With the AI boom causing the prices of key PC gaming components such as graphics cards and DDR5 RAM to rise to record highs, the prospect of building a new gaming PC between the $1,000 and $1,500 mark is getting trickier, particularly if you’re opting to use the latest and greatest hardware. There are component sacrifices you’ll need to take at this price level, but it’s still possible to build a rig that will comfortably play titles such as Counter Strike 2 and Valorant, along with more graphically demanding titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Resident Evil Requiem – and even be ready to play future games such as GTA 6.
Below, we’ve rounded up a strong set of components for a gaming PC that lands at around $1,300 in the US, current prices permitting. Opt for the 8GB version of Nvidia’s RTX 5060 and you’re looking at reliable medium settings at 1080p and 1440p in the newest games, with high refresh rates on many shooters if you’re happy with dialling the graphics down. Looking back at older titles from the previous gaming generation, the RTX 5060 also has enough grunt for some 4K gaming.
In this guide, we’ve used US pricing from Newegg, correct at the time of writing. Use this guide as a starting point rather than a strict blueprint to follow, however, as you might want to swap components out or push that $1,300 build price a little higher, depending on the exact uses for your gaming PC.
ComponentModelPrice (USD)CaseGamemax M60 Micro ATX$51CPUAMD Ryzen 5 9600X$199CPU coolerMSI MAG COREFROZR AA13$19MotherboardASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi$109RAMCorsair Vengeance 2x8GB DDR5 6000$249GPUGigabyte GeForce RTX 5060 Gaming OC V2 8GB$459SSDKingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, 1TB$160PSUASRock PRO-650G 650W$48
Total price at time of publication: $1,294
Case
To keep prices down, we’re keeping it basic for this build’s case, going without fancy RGB lighting and opting for the Gamemax M60 case, currently priced at only $51 on Newegg. Its Micro ATX form factor pairs up nicely with the Micro ATX motherboard on this list, and leaves plenty of space for the RTX 5060 GPU selected. With support for a maximum GPU length of 340mm, you’ve got scope to install a larger graphics card without getting a new case if you upgrade in the future.
CPU
AMD’s Zen 5 lineup still offers some serious bargains, and the Ryzen 5 9600X is no exception, offering respectable gaming performance at a low price tag. This six-core, 3.9 GHz processor still beats the minimum and recommended CPU requirements for most modern titles. Right now, it’s yours for only $199 on Newegg.
CPU cooler
An affordable processor fan is crucial for keeping the overall cost of the build down, and we’ve opted for MSI’s MAG COREFROZR AA13 fan here. With a maximum TDP of 240W, it’s more than up to the task of keeping that Ryzen 5 9600X cool.
Motherboard
The ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi is a respectable and gimmick-free budget board, and on-board WiFi means you won’t have to splash out any more money for an additional WiFi card if you’re unable to provide an ethernet connection to your rig.
RAM
For memory, 16GB is now seen as the minimum you’ll need to play the latest titles, and we’ve gone for some of the most affordable sets we could find at the time of writing, comprising two 8GB sticks of DDR5 6000 RAM from reputable manufacturer Corsair – currently priced at $249.
A requirement for 32GB of RAM is likely for games further down the line, but with this combination leaving you with two remaining DDR5 slots on the ASRock motherboard, it’s an easy upgrade to carry out later down the line.
GPU
Unsurprisingly, the RTX 5060 8GB graphics card selected as part of this build is the most expensive component. Unfortunately, prices of this card and other GPUs within the RTX 50 family have seen steep price rises this year, but it still remains the case that this is a great entry-level gaming GPU.
SSD
SSD prices have also seen steep rises recently, and even the 1TB M.2 drive we’ve selected will still set you back $160 – but these are crucial to run some of the latest games.
For older titles and storage of general files, you should consider adding a mechanical hard drive, allowing you to gain storage at a much lower cost per GB.
PSU
A 650W PSU from ASRock provides a reliable and adequate source of power for the RTX 5060 and Ryzen 5 9600X combination.
