What’s a good gaming PC parts list for around $1,000 CAD?

Don’t assume building is automatically much cheaper than buying a complete system. Some local sellers or shops may assemble one for around $50, and a well-priced prebuilt can sometimes compete with individual parts. The main advantage of building it yourself is knowing exactly what quality of motherboard and power supply you’re getting, since cheap prebuilts often hide costs in those components. If you buy used, inspect the parts carefully and avoid unknown or suspiciously low-quality PSUs.

At this budget, the used market is probably your best option. Learn the general performance and value of different CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, and power supplies so you can compare whatever local deals appear instead of searching for one exact model. For example, passing on a good deal for a 3080, 4060 Ti, or 4070 just because you were only looking for a 3070 could cost you value. Aim for 1080p gaming, since trying to target 1440p will put more pressure on the GPU and may shorten the system’s useful lifespan. Your games are generally fairly CPU-sensitive, so you don’t necessarily need an extremely expensive graphics card.

A Ryzen 5 5800X3D-based system would perform well for these games, but fitting that processor into a complete $1,000 CAD build may be difficult because the CPU itself can take up a large portion of the budget. A less expensive CPU paired with a capable used GPU may give you a better-balanced system.