$1000 Gaming PC Build

We have been quite busy lately testing some new gaming components. Some of the parts used for the $1500 Gaming PC a few months back have been updated and we are planning to do a refresh video on the new parts if all goes well. The theme is going to focus on the budget build. While our build comes in at over $1400, we are sure you can build a decent box for under the $1000 mark. Check out the specs after the jump.

Current Gaming PC Update

Case – SilverStone PS07 – $79
CPU – Intel Core i7 2600K – $315
Motherboard – ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z – $170
Memory – Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 8GB – $60
GPU – EVGA GTX 570 – $330
PSU – SilverStone ST75F-G 750W – $180
Hard Drive – Corsair Force 3 120GB SSD (CSSD-F120GB3-BK) – $190
DVD Drive – Samsung SH-S223 – $20
OS – Windows 7 Professional OEM – $140

Total: $1484

We will give some tips on cutting costs without dropping too many features. Of course, you won’t get there with our current parts list, but here are some places to shave off some cost to bring the build under the $1000 price. The board we picked for our build is awesome, but not on a budget. You can save money and still have a Z68 board, the ASUS P8Z68-V LE can be had for $140. Our Intel Core i7 2600K can be swapped out for a Core i5 2500 for $210.

It would be hard to build a sub 1K system loaded up with a GTX 570 video card, this we would swap out for a GTX 560 Ti for $240. The budget system will have to go with a less expensive PSU. We would probably go with the Corsair TX650 for $85. The case can also be swapped for a nice model for under $100, like the Cooler Master Storm Scout for $90. Finally, no Windows 7 Professional. The Home Premium version can be found for $100. So what’s the tally for the budget build?

Budget Reduced Gaming PC

Case – Cooler Master Storm Scout – $90
CPU – Intel Core i5 2500 – $210
Motherboard – ASUS P8Z68-V LE – $140
Memory – Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 8GB – $60
GPU – EVGA GTX 560Ti- $240
PSU – Corsair TX650 V2 650W  – $85
Hard Drive – Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB (WD5002AALX)- $60
DVD Drive – Samsung SH-S223 – $20
OS – Windows 7 Home Premium OEM – $100

Total: $1005

These prices will undoubtedly change, but you get the point. The core components can also be changed out in favor of an AMD build as well. We wanted to show how to cut costs using the identical CPU socket and similar parts. This is a great time to be a PC builder and putting together a powerful system is getting less expensive all the time. We hope to have a build video in the works soon using the parts from our list.

*Image credit – ASUS