I've never built a gaming PC before and would like to put one together for around £1,000 in the UK. My main games are ARC Raiders, The Finals, and Elden Ring. I've been comparing CPUs and graphics cards, but the different models and prices are getting confusing. I'm happy to consider used components, provided they come from a seller or retailer that offers returns. What parts would give me the best gaming performance for this budget?
2 Answers
It may be worth considering the newer AM5 platform instead. A Ryzen 5 7500F with a B650 motherboard gives you a stronger upgrade path, and it can be paired with the same RX 9060 XT 16GB graphics card. The trade-off is that DDR5 memory costs more, so you may need to use a single 16GB stick initially or find a good deal on a 32GB kit. Expect this kind of build to be around £1,040 new, before any discounts or used-part savings.
A sensible all-new build could use a Ryzen 5 5600-series processor, 32GB of DDR4 memory, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and a Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM. Pair it with a decent B550 motherboard, a reliable 650W or 750W Gold-rated power supply, and an inexpensive airflow-focused case. That setup should handle these games well, although the complete parts list may land slightly above budget at roughly £1,030–£1,040. Dropping to a 650W PSU or finding memory and storage on sale should help bring it closer to £1,000.
The AM5 option makes more sense if you plan to upgrade the processor later, but I’d avoid buying only one memory stick if possible. Two matching sticks will provide better performance, so it may be better to save a little on the case or SSD instead.