I'm saving around £700–800 for my first gaming PC, roughly $900–1,000, and I'm still completely unsure which parts to choose. Ideally, I'd like a system that can handle 1440p gaming comfortably in most titles, but I'm willing to start with 1080p if 1440p isn't realistic at this budget. I also want a decent monitor, although the monitor can be purchased separately. For refresh rate, something around 180Hz would be nice, but I'm mainly looking for a sensible starter build with good upgrade potential. What parts or approach would you recommend?
5 Answers
A 1440p PC plus a good monitor is a stretch at £700–800, especially if everything has to be new. If the monitor is outside the budget, the build becomes much more realistic. Otherwise, starting at 1080p and upgrading the graphics card later would probably give you better value.
Memory and graphics cards are likely to consume most of the budget, so don’t overspend on flashy components. A balanced 1080p build with 16GB or 32GB of RAM and a modern upgradeable platform may be better than forcing a weak 1440p build. You can always add a stronger GPU and monitor later.
At this budget, buying used parts or a complete second-hand system is probably your best option. Something with a graphics card around an RTX 3070, 32GB of DDR4 memory, and a reasonably recent processor could offer good 1440p performance if you find a fair deal. Check the condition of the power supply, storage, cooling, and graphics card before buying.
For the monitor, a 23.8-inch 1080p IPS display around 120Hz can be a solid inexpensive starting point. You don’t necessarily need 180Hz immediately, especially if the rest of the system is entry-level. A decent 1440p 27-inch IPS monitor can be found for roughly $200 separately, depending on sales.
Use a local parts list as a starting point, then compare prices from several retailers. Automated build suggestions can help, but don’t rely on them blindly—check independent reviews and benchmark results to see how the system performs in current games. Prioritize the graphics card, while choosing a modern platform and a decent power supply so future upgrades are easier.
That makes sense. I’ll compare the suggested parts with real benchmarks and see whether a used graphics card or complete system gives me more performance.
Yeah, RAM and a decent GPU were the parts I was most worried about. Starting at 1080p and upgrading later sounds like the safer plan.