The goal of this guide is to build the best gaming PC possible for a $1,000 budget. Not only will this system handle modern games, it’ll also hold its own for streaming, video editing, and graphics work.
The Build
CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 — $205
This is the heart of your system and you want something fast. The Intel i5 is the right choice for a gaming PC at this price. You may be tempted by an i7, but it won’t meaningfully improve gaming performance at this budget — spend that money on the GPU instead.
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Pro4S — $110
A great value board. Don’t be tricked into spending $250–$300+ on a motherboard — it won’t buy you any additional gaming performance.
RAM: G.Skill 16GB (2×8GB) Ripjaws DDR4-2400 — $75
DDR4-2400 is what you want. Brand matters less than spec — G.Skill has a long reputation for reliability and value.
SSD: Samsung 250GB 850 EVO — $87
Adding an SSD is one of the single best things you can do for a PC build. It makes the whole system feel significantly faster in everyday use and reduces game load times noticeably. Use it for the OS and your game installs.
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB — $55
A 7200RPM SATA drive for documents, media, and everything else you don’t need fast. Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba are all fine here.
GPU: EVGA GTX 970 4GB — $315
The GPU has the biggest impact on gaming performance. Don’t cheap out here — the better the GPU, the higher the frame rates and the more you can crank up quality settings. The GTX 970 handles virtually everything at this price point. Many brands sell the same chip with slight differences in cooling and warranty; PNY, ASUS, MSI, and others are all fine.
Case: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 — $49
Case selection is personal — pick something you like. The only requirement is that it follows the ATX standard to accept the motherboard above.
PSU: SeaSonic S12G 650W — $85
SeaSonic has been one of the most reliable PSU brands for years. 650W is more than enough for this build. Don’t cheap out on the power supply — it’s the one component that can take everything else with it if it fails. Corsair’s HX/TX/AX/RM series are also solid alternatives.
Total: $981
Optional Upgrades
GPU: EVGA GTX 980 — +$185
About $185 more than the GTX 970, and buys you a meaningful step up in graphics performance. Not necessary — the 970 handles almost everything thrown at it — but worth it if you want more headroom.
OS: Windows 10 — +$100
Required for modern gaming. Grab a 64-bit OEM copy from Newegg if you don’t already have a license.
With all optional extras: ~$1,266
Prices shift over time — if you’re reading this later, the parts list is still solid and you’ll likely find the components even cheaper.