The perfect prebuilt gaming PCs for budget-oriented gamers.
While we encourage others to build their own PCs, for those who don’t want to, there are plenty of solid prebuilt gaming desktops that can be had for under $1,000.
And, in this post, we’ve put together a list of four solid prebuilt desktops that are not only affordable, but that will also give you high-end performance as well.
All of the desktops on this list will be good enough to max out the majority of today’s top games on a 1080P display and some will even work well for 1440P gaming, too.
Best Prebuilt Gaming PCs Under $1,000
1. iBUYPOWER Scale Orange (Top Pick)
The Best Budget Prebuilt Gaming Desktops
The table below provides a quick rundown on our picks for the best budget prebuilt PCs, including our pick for the best option overall, our runner-up pick, a good value option, and an ultra cheap prebuilt gaming PC option as well.
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|
NAME | SPECS | RATING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
TOP PICK
|
 |
iBUYPOWER Scale Orange |
|
/10 | |
|
NEXT-BEST
|
 |
CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme |
|
/10 | |
|
VALUE
|
 |
Skytech Nebula |
|
/10 | |
|
BUDGET
|
 |
CyberPowerPC Gamer Master |
|
/10 |
*For more information on the prebuilt PCs above, click the “Read Review »” link to jump to our overview of that computer.
1. iBUYPOWER Scale Orange
The best prebuilt gaming PC under $1,000 right now
For our pick for the best prebuilt gaming PC under $1,000 right now, we have to go with the iBUYPOWER Scale Orange. This desktop stands out for one major reason: it is the only prebuilt desktop available currently under $1,000 that comes with an RTX 4060 Ti GPU.
There are no other prebuilts currently available that offer a better GPU right now in the sub-$1,000 price range than the Scale Orange does.
So, that alone makes it an easy choice for our top pick. But, the system is well-rounded outside of the solid GPU it comes with…
Along with the RTX 4060 Ti, the Scale Orange also comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 7600 processor, 16GB of DDR5 memory, A 1TB Gen4 NVME SSD, an RGB single tower CPU cooler, and a tempered glass mid tower case that comes with four preinstalled RGB fans.
The combination of the Ryzen 5 7600 processor, the RTX 4060 Ti graphics card, and the 16GB of DDR5 memory will allow you to max out pretty much any game at 1080P resolution and this system will also serve you well if you want to game at 1440P resolution.
And, considering the current state of the GPU market and how much an RTX 4060 Ti currently costs to purchase on its own, you couldn’t even build a PC for $1,000 with the same specs (although, there are GPU alternative that you could swap out to get a little more performance if you did want to build your own system instead.)
Ultimately, if you’re looking for the best possible prebuilt gaming PC for under $1,000, then right now it’s without-a-doubt the iBUYPOWER Scale Orange.
2. CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme
The next best option under $1K
If you’re looking to spend a little bit less, this CyberPowerPC prebuilt system is currently a solid alternative to the iBUYPOWER Scale Orange.
For just under $900, you get a system that is nearly as good as the desktop above. The CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme comes with an Intel Core i5-13400F processor, an NVIDIA RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB NVME SSD.
The RTX 4060 is just one tier below the RTX 4060 Ti in the Scale Orange, and the i5-13400F will provide similar performance to the Scale Orange’s Ryzen 5 7600 processor. So, while the Scale Orange will offer slightly better performance, the Gamer Xtreme will still be good enough to handle anything you throw at it at 1080P resolution.
There are some other downsides to this system, though—at least when compared to the Scale Orange. Its cooling configuration is a bit lacking as it comes with a weaker CPU cooler and a more restricted case in terms of airflow.
Still, though, the 13400F and RTX 4060 don’t run particularly hot, so the cooler and case configuration should handle this setup fine. But, the grilled front panel, the four preinstalled fans, and the single tower CPU cooler should help the Scale Orange deliver better thermals over the Gamer Xtreme.
But, in the end, in terms of performance, the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme will be an excellent alternative to the iBUYPOWER Scale Orange and it will save you ~$100.
3. Skytech Nebula
A good value prebuilt option for 1080P gaming
If you’re looking to spend under $800 on a prebuilt gaming PC your options are a bit more limited. And, of the sub-$800 options out there, this Skytech Nebula configuration is probably the best choice.
It comes with an Intel Core i5-13400F processor, an NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card, and 16GB of DDR4 memory. The CPU is a great offering for a system in this price range, but the RTX 3050 is a bit underwhelming. Unfortunately, though, that’s about the best GPU you can expect to find in this price range.
Still, though, the combination of the i5-13400F and the RTX 3050 are good enough to have you playing any game on 1080P resolution. You might have to turn some settings down in order to get a comfortable framerate in demanding titles, but you will be able to play them.
If that’s okay with you, then this system would be worth checking out. If not, I would recommend either spending more to get one of the two options above, or consider building your own system instead. This $700 build and this $800 build would give you a lot more performance for a similar price.
4. CyberPowerPC Gamer Master
An ultra cheap prebuilt for non-demanding titles
If you’re looking to spend as little as possible on a prebuilt gaming PC, you could get by with this CyberPowerPC desktop.
It doesn’t have a great hardware configuration, but at just under $650 it is a lot more affordable than the other options on this list.
This system comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 processor, an RX 6400 GPU, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 500GB SSD.
In terms of performance, this desktop will probably only be able to run more demanding titles at 1080P resolution at medium or lower settings. However, if you mainly play non-demanding games (like League of Legends or Rocket League) this system will run them just fine.
For the same price, though, I’d strongly recommend building your own system. This $500 build and this $600 build will offer a lot more performance and will cost quite a bit less, too.
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. The top three gaming PCs listed above will max out pretty much any game you run on them on a 1080P monitor.
The final desktop option will struggle to push more demanding titles at max settings even at 1080P resolution, but it is much cheaper and it will handle non-demanding titles (like League of Legends or Valorant) well enough.
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. 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.
