If you’re in the market for a new gaming PC and you don’t have a huge budget, in this guide, we’ve covered a handful of the best prebuilt gaming PCs under $1,000 to help you find an affordable and powerful system.
We are a big proponent of building your own gaming PC. On a dollar-for-dollar basis, building your own PC will give you more performance for your money and it is a rewarding experience as well. (Check out our guide on budget-friendly gaming PC builds.)
However, not everyone wants to build their own system. Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent prebuilt gaming desktops that can be had for under $1,000. And, in this post, we’ve put together a list of five excellent prebuilt desktops that are not only affordable, but that will give you high-end performance as well. So, if you’re looking for a new moderately-priced gaming PC and you don’t want to build it yourself, check out our recommendations below.
Best Prebuilt Gaming PCs Under $1,000
1. Skytech Blaze 3.0 (Top Pick)
2. CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme (Runner-UP)
A Look at the Best Prebuilt Gaming Desktops Under $1,000
| | NAME | SPECS | RATING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOP PICK |  | Skytech Blaze 3.0 |
| /10 | |
| RUNNER-UP |  | CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme |
| /10 | |
| VALUE |  | Thermaltake LCGS Glacier |
| /10 | |
| BUDGET |  | HP Pavilion |
| /10 | |
| OVER $1K |  | Skytech Shiva II |
| /10 |
*For more information on the prebuilt desktops above, click the “Read Review »” link to go to our overview of that PC.
1.Skytech Blaze 3.0
Best prebuilt gaming desktop under $1,000
- Intel Core i5-10400F
- NVIDIA RTX 3060
- 16GB of DDR4 RAM
- 1TB SSD
There are a lot of good gaming desktops for under $1,000, but we think the Skytech Blaze 3.0 is the one of the best options right now. It offers a ton of storage, it has a solid CPU/GPU combo, and it probably offers the best price-to-performance ratio out of all of the options on this list.
Along with the Intel Core i5-10400F processor and the RTX 3060 graphics card, this build comes with 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 1TBB SSD, a tempered glass PC case, and a couple of RGB fans as well.
Overall, the combination of the i5-10400F and the RTX 3060 is going to deliver more performance than any other prebuilt desktop currently under $1,000. And, for that reason, we’ve chosen this Skytech gaming desktop as our top pick.
2. CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme
A slightly cheaper option than our top pick
- Intel Core i5-12400F
- NVIDIA RTX 3050
- 16GB of DDR4 RAM
- 500 GB SSD
If you want to save a little bit of money without sacrificing much performance, then this CYBERPOWERPC gaming desktop is worth checking out.
This prebuilt gaming PC comes with an Intel Core i5-12400F processor, an RTX 3050 graphics card, a 500GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM.
In comparison to some of the other options on this list, it has a slightly better processor than the Skytech Blaze 3.0 listed above, a slightly worse GPU, and the same amount of memory. It doesn’t have a secondary 1TB hard drive, so you won’t get nearly as much storage. However, it does come in a little bit cheaper. So, if you don’t need the extra storage space, it might be worth considering as an alternative.
Ultimately, this gaming desktop from CYBERPOWERPC will be powerful enough to max out today’s top titles (like Fortnite, God of War, Call of Duty, Tomb Raider, etc.) on a 1080P or 1440P display with no problems. That’s not too bad for a prebuilt PC that comes in well under $1,000.
3. Thermaltake LCGS Glacier i3510
A solid option at a great price
- Intel Core i5-10400F
- NVIDIA RTX 3050
- 16GB of DDR4 RAM
- 1TB SSD
Apparently Thermaltake has started offering prebuilt desktops to go along with the individual components that they sell (PC cases, power supplies, CPU coolers, etc.). And, you could make an argument that their LCGS Glacier i3510 desktop offers the best price-to-performance out of all of the sub-$1,000 gaming PCs currently on the market.
For just under $850, the LCGS Glacier i3510 comes with an Intel Core i5-10400F processor, an NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
The CPU and GPU combination on this desktop are a bit weaker than the two options listed above, but the overall system does come in at $100-$200 cheaper. And, the 10400F and RTX 3050 are no slouches. With the 10400F, the RTX 3050, and 16GB of RAM, this system should easily be able to handle any game on higher settings on a 1080P monitor.
So, if you’re looking to save a good amount of money without having to lose too much in-game performance, this Thermaltake gaming PC is an excellent option.
4. HP Pavilion
Good 1080P performance for less
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
- AMD RX 5500
- 8GB of DDR4 RAM
- 256GB SSD
If your goal is to spend as little as possible but still get a prebuilt desktop that can easily max out anything you throw at it on a 1080P monitor, then this HP Pavilion might be the best option for you.
This HP Pavilion comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G processor, an AMD RX 5500 graphics card, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a micro-ATX case.
Also Read: 8GB vs 16GB RAM for Gaming: Which is Best for You?
The best part about the HP Pavilion is the fact that it comes in at about ~$550, making it quite a bit cheaper than the other four options on this list. And, while it won’t offer quite the same in-game performance as those two options, the combination of the Ryzen 5 5600G and the RX 5500 will be powerful enough to run anything on a 1080P monitor on higher settings.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a solid prebuilt gaming desktop under $1,000 that will give you ideal performance on a 1080P monitor, and you’d like to save as much money as possible, then this HP gaming desktop would be worth checking out.
5. Skytech Shiva II
Extra performance for a little more money
- Intel Core i5-12600K
- NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti
- 16GB of DDR4 RAM
- 1TB SSD
If you’re like me, then setting a budget of $1,000 doesn’t really mean you’ll only spend $1,000 or less. Sometimes it means that you can be enticed to spend a little more if the bump in price seems worth it. And, while the Skytech Blaze 3.0 is an excellent option for ~$1,000, this Skytech prebuilt desktop might just have the hardware combination that will get you to spend a little more.
The Skytech Shiva II comes with an Intel Core i5-12600K processor, an NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. So, when compared to the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme, you get a better GPU and an upgraded CPU.
The GPU/CPU combination will be good enough to allow you to get excellent performance on a 1440P 144Hz monitor and it will even allow you to max out most games on a 4K monitor with a playable framerate as well.
So, if you’re willing to spend some extra money to get the best GPU possible, then the Skytech Shiva II would be another option worth considering.
Which sub-$1,000 prebuilt gaming PC is best?
With a budget of ~$1,000, you have quite a few solid prebuilt desktop options to choose from. All of the gaming PCs listed above will easily max out any game you run on them on a 1080P monitor. And, in fact, they are also all powerful enough to where they should be paired with a higher refresh rate monitor.
So, the desktop that is best for you will really all come down to how much you want to spend and what games you’re playing (if you’re playing non-demanding games like League of Legends or Rocket League, you can get away with spending less). And, regardless of how much you have to spend and the types of games you’re playing, one of the options listed above should meet your needs.
Hi, I don’t know a lot about computers, but need to get a new one since the one I’ve had is over 10 years old and is really slow and dying.
I’m looking for something under $1,000. Some of those like the first one are over $1,000 ($1,800) and not sure if they fit what I need. But thought I’d see if you might help.
I don’t do a lot of gaming, but plan to get The Sims 5 when it comes out. Otherwise, I like to have lots of tabs open (Firefox/Chrome), and watch Netflix/Youtube & other video stuff on mine.
Hoping it will load videos/pages fast. And I want a CD disc drive (can’t tell if those have them). And have never done any “upgrades” so want a good computer that will last a while how it comes.
Thanks for any help/suggestions on a good PC for me!
Is the Dell G5 Gaming Desktop 10th Generation Intel Core i5 – 10400F Processor a good Gaming PC ? Do you have a review of it ?
Hey, please answer me as soon as possible. I’m trying to build my first PC ever. I want your recommendation for a budget PC and plays everything. And I am from the middle east.
uh if you dont need a gaming pc i dont think you have to buy something for 1000$
Looking to buy or build a multipurpose desktop for the family use – including high school homeschooling applications/projects and assignments, graphic design/graphic novel art production, architectural design, etc.
The box appearance is not important and gaming is not currently an issue but memory capacities, speed, compatibility, longevity, ports, expandability and fan noise are.
Trying to balance those concerns and use objectives with our meager budget of $1,000 +/-
Any advice or recommendation will be helpful and appreciated. Thanks Brent.