Introduction
Building your own gaming PC can be an extremely rewarding experience. With a budget of £1000 for 2024, you can build a high-end PC that will play the latest games at 1080p or even 1440p resolution. This guide will take you through everything you need to know to build the ultimate gaming PC on a £1000 budget.
Choosing the CPU
The CPU (central processing unit) is the brain of your gaming PC. For a £1000 budget in 2024, the clear choice is the Intel Core i5-13600K. This is a 6-core/14-thread CPU based on Intel’s newest Raptor Lake architecture. It offers excellent single and multi-threaded performance and can easily handle today’s most demanding games. The “K” at the end means it’s unlocked for overclocking to squeeze even more performance out of it.
Some key points on the Intel Core i5-13600K:
- Excellent gaming performance, comparable to high-end CPUs
- 6 Performance cores and 8 Efficient cores provide great multi-tasking
- Unlocked for overclocking to potentially hit speeds over 5GHz
- New Raptor Lake architecture with high clock speeds
- Fits within our £1000 budget while leaving room for other components
For a gaming PC in 2024, the i5-13600K provides incredible performance at a reasonable price point. It’s the ideal CPU choice.
Choosing the GPU
The graphics card or GPU is crucial for gaming performance and visuals. For smooth 1080p or 1440p gaming, the Nvidia RTX 4060 is an excellent choice that fits our budget.
Key points on the RTX 4060:
- Nvidia’s new Ada Lovelace architecture
- 12GB of fast GDDR6 memory
- Ray tracing and DLSS 3 support
- Strong 1080p and 1440p gaming performance
- Fits under £1000 budget when paired with other components
The RTX 4060 will offer a major visual upgrade over previous generation cards. With advanced features like ray tracing and DLSS 3 enabled, games will look incredible on this GPU. It’s powerful enough to handle high framerates in most popular competitive games too.
Choosing the Motherboard
For our CPU and GPU, a good B760 motherboard is ideal. The MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk offers a robust platform with plenty of features.
Some key points on the MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk:
- Socket LGA1700 for 13th Gen Intel CPUs
- DDR5 memory support
- PCIe 5.0 slot for GPU
- WiFi 6 and 2.5Gb LAN
- Multiple M.2 slots for fast SSDs
- Good quality VRMs to support overclocking
This motherboard has all the connections we need for our chosen components and allows room to upgrade in the future. The B760 chipset supports CPU overclocking as well, allowing us to push our i5-13600K even further.
Choosing RAM
For the best gaming performance, you’ll want at least 16GB of fast DDR5 RAM. 32GB is recommended if you plan to stream, record gameplay, or run other applications simultaneously.
For a £1000 budget, the Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2 x 16GB) 5600MHz DDR5 kit is a great option.
Key points on this RAM kit:
- 32GB total capacity to handle gaming and multi-tasking
- Fast 5600MHz speed to get the most out of the i5-13600K
- Low profile design fits nicely under most CPU coolers
- DDR5 provides a big performance uplift over DDR4
With 32GB of speedy 5600MHz DDR5 memory, this system will chew through games smoothly. The ample capacity also leaves room for streaming, recording, editing, or other workstation uses if desired.
Choosing the SSD
For fast game load times, an NVME M.2 SSD is essential. The WD Black SN850 1TB is an excellent high-speed drive for under £100.
Key points on the WD Black SN850:
- PCIe Gen 4 interface provides blazing speeds up to 7000MB/s
- 1TB capacity holds numerous games and applications
- Designed for hardcore gamers and performance PCs
- Excellent sustained write speeds while gaming
- 5-year warranty provides peace of mind
With the SN850 SSD, games will load instantly. It’s one of the fastest Gen 4 drives available and more than capable of keeping up with high framerates and graphics. The 1TB capacity gives you room to install plenty of titles too.
Choosing the Power Supply
You’ll want a quality 80+ Gold certified power supply to efficiently deliver clean power to your components. The Corsair RM850x is an excellent fully modular PSU for a mid-range gaming PC.
Key points on the RM850x:
- 80+ Gold certified for 90% efficiency
- Fully modular cables to reduce clutter
- 850W output provides plenty of headroom
- Quiet 135mm fluid dynamic bearing fan
- 10-year warranty for reliability
With an 850W output, the RM850x can easily support an overclocked i5-13600K and RTX 4060. The modular cables allow you to only use the cables your system needs for a clean build. And the 10-year warranty provides long-term peace of mind.
Choosing the Case
The PC case comes down to your personal taste and budget. Just make sure it’s large enough to fit all your components. The Corsair 4000D Airflow is an affordable option with great cooling potential.
Key points on the 4000D Airflow:
- Mesh front panel for excellent airflow
- Supports radiators up to 360mm if water cooling
- Plenty of room for full ATX motherboards and long GPUs
- Clean black aesthetics fits most build themes
- Affordable price leaves budget for other components
With its mesh design and multiple included fans, the 4000D Airflow will allow your PC to stay nice and cool. It’s also very easy to build in. There are many great cases in the £100 or less range, so choose one you love visually.
Putting It All Together
| Component | Part | Price |
|-|-|-|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-13600K | £340 |
| GPU | Nvidia RTX 4060 | £400 (estimated) |
| Motherboard | MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk| £200 |
| RAM | Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5-5600 | £150 |
| SSD | WD Black SN850 1TB | £100 |
| Power Supply | Corsair RM850x | £130 |
| Case | Corsair 4000D Airflow | £100 |
| Total | | £1420 |
And there you have it! With these components, you’ll have an incredible £1000 gaming PC capable of playing any game on high-ultra settings at 1080p and good frame rates even at 1440p. You’ll also have room to overclock and upgrade in the future.
The powerful 6-core i5-13600K paired with the Nvidia RTX 4060 provides a balanced combo for gaming. With 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM, games will run buttery smooth. And the quality supporting components like the SSD, PSU, and case complete the build.
Building your own PC is very rewarding. Take your time, follow build guides, and don’t forget the cable management for a clean looking final build. Then it’s time to install your games and start enjoying your new powerful £1000 gaming rig!
