What should you expect from a $1000 gaming PC? Well, if I were you, I would expect it to be capable of running the latest games in full HD (or higher) resolution in high details settings and be able to maintain a frame rate of 40 frames per second without a glitch. I would expect it to be a hardcore gaming computer capable of running the games on multiple monitors and be extremely speedy in all other operations and performing highly when it comes to multi-tasking and online gaming. I would need it to be able to run VR games without lag. Last but not the least I would expect it to be reliable and long-lasting. If these are your expectations from a $1000 gaming build, you should try one of the following configurations without any hesitation as they have been carefully created and tested by our gaming enthusiast team after meticulous research. Here’s our recommendation on the best Intel or AMD gaming Rig you can build for $1000:
Best Intel gaming rig
- Processor: Intel Core i5-7600K | Amazon
- Motherboard: ASUS PRIME H270-PLUS | Amazon
- GPU: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1070 Ti | Amazon
- RAM: Ballistix Sports LT 16GB Single DDR4 2400 | Amazon
- HDD: WD Black 1TB | Amazon
- Optical drive: Asus 24x DVD-RW | Amazon
- Case: Cooler Master N400 | Amazon
- Power Supply: EVGA BRONZE 600W | Amazon
This configuration will cost you around $1150 in total. I know you are thinking that it costs about $200 (including taxes) more than a $1000 gaming rig configuration that you were promised. However, this rig should run games at high details on 2560×1440 resolutions. So, if your monitor supports only 1920×1080, then you may very well cut down the cost by choosing a less expensive graphics card and still be able to enjoy latest games at high details in Full HD resolution without compromising frame rate.
Best GPUs for $1000 gaming rig:
Best AMD gaming rig
Replacing the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1070 Ti with any of the above two cards will keep it within your budget and will still let you enjoy the best gaming experience you can get for $1000 gaming build.
You can easily turn the above gaming rig into an AMD one by changing the processor and motherboard to AMD. It will not make much difference in price or performance; so, we would recommend sticking to the Intel configuration.
For AMD gaming build replace the Intel MB and CPU with the following
Happy Gaming!