyte of storage before too long, though.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 9600X | RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | 32 GB DDR5-5200 | 1 TB SSD

Buying an RTX 5070 on its own can be expensive, but as part of a discounted pre-built like this it's pretty reasonable. If you can stretch your budget a little, it'll be better to opt for something with more RAM, storage, and a current-gen CPU, but if you want that Multi Frame Gen magic for as cheap as possible, this Skytech build will get you there.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 7600 | RTX 5070 | 16 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB SSD

The RTX 5070 Ti at the heart of this build is one of the best of this generation, primarily because it offers genuine high-end gaming performance with the benefits of DLSS. 1440p and Ultra settings is a breeze with frame gen, and you can even do some 4K at max, too. Combine that with the X3D chip you're getting—our favorite of the previous generation—and you have a truly great high-end build.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 7800X3D | RTX 5070 Ti | 32 GB DDR5 | 2 TB SSD

$2,000+

We're always on the lookout for the cheapest decent RTX 5080 build we can find, and right now it looks like this is it. If you can stretch up to $2,700 the 9800X3D build below will be worth it, but this one's no slouch either with its 8-core Ryzen 7 9700X and 32 GB of fast DDR5 RAM. You'll probably want to slap another terabyte of storage in there before too long, though.

Key specs: Skytech Eclipse Lite | Ryzen 7 9700X | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB SSD

This gaming PC is about as cheap as you can get right now for an ideal configuration. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best CPU for gaming on the market, and the RTX 5080 offers not only some serious rendering chops but also all the latest DLSS and frame gen wizardry. 32 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage is a sweet spot for gaming PCs, and all of this is packaged in a pleasant fish tank case.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 9800X3D | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5 | 2 TB SSD

Yes, this is still a ridiculously expensive gaming PC, but as they say: Go big or go home, right? From what I've seen, most decent RTX 5090 gaming PCs are going for $4,000+ right now, and those that are cheaper than this one seem to cheap out on one component or another. But then you get this absolute beast, with a 12-core X3D CPU, 64 GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and 4 TB of storage. If I'm spending the big bucks on an RTX 5090 build, I am indeed going big on something like this.

Key specs: Ryzen 9 9900X3D | RTX 5090 | 64 GB DDR5-6000 | 4 TB SSD

UK gaming PC deals

Scan: Gaming PCs from £910
Overclockers UK: Prebuilt PCs with £100s off
Chillblast: Tons of high-end gaming PCs
Cyberpower PC: RTX 5060 PC for just £849
Ebuyer: Great prices on gaming PCs
CCL: Gaming PC with an RTX 5070 for £1,450

This is a great price for all you SFF (small form factor) lovers. You're getting an older and not very powerful CPU, and only 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, but for a cheap, portable gaming system these should serve just fine alongside the RTX 5060. Usually you have to pay the SFF tax for a mini PC, so it's great to see such a low price on this one. Don't expect miracles with this hardware, but for some light gaming and a small physical footprint, look no further.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 5500 | RTX 5060 8 GB | 16 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

We now have some entry-level RTX 50-series graphics cards on the market, and with it we're seeing builds like this pop up which should offer decent current-gen gaming performance without breaking the bank. The RTX 5060 Ti in this is paired with a previous-gen Intel CPU that has 6 P-Cores, which should be more than enough for mainstream gaming. Just bear in mind you're only getting 16 GB of DDR4 RAM here. It'll almost certainly be worth upgrading to 32 GB of fast DDR4 RAM when you can.

Key specs: Core i5 14400F | RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | 16 GB DDR4 | 1 TB SSD

How do you get prices down on a new RTX 50-series gaming PC? You go for an older generation of chipset. This RTX 5070 build comes in at a decent price (considering the current price gouging) and does so by sporting an older six-core AMD chip from the Ryzen 5000-series. It's still an effective chip even today, though you are sitting on a dead-end AM4 platform with DDR4 memory. You will also need to update the spec on the page with a B550 motherboard and a 1 TB SSD to get a spec that won't make you sad.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 5600 | RTX 5070 | 16 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

We're now in the new generation of GPUs, and at this price point it makes sense to opt for an RTX 5070 or RX 9070 gaming PC. This build in particular is pretty well-rounded for a circa £1,600-£,1700 rig. The Ryzen 5 7600 is more than adequate for gaming today (though don't expect miracles) and 32 GB of DDR5 memory and 2 TB of storage is the sweet spot for midrange and even high-end gaming PCs.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 5600 | RTX 5070 | 16 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

If you want the best this generation has to offer without spending a simply outrageous amount of money on an RTX 5090 build, you're gonna want a gaming PC like this one. That's not just because of the RTX 5080 at the heart of it, but also its eight-core current-gen AMD CPU and 32 GB of fast RAM. This build will give you the peace of mind that you can handle any modern, graphically intensive game.

Key specs:: Ryzen 7 9700X | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB SSD

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Graphics card hierarchy

The most important component for any gaming PC build will always be the graphics card. That will give you the best idea about how one machine matches up with another just in terms of raw gaming performance.

Below, we've listed the slew of GPUs we've had over the past couple of years listed in terms of their Time Spy Extreme index score as a way to put them in some consistent hierarchy.

Should I build my own gaming PC or buy a prebuilt?

One of the biggest advantages of putting together your own budget gaming PC build is the ability to choose every single component in the system. This allows you to shop around for deals and find the perfect combination of parts to fit your budget and performance needs. The downside for most inexperienced builders is that this whole process can take some time and has the potential to cause quite a headache if something goes wrong. This is where prebuilt gaming PCs really shine.

When you pay the premium to configure or purchase a prebuilt PC, you pay for more than just the parts. You are paying for warranty service, support, and the peace of mind that professionals put your system together. These are some of the things we value highly when considering the best budget gaming PCs. We also look at other unique selling points like design, upgradability, and anything you couldn't do when building it yourself.

Now that graphics cards are regularly available and the silicon shortage is starting to clear up, building your own PC is much easier than it was before. A prebuilt rig is still a reliable way to get your desired graphics card.

For most users who don't have the luxury of spending over $1000 on a prebuilt gaming PC, upgradability and performance per dollar are paramount. When we decided to choose our top choices for budget prebuilt gaming PCs, we looked at almost every major manufacturer and system integrator to find the best combination of value, reliability, customer feedback, design, and performance under $500 and under $1,000.

We still highly recommend the experience of building it yourself, but if you can't do that, one of the systems above will have you gaming in short order.

What is a decent price for a gaming PC?

The $1,000 - $1,500 mark is probably around the sweet spot for a new gaming PC. That will get you a graphics card that can nail 1440p at solid frame rates and a really good supporting spec. That should mean a relatively sizeable NVMe SSD, around 500GB, as well as 16GB of speedy memory and a modern CPU.

Is PC gaming better than console?

Unquestionably. In real terms, it's more expensive in terms of hardware, but there is a games library stretching back decades that no other gaming platform can possibly match. Games are also regularly cheaper or free on PC, too.

The PC is also more capable of doing more things than a games console, too. Try browsing the web on your PlayStation, and you'll know what we mean. It can also be portable, in either laptop or Steam Deck style.

What PC is equivalent to a PS5?

We suggest that the AMD RX 6700 GPU will deliver around the same level of raw graphics performance as Sony's PS5. That's an OEM part, so you'll only find it in a prebuilt gaming PC, but it's an 11.3 TFLOP GPU versus the 10.3 TFLOP of the PS5.

Those numbers aren't wholly comparative, but you would also need an 8-core CPU, 16GB of memory (though the PS5's is spread between GPU and system), and a 500GB+ SSD.

TOPICS

Dave has been gaming since the days of Zaxxon and Lady Bug on the Colecovision, and code books for the Commodore Vic 20 (Death Race 2000!). He built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 16, and finally finished bug-fixing the Cyrix-based system around a year later. When he dropped it out of the window. He first started writing for Official PlayStation Magazine and Xbox World many decades ago, then moved onto PC Format full-time, then PC Gamer, TechRadar, and T3 among others. Now he's back, writing about the nightmarish graphics card market, CPUs with more cores than sense, gaming laptops hotter than the sun, and SSDs more capacious than a Cybertruck.

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