123RF.com (Andrey Zhuravlev)
It used to be the case that building your own gaming PC was more sensible than buying a pre-built gaming desktop. But in 2022, the market landscape started to change, thanks to the cryptocurrency boom causing graphic card prices to skyrocket to unprecedented levels. Now, in 2023, it’s nearly impossible to actually find a quality graphics card that won’t break the bank, and that’s why we recommend buying a pre-built gaming desktop instead of building your own right now.
But we understand that not everyone has the cash to drop on a top-of-the-line computer to run their fancy games. Luckily, you don’t need to spend more than $1,000 to get a surprisingly formidable gaming desktop.
So, here we are — these are the best gaming desktops under 1000 dollars available right now:
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Price: $849.99 Shop now at Dell | Shop now Read our review |
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Amazon Customer Reviews
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Price: $874.99 Shop at Amazon | Shop now Read our review |
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Amazon Customer Reviews
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Price: $958.99 Shop at Amazon | Shop now Read our review |
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Amazon Customer Reviews
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Price: $1,059.99 Shop at Amazon | Shop now Read our review |
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1. Dell G5 Gaming: i5-10400F, GTX 1650 Super 4GB, 8GB RAM
Price: $849.99Pros:- Cool Case Design
- 1650 SUPER
- 10th Gen i5
Cons:- Odd fan placement in the case
- Additional Cost for SSD
- Additional Cost for Warranty
CPU: Intel i5-104000F (6-Core, 4.3 GHz)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
RAM: 8GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 1TB 7200RPM HDD
Warranty: Plenty of options, but additional $$If you’re looking to create your own build with options, look at Dell’s site and start with the Dell G5 base model. It starts you off with an impressive Intel i5-10400F (a 6-core CPU with a 12M Cache and turbo up to 4.3GHz), as well as an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB GDDR6, 8GB DDR4 Ram, and a 1 TB HDD.
Then, you’re able to step things up a notch or two by upgrading the processor, the GPU (you can even add the RTX 2060 6GB for +$200), or increasing the RAM to 16GB. You can also snag an SSD starting at $50 (which I highly suggest you do).
Of course, you are buying a well-known brand when you buy a Dell gaming desktop, so you do get a little bit of comfort from that. However, unfortunately, Dell’s warranty service requires you to pay extra after the first 30 days (which really bums me out).
But if you put the warranty aside, you’ll be getting all the specs you need to run your favorite PC games with ease, and it’s highly upgradeable.
Find more Dell G5 Gaming: i5-10400F, GTX 1650 Super 4GB information and reviews here.
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2. Skytech Chronos Mini Gaming Desktop: Ryzen 3, GTX 1650 4GB, 8GB DDR, 500GB SSD
Pros:- No Bloatware
- Dual RGB Front Fans + Rear Fan
- Keyboard and Mouse Included
Cons:- Only 550 Watt Power Supply Makes Upgrading GPU Difficult
- Lesser-Known Brand
- Limited Case Space for Upgrades
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 (4-Core 3.9 GHz Turbo)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
RAM: 8GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 500 GB SSD
Warranty: 1 Year limited w/ 24/7 web supportIf you’re willing to take a risk on a lesser-known (albeit highly-rated!) computer brand, Skytech’s Chronos Mini gaming desktop is also a great option for a gaming desktop under $1000. It is the best-looking gaming desktop on this list, complete with 3 RGB fans and a clear tempered glass side so that all can gawk at its innards.
It comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU that has four cores and up to 3.9 GHz Turbo, as well as a GeForce GTX 1650 4GB graphics card and 8GB DDR4 3000MHz RAM (which is enough to get you started). It’s likely that your first upgrade to this starter gaming PC will be to add an 8GB RAM stick to it to bring your total up to 16GB (which is all you’ll need, really).
This Skytech Chronos Mini is able to run the most popular games, including Valorant, Warzone, Fortnite, Escape from Tarkov, and more.
As far as its physical appearance, the Skytech Chronos Mini is one of the best-looking gaming desktops under $1000, and it runs everything you could want it to run.
Find more Skytech Chronos Mini: Ryzen 3 3100, GTX 1650 4GB information and reviews here.
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3. HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop: Ryzen 5, GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, 8GB RAM
Pros:- Ryzen 5
- M2 512GB SSD
- Comes with Keyboard and Mouse
Cons:- Monitor Not Included
- Struggles with max settings in PUBG
- Limited Motherboard
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3500 (6-Core, 3.40 GHz)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
RAM: 8GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 512 GB SSD
Warranty: 1 Year limited w/ 24/7 web supportIf you’re looking for a great gaming desktop under $1000, you can snag the HP Pavilion TG01-0030 right now. This desktop comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB graphics card, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, and a 512 GB SSD.
This gaming PC meets the recommended system requirements for games like Fortnite, World of Warcraft, Starcraft 2, Overwatch, DOTA 2, League of Legends, and more. And, it meets the minimum for popular games like PUBG and Call of Duty: Warzone.
It uses the HP OMEN Command center, which allows you to customize RGB lighting, prioritize network traffic and stream games directly to your TV via Omen Game Stream. However, when you compare the application with others, it is slightly less feature-rich.
As far as the physical look of the case, it has a clean look that will look great as a part of any gamer’s setup. It has a carbon-fiber looking case with RGB lighting at the bottom.
It comes with a keyboard and mouse, but if you’re serious about your gaming, you’ll want to upgrade to a mechanical keyboard.
Find more HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop: Ryzen 5, GeForce GTX 1650 information and reviews here.
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4. IBUYPOWER Trace 4 9310: Ryzen 5, Radeon RX 5500XT, 8GB DDR
Pros:- IBUYPOWER PCs are Well-Built (In the U.S.)
- Front Case RGB lighting
- Tempered Glass Case
Cons:- RX 5500 XT Inferior to GTX 1660
- Small Hard Drive
- 500W Power Supply Makes Upgrading Require something better first
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (4.2GHz Max Turbo)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB
RAM: 8GB DDR4
Hard Drive: 240GB SSD
Warranty: 1 Year parts and labor and free lifetime U.S. tech supportIf I had to recommend only one of these gaming PCs under one grand, it would be the IBUYPOWER Trace 4 9310. If you’re not familiar with IBUYPOWER yet, you soon will be, as they’re becoming well-known for their quality gaming builds at affordable prices.
I own an IBUYPOWER gaming PC, myself, and I am incredibly impressed with the build quality and attention to detail, as well as the internal cord management inside of the case. Simply put, when you open the case, it looks notably clean.
The Trace 4 9310 comes with a Ryzen 5 3600 and an AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB GPU. It also comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 240GB SSD. It’s VR Ready, so you can plug your Vive or Oculus in and run any of the Steam VR games you want.
Find more IBUYPOWER Trace 4 9310: Ryzen 5, RX 5500XT, 8GB information and reviews here.
What to Look For for Under $1000
With PC prices fluctuating so frequently, you're going to want to follow some basic guidelines when shopping for the best gaming desktops you can find.
Your best bet in early 2021 is to look for an i5 (or Ryzen 5) x GTX 1060 build (some of which we have listed above). The majority of these gaming PCs will come in at under $1000, and you'll be getting the most bang for your buck.
You'll also want to keep an eye on both RAM and dedicated video RAM. You want a minimum of 8GB RAM for most of the newer games you're going to want to play, and you want dedicated video RAM on your graphics card to ease the pressure on the rest of your RAM.
What You're Likely Not Going to Find
When looking at purchasing a brand new gaming desktop, it's important to keep your expectations in check. Otherwise, you're just looking at a big fat disappointment.
What you're not going to find when looking for gaming desktops under 1000 dollars is an Intel i7 (or Ryzen 7) x GTX 2070 combo or anything above those specs. The lowest-priced GTX 2070 pre-built rig you're going to find is in the ~$1800 range, and the good ones are $1600+ right now. We have yet to see anything (at least as far as desktops are concerned) dip into $1K territory.
With quality GPUs becoming more scarce by the day, thanks to the crypto mining boom, it's getting tougher and tougher to find quality gaming PCs for under one grand.
Obviously, that also means you aren't going to find a GTX 1080 rig for $1000, either, so don't get your hopes up. However, it's not all doom and gloom, as the GTX 1060 is more than capable of running games on ultra settings, bringing you glorious, PC master race-worthy visuals for a significantly lower price point.
Unfortunately, a lot of the other lists of this nature found elsewhere around the web are severely outdated and haven't been updated to keep up with the times.