I'm looking for a prebuilt gaming PC and would like to compare realistic options around £500 and £1,000. What kind of performance could I expect at each price, and which option would offer the better value?
3 Answers
The £500 and £1,000 options will be very different. At £500, expect compromises and probably used hardware, while around £1,000 you can target smooth 1080p gaming and potentially entry-level 1440p gaming. Compare the graphics card first, then check that the prebuilt uses a decent branded power supply, two sticks of memory, adequate storage, and a motherboard that allows future upgrades.
If you want to stay with a prebuilt, spending close to £1,000 is the more realistic choice. You may find entry-level AM5 systems with an RTX 5060 around £850–£1,000. Some only include 16GB of DDR5, but that’s usable for now and can be upgraded later. AM5 also gives you a better upgrade path than many older platforms.
A genuinely good £500 prebuilt is difficult to find new, so I’d be cautious of listings that promise too much. At that budget, buying second-hand could make more sense—look for an older Ryzen 5 or 7, an Intel i5 or i7 on the LGA1700 platform, 32GB of DDR4, and a graphics card around the RTX 3070 level. For roughly £1,000, a sensible build could use an i5-13400F or i5-14400F, 32GB of DDR4, a compatible motherboard, a reputable 600–800W power supply, a 1–2TB SSD, and the best graphics card the remaining budget allows. That should provide a much stronger overall experience.
Thanks, I’ll look into those parts and second-hand options.
There are some affordable AM5 prebuilts available, although checking the exact power supply, motherboard, and cooling is still important before buying.