For anyone who wants to build a PC for $1000, with the crazy RAM price increases. (WePC | Let's make your dream gaming PC)

1) New-parts Budget 1080p Gaming — minimal, new parts only

Best if you insist on buying everything new and still want playable 1080p at medium–high settings.

Example parts (approx. AUD, December 2025):

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X — ~$340–$380. (staticice.com.au)

• Motherboard: budget AM5 B650 board — $120–$160.

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 or AMD RX 7600 (new) — $350–$500 (big range; depends on sales).

• RAM: 16 GB DDR5 (2×8 GB) — $70–$110.

• Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD — $60–$120.

• PSU: 550–650W Gold — $70–$110.

• Case + fans — $50–$90.

Estimated total: ~$1,060–$1,510 (wide range).

Why the range? Because GPU prices dominate the budget and can push you over $1k if you buy new — that’s why this “all new” route is tight. If you find a GPU on sale or drop the CPU to a cheaper non-X model, you can hit ~AUD 1,000. (Mwave)

Trade-offs: a fully new parts warranty and peace of mind, but you’ll likely need to accept a lower-tier GPU (or smaller SSD) to stay under $1,000.

2) Hybrid Best bang-for-buck (new CPU + used GPU) — my recommended route

If you’ll accept a used GPU, you can get far better gaming performance for the same $1,000.

Example parts (approx. AUD):

• CPU: Ryzen 5 7600X or Ryzen 5 7600 — $310–$380 (new). (staticice.com.au)

• Motherboard: B650 (new) — $120–$160.

• RAM: 16 GB DDR5 — $70–$100.

• Storage: 1 TB NVMe — $60–$100.

• PSU: 650W Gold — $80–$100.

• Case — $50–$80.

• Used GPU: look for an RTX 3060 Ti / 4060 Ti / RX 6700 XT / RX 7600 (used) in the $300–$500 range — that gives very solid 1080p/1440p performance. (Reddit builds communities, and local marketplaces are good places to hunt.) (Reddit)

Estimated total: ~$950–$1,050 (dependent on used GPU price).

Why this is good: used GPUs currently let you get mid-range performance (much better than a new entry GPU) without blowing the budget. Community threads confirm this is the pragmatic path for AUD 1k budgets. (Reddit)

Risk: used warranty and some condition variability — inspect with seller, test if possible, prefer local pickup.

3) Buy a Prebuilt/Deal — fastest, often best value if there’s a sale

If you don’t want to DIY, keep an eye on Cyber Week / post-Black-Friday deals — retailers sometimes list whole desktop systems with much better GPU value than buying parts separately. PCGamer & WePC roundup coverage shows many good post-Black-Friday/Cyber Monday deals in late 2025 — you can sometimes get a ready PC with a midrange discrete GPU inside your AUD 1k target. (PC Gamer)

What to look for in a prebuilt:

• Dedicated GPU (RTX 4060 / RX 7600 or better)

• At least 16 GB RAM (upgradable)

• 1 TB SSD (or 512 GB + option to add)

• Standard warranty from the retailer

Trade-offs: less control over exact parts, but usually a warranty and immediate availability.

Quick shopping checklist & priorities

1. GPU first. For gaming, spend most of your budget here.

2. 16 GB RAM is the minimum; 32 GB only if the budget allows it later.

3. NVMe SSD (1 TB preferred) — games load faster, better overall experience.

4. Good PSU (Gold) — protects your investment.

5. For socket/platform: AM5 (Ryzen 7000/Zen4/5) gives a good future upgrade path; Intel LGA1700/14700 is also valid if cheaper.

Market context/sources: WePC’s $ 1,000 build guide and PC Gamer's deal roundups are good references for what you can expect this season. Price check tools like StaticICE and local retailers (Mwave, Scorptec, Umart) show current CPU and part pricing in Australia. (WePC | Let's build your dream gaming PC)

By Shawn Raj Gill 02/12/2025