What PC should I buy for university work and gaming with an £800 budget?

Before comparing systems, make sure the £800 is only for the computer and not also a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or other accessories. You should also decide whether you need a laptop for taking notes and working in different places, since a desktop gives you more gaming performance but is much less portable.

A sensible budget build could use a Ryzen 5-class processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 1TB SSD, and a graphics card such as an Intel Arc B570 or another current mid-range card. Choose a case with good airflow and a known-brand 600W power supply. You don’t need an expensive CPU cooler for a normal university-and-gaming system, and an SSD will make everyday work feel much faster than using a hard drive. A prebuilt system may be easier if you don’t want to assemble the parts, but compare every component rather than judging it by the processor alone.

For this budget, a desktop is usually the better gaming option. Aim for 16GB of RAM, a modern six-core processor, a dedicated graphics card, and a 1TB SSD if possible. A reputable power supply is important—avoid unknown brands, even if the rest of the component list looks good. If you buy used, check the exact model numbers, condition, warranty, and whether the seller provides clear photos and testing information.